Sixth Day of Christmas

Christmas was fine, joyful even. Full of peace and contentment. None of the relatives got into an argument. 
It was a Christmas miracle.

Because there are still plenty of old people in my family, I had to sit at the kiddie table at dinner even though the youngest among us was my 18-year old godson. He, by the way, worried that the liberals are going to take away his ability to buy guns when he is 21. Should I be worried? He was part of the rifle club in high school, and by rifle club, I mean school-sanctioned activity with a faculty advisor.

My cousin who is a year older than me was able to find room at the adult table. I guess he is at that transitional age between kid and grown-up. You did note on my header, that I am in my '40s, didn't you?

I never did send out Christmas cards. Well, there's no time like the present to mail out Happy New Year notes and Happy Epiphany notes. My tree is still up, but I put away most of my Christmas decorations.

Since I had to work on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas, I did not bask in the Day-After-Christmas Glow like I usually do. 

However, since I was grateful to have a job, I tried not to mind so much. Tomorrow is my last day of work at this temp assignment. Then I celebrate the new year and my new life (again) as an unemployed person as I go screaming off the fiscal cliff onto the rocky shoals below.  

Truthfully, I am looking forward to a bit of time off: to get my home in order, do laundry, put together jigsaw puzzles, and SLEEPING in. But just a little bit of unemployment. God, please do not let me be without work for a long time. By long time, I mean a long time in human terms, not a long time in the history of the universe time. Dear God, I know a short time in your Alpha-Omega perspective is different than my human perspective, please help me find work soon. Yes, yes, I'll do my part and revise my resume for the 100,000th time. Or God, if you send me . . . am I allowed to have Cinderella fantasies in which I can create a lovely home for a spouse and me full-time because Spouse has a well-paying job and doesn't need my paltry income? I can learn to cook, I think. I DID receive a lovely new apron for Christmas, and I am rather tickled by the apron. Really I am. I put it on right there and then and twirled around. It has pretty ruffles on it. 

Anyway, I'm too tired to be anxious and worried. After all, God has provided so far, and he takes care of the sparrows. Okay, I do require more food than a bird and a bigger and more expensive living space than a birdhouse. 

God, I open my arms and my heart! Come in and WORK YOUR MIRACLES in my life! But can you do it without me having another crisis? (I had enough crisis in years past, which I will not recount here, but take my word for it).

I like singing Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, Glory to the newborn King.

What else?

Today I went to Mass early and was chatting in the back of the church.

Me: What is today? Is it a feast day?

[I know this season is hot and heavy with feast days such as the Holy Innocents] 

Lady 1: It's the Feast of the Holy Family.

Me: Then what is New Year's Day?

Man: That's Tuesday.

Lady 2: There's a vigil mass tomorrow.

Me: I know it's Tuesday. What?

Lady 3: It's a Holy Day of Obligation.

Me: But I thought it was the Holy Family.

Lady 1: It's the Solemnity of Mary.

Me: Oh. 

[What's the Solemnity of Mary?]

Lady 4: Remember when it was the circumcision of the Lord?

[Man scurries away. I don't blame him.]

Lady 4: Back in the '50s, the nuns always taught us it was the circumcision of the Lord. They pounded that into us.

[I'm so glad it changed. I do not want to listen to Father talk about circumcision from the pulpit. Frankly, I never want to hear Father speak of that in any context.]

Lady 5: Back in the '50s, I got married and was busy having babies and raising children; I don't remember anything.

Me: I wasn't born yet.

[Do I really look that old?]

Six geese of laying

Not Behind the Times

I came home from my half day of work today and found a robo-call from the Cardinal on my phone. First the pope is tweeting, and now the Cardinal is robo-calling. Who says the Church is behind the times? Not me.

I also found out that next Monday, the 31st, is the last day of my temporary work assignment.

I trust God that I'll have another work assignment soon afterwards.

In the meantime, I have presents to wrap.

Oh, only the part of my Christmas tree that I can see has ornaments on it.

Christmas is tomorrow!

Explain Himself

Here I am writing about the Newtown murders and suicide.

If I could not wrap my head around the death of a sick little boy, Henry D., how could I wrap my head about the death of healthy children or a mother or the suicide of a young man?

I am still disgusted with the television news who reported wrong information as facts in its rush to fill time and get the scoop.

The person responsible for the murders is dead.

There were contributing factors to this horror.

It bugs us that we do not know what was going on in Adam Lanza's mind, but it wasn't good. We're getting clues though, not facts.

We can only reduce the odds of getting killed. We can review security procedures. We can learn.
But as long as we are humans on Earth, bad stuff is going to happen. We cannot prevent it all.

What we can do is perform life affirming actions, works of mercy, read and learn from the Bible, practice our Catholic faith, pray and put our FAITH in God.

