The Rest of the 4th of July Story...

Before I describe the rest of our weekend activities, I want to give a shout out to a fellow blogger, Dymphna, who asked for prayers for me and Susan in her post on July 2nd. I love her "random thoughts" posts. In fact, I love everything about her blog and go to it almost every day to see if she's posted anything new. She finds some of the most beautiful religious art I've ever seen. 

The internet can be a serious source of evil, but when I think of the people I never would have "met" or learned from without it, I am so grateful! God bless you, Dymphna! And thanks for your concern for me and Susan.

And now to "the rest of the story" about our activities on July 4th.

Monday of Holy Week and Five Reasons We Didn't Make it to Mass

Painting the seashells Grandma collected in Florida

 Larry and I go to daily Mass almost every day of the year. When we were in Florida, the available church only offered Mass on Monday and Tuesday, but we were blessed to be there in Lent because they offered Mass and stations on Friday evening. Here at home we have Mass every day and would normally have been there this morning, but I couldn't face getting five grandkids out of bed early after staying up too late (It's hard to settle them when they see their cousins) and corralling them in time to make Mass. So we had a big breakfast instead and chatted around the table. They love our "big breakfasts" and always ask for them when they visit. We think we'll start a pool to guess how many (waffles, pieces of french toast, or pancakes) Ryan can eat. I also made an entire pound of bacon this morning so we wouldn't have an argument over who gets the last piece on the plate.

Interview with Cardinal Burke on Extraordinary Synod

This week's Wanderer carries an interview with Cardinal Raymond Burke evaluating the Extraordinary Synod on the Family. He points out some major problems with the outcome (no surprise to orthodox Catholics) including its giving the widespread impression that doctrine on marriage can change.

Does this sound familiar?

How Will You Spend the Last Week of the Liturgical Year?

Tomorrow is the last Sunday of the liturgical year, the feast of Christ the King. How will you spend the final week of the year? Will you focus on the Holy Trinity reflecting on how Advent can bring you closer to God? Or will you focus on the unholy trinity of "me, myself, and I."

What gifts will you prepare this Advent to put under your Christmas tree for the Christ child?  Can you give him daily Mass? the daily rosary? a daily or weekly holy hour? Confession at least once during the penitential season? Visits to a nursing home or prison or rosaries in front of an abortion mill?

For families with children here's a suggestion. Make a beautifully decorated box with a slit in the top. Every day when you light your advent candle, let each member of the family write down the gift for Jesus for the day and put it in the box. After you decorate your Christmas tree put the gift in a prominent place underneath. On Christmas Day open this box first (Whose birthday is it after all?) and read all the gifts your family has prepared for Jesus. Won't that focus on the real reason for the season?

"The people in darkness have seen a great light." How will you bring light to your little corner of the world during the next month beginning with your family? It's worth thinking about, eh?

Two Thumbs Up to Matt Birk, a Pro-Life Catholic Hero

Baltimore Ravens Player Skips Obama White House

Matt Birk is a football lineman, Harvard graduate, and Catholic father of six. Here's some of what he said when interviewed about skipping the White House confab:

“I don’t think I’m a superstar by any means,” Birk said, “but I’m glad (for) the platform that football allows me. I’m glad to use it to support causes that I passionately believe in and this is one of them. For me, it comes down to what’s right and what’s wrong – what’s God’s will and what’s not.”

Amen! And thank God for Catholics willing to stand up in the public square and tell the truth even at the risk of damaging their careers. He has a great career on God's heavenly team no matter what happens in the NFL! Read more about Matt's faith here. And please say a prayer for this wonderful Catholic family who witness to the value of faith and family every time they leave the house together.

If You Can Read This, Thank Your Teacher: Mom!

Ever seen that slightly different message on a bumper sticker? It says "thank a teacher" without the "Mom."

But who are the first teachers, the primary teachers?

Moms and dads, especially stay-at-home moms who teach their children everything from how to play patty-cake, to saying their first words, to making the Sign of the Cross, to counting and learning colors, to brushing their teeth and putting their shoes on the right feet. And for teaching the virtues: honesty, modesty, kindness, prudence, etc.

Yup, moms are the best! Thanks to my mom today and every day! I'm praying for you today, Mom, in thanksgiving for life and all the joys and sorrows that go with it.

Some special memories crowd in today so I'll list some things I'm thankful for:

• that beautiful pink organdy graduation dress you made me for eighth grade. I was still wearing it in college!
•  for porcupine balls made in the pressure cooker (one of my favorite dinners) and all those endless meals you cooked and served for our large family, 
• for all the 6:30 a.m. morning Masses together at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 
• for cookie-baking and sewing lessons - I still remember that vest I made for my first project,
• for teaching me how to make a bed with hospital corners,
• for your cheerful disposition that continues to be reflected in all your children,
• for your impeccable English that helped us all score well on the verbal SATs by just picking the choices that "sounded right,"
• for all those years of faithful service to your family of twelve -- especially our dinners together every night -- they were the "Eucharist" of our family's "domestic church." 

Your legacy continues to bless us into the next generation.

Happy Mother's Day!

On the Third Day of Christmas...

One set of grandchildren left with our son and his wife today so we went on a pilgrimage to the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington for a twenty decade rosary. The decorations were beautiful and we enjoyed the many nativity scenes and all the shrines honoring Mary under her many titles. I picked up a card about Our Lady of Sorrows and all the promises to those who honor her under that title.

