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Hello, I adjusted the settings on this blog to make it easier for you the readers to post comments. That was my intention anyway because I often goof up internet procedures.

God Bless You!

Lena

Hail Mary, Full of Grace

Today is the last day of my novena. I've been saying the rosary for my novena. Now, I know some of you say the rosary every day or on a regular basis. I hardly say the rosary. Two days ago, my prayers were answered. The solution came from an unexpected source. That's just like God, isn't it? He surprises you. Today I will say a rosary in thanksgiving. I know we are suppose to be saying lots of prayer of gratitude.

HAIL MARY, full of grace, the Lord is
with thee. Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us
sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

I wonder what non-Catholics do when they're in a crisis? Any non-Catholics out there? What are some of your prayers during a crisis?

I don't know how many times I've said the Hail Mary in an airplane when it has hit turbulence or during take-offs and landings. The Hail Mary is my life line, and so far every plane I've been on has always landed safely: even the time a tire blew out when the plane landed in Seattle.

Click here for directions on how to pray the rosary.

Merry Christmas

Going along with my pastor, Father G., I am still celebrating Christmas because Christmas starts December 25 and ends on the Eiphaney (sp?).

Didn't like your gifts? Don't worry; you can't take them with you anyway. What you can take with you is Jesus and Everlasting Life. Thank God literally for sending His Only Son, through Mary, to earth. If you stick close to Jesus, he'll stick close to you.

First American Approved Apparition Site

I read this on the HuMAMAeVitae blog. The apparition site is at  Shrine of our Lady of Good Help in Wisconsin.

Advent - Time for Preparation

It's really difficult to get into the Christmas spirit sometimes.If someone dies, or if there's family conflict, or if I am just not feeling jolly, I can't really get into the whole jingle, jingle of it. (Someone told me that he hates the whole "forced merriment" of the season. I love that phrase). Usually it takes me most of Advent to get into the Christmas mood, and that's why I've sent out Christmas cards on December 26, 27, 28, and so on.

My pastor Father G. reminded us that Advent is to prepare for the coming of the Lord. It's not Christmas until December 25, and then it's Christmas for twelve entire days (until January 6).

No wonder, I'm not in the Christmas mood yet. I am just preparing, so I am not even expected to be in the Christmas spirit now .Hmm, I thought I was being humbugg-y all these years.We Catholics are suppose to be preparing during these the next few weeks. Hey if you're already in the Christmas Spirit then glad tidings to you. I'll just prepare for and proceed towards Christmas day by day at my usual slow place because I really do need every day of Advent. I have been normal and fine all these years.

By the way, did I mention I have an awesome collection of Advent calendars? One of my dear aunts gave me an Advent calendar every year when I was growing up, and I saved them all. Many of them were made in West Germany (before the wall came down).

Mother Theresa Stamps

Today I bought Mother Theresa stamps, and nearly skipped out of the post office. I was thrilled that such a fine Catholic woman was being honored by the United States Postal Service. For a moment I thought maybe I would be thought of as a godly and saintly-like woman since Mother Theresa (or MT) and I are both Catholic. Yes, goodness by association. However, I am responsible for my own saintly-like behavior, which isn't very saintly.

I also bought some cartoon stamps because they're cute. Actually I get a kick out of Dennis the Menace.

I've been feeling guilty of a few things, so I better work a penance/confession/reconciliation into my calendar. If only we could email our guilty feelings to God, and receive absolution in our inbox. But no, I have to go see a priest. That's the way it works. And really, I would feel better seeing and hearing the words of absolution in person the way it's meant to be.

Speaking of recon(ciliation), I have always gone face-to-face. Never have I used that screen. Have you?

I like to say recon for some reason.