None of us are getting out alive, We are going to die; we don't know the when or the how. Somewhere in the Bible it says we don't know the day or the hour. Let us turn to the richness of our faith, let us turn to acts of love. Let us recognize the dignity of every human being whether young, old, big, or small, cute or ugly or in between. Let us act in a civil, dignified and courteous manner as a start.

One of the things I do not understand is why our president cries over the death of the Sandy Hook children,  but allows abortion and newborns to die alone in a hospital.

And since President Obama is alive and well, perhaps he can explain himself. That's really what I want to know. 

Silly

I'm bidding on something on eBay. I don't like the stress of bidding as the auction is winding down. I should just buy it. It's silly to put myself through this stress.

Two-fer Confession

I went to the reconciliation service at church today. After some praying, singing, and listening to readings, we lined up for individual confession. There were eight different priests we could go to.

One married couple went to confession together!

I didn't know you could do that.

As I watched them, I wondered if either one confessed something that could harm their marriage.

Your thoughts?

To Write or Not Write a Christmas Letter?

I kind of want to write a Christmas card letter this year, but Christmas isn't about me. It's about Jesus. Sometimes when I receive a Christmas letter I think they're either boring or bragging. Sometimes letters are both boring and bragging.

Some Christmas letters are depressing because they contain news of death, sickness, and unemployment. Do I want to read about your escape from an abusive marriage? Well, good for you, but frankly, I don't want the details of a marriage gone bad. Or that your cat died and was found cold and stiff under the coffee table.

Some Christmas letters make me depressed because it seems they brag about their blessings, and I realize I don't have any blessings. I know, I know, I should count my blessings. But I compare myself, and come up short. So that's a bad thought cycle to get into.

I want to write a parody of a Christmas card letter, but won't that be criticizing my friends who write Christmas letters?

And those of you with children, pictures of your kids are fine, but I like to see the parents in the pictures. I am not friends with little Janie, Tiffy, Hunter, or Junior. I am friends with the parents.

And why should I write a Christmas letter? If people are my friends won't they already know what's going on in my life?

Whatever, do not use the apostrophe when you mean the plural.

It should be "Greetings from the Bombers" meaning more than one Bomber family member.
Bomber's or Bombers' mean something the Bomber family owns is sending the greeting. Maybe the Bombers' dog is sending the greetings, in which case the greeting would just be "woof."

Some Christmas letters I enjoy reading. Really, there are a few I enjoy.

Shouldn't this post, this blog be about Jesus? Maybe I'll do better next time.

Baby Confirmation and Message to Baby Dominic

When I read that Baby Dominic Pio was confirmed by a priest, I turned to my catechism to read more about it Yep, babies and small children can be confirmed by a priest. It has been common in some places and time.

 See The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 1307 and 1314.

So when Baby Dominic's friends are going to Confirmation class, he can stay home and play Monopoly with his family. But first he needs to drink his bottle.

Baby Dominic, you probably can't read this blog post, but we adults are the ones who fast. You, the baby, are not suppose to fast. Did you get confused on who was fasting and who was not? Well, you're a baby, and I suppose this whole week has been confusing and strange for you with major surgery, drugs, IV lines, hospital routines, and what not. Dear Baby Dominic, please drink your milk. It'll help you grow big and strong and get you out that hospital sooner.

Dear Infant Jesus of Prague, Dear Holy Child of Atocha, please help Baby Dominic Pio.

Baby Dominic Pio

After my most recent angry post about doctor bills, I know have to say they can do remarkable things. I too am praising God that Baby Dominic Pio came through his surgery today. Read about him and his remarkable family at www.dominicpio.com

Bitter Pill

I have complained about medical payments and doctor bills and cost of prescriptions. I love Rebecca's post today at http://shovedtothem.blogspot.com/. I think she's starting a new movement, one to anger out-of-network medical providers, to save her family's finances, so she and her family could feed their children.

Need to pay your rent and eat and put gas in your car?

Add Rebecca's  addendum 

"We refuse all non-emergent non-life-saving treatment by any physician or personnel who are considered 'out-of-network' by  (our insurance company's name) when an 'in-network' alternative is available.  Any 'out-of'network' care which is not necessary to save life or limb will be considered to have been performed pro-bono and will be treated in that manner."  

when signing yourself or your child into the hospital.

I know medical school is expensive and so is hiring a staff, renting an office, etc., etc, and all that goes into having your own medical practice. But so is providing a roof over my head, buying groceries, paying for heat in the winter, etc, paying insurance premiums.

This is so sad, the state of health care in this country and our/my bitter angry feelings towards it.

True Happiness

"True happiness lies in giving ourselves in love to our brothers and sisters."

 - John Paul II, 1998