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Yes! My son went to Mass with us this evening; the first time in 3yrs! His college education in SoCA created far too many problems and vices for which today he struggles and will continue to have to deal with for many years. But God’s grace is having its way with him, and we pray that tonight was the beginning of a new evangelization on his part! Please remember pray for our young Catholics.
I’ve discovered a gorgeous gothic church in the town/diocese next to ours, complete with blue ceiling and gold stars. (I’m in the wild west where we don’t have much really great church architecture). It was built by the Quebec Mission for the Hudson Bay Company, and is the protocathedral. The new priest (since June) is having the confessionals re-done…I think he’s probably putting them back to their original configuration. He uses the altar rail and a paten. He wears a cassock and biretta. He is not narcissitic!!!! He has only boys on the altar. The EMHCs are under control, e.g. they don’t take communion up by the altar and there are not many of them. He has started a schola!! My musician friend, who has been praying a long time for a schola that sings Wm Byrd, etc., is in that new schola! I love sitting in that space, with its gorgeous carved natural wood altar pieces. It reminds me of my childhood and the lovely church I grew up in. Such a peaceful and uplifting space.
I had an ultrasound last week revealing little arms and legs merrily wiggling away, along with a lovely, strong heartbeat. Feeling much more optimistic now that we will be welcoming home a new addition to the family in July. Deo Gratias, and pregnancy-related aches and pains being offered up for everybody on the urgent prayer request list.
The rector of the cathedral parish chanted the Mysterium Fidei in English and the people responded with the parts from the Missal (MR 2002), thus inaugurating a gradual shift to more Missal chants over the next few months. We also chanted that rarely heard second penitential rite (Have mercy on us, O Lord…), followed by the Kyrie (English) and later, of course, the Sanctus (also in English). The rector took a few moments of his homily to provide a brief but thorough and engaging catechesis regarding the changes to be introduced.
btw – the rector uses a Benedictine altar arrangement!
The only fly in the ointment today was the choir’s presentation of a couple of mawkish devotion songs that I suspect, or at least hope, are the last dying embers of sappiness.
Dear Margaret,
lovely!
I have managed to book up Holy Week in Rome. Deo Gratias. It’s such a nice time to be there.
Cecily, I don’t know whether you have been to Rome, but there is a beautiful church called Santa Maria sopra Minerva near the Pantheon that has a blue ceiling with gold stars too! I’m sure there must be others but that’s the one that comes to mind.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-santa-maria-sopra-minerva
My wife and I had our first baby, a boy on the 19th!
Dear Thomas C,
congratulations!
Had no intention of going to confession yesterday but on the drive to church, suddenly some things that had been on my mind crystallized and I decided I would go in if I could. Got to church and there was no one in line, which is rare. Felt like the Holy Spirit was at work there. Felt wonderful afterward, having some things off of my mind.
Congratulations to the parents of the newborn and to the one on the way.
After several years of persuasion and prayer especially on the part of my wife my borther-in-law was finally married in the Church.
Congratulations to the new parents and those in the state of ‘blessed expectancy’!
Kind of minor, but I found a book of Bible paintings, that were a great influence on me as a young child, very reasonably priced on Amazon. Looking forward to sharing them with the grandchildren.
The pro-life rally in Dublin city centre on Saturday drew over 25,000. Bitterly cold but worth it, every minute.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/over-25000-attend-pro-life-rally-in-dublin-581802.html
[Although the “pro-choice” element featured at the bottom of the article numbered only 200 (if even that) our national news broadcaster saw fit to devote an equal number of paragraphs to them on its website on Saturday. The irony in the fact that they were then quoting a figure of 100 was undoubtedly lost on them. I believe they refer to this type of propaganda as “Balance”.]
Just got home from daily Mass, before Mass was confession and adoration. Todays Mass at my parish was celebrated for the intention of my grandfather who died 20 years ago today.
I have almost completed my application for Seminary Studies! Just waiting on a few documents to come in.
Not so much news, but I have an amusing story to share. My husband and I recently found out that our next baby will be another boy, and we’ve been trying to choose a name. My four year old son saw me with the baby name book and said “Did you pick out a name from that book yet?” I told him I hadn’t, to which he replied “How about God?”
Before morning Mass I got to sit in front of my Nativity Set still under my Christmas tree lit with soft white lights in my dark living room and pray…
MARY
OF THE
MORN
Through the Gate O’Morn
He came
In a stable born,
Where St. Joseph
Held her hand
Both so tired and worn.
Patient donkey
Just outside
Munching on some corn
Saw the love
St. Joseph had
To Mary he was sworn.
Saw St. Joseph’s
Furrowed brow
Knowing future scorn.
Saw St. Joseph
In the now
Fighting ‘gainst forlorn.
Then the donkey
Heard with joy
The herald of a horn
Angel Gabriel
Announcing wide
History’s curtain torn!
Then St. Joseph
Walking by
Some fleecy sheep, some shorn
Behind this wife
He’d reach new life
Through Mary of the Morn.
Today I am enjoying not only a lovely day off, but more importantly enjoying the older form of Mass and Divine office for St. Agnes. I will soon say terce. Pray for me that my summorum pontificum initiative will be successful.
Oh mamajen, that’s priceless!
We chose a name from the Roman canon! With the exception of Cletus, those names are very good and easy to “anglify”: Linus, Cletus, Clemens, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprianus, Laurentius, maybe not Chrysogonos… What about Peter?
Another family I know have four apostles at home :)
Prayers still coming your way !
No glaucoma.
The preliminary tests were off due to a calibration error.
Also, got completely caught up on a special duty for the diocese which has been hanging over my head.
Great dinner with a fine classmate on Saturday evening.
