I brought God, Jesus, and Heaven into a Public School

I work IN a few public schools, but I don't work FOR the public schools. Public schools as a whole have been anti-God lately. I brought an early reader to share with the young students. It was a book from my student days, and there were two chapters about God and Jesus in there. I haven't read the book since I was in second grade myself, so I forgot about the God and Jesus parts. Neither did I look carefully at the book cover where it said Faith and Freedom series.

A first grader read the chapters about God and Jesus. Oops! I could have lost my job because I showed her a book that told about God and Jesus. Well, so far no child has reported me to the authorities or the administration. And if I lost this job over that mistake, I would not care.

You know what happened when she read about God and Jesus??? Nothing. The roof didn't collapse, no one complained.

This week I was reading a book of poems to little students and seven rhymed with heaven. I didn't see that coming. Oopsy daisy!

"What's heaven?" Girl #1 asked.
Now I felt the restriction of my right to free speech.
Uh . . .
"I know what that means," said Girl #2, "it means they're dead, right?"
I nodded my head yes even though there were NO dead characters (animals) in the poem.
"That's what my grandma said. That when people die they go to heaven.," said Girl #3.
"My grandpa died, and he went to heaven my grandma said," stated Boy #1, "I cried when he died. We really miss him."
The children talked about deceased relatives before I drew their attention back to the book of poems.

It's silly to feel like I did a wrong thing about reading a poem with the word heaven in it. Heaven is a good thing. God is good. Heaven is the best thing. I'm glad their parents or grandparents talked to them about heaven.

Mary's Virginity - Why It Lasted Forever

Previously I wrote about the Blessed Mother's perpetual virginity. No one answered my question why is it so important to us that she remained a virgin.

However, if she weren't, then we'd have to change our thinking and opinions and beliefs about Joseph and Mary.

 Leila at Little Catholic Bubble explained Mary's virginity. Here's my summary: Joseph knew that Mary was united with the Holy Spirit, and that God was the Father of baby Jesus.

Joseph thought, "Whoa, man! It's like she really IS married to God. I better not mess with Mary! I just better keep my hands to myself and restrict my duties to carrying the heavy pottery and leading the way to Egypt. I don't want to get on God's bad side."

Of course, Joseph helped out Mary in many ways and with the raising of Jesus.

The Next Big Day - Part II, MLK, Jr., Daily Devotional

Valentine's Day is named after St. Valentine.
Read about it here: St. Valentine

Boy, I am getting lazy by just adding links and making you go to them instead of summarizing the information in my blog. Maybe it's because I recently learned how to add links.

Yesterday was the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. My take-away from the MLK, Jr. holiday is to look inside a person's heart. Remember God loves every single one of us, no matter where our ancestors came from.

Well, I don't have any deep thoughts today. You may be thinking I never have any deep thoughts.

I am happy that today I found my little daily devotional book that I rec'd free from my parish because I'm a communion minister. The little book is Living Faith.

I'd love to read your comments. Hint, hint.

Design

I love changing colors and design and rearranging. I spent so much time fussing with the blog's new look, I don't have much time to write. I learn mostly by trial and error. I also need directions, so I do I center the title and description in the heading? Does anybody know? Would you please tell me?

Rushing to the Next Big Day

Today is the 12th day of Christmas. Do I have to say good-bye to this season?

I noticed that stores are already selling cards and gifts and decorations for Valentine's Day. I hate the rushing of the seasons. I like to enjoy the present (unless it's a bad day). The only stores that should be allowed (if I were in charge) to sell items WAY AHEAD of a holiday or season are craft stores because it takes time for consumers to buy the supplies and hand make something. For people who are not going to craft, they can buy something at Walgreen's the night before.

How about we think of Jesus as a Valentine? God loved all of us in the world so much that He gave his only Son. I say come February 14, tie a big red ribbon around Jesus.

I celebrate Christmas - St. Stephen

I'm still hung up on Christmas, and why not?

I wonder what non-Christians think they are celebrating when they are celebrating Christmas? I know non-Christians who do the whole tree, gifts, family, decorations, Santa thing.

(Look! I learned to insert pictures from the Internet.)

I was glad to see that some homes in my neighborhood still has Christmas lights shining brightly, and lit trees were shining through the windows.

Next year when people say, "Happy Holidays," to me, I will say, "Thank you. I'll be celebrating Christmas." Do you think I should say that?

Will I even remember? I just want my Christmas Holy Day back. I don't want Christmas to be lost in the holidays. Of course the word holidays comes from the word Holy Days. I read that somewhere, and I don't know where

Why is Kwanzaa on printed calendars? .I don't celebrate that. I don't even know it is. It wasn't a holiday when I was growing up. I don't even know what is that. I did learn what Boxing Day in England.

The feast of St. Stephen on December 26 is celebrated as "Boxing Day" in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and in other commonwealth countries and is a national holiday there.   The name refers to the practice, as legend has it, of nobles and other wealthy Britons "boxing up" and distributing food and other gifts to their servants and to the poor on the day after Christmas.   Boxing Day was traditionally when the alms box at every English church was opened and the contents distributed to the poor.  Servants by custom were also given the day off to celebrate Christmas with their families.

- From this link, which is about St. Stephen.

You may notice that is web page is from an Episcopal church. Well, Catholics are the ones who canonize saints. That's my disclaimer.

 

  Merry Christmas. It's Day 11!

One Church

I want to especially welcome my overseas readers.

If are Catholic, even though we are in different countries, we are part of the same church. If you aren't Catholic, come and join us! I think it's cool that God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the Catholic Church are for every single one of us. The invitation is open to all.

Come to the Rock that Peter built!

Are Catholics the minority where you live? With all the churches in the suburbs of Chicago, I'm going to say Catholics are a majority or close to it. Here in America, we don't know exactly what religion people practice. Right now I'm in the public library. I have no idea what religion the people around me practice. But I'm guessing most are Christians; and I bet if I asked, most Christians would be Catholic or at least raised in the Catholic tradition.

Being raised in the Catholic tradition and not practicing Catholicism is a topic for another post for another time. My diocese has a campaign to welcome back those Catholics who have strayed: Welcome Home is the slogan.

Welcome home, I say to you.

Peace be with you!

Lena

Ephinany Proclamation, Nativity, Kings from the East

The priest read The Ephinany Proclamation yesterday after the homily. This was the first I heard of it. In the days before calendars were common, said Father, the proclamation was read to the congregation. The proclamation announces the holy days and liturgical calendar of the new year.

After Mass, I meditated before the creche in front of the church and what it must of been like to experience the prophesies realized. I thought of the poor baby boys (Holy Innocents) who were ruthlessly killed by order of the Insecure King Herold. I thought of how the long the journey was for the three wise men from the east. I wish we knew more about them. Any biblical scholars out there?

I don't want to see this season end. On my dresser I have a stand-up plaque of the nativity scene. I keep it there year round because I like it! I like looking at it and thinking about what how magnificent that Holy night was.

The nativity on the grass in front of the rectory has the Peanuts characters. It makes me laugh.

Someday I'm going to correct all the misspellings and writing errors.