At the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to her Son to the last. Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, all His bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword has passed. O how sad and sore distressed was that Mother, highly blest, of the sole-begotten One. Christ above in torment hangs, she beneath beholds the pangs of her dying glorious Son. Is there one who would not weep, whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ’s dear... Read more
This year, on the 10th anniversary of my reception into the Catholic Church and First Communion, our family is going to take a shot at the Seven Churches Visitation tonight–a glorious devotion that solidified my own conversion of heart and belief in the Real Presence back in college. Pilgrims visit seven churches after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and pray before the altar of repose in each church. The tradition of visiting seven churches on Holy Thursday is an... Read more
I don’t know what it is about this year’s Holy Week, but I’m already feeling like tomorrow should be Good Friday with Easter on its heels. And it’s only Wednesday. What is it about weeks like this? I have been so immersed in our little corner of the world–the details, the to-do’s and checklists, the daily sprint (that feels like a marathon)– to get through each day. It’s been exhausting. On Monday there were so many logistics to manage,... Read more
Speaking of Lenten failure :), one of my failed Lenten promises was adding a period of spiritual reading and journaling to my daily routine. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to consistently keep this promise, and I am finding myself longing for some in-depth spiritual reading this Holy Week. I found a great page at the USCCB website that outlines the 7 Penitential Psalms and the 4 Songs of the Suffering Servant, complete with links to the readings and reflections as well.... Read more
At the beginning of Lent I felt extremely thankful, almost exuberant, at the healthy arrival of my daughter Josie. Our family had survived another pregnancy with mom functioning at less than full capacity. The pain, sickness, exhaustion, and worry of pregnancy were over. The first difficult postpartum month was behind us. For the first time in 10 months I felt like my body, and our family routine, were headed in the right direction. I felt so thankful and enthusiastic that... Read more
My intent was to put this up on Thursday, as part of a Thoughts for Thursday post (we haven’t forgotten Thoughts for Thursday!), but life these days has been very busy, and I’ve been battling a cold. That cold is keeping me off the soccer field this afternoon, and it’s rainy and cool here anyway, and so I’m blogging in a quiet house while my babies nap and the big kids are at soccer. So here, in no particular order,... Read more
Sometimes, my 4 year-old seems so grown-up, a confident, exuberant, feisty little girl. This morning, she had gotten herself dressed and came out of her room with a big smile on her face. “Mommy look!” she exclaimed, showing me her outfit: a navy blue polka-dotted dress, pastel blue, green, and yellow striped pants, and a bright pink headband. Just as I was about to explain to her the concept of matching, she continued – “Mommy, I look like you today!”... Read more
What would you do if you won the MegaMillions Jackpot? All 540 million of it? It is a far-fetched prospect; but one we’ve been playfully toying with around here lately. What if our little, old family came into hundreds of millions of payout? What if, all of a sudden, we went from a world of dealing with the here and now to one where we never had to worry about sending 5 kids to college, future health coverage, or retirement? What... Read more
After Mary Alice’s great post a few days ago about the elderly woman eating breakfast on her own in the diner, I started thinking about breakfast at our house. During the week, breakfast is often a rushed jumble of “Eat your oatmeal…The bus will be here in 5 minutes…Are you planning on wearing socks with your sneakers to school today?” On the weekends, however, we usually have the luxury of taking breakfast slowly. Sometimes we make pancakes or waffles, and... Read more
This opinion, in the NY Daily News, is a great summation of theological issues surrounding the use of contraception. Please note, however, it being the Daily News, that the side bar ads and articles all happen to include pictures of scantily clad women, so take care when you click over. Read more
Building Cathedrals
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