Wonderful five mile hike Sunday afternoon. Dinner with Mom in the evening. All-in-all a wonderful weekend.
My oldest passed his Eagle Scout Board of Review last week. Now I can direct my “attention” to my next son, a Life Scout.
Mamejen, if I had had a second son, I would have named him Anselm, the great Archbishop of Canterbury who reformed the seminary system of Europe….is that too exotic for you?
oops, sorry mamajen…I just renamed you….
Congratulations, Margaret
Congratulations, Thomas Crabtree
Will add prayers for the possible future seminarian and monk as posted above.
My married son is here on a short visit.
We hadn’t seen him since 2 years ago.
What a joy to have him here.
They’re working on having the TLM/EF Mass and a new Una Voce Chapter in his area .
A NEW BABY ON THE WAY!
Dear Eoin, Congratulations!
My lovely mother is 84 today.
EoinOBolguidhir says:
A NEW BABY ON THE WAY!
Congratulations for all having new babies. My husband and I have been blessed with ten, our breakdown is 6 boys, no lamps (the boys broke them all kicking soccer/rugby balls) and 4 girls. Remember – every baby comes with a loaf of bread under their arm, not cake, but bread…
THE
LOAF
OF
BREAD
Every work of God…
With it something brings.
On humid hot-days clouds
Let go their rain-drop pings.
‘Fore lady lightening strikes
She warns us with her thunders
To shelter kith and kin
As lightening sometimes blunders.
And crusty, creeks bring rocks
And all the rocks bring slime
Where little boys explore
To slip on rocks they climb.
And under babies’ arms
New lives bring loaves of bread
Holy Mother brings Our Lord
Blood-sacrificed un-red
To feed the soul which brings our flesh
To earth then hopefully, Heaven…
The priest, the rock, the Church, the flock
The sanctus sacrificium et seven.
Congratulations and best wishes to those expecting future Catholic babies! I wish you all smooth pregnancies and easy deliveries. Thomas Crabtree, congratulations to you and your family!
Fr. Jim, I’m relieved that you don’t have glaucoma.
Wonderful news from all – thank you all for sharing!
Here, thanks be to God and St. Joseph’s intercession, I sold my car to a very nice man. I live alone in an isolated area, and am mindful of my vulnerability to danger for that and other reasons particular to my area. I was terrified of having a potentially dangerous individual come look at my car and realize I was a woman alone here. I did a novena to St. Joseph a couple weeks ago, and asked him, as I have no one to protect me, and as he is the patron of fathers and was the protector of the Christ child, for him to ask God to send me an honest, harmless buyer.
Through our Lord, St. Joseph delivered. The man who bought my car was very findable (owns a local business, which put me at some ease), polite and easy to work with. I got a good sale price as well. I could not have asked for a better transaction. He’s taking my car to a shop today to get it checked out and if there’s something wrong with it, I’ll happily give him some money back in good faith and still have an amount I would have been happy with getting.
I do wish I hadn’t missed a little opportunity at sharing the faith, though. He was a non-Catholic Christian who attends a local Protestant church, and at some point we spoke about mutual faith (and struggles at times with that faith) in God’s timing and His Will. I’ve always carried a Rosary in my glove compartment. I’ve had a blessed Rosary that I haven’t used, and I wish I had asked him if he minded that I put it in the car’s glove compartment, since the car has never been without one. I don’t think he would have minded. Before he came back with the cash, I sprinkled some holy water on the front seat and asked God to bless my car’s new owner with protection, and many years of good service from the car, so this man drove away with a faith-filled, Catholic touch to his new/old car, anyway. :-)
It’s sill in English, but my church has started having the Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei in the tune of the Missa de Angelis.
Justice Scalia’s cap!
About 2 hours ago I had just gotten off the phone with Br. Elias m.Carm., assistant vocations director of the Carmelite Monks, talking about the next steps I can take towards hopefully entrance into Carmel.
Congrats to all waiting for little ones to arrive!
To mamajen and Fr Jim, I swear doctors get paid bonuses for worrying everyone first!
My class has been going very well this year. The students are fairly attentive, especially considering that th textbook describes some crisis in the Church every week. Have given them new prayers to
Learn,at asked them with finding the church library, even boiled down a taste of Aquinas for them this week. I think there may be some Latin ahead for them too!
Dear Sicilian Woman,
wonderful news! I think you have made a friend. As I have understood your situation, you could really need one. (Still praying for your domestic problems to be solved and for your health. Thyroids, sigh. See you in YUPR’s, and thank you.)
Thank you for the prayers and congrats everyone!
I think I’m pretty set on Gerard for the middle name–in part because this pregnancy has been a bit tricky, and also because it was my favorite grandfather’s middle name. Now just trying to settle on a first name. Lots of ideas, but nothing has “clicked” just yet.
Great news – especially about the little ones!
And we have found a foster home for the two little Lab babies — and the Dog Railroad is setting up for a relay to transfer them from Waycross to their new home.
As of yesterday, my fiance and I have only 8 months until we are married!!! Although the Mass will be Novus Ordo in English, much to my dismay, we are offering a bouquet of roses (and our marriage) to Mary at her side altar right before our wedding starts. I’m so grateful to God that He sent her into my life. Please pray for our marriage! Thanks in advance. PS. I’m 23 and she is 22. PPS. We plan on having 5+ kids.
My wife and I have been separated for almost two years. At Mass last Sunday, after receiving the Eucharist, I prayed for what I decided was the last time for the reparation of our marriage. Later that afternoon my wife called me to tell me she had been drawn to confession, and during her penance she said her eyes were open and she realized the mistake she had made in leaving me. We are back together now and praising God as a family with our two children again!
orich,
That is a fantastic story! I’m so happy for your family. Reconciliations are the best.