Day One of Pentecost Novena

The tradition of the novena arose in honor of the nine days that Our Lady and the Apostles sat in prayer waiting for the Paraclete. In honor of their first novena, let us pray for our own enlightenment and those of others.

Today, I'm praying for enlightenment for someone who used to be close to me.

Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created.

And thou shalt renew the face of this earth.

Let us Pray

O God, Who hast instructed the hearts of the Faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost, grant that by the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Ascension Thursday

by Fra Angelico

Ascension Thursday is a big feast day in the Catholic Church, so big that it is a Holy Day of Obligation, one of the 10 established by the Church, one of the 6 celebrated in the United States (they vary from country to country). It is the beginning of the end of the official Easter Season, and takes place 40 days after Easter, a feasting period that corresponds to the fasting of Lent. I don't like math, but the number symbolism present everywhere is fascinating to me.

We don't actually read about the Ascension of Christ in today's Gospel. All the gospels end more or less vaguely around the time of the Ascension, but none have the actual description. The details of the Ascension are described in the Acts of the Apostles, and we read the beginning today as the Epistle. Why would the Gospels not go into the detail that the Acts do? This question occurs to me every year. We read the beginning of the Acts with Our Lord's last lesson that He will ever teach on Earth, preparing us for the coming of the Holy Ghost. He eats with the Apostles, possibly meaning that He celebrates Mass with them like He did at the Last Supper. The apostles are once more shown to be naïve, we see that they don't really understand, because Our Lord has to tell them once more that He will not be an earthly ruler. They really haven't learned yet! But they have faith enough to obey Our Lord's last command, to stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Ghost comes.

Finally, the epistle leaves us with a quotation that brings hope to the holy and despair to the wicked: 
"Ye Men of Galilee, why stand you looking up into Heaven? This Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen Him going into heaven."
After the Gospel, the Paschal candle is snuffed out, because Christ is no longer here on earth with us.

Happy Mother's Day!

Our first picture together

Happy Mother's Day to all my readers! This is my first Mother's day with Eleanor, and while it has been a little bittersweet, it was very relaxing. Yesterday was the day we really celebrated, because we thought that Hubby was going to have to work; luckily he doesn't have to. Yesterday started by officially changing my name. It only took 1.5 years! I also changed my address on the license, registered to vote under my new name, and renewed my license for the next 4 years. So I figure I have 4 years to complain about this license picture and figure out how to get a better one. We went to brunch to a great breakfast place, Sunrise Café. I always love their breakfasts and homemade pies, but I've only finished my meal when I was pregnant and breastfeeding! Because the day was so pretty, we picked up some chicken and plums to grill, some of my guilty pleasures: Stouffer's mac and cheese and the latest new Mt. Dew for today, and went home. We almost went to some garage sales, but Eleanor and I wanted to relax a little after getting home from a 2 week trip to Kansas for my sister's Confirmation. All in all, a very relaxing day both yesterday and today.

Right after Eleanor was dedicated to Our Blessed Mother

While we remember our mothers, and celebrate being mothers, this day is good to remember all those who have taken a mothering position in our lives. For me, that means praying especially for my teachers, the Dominican Nuns of Fanjeaux, to whom we gave the name of Mother. I pray, and now marvel at, my own mother, with whose parenting I may not always agree (yes, that stick of broccoli is fine, no need to pre-chew the baby food!), but whose strength amazes me. I can't spend 2 weeks away from my husband without hurting, but because we as children needed and still do need a good education, my mother has spent much time without her helpmate. I pray for my godmother, who has offered up countless prayers and sacrifices for me, and whom I always take for granted.

Over a year of mothering this Sweetheart, since October 2013

It is fitting that Mother's Day should fall in May, the month celebrating the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the Mother of all Catholics, ever since Christ said from the cross "Woman, behold thy Son" (John 19:26). Mother's Day is a good day for the May Crowning, as we pay tribute to our mothers, showing tribute to the Mother of God herself.

Our Lady, becoming a Mother

Depression and the Modern Catholic

I have lots of experience with depression. If you've followed this blog long enough, or bothered to go and read the old posts, you'll know that because I couldn't resolve having a mental disorder with being a good Catholic, I fell away from the True Faith for a short period of time. Thanks to the grace of God, I returned, more proof that Our Lady has a special care for my (extended) family.

Mental health is such a tricky situation. There is even in the world a huge battle for its recognition as something real, not "made up". As a Catholic, I fight it so much because it impairs my ability to do my duty of state. Despite wanting to take care of my household thoroughly, wanting to make balanced meals for my hard-working husband, wanting to show my daughter the love of God in the way that I think is right, I'm given the cross of doing things differently than other Catholic parents. We listen to the Rosary as I'm rocking her to sleep. I buy easy packaged meals so that my husband isn't eating chips and dip for dinner, and I make sure that there are the ingredients for lunches and breakfasts for him, even though I'