Lose, Lose, and Lose Again

I've been reading blogs by women who suffered ectopic pregnancies. For those who don't know what it is means, it's when a growing embryo is stuck in a tube (not a test tube) or someplace else except the uterus. If it's stuck in the tube, the tube will eventually rupture and cause great pain and bleeding. The expectant mother COULD DIE from this. The embryo WILL CERTAINLY DIE. The embryo MUST BE REMOVED one way or another if the expectant mother is to LIVE. It's not a pretty picture at all. I was surprised that some Catholic bloggers are very particular on the way the embryo is removed. Of course, they are quoting church doctrine and documents from this that and the other thing. I think the embryo should be removed in the way that is best medically for the mother. It's a situation of DOOM. It's a pregnancy of DOOM. The embryo is going to die if it's removed and it's going to die if stays in the mother. Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh. What the mother needs is some tender, loving, care because it's a sad, sad, sad situation. The mother is going to LOSE the baby. That's a certainty.

Then there was a blog titled Zippy Catholic. Zippy (not to be confused with Zippy the Squirrel) who said it's unjust to pay women equally for equal work because the man has to support the family. Well, Zippy here just undermined my dignity as a woman by saying that. I just want to hit Zipps with a frying pan. People like Zipps make me not want to be Catholic. I don't want to lose earning power because I am a woman. And I shouldn't. That's sexist. I have talents, I have skills, and I have a brain and should be compensated for the work I do using my God-given talents, skills, education and brain.

I just have to remind myself that Zippy is NOT the church. Zippy is NOT the church.

Right now I'm a Catholic who is angry at some of my fellow Catholics who are way at the other end of the spectrum of Catholicism.

Lena

First Sunday of Advent

Yesterday I passed out Advent Calendars to a group of friends at lunch. Most of them are not Christian, but readily accepted them. Do they know what Advent is? The calendar had to be explained to a few of them. However, they do celebrate Christmas. Someone suggested we do a Secret Santa, so we drew names. I am glad that Christ's name is part of Christmas. They seem to like getting into the spirit of it all. Since I made the Advent calendars, I'm glad they were happy to receive them. I like sharing the Christmas spirit with them.

The closing song at today's Mass was the rousing "City of God."

Jesus Left at the Altar

On Sunday when I went to Communion there was no Communion minister offering the cup on my side of the church. The other line to Communion for the other side of the church had a minister offering the cup. I felt cheated even though I know the Host is complete in itself. Then when the lines had dwindled down to just a few people, I noticed that a chalice was left on the altar because there was no Communion minister to take the Chalice and serve it. I felt bad. I am a Communion minister. I could have stepped up to the table and served. However, I did not notice that this Mass was short one minister. I need to pay attention on how many ministers there should be serving at each Mass. Then I need to step forward when necessary. The priest and other communion ministers sure had to consume a lot of leftover wine.

Poor Jesus was left alone on the altar. Like a wallflower at a school dance. Like a bride left at the altar. Ouch. Let's not leave Jesus alone. He wants to be with His people. We are his people.

Thanksgiving

Yesterday I had such a wonderful Thanksgiving, and it was over so quickly. Thank you, God, that I had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I Know It's Alive

One time during Communion I held the consecrated Host in my hand. I felt the Host pulse and saw a glow around it. That is when I knew for sure that Jesus is alive in Communion. I knew the Host was Jesus. It was the coolest thing I felt. And that is why I am Catholic. 

The same God, really?

When people say that people of various religions worship the same God as Christians, how do we know this to be true?

Comments anyone?

New Title, OLOG, K of C

I just changed my blog title and address because the Eucharist is THE reason I am Catholic and will always be so.

I asked my pastor about the OLOG-Revelations connection. There is no official connection because OLOG is the past and Revelation will be the future. Father G's explanation was a lot more detailed except that I forgot all he said. After he explained it all, I felt like saying, "Duh!" to myself.

On Saturday night I accompanied my father to a Knights of Columbus banquet. I have known most of his fellow knights and their wives since childhood. I think what good friends they have been to my father and to me too. Before my mother passed away, she was a dear friend to a number of the wives there. My father and my mother lived in a different state for ten years where they enjoyed their golden years in the sunshine. The council my father belonged to there were also excellent friends and really came through for us when my mother passed away.

The Knights were formed to help the widows and orphans, and the widows are always included. I know a man named - well, I forgot his name - but he died back in the 1970's, and his wife STILL comes to council events. She has not been forgotten, and she is always, always welcome. Once a man joins the Knights of Columbus, his family is part of the Knights forever too.

