the path to eagle

There was a time, not too long ago, where my response to some event would be "oh, I can blog about that." But so rarely now does that happen.

Holy Week and the celebration of the Triduum awakened some of that.  It is so full of imagery and just good "stuff".  

Another stepping stone occurred this weekend, too, that I would wish to document (and which the teen subject would probably be OK with).

It's been a long process to get to this point, but his Eagle project was completed this weekend.  Other things remain before he can submit his application, but the project is DONE! 

Planning began in earnest about a year ago.  He had seen a stepping stone Rosary and when the time was right he approached the principal at the school he attended for grades K-8 about doing such a project for the school.  They were willing, and so he began work on a proposal, submitted it for all of the signatures and had it approved last summer.  At some point, we were told that there were other plans for the area that he wanted to use for the project, and they were unable to find another suitable chunk of real estate.  They suggested painting a Rosary under a covered area that they have.  Since this was a major change in the project, he was required to do another proposal and submit it.  This happened during the fall.

Then wrestling season began.  If you have wrestlers, you know that nothing else happens during wrestling season (November - February, more or less).  Then he got a job.  I have been forbidden to post that picture on the internet.

A few weekends ago, we bought the supplies.  Last week we were out of school, but the "project beneficiary" was not until Friday, so we (he) made final plans and decided the project would take place on Friday and Saturday.

Friday morning, a small crew - his brother and a good friend - prepared the surface..

 And then they waited...and waited.  We made a run to WalMart for donuts and cookies.  And waited.  Finally, they decided it was "dry enough" and began to lay out the pattern, tracing each bead with chalk.

This process took quite a while, because you know that even though it had been carefully measured and drawn, things did not fit exactly.  So there were changes and decisions to be made along the way.

 Finally, it was time for a trial run with the paint...

They mixed in some gold paint sprinkles...thinking that a little glitter would be a cool thing.  That was pretty much a fail.  Even though we used more than it called for, there was no sparkly glitter effect when we finished.

They painted the "Our Father" beads, and that was a learning experience.  The first one had paint that had oozed under then stencil and then they got paint on the asphalt when they put the stencil down after peeling it off of the circle.  But, they figured out how to fix both of these problems. They cleaned up and went home.

Saturday morning a larger crew showed up.  He had worried about having too many "little kids" that would be careless with a paint roller, but in the end the six that showed up, were perfect.  It was amazing how much debris collected on the covered surface overnight.

I love the picture below - of my Eagle-to-be giving instructions.

Then, working in pairs of one older and one younger, the painting commenced.  It went perfectly.  No drips, no spill, no runs...

What to put as the "connector" on the Rosary had been a problem that he needed to figure out.  In the end, he chose the school logo and made the stencil himself.

For the Cross, he just elected to free-hand it with the roller, and again, it worked quite well.

 A Scout is clean, you know....and paint is messy, so here is the clean-up.

I love this picture, here, too, where he seems to be offering it up to the good God.  Actually, he was looking at the paint he'd gotten all over his hands after taking off one of the paint rollers...

And a final picture of the crew, with the project.  

He is so proud.  Just now, he saw me looking at the pictures to put on here, and he had to stop and look through them again.  "Yeah, I did that," he said.  "Mom, do you think we could go by there tomorrow....just to get another good look at it with it all dry?"

post-election musings part 3: moving forward

And so...moving forward (pun intended) what are we to do?  First we need to accept that we are where we are at this pointing time because Christians have fallen short -  that look in the mirror thing.  We have allowed our voices to be silent and have just gone along with the crowd.  In our values and morality, we have become indistinguishable from the rest of society.  We live together with out benefit of marriage.  We use artificial contraception.  We divorce.  We skip Mass when something better comes along, or it is too inconvenient.  We have been silent and we have tolerated evil.  Some of us even think that religion is something that we do at church on Sunday.  Many of us think that we are so virtuous we have no real need for the sacrament of reconciliation.

Someone posted on Facebook this past week...it is true that things happen for a reason.  But sometimes the reason is that you are stupid and make bad choices.  Truer words may have never been spoken. 

But that still doesn't answer the "what now" question.  While it is true that we do not always follow God's will for our lives, it IS true that God continuously brings good from bad situations.  Writes straight with crooked lines, as it were.  One of the good things that should come from this is a return to prayer.  Honestly, I think most of us are prayer-slackers. 

We need to pray for (and with) our families and for the conversion of our country.  We have turned away from God, and there will be consequences for our actions.  One thing that I have come across recently is the Patriotic Rosary.   Pray a decade every night if a whole Rosary seems overwhelming. 

During this year of Faith, get to know your Catholic Faith.  Understand why we believe what we believe, even if you don't think you agree with it.  Make use of the sacraments!  Even (or maybe, especially) confession.  Invite a friend - to Mass, to confession, to pray.