Before heading home, we stopped at our daughter's in Fairfax and "kidnapped" four grandchildren for another Christmas adventure. Roller skating tomorrow and a birthday party for a Noel girl and a phone call to her cousin who shares a birthday on the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

How I love the holidays. Not only are they holy days, but joyous family days. We plan to celebrate the twelve days of Christmas in grand style with grand-children!

I hope you are having as much joyful family fun as we are!

Two Little Boys

We have two of our grandchildren here this week, two active little boys age seven and six. The seven-year-old will make his First Communion next month. We took them to daily Mass yesterday and and today amidst moaning about having to go when they'd much rather stay home and watch cartoons. So I offered a deal for tomorrow. We'll skip morning Mass if we also skip eating for the day. If we can skip the Bread of Life which is most important, why not skip the bread that's less important.

Decisions, decisions.

The seven-year-old said he'd rather go to Mass; the six-year-old said he'd skip eating for the day. But then I reminded him that tomorrow's plan included going to Denny's for breakfast after Mass and meeting up with his cousins and their mom.  So he decided that going to Mass was the best choice after all, but said I "tricked them into it."

I said, "Not really. If we we're going to 'fast' from Mass wouldn't it be good to fast from eating as well to remind us to hunger and thirst for Jesus." I don't think he's convinced. But when you're a little boy who has a hard time sitting still for two minutes, Mass really is a challenge and a temptation to poke your brother. I spent a lot of time suppressing a smile this morning remembering my own child-rearing challenges at Mass.

Larry and I always try to match daily Mass with something fun for the kids: lighting candles, a trip to the doughnut shop or Seven-11, etc. We'd like the children to associate going to Mass with positive things. It would be easier to skip the daily ritual when we have grandkids visiting, but we like to keep our own little daily "rule" as well as remind the kids of what's really important in life. We pray that the lessons we offer became a source of grace-filled memories that increase their desire to put first things first.

The Little Sisters of the Poor and my Mom

I love the Little Sisters of the Poor. Until six months before she died at age 83 (in 2002) my mom used to go over to their nursing home on Maiden Choice Ln. in Catonsville twice a week to volunteer. She visited the "elderly" many of whom were younger than she was. Sometimes she wrote letters for them or she mended their clothes or just came to smile and chat. Often she was the lector at the noon Mass on her visit days.

My mom was an amazing lady who cared very much for others including the little ones in utero waiting to be born. Every January she organized the parish bus for the March for Life and, except for the last January before she died, she was there with her walker making the treck up Capitol Hill. She sold red and white carnations on Mother's Day to support the local crisis pregnancy center and was herself a generous donor to the pro-life movement. She wrote frequent letters to the editor defending the babies, and sometimes defended the faith in her own parish from the errors of the resident dissidents. She wanted others to like her, but not enough to be silent when the truth was being tromped on.

She enjoyed her 37 grandchildren and 40 great grandchildren (many more since she died ten years ago) whenever she could. Fortunately she had some nearby. "Grandma" morphed into GG (for great grandma) in her later years. She loved it!

When one of my sisters asked a daughter what she thought it meant to dress modestly, she answered "To dress like Grandma." Mom almost always had on a skirt and on the lapels of her jacket she wore the little feet, a rose pin, and several other pro-life symbols. She was neat as a pin and had a cheerful disposition and a big smile. When she was dying she always shared that smile with the visiting nurses and aides. The closest she came to complaining was the forlorn question, "Why is it so hard to die?" Among her last words was "thank you" to the aide who came to give her a bed bath two days before she died. What a legacy and a challenge to those Mom left behind. When people comment on my cheerfulness, I always say it was a gift from my mom, and it's true. All my siblings are cheerful as well. What a great testimony to mom!

It was a blessing to me today to see the Catholic Key Blog about the Little Sisters of the Poor. It sent me on a walk with my mom down memory lane. I can't imagine a greater companion for that journey. Love you, Mom.

Want to be Happy in Your Marriage?

Have children and go to Church together.

The happiest wives in America

Gosh did I need a study from UVA to tell me that? Larry and I enjoy each other's company and our cross-country trip last fall illustrated that we could be together constantly 24/7 and still enjoy each other's company after seven solid weeks. I think after 42 years our relationship has stood the test of time and we would fit solidly in the ranks of this study that showed that families who had four or more children and went to Church together weekly were among the happiest.

Fr. Patrick Peyton, the rosary priest, who is up for canonization could have explained it without a study. "The family that prays together, stays together."

The Blessings of Grandchildren.... By birth and "adoption"

One of my favorite parts of the marriage ceremony is the blessing that you might see "your children and your children's children." Well...we are incredibly blessed to be expecting our 20th grandchild who is due next September. Most of 2011 will be a happy anticipation of that event with all the reports about progress and finding out whether the girls will advance their lead (currently 11-8) or whether the boys will begin to catch up.

The thing that got me thinking about grandchildren (It never takes much) was that, while browsing my bloglist, I was intrigued by "Old Bob's" post title. So I went and read about his "adopted" granddaughter. Actually, he is the adopted grandfather, since Maria initiated the honorary title. If you want to read a heartwarming message for Sunday (always a traditional family day) visit Bob's blog. And a big congratulations, Bob. Instant grandchildren are another blessing from the Lord and you aren't limited to one!