Lovers

Katie over at the HuMAMAE Vitae blog provided plenty of sources of those who want to study more about the Catholic Church's teaching about Mary's Virginity.

I said in my last post that it's rude to ask a woman if she's a virgin or not. Of course in Traditional Practicing Catholic Land, one would assume that if you're single, you're a virgin, and if you've been married more than 24 hours or even12 hours, you are not.

Anyway, speaking of lovers, I read today Song of Songs verses 2:10-14. That is because on Wednesday, I'll be reading this passage as the first reading at my aunt's funeral Mass. It is about God calling my aunt to heaven. I'm not sure who picked out this reading, but my aunt requested before she died that I read a reading. My cousin-in-charge said to skip over the dove in the cleft or rocks part because "it's too confusing to people."

Here is what I'll be reading in bold.

My lover speaks; he says to me, "Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!

11

"For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone.

12

The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land.

13

The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!

14

⁵ "O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the secret recesses of the cliff, Let me see you, let me hear your voice, For your voice is sweet, and you are lovely."

I think it's a very lovely reading and if only we all could be so assured of God's love and affection for us that we'd stop doing bad things to ourselves.

Are You Still a Virgin?

Asking someone whether or not they are still a virgin is a very personal question. And most of the time, it's none of our business. I'm talking about living in the current Non-Traditional Catholic Land, or in Non-Catholic Land.

So, how do we Catholics know if Mary, our Blessed Mother, remained a virgin? I want to know who had the nerve to ask Mary if she remained a virgin throughout her life with Joseph. We know by our Catholic tradition and by reading the Bible and through Church teaching that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was conceived (by the Holy Spirit). But how do we know she REMAINED a virgin?? Maybe I missed that part in Bible study. And why is it any of our business?

What if Mary and  Joseph had sex some time after Jesus was born? Let's say they did. Whom would have Mary told? I don't think she would have told Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, Andrew, Simon, etc. Is that something you would tell your son's friends? Who said what to whom? Was Joseph complaining to one of his buddies that marital life was missing marital relations? Maybe he was really much to old and didn't have the energy and told someone.

Maybe Joseph was too freaked out that Mary was called by God, and he better not go near her.

If somehow it was revealed that Mary did not remain a virgin, would that be such a bad thing? She was a married woman after all, wasn't she?

Why is it so important to us that Mary remained a virgin?

I'm just asking.

Mary-Our Lady of Guadalupe

Today is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. The priest talked a little bit about how it came to be and why this feast day came to be in 1950.

It is also the 30 year anniversary of my maternal grandfather dying. My uncle was suppose to take me and my cousin to a baseball game, but that got canceled. Mostly I enjoyed being with one particular cousin that day because we were children and not at all close to our grandfather. My mom kept crying and hanging onto me. I was uncomfortable with her grief and clingy-ness. I do remember all of us trooping to Church that day because it was a Holy Day of Obligation.

Today in church, one of the readings was from the Book of Revelations. The first two lines sounded like a description of Our Lady of Guadalupe (sp?). I thought "oh, this is about OLOG." Well, I didn't think OLOG the acronym. Then I remembered that Revelations and the Bible was written centuries before OLOG appeared before J. Diego in Mexico.

Today's feast day is about Mary's body and soul going up to Heaven as if in an invisible elevator.

The day for Our Lady of Guadalupe is in December and celebrates her appearance to Juan Diego. I believe his name is Juan. Now I am going to research OLOG. Luckily, I'm in the library right now, a perfect place for research.

God Bless Everyone.

Joyful Music and Clutter

Hi, it is a sunny day today, so that made this morning's mass all the better since a lot of sunshine came through the windows. My church has a lot of clear glass windows. Yes, it has stained glass windows too.

Before Mass was I was scrapbooking and feeling overwhelmed by all the paper and stickers I have. In my ideal life, I would use it all up and buy no more. In reality I buy more and get annoyed by the stuff taking over my living room.

Today's homily was about hoarding, giving our possessions away, and that relationships are more important. Amen to that. I feel inspired to give things away. After Mass I visited my friend in the hospital. I gave her a wildlife book, and some stickers and paper to play with. Last night I was up until 3:00 a.m. making advent calendars (to give away) trying to use up my Christmas papers. My advent calenders look very, very homemade, which they are.