Padre Giovanni Triglio suggested going a bit further in a recent post:

I suggest a modest program. Voluntary resumption of the ALL Friday abstinence (except on Solemnities) and voluntary fasting on all Wednesdays (or at least one day a week, except on Solemnities) in REPARATION for the sins of our age; DAILY rosary; MONTHLY confession; ANNUAL retreats; PERIODIC pilgrimages; and FREQUENT acts of piety and devotion. Simultaneously, we need to READ and LEARN more about our religion and be more assertive in SPREADING it, first by example and secondly by prudent and compassionate CATECHESIS.

The Roman Empire converted thanks to the blood of the martyrs but also because their faith became contagious. Lukewarm Catholics attract no one. Mediocrity is a cancer. PRAY for vocations AND pray for better politicians. Support those who defend LIFE and oppose those who promote death and perversity.

 There is much to be done, my friends!  Are you ready?

 

undoer of knots

A while back, a friend told me about a Mass that she had attended where there had been reference to "Mary, Undoer of Knots" in the homily.  We both quite aware of many of the titles that our Blessed Mother claims....Our Lady of Guadalupe/Kibeho/Fatima/Lourdes, Mary Queen of the Universe, Mother of Perputal Help, Mary Mother of God, and many, many more.  But Mary, Untier (or Undoer) of Knots was a new one for both of us.

About a month or so ago, I got an email from a friend, who asked for prayers for her stomach issues.  Knots.  My mind went back to this particular Marian title, and I did a quick google search for it, so I could send her more info.  I came across this wonderful website.  And there was this image of Our Lady, undoing the knots in our lives which hold us bound. 

As I read the description, I was pretty sure that this novena fit my life every bit as much as it did hers - maybe more. 

But what are these knots?


There are the problems and struggles we face for which we do not see any solution … knots of discord in your family, lack of understanding between parents and children, disrespect, violence, the knots of deep hurts between husband and wife, the absence of peace and joy at home. There are also the knots of anguish and despair of separated couples, the dissolution of the family, the knots of a drug addict son or daughter, sick or separated from home or God, knots of alcoholism, the practice of abortion, depression, unemployment, fear, solitude…Ah, the knots of our life! How they suffocate the soul, beat us down and betray the heart’s joy and separate us from God. (from theholyrosary.org) 

Not one for novenas, and not a totally committed Rosary pray-er, I felt drawn to this one.  And besides, October is the month of the Rosary, I reasoned.


Each evening for 9 days, I made time to say and mediate on the mysteries of the Rosary and added in the designated Novena prayers at the end of the 3rd and 5th mysteries.  I don't know if you are supposed to have a different knot for our Blessed Mother each night, but mine was pretty much the same one every night.  I couldn't tell much difference from day to day.  On the ninth day, the prayer was one of Thanksgiving, thanking the Blessed Mother for untying whatever knot, and I couldn't help but think, "but I don't think anything has happened yet....I'm not even finished with this rosary."

Oh, me of little faith.  It HAS been better.  Can't explain it.  Can't say how long it might last.  But, as has often happened, grace entered my life when I least expected it, and at least for a little while...that knot is no longer holding me bound.

Your mileage may vary.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us.

(PS - I know how long it has been since I blogged.  Insert random excuse - broken laptop, busy crazy life, lack of subject matter.  Take your pick!)

still here....

I find myself here - not yet willing to give up my little corner of the internet quite yet.  Writing and photography are two of my favorite ways to express myself, but I find little that seems worth writing about these days.  And not that there is a lot of traffic.  I think most people that find their way to this blog do so because they've done a search for a certain paint color in a bedroom.  (See the #1 ranked post on the sidebar.)   I've been getting my blog fix here...a new little project of mine.

This has been a lazy, lazy summer.  Last summer we closed on a house (a year ago Wednesday) and spent most of the summer doing the hot, dirt, backbreaking work of moving 30+ years worth of accumulated stuff either to the dumpster or across town to the dream house.  There are still things in boxes.  I spent yesterday rearranging the closet in the guest room and bagging things up to get rid of.  Today was an errand-running kind of day.  Took one kid for a haircut, took the other kid to the Boy Scout Office to drop off his Eagle project proposal, and had both + a friend ride along while I dropped off papers to refinance our house at the credit union. 

Side note:  Y'all!  The interest rate has only dropped a percent since we closed last year (we thought we got a good rate last year), but we can save about $150/month on our payments if we refinance.  Over $55,000 over the life of the loan!  Got a mortgage?  Check it out!  Side, side note:  I signed my name 19 times on those "planning to refinance papers". 