Our closing hymn was "Sign Me Up." It's a clapping your hands joyful song. I like that kind of music in church.

Why I go to Church

One reason I attend Mass is to reset my priorities. It helps to be in a place where status, money, accomplishments and consumer goods do not matter.

I attend Mass to be in a community that is larger than myself.

The last time I served Communion I had a sense of community and really being part of the Body of Christ.

Eye Contact and Inspiration

A follow-up to the Sunday, May 16, 2010 blog.

When I served Communion on Sunday, I concentrated on good eye contact and started to see the humanity in each person. Then I felt like we are all part of the same community, which we are. It increased my feelings of belonging in the parish community.

A woman in the first row had her small son with her. The child looked to be about four or five years old and wanted to be held a lot. He looked too heavy to be held all the time, and sometimes the mom put him down. The son would then stand with his back towards the priest and hugged his mother.

When the mom came up for Communion, her son came with of course. Then he proceeded to grab the Host out of her hand! The mom grabbed it back, and the child tried to grabbing it again and started whining that he wanted one too. The mother said he couldn't have a Host. Sigh.

After Communion I was a one out of two sacristans. That's when I got all nervous and befuddled. Where was the other sacristan? I stepped out into the hallway and found another EOM to help me. Finally the other sacristan showed up, and in the end it took five of us to set up for the next Mass. We were all a bit unsure as to what we were doing. Yes, we were trained. Yes there were pictures and diagrams to follow. Maybe we were just insecure. We acted that way.

That evening I went to dinner at my friends' house. My friend grew up Jewish and married a "recovering Catholic." They celebrate the partiness of Christmas and are raising their son in no particular faith. She asked me if I found church inspirational. I said sometimes. It was a great opportunity to talk about my faith and church and God and Jesus, but the cat got my tongue. Instead I said, "Sometimes." This is not the first time she's asked me about Catholicism. I always feel insecure when I give her an answer. So, I need to write how church inspires me when I can think it through and then send her letter about it.

Getting Ready

1) Here I am getting ready to go to Mass, and I'm scheduled to serve as an EOM. I've put the whole Mother's Day issue and church attendance issue behind me for another year.

2) This week I received a short note from my godson. I do love him so much. He's in high school now, and there's nothing he can do that would make me stop loving him.

3) The church fathers aren't going to listen to me regarding the removal of original sin. Hey, no one is reading my blog as far as I can tell.

Post-MD

MD stand's for Mother's Day, and I purposely did not attend Mass. You see, all the moms I have had are gone. I am not a mom. There's a lot of pain involved when I am confronted with Mother's Day. It's hard going to church where mothers are glorified (as they probably should be), but I really feel like I lack so much. On Sunday, I had a thought that I am a Catholic failure due to not bearing children. Well, my life didn't go that route. Sometimes the church people forget that we single people exist.

Instead I went shopping with another single friend, and took my dad on some errands. I had a really good day. While walking in the store, another woman wished my friend and me a Happy Mother's Day. Automatically I said, "thank you." Then a little while later my friend and I talked about what to say to such greetings. I decided that thank you was the appropriate response. It's nice that people wish me a nice day, and I take any polite and cheerful greetings that come my way. My friend is an atheist and said she has to nagivate in a world that is so religious. Sure, she could choose to believe God. I've known for quite a while that she was an atheist. I gave her a homemade Easter card. She thanked me. Even though I knew she was an atheist, I gave her a card anyway. It was Easter, and I was in the mood to spread joy and blessings around. But I did pray for her the other night. But I am just going to be me, and not try to convert her. Besides, I am not a very good Catholic if I'm skipping Mass.

Yes, at times I miss my mother and my grandmother. And yes, it would have been nice to hold a newborn of mine. At times I feel like I have so much LIFE inside of me that I need to express in other ways.

I can't believe I almost forgot that my cousin wished me a Happy Godmother's Day. I was her Confirmation sponsor.

I should have gone to church.

Hands

This past Sunday I was an extraordinary minister of communion. In the early '90 I was a communion minister and a lector. Then my close church friends moved away, and I got really depressed. Because I was so depressed I started blowing off my assignments until I was dropped from the schedules. Back then when I gave communion I would look into each person's eyes and see the love of Jesus. I had love for humanity and for all these people who received.

Once again I am a communion minister, and I am waiting to see the love, waiting to feel the love. The problem is that the current pastor is very particular about the protocol. Then he said to use common sense. Well, I forgot all the rules, so I'm nervous. Because I'm nervous I lose all common sense. Another communion minister (I forgot her name) told me that all these rules drive her nuts. Twice now I have confided my nervousness to an older woman, another communion minister I'll call E. I have known E since I was about seven years old. Twice she has prayed over me. That helps. She'll pray over anyone. She's very generous with her prayers, but I feel like she's giving me a Cadillac each time. So she told me that God is using my hands for this act of service and act of love. She said let God work through me. So, have I broken protocol? I don't know and I'm not sure I care. I am respectful as I can be in that moment when I'm on communion duty. And as I write this, I realize that as long as I don't knock down a candle and burn down the church everything will be okay. And if the candle shall fall and burn down the church, there are plenty of emergency exit doors. Everything will be okay. It would be horrible, it would be expensive, but the parish would survive. We've survived a lot.

Now, if I could relax and feel the love . . .

Orignal Sin

I like baptisms. I am glad I was baptised as an infant. It gives me a secure feeling. Even though I've made all my other sacraments, baptism ensures that I have that indelible mark as a Catholic, as a Christian, as belonging to
God. If I wasn't baptised, I would feel like I was driving through life without my seatbelt on. How does it feel to not be baptised and not be any other religon? How do you just not belong to anything? Baptism is the joy.

The judgment is the original sin part. Sure, baptism washes it away, but the baby hasn't committed any sin. You're born, and you already have sin that needs to be eradicated. That's just not psychologically healthy. Adam and Eve messed up, not baby Taylor, not baby Elizabeth, not baby Annie, not baby Jimmy. The Church says it's a mystery, but I thinks that's just a cop-out statement. Now wonder they say Catholics perfected guilt: you're born, you take your first breath and already SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOUR BEING that needs to be corrected. Church fathers, let's get rid of the original sin. The concept is not healthy. There's no original sin. I reject the very concept.

Baptism

Attended Mass at a different parish today due to logistics with the baptism. The church is round and the interior is brick with every third brick or so being a colored glass brick. The colored glass bricks were lit from behind, so it had the look of stain glass, but it wasn't. Well, after a while I expected the church to start spinning around and then lift off for its home planet.

There were four babies and one little girl being baptized, and all the
little siblings and cousins were very well behaved. Families and their children remained quiet in their pews when another baby and family were up at the Baptism fount. Everyone was actually respectful and clapped after each family completed the baptismal rite. This multi-children baptismal was refreshing because I’ve attended many baptisms where children ran around like crazy dogs and the adults chattered among their selves with no regard to the holiness of the event. I was impressed.

Full of Energy

Good Morning,

As so often is the case, it's Sunday morning, and I don't want to go to church. I am fully of energy and have the desire to clean, color, take a walk, write a letter, write an essay, hang up my clothes, wash dishes, scrapbook, dance and do stretching exercises. Oh yeah, eat breakfast too.

This is the most energetic part of my day. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it in the morning. But now I am under the pressure of the clock. There's Mass today plus a baptism I've been invited to. After the baptism is the reception. I wish the reception was now because I am hungry. My elderly parent called me at 8:00 am to tell me about our schedule. Dad can't drive, so I'm responsible for getting him to church and to the Baptism. He was invited too. You would hardly know that I am an adult.

Responsibilities are calling me.

My Friends and Their Politics

My Catholic friends are politically diverse, and I find that interesting. I'm speaking of my practicing Catholic friends, those I've met at church functions. These people I refer to as my church friends. I have other friends who happen to be Catholic.

Some of my church friends take the Social Justice Road of Catholicism, vote Democrat, and march in immigrant rights parade.

Some of my church friends take the Conservative Pro-Life Republican Road. Of course one can be pro-life and a Democrat.