Counseling is going slowly because hubby's work is going slowly.  He hasn't had a job in over a week.  I hated for him to miss a job because we had the appointment, and you have to cancel the appointment 24 hours in advance.  So I rescheduled.  Story of my life.  I went by myself last week.  It was good, because I was able to talk freely, but she really didn't have much to offer just me.  She said my coping skills seemed to be good, and she had hope that the marriage could be strengthened.  Things had been going better here....a little nicer attitude, but today wasn't really a good day in that department. 

I had a couple of "a-ha" moments today, though.  The first came at Mass during the preface to the Eucharistic Prayer.  (I love the new translation.)   Today was the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  The responsorial psalm was, "You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation."  Nice image.  I'm sitting there picturing a nice little gurgling brook in a country meadow somewhere.  Then came the preface before the Eucharistic Prayer.  It was a special one today for the Solemnity.  In part, it reads: 

For raised up high on the Cross, 

he gave himself up for us with a wonderful love

and poured out blood and water from his pierced side,

the wellspring of the Church's Sacraments,

so that won over to the open heart of the Savior, 

all might draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. 

I picked my head up and smiled to myself.  "A-ha!  The Spring of Salvation is not some little babbling brook.  It's the Sacred Heart of Jesus!!  And the water that we draw...it's Living Water, isn't it?  It's the Lord's mercy and compassion!  

After I got home, and someone was having a "moment", I decided to go for a walk.  The dog and I.  I love living in a neighborhood where I can walk, and this summer, I am taking advantage of it for really the first time.  I have mapped out a route that is almost a mile, and the dog and I wander easily along.  She doesn't talk much, and so it is quiet.  I would like to pray the Rosary more often, but I often fall asleep when I sit (or lay in bed) to pray it, and I find that popping in a tape and mumbling along with the words when I drive isn't really all that prayerful.  I also feel a little self-conscious strolling through the neighborhood with my Rosary beads (maybe in time I will get over that).  But I have a rosary ring...and today I prayed with that.  It worked out quite nicely.  The dog and I enjoyed the walk.  The Blessed Mother was good company, and I think that maybe the Holy Spirit has just shown me a way that I can pray the Rosary more often.  Good thing, because "A Fortnight 4 Freedom" is right around the corner, and along with that, the opportunity to join Human Life International in praying a Rosary for religious freedom each day!  Join us?

catching up

You know, sometimes there just doesn't seem much that is blog-worthy.

My Saturdays this month spend a lot of time looking at things like this:

My older dear child has decided to give wrestling a try.  Makes for some long Saturdays, I want you to know!  But he is enjoying it, and it is good for him to be involved in something at school. 

On a totally unrelated note...about twice a month, we pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary at my sister-in-law's house.  Monday was one of those nights, and I knew I needed to be there.  I was running late, so I called her to let her know.  Not to worry, she said.  It would probably  be a small group, and they would wait.  Imagine my surprise when I got there to see cars lining the street and a young couple walking down the driveway.  I was sure that they must have been looking for the party, which must have been at the neighbor's.

My surprise was magnified even further to see 15-20 teenagers sitting in her living room praying the Rosary!  I wondered who had brought their youth group or CCD class.  But, no.  Through the wonders of forwarded text messages, these kids had shown up [at the home of a stranger] to pray for a friend who was having surgery the next day on a [hopefully benign] brain tumor.  And they had been welcomed with open arms.

My own prayer intention was our clerk at school.  You know, of course, that clerks and secretaries are the ones that run the school!  Miss Grace is in her early 80's, and is one of the few people who has been at our school longer than I have.  To know her is to love her.  She always has a smile and a kind word.  Last week, news came that a [probably malignant] tumor had been found during a colonoscopy. 

She said she was going to the Adoration Chapel that afternoon, and she'd be at work the next morning!  That's why sometimes we call her Amazing Grace!  She finished the work week, as if she didn't have a care in the world!  The surgery was scheduled for Tuesday, and as I was driving home from the Rosary, I was thinking about her, and how "Amazing Grace" is such a fitting name for her.  In the next breath, a new song came on the radio.  Would you believe it if I told you, the song was "Amazing Grace" by Chris Tomlin!  That was kind of a "wow God!" moment.



A side note to add that she had the wrong date for her surgery, but there was a cancellation on Friday, and so she is scheduled for that day.  Please add a quick prayer for her.  She is the heart of our school.

And that, I think, is about all that I know that is worth mentioning.

Until next time....

beggars at the feet of Jesus

That was part of the homily last Sunday....how none of us have a right to anything but our sinfulness.  There are no entitlements with God.  We are all beggars at the feet of Jesus.

So I spent some time begging the other night.

Backing up a bit.  My sister-in-law hosts a Rosary group.  We meet about every-other-Tuesday and have some regulars who pray with us.  Two who have been there when they are able are SIL's best friend who was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer last fall and a mom from my kids' elementary school who was diagnosed with stage 4 Lung Cancer 2 1/2 years ago.  The doctors gave her a 15% chance of living a year.  Both have recently received challenging news in the way of new cancerous growth.

So what are we to do but pray?  Keeping in mind that prayer changes us - not God - SIL thought about organizing 24 hours of Adoration to pray for the needs of these two ladies and a cure for cancer.  That rather quickly evolved to "Find some time to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament in the next couple of weeks and let me know..." so that we could present them with a Spiritual Bouquet of sorts...and maybe some real flowers, too.

My kids had CCD the other night, and I needed something to do to fill the time.  Could be nothing better than spending it with Jesus - begging.

I went down the street to the church near my school.  There is a dance school across the street, so at this hour the church parking lot is populated by parents in SUVs waiting to pick up their ballerinas.  There is a keypad by the church door and I let myself in. No one else is there this evening.

I kneel for a while and say "hello" to Jesus - acknowledging that He is all powerful.  The light is fading.  I decide to say the Rosary.  Monday is the Joyful Mysteries.

The Annunciation.  I think of Mary's surrender and think of the difficulty the ladies must have in surrendering to God's will in the face of their cancer diagnoses.

The Visitation.  Why exactly did Mary go to visit Elizabeth?  Was it to help her?  Or was it to learn from her?  Or was it so that she could be touched by Jesus' presence?  And these ladies....are we to help or to learn from or to be touched by them?

The Birth of Jesus.  He came here to be part of our lives...to enter our world.  Even the suffering - or maybe especially the suffering.  I pray that they continue to know His presence in their lives.

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.  It often strikes me that this Joyful Mystery is also one of the Sorrowful Mysteries prayed in the 7 Sorrows Rosary.  Mary and Joseph offering their Son to the Father.  And my friends...offering their suffering to the Father.  Knowing His Love, but also knowing such pain and heartache. 

Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple - Again, a Joyful Mystery that is also one of the Seven Sorrows.  Jesus is in the home of His Father.  I pray for these ladies that they, too, are about their Father's work, that they are obedient to what He wants them to do, just as Jesus obediently returned home with Mary and Joseph.

Sometimes I rest my arms on the pew in front of me and put my head down while I pray through the Hail Mary's.  It is darker when I open my eyes again.  The candles flickering on the wall are more noticeable.

It is so quiet.  During the day, the building creaks and moans as the sun heats up the structure.  But at night, it is quiet.  The cars waiting in the parking lot for the dancers have gone.

I walk to the front, and in the darkness, I stand at the foot of that cross and look up.  We have no right to anything.  Sickness and pain entered the world because of man's unfaithfulness.  None of us deserve a miracle.  Miracles are for the glory of God.  I don't remember the words, but the prayer comes from the heart. 

It is time to go.  He is the light that conquers darkness.  And for that, I will happily beg.

perspective

Nearly a year ago, my sister-in-law began to host a Rosary group in her home.  I always figured Rosary groups were for old ladies, but I have missed very few of these, and have benefited greatly.  We pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary...it was popular in the Middle Ages, and was re-introduced by Our Lady of Kibeho in the 1980's.  The prayer and meditation is always good.  Soothing?  Peace-inducing? The source of many graces?  Something about meditating on the sufferings of the Blessed Mother and Our Lord.

But also wonderful is the ever-changing group of people with whom we pray.  I love that my teen sons sometimes come with me (one more often than the other).  This week, I invited two dear people from work.  There were 11 of us - 3 teens (one of them mine), one young person in her 20s or 30's.  A few of us in our 40's.  Sister-in-law in her 50's.  One of the people I brought in her 60's...another at or close to 70.  And my mother-in-law who will be 80 this summer rounded out the group.

We start off by going around the group for those who wish to offer prayer intentions.  Then we begin.  We take turns reading the reflections at the beginning of each mystery.  No real order...someone who wants to read takes a turn.  At the end, we often stay for a little while and visit.  This week, one of our group said she had something she wanted to share.  She was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago - at the age of 39 - with stage four Lung Cancer.  Statistics gave her a 15% chance of living a year.  A 5% chance of surviving two years.  She had written an article for our local Catholic paper.  I can not link directly to it, but it is certainly worth the effort to read, in my ever so humble opinion.  This link will get you close.  ;-)  From there, click on the June, 2011 issue.  Her story is on page 35.  She is an inspiration, and her article tackles very accurately what is truly important for us as parents and as followers of Jesus.

take time

Yes, it's true.  Or maybe it's more true that the people of Louisiana LOVE Our Lady of Kibeho and her ambassador, Immaculee.  I spent yesterday evening and the better part of today at a retreat featuring Immaculee.  Just me and 999 of her other closest friends, many of who have heard her speak on other occasions.  There is just something about her that draws people - again and again.  People in this area absolutely love her, and she said she feels like she is coming home when she comes here.  Friday night, she was welcomed with a standing ovation before she said a single word!

Her story...her time spent in the bathroom with 7 other women for 90 some odd days hiding from mobs of roaming killers....a time during which she lost her family, but found herself, is fascinating.  She speaks of the fear and of the miracles that occurred while she was in that bathroom during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.  She speaks of forgiveness and sadness. 

But most of all, she speaks about love. The love of Our Lord, and Our Lady.  She encourages us to ask God for what we want, as long as it does not run contrary to His will.  Either we will receive what we ask for or the desire for it will be removed.  She shares stories from her own life where seemingly impossible things happened.  More than once. 

I have said it before, but there is a love and a peace that just radiates from this young lady.  ( I had a hard time getting a decent picture today.  The crowd was enormous, my camera was acting crazy, and I didn't want to look too much like a stalker.)

I am lucky.  This is the third time in a year that I've heard her speak (well, actually a year and a week, I think).  And while much of what she had to say, I had heard before, there were still things that were new to me or things that I heard in a different way because I am at a different place in my life. 

A year ago, I never rarely prayed the Rosary.  Nothing personal, just wasn't my thing.  Then at her retreat last June, she led a rosary that changed that for me.  In the last 10 months, I have prayed more Rosaries than I did in the previous 10 years (which isn't really saying a whole lot).  A daily Rosary was really my one Lenten resolution this year.  I succeeded somewhat at it; there is still p.l.e.n.t.y of room for growth, but I was much more open today to the repeated requests of "the Blessed Mother asks us to pray the Rosary every day".  I suppose when Lent is over, I will keep plugging away at it.  I bought her Rosary CD's...I've been contemplating that purchase since I saw her last June.

That's Our Lady of Kibeho and some of the many flowers we brought today.  When the Blessed Mother would appear in Kibeho, she often referred to those in the crowd as "her little flowers".  And so today we offered flowers, but also were flowers.

She had practical advice today that I had not heard before.  First of all, we need to clear away (clean house) of what is not uplifting or good.  Our music, our art.  I'm fine with this, but I'm not sure how far I'll get with my teenage sons.  Secondly was some advice on Daily Prayer that she received from someone else. 

• First is to wake up with a prayer to God.  Ask Him to guide you, to forgive you, etc.  
• Then once you are awake, read a few Scripture verses...I suppose it could be from part of the Daily Mass readings... and then spend a few minutes meditating upon them.  
• Next is to read a paragraph....just a paragraph from some kind of spiritual reading and meditate. 
• Then during the day, find five minutes or so of quiet when you can reconnect with God.
• And at the end of the day, make sure you end with prayer...I suppose there could also be another bit of Scripture and Spiritual reading.  

If we want to be with God, she said, we need to make time for Him.

She closed with a couple of final bits of advice.  One is on my Facebook page.... If you are ever conflicted between being right or being kind, always choose kindness.

And with Lent drawing to a close and Holy Week beginning, she asked us to take time this week to see Our Lord and His Mother.  Take time to love them for what they went through for us.  Console them...

And along with those thoughts, I'll leave you with a couple of images that I ran across today.  The church where this event has a school, and the school was open today for us to use for lunch, etc.  These statues were in the lobby.  I thought they were unlike anything I've seen before, but beautiful. 

catching up

Nothing really exciting going on here.  No burning need to blog.  Not wanting to bore people to death and all.  Which probably means it will be a post without much focus.

Lent it going relatively well, I suppose.  This week and last have been rather unremarkable, but that's OK, I think.  Working on the procrastination.  That will be a life-long project.  Still enjoying my adoration time before school a couple of mornings a week.  Doing fairly well with saying the Rosary daily, though some days, it might run a decade or two short.  Kind of slacked this weekend, but my intentions were good.

I've done some reflecting about prayer.  For the past 3 or 4 years, I've prayed the Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours on a regular basis.  Took a break last summer.  Taking a break right now.  There have been times when I've felt guilty about skipping an "hour".  But right now, I'm feeling peace about my prayer life.  I go to Mass when I can, which is most mornings.  But beyond that, time for meaningful personal prayer is just limited.  Key word - meaningful.  If I just run through the motions of saying a Rosary while I'm driving or reading through the Psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours, is it quality or quantity?  Prayer or just mumbling words?  I might not "get through" much sitting in the dark church, but there is such a peace.  Today I had a good bit of time and said the Rosary.  Other days I just have 20 minutes or so, and I might journal, reflect on the homily for a bit, or say a few decades of the rosary. 

I don't feel like a prayer slacker.  Is it peace or complacency?  Right now I'm going with peace.

We had Bible Study tonight.  It was on patience.  It might just merit its own post.  Patience is something we can develop.  One small choice after another.  I remember asking my confessor if anyone ever really "got" patience before they died.  He said it was more a matter of enduring...something about being patient with ourselves and our impatience.  Which kind of makes it sound like he was giving the green light to impatience, but that wasn't it at all.

School has been pretty calm lately.  Less tension.  Less stress.  We have about 35 more days.  Let's hope it continues. 

I won't bore you further...except to say that we are resubmitting the offer on the house.  It looks to be a roller coaster ride.  We all *really* like it.  I am putting it in God's hands, with St. Joseph running interference.  There were some positive signs yesterday.  But who knows what tomorrow holds?

As I said...I won't bore you further.  Check back in a couple of days.  ;-)

our lady of the bayou

10-1-11 - Updating to Add:  On October 29, 2011, there will again be a gathering in Theriot.  Holy Mass will begin at 2 p.m. to be followed by a 5-decade Rosary. 

Set out on an adventure yesterday.  A pilgrimage of sorts.  My sister-in-law and three friends along for the ride.

In a little place on the bayou, a few hours from where I live, the Blessed Mother appears to Claire -Rose.  Apparently, Claire Rose and the Blessed Mother go WAY back; she's been appearing to her for years.  But for the past many years, the last Saturday of every month has been a "public" apparition.  Not that anyone else can see Our Lady, but there is a message for the public.  This is within 200 miles of my home, yet the first time I ever heard about it was last month.  As luck would have it, today was the last public apparition.  So we went.

The morning started off with not being able to find my keys.  This is a favorite trick of Satan's at my house, I believe.  After several minutes of fruitless searching, I grabbed the extra set from the safe, and was on my way.

I should say - the morning started off with hubby cooking me breakfast.  Today was our 17th anniversary, and although we don't usually make a big deal out of the day, I felt more than a little guilty for not spending it with him.  But it's not every day that Mary is this close.

After eating lunch at the Olive Garden (yum), we went on the location of the apparition.

Draw bridge along the way.  Nothing quite like a see-through road.  

Claire Rose's house.  It was raised after being flooded with nearly 5 feet
of water after Hurricane Rita.  They lost "nearly everything" . 

Most of the activity took place under the house.

We got there in time to stake out a place with our chairs and to look around.

Confessions were heard by a couple of holy priests.

Well of healing water.  But not for drinking.

Roadside shrine to Our Lady of the Bayou.

The weather and surroundings were beautiful.

The cross was erected as a place for people to pray for holy priests.  It is open at any time, day or night, and everyone is welcome. 

There were quite a few images of the Mother of God.  

After a while, the children were asked to gather at the foot of the cross and given roses to bring.  There, Claire Rose prayed with them.  She said that the Blessed Mother has said that three Hail Mary's prayed daily from the heart of a child are enough to save the soul of a priest.  After they prayed three Hail Mary's, she gave the children a message from Our Lady.  She reminded them of her love for them, and told them to remember that their bodies are living tabernacles. 

Claire Rose praying with the children.

Stations of the Cross around THE Cross. 

After this, we gathered back under the house and prayed a chaplet for priests. There were probably 300-500 people in attendance.  It was also noteworthy that there was nothing for sale.  Not food, nor drink, nor religious articles.  This was not a money-making endeavor.

Then we settled in to pray all 20 decades of the Rosary.  For each decade there was a meditation relating to holy Priests.  There were decades led in Latin, French, Spanish, Italian and another language which I couldn't guess during one set of mysteries.  This took quite a while (praying 20 decades) and it was during that time that Our Lady was appearing to Claire Rose and 2 others.  

After the Rosary, they shared the messages that Our Lady had given them.  Again, this took quite a while. It was all a little overwhelming.   All three began by describing what she was wearing, and their descriptions were some what different.  However, there were several things that ran through all three:  

• she loves us
• we need to pray
• we need to repent; convert; make use of the sacrament of mercy
• gratitude to her priest sons
• gratitude to those religious, her "little doves" who wear their habits
• she wants us to pray for holy priests, and she wants us to gather on the last Saturday of each month in small groups to do this
• each person who was there was blessed with an "angel of protection" which would go with us always and everywhere
• mention of a "new springtime" or a "new Pentecost"

One also mentioned a special gift of grace unique to each soul for those who were there.

After that, Mass was quickly celebrated.  The website had given the impression that Mass would begin at 2:00, but it was nearly 6:00, and we were feeling a combination of overwhelmed and tired by this point.  Daylight was fading fast, and there didn't appear to be much in the way of outdoor lighting.  Mass is always wonderful, and we were all grateful that the homily was meaningful, thoughtful, and brief.

10-1-11 Editing to Add:  Mass was delayed because the priest celebrating it had a wedding at 2:00 an hour away.  Claire Rose notes that it was God's schedule and plan - not ours.  Very true.  She said that the priest (and others) saw the "miracle of the sun" when he was consecrating the Eucharist. 

Holy Communion was distributed at the foot of the Cross.  There was something very powerful about receiving Jesus there.

We were sent on our way, as the sun was setting over the bayou.  We stopped for a bite to eat at the first hint of civilization.  It was much later than we expected when we arrived home.  My dear husband was so good about it.  Perhaps another gift given to me.  And I found my keys after some searching.  Something told me that they were in my bedroom, and I found them there - between my jewelry box and the window - knocked there by the cat.

The ride home was lively - five women in a Suburban trying to process the events of the day.  We joked about the five extra angels who were now riding with us, but felt comforted by their presence and appreciative of the gift. 

In the end, it's all about Love.  A Father who sent His Son because He loves us.  The Son who gave us His mother, because He loves us.  And a Mother who relentlessly tries to lead us to her Son because she loves us. 

Amen.

darkness

There just seems to be a darkness throughout the school.  I suppose that part of why I am there is to be light.

I wanted - needed - to go to Mass Tuesday.  But it didn't happen.  There was a Saints game on Monday Night Football, and getting the younger teen out of bed nearly required an act of God.  So I ended up at a Math department meeting instead.  I figured maybe that was where God thought I needed to be.

In the context of talking about our student who was murdered over the weekend, one of my students told me on Monday that she thinks about hanging herself sometimes.  But then in the next breath, she said/asked, "But I'd go to hell if I did that, right?"  There is such a cheapness to life in our society.  We kill little babies before they take their first breath.  I think sometimes we contribute to the cheapness of life when we don't recognize all life - even aggravating teens - for the gift that it is.

On the way home, I saw the most perfect rainbow.  I needed to see this.  It was a whole rainbow.  You often see a part of a rainbow, but this was the whole thing - from one pot of gold to the other.  I think it was God reminding me that He is there with us in the storm, and that everything will be OK.

My sister-in-law hosts a rosary group on some Tuesday nights.  I always ask my boys if they want to come.  Sometimes they do; sometimes not.  Last night they both came and prayed the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows along with the group of women.  That was a blessing.  The conversation on the way home was priceless.  The younger - feeling safe in the darkness of the back seat -  saying how "good" he felt about praying, and how he was trying to be better; to get his life together.  We talked about how God doesn't call us to be good; He calls us to be holy.  It was a great conversation.  Wish I could remember it all. It was good for my mom-ears to hear.  Light in the darkness.

whatever

Can I do a "whatever" post?

Maybe it's like one of those quick take things.  Lots of little pieces floating around in my mind.  Except it is hard not to make them not-so-quick takes.

Anyway.  Last week on Monday morning, I thought it was kind of hot at Mass.  I was ready to chalk it up to hot flashes, until I saw the A/C units as I walked out.  Obviously some kind of trauma had befallen them.  It wasn't until the next time I was at Mass there (Thursday) that one of the church-ladies-in-the-know said that someone had vandalized the units for the copper.  What kind of thief steals from a CHURCH?  It was still hot for Mass last weekend, even though the units had been replaced.  They must have not been totally hooked up.  Then Father nearly sent half of the [mostly elderly] congregation into cardiac arrest when he told them at the end of Mass that (a) the church had been vandalized and (b) the replacement cost for the 4 compressors that were stolen was $32,900.  (Fortunately insurance paid all but $1000.)

At Mass on Monday, I had the thorn in my side on my mind.  Our church is shaped like a "T" and for daily Mass, I usually sit in the right "arm" of the "T".  That day as I looked across the altar to the people on the other side, there was a spitting image of my thorn.  It HAD to be her sister.  I have seen the lady there before; she was a regular during Lent, and has shown up again the past few weeks, but this day I think she had a wig on, which made the resemblance unmistakable.  I thought it was pretty cool that God sent a visual cue for my prayer - as if to say - don't forget to pray for Thorn.  (Side note:  We once had a kid at our school named "Thorn".  We had one named "Pirhana", too.  He lived up to his name.)

Tuesday evening my older teen came with me to pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary.  That was nice.  It was a nice comfortable group - SIL, MIL, 2 of my nieces, SIL's friend and 5th grade daughter, another SIL friend, me and DS.

Wednesday morning was rainy and icky.  We were a little later leaving the house and the car-rider line was unbelievable.  I don't know why it is so long.  Maybe all the little PreK'ers haven't figured out how to undo their carseat buckles.  But with the slow moving, long line, there was no chance at all of making Mass.  I didn't even worry about it.  There is a beautiful church about 2 minutes from my school that has open doors.  I don't really like the daily Masses there, but it is a great place to find peace and quiet at other times.  I went today and it was dark - no early morning sunshine streaming through the east windows.  I didn't turn on the lights; just sat there in the dark.  In the darkness, I could see the silhouette of Jesus on the cross.  His hands caught my attention.  One, almost claw-like in agony, and the other almost peaceful, accepting, offering.  I don't know if there is deep meaning behind that; it's just what I noticed.  It was too dark to read Morning Prayer, so I prayed the Rosary.  It really was quite peaceful.  I will confess that I forgot the 4th Mystery, so I had to break out my cheat sheet and go back and pray it.  ;-)

We got our schedule finalized yesterday.  Our sections were put into the master schedule, and we changed the schedules of the fifth graders that we will have.  Then we went and broke the news to one of the fifth grade teachers that she now has 35 fifth graders in her class.  Her partner only has 27, though, so if she gives four away, they should be even.  Late afternoon is probably not the best time to give this kind of news to a teacher.  Today we should get sixth, seventh, and eighth grades scheduled.

Worked out in the evening.  No Pretzel M&M's.  Yay me!.

Two more days until Friday!!

Have a great week!

weapons of choice

Thank you, Immaculee.   After years of using the Rosary as a cure for insomnia or just mindlessly reciting the prayers along with the CD in my car, I have actually PRAYED a few Rosaries in the past few weeks.  I was impressed by the claim that the Blessed Mother will grant whatever we ask for or give us the peace to accept the answer if it is "no". There's a few things that I could ask for....

One prayer that I often pray is "Lord, help me to see what needs fixing in my life," or some variation on that theme.  We get so used to ourselves that we can hide our weaknesses and faults from ourselves better than we can hide them from other people.  So I asked to see.  Even when I am trying to see, when I am wanting to go to confession with some sins to confess, I feel like there is a great deal left undiscovered.  Father, I am sorry for these and all my sins that I can't even think of??  I don't "see" very well.

They weren't kidding when they said that Jesus will grant whatever His Mother asks him for.  Tuesday night, we met to pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary.  One of the things it promises is "true repentance", so as the CD played, I thought, "Yeah, that's what I want, Lord, true repentance."   Wow!   When I went to the Adoration chapel on Sunday... oh my!!  Be careful what you ask Mary to ask for.  I thought it would take a little while for my request to get "processed", so this was somewhat unexpected.

"Lord, help me to see."

"Well, Karen, what about the times when you judge others?  (Nothing like getting right to the point?)  Or don't pray for those you don't like?  Or look to blame others for things that are your fault?  Or lack patience with annoying people?  Or? Or? Or?"

"Whoa!  Hold on Lord.  Slow down, should I get my pen and paper?" 

"Do you need me to repeat anything for you?  Or should I keep going?"

He kept going.

I left the Adoration Chapel that day, reflective, but not really all that amazed at the conversation. The experience got just a couple of lines in this post.  It took a while for it to sink in.  By the end of the week, I found myself looking at a calendar trying to figure out when a good time to go to confession would be. 

My "ideal" confession frequency is every month or two, and it had just been two weeks.... But the list was already made.  Clearly God had other plans than the once a month or so deal. 

I still get nervous.  There is no line.  I took a deep breath and opened the door.  "Bless me Father, for I have sinned.  It's been two weeks, and it wasn't my idea to come back again so soon.  But God spoke, and I took notes.  And I brought them with me."  He smiled.  I just read off of my list.  Attitudes, thoughts, failures.   Some of it was "the regulars", but others were things I'd never admitted before.  Quite humbling to sit there and give voice to.  I couldn't hide the nervousness in my voice, and I stumbled through my list. Just get me to the end.  No explanations, no excuses, just the bare truth.   When I reached the end, the only comment I got was, "Wonderful!"

Really??  Ummmm.... OK.

Isn't God's mercy awesome?

The crux of the homily Friday at Mass was that when we recognize our need for the Divine Physician, He will lead us deeper into the Heart of God (it was First Friday when we celebrate the Sacred Heart), and the Heart of God is Mercy. 

And the best part?  The Divine Physician is on everyone's plan and there no co-pay, no deductible.  The bill has already been paid in full.  And not by us.  Our only responsibility is to show up for the appointment.

So I'm looking back over this and seeing that I've gone from the Rosary to Reconciliation. Weapons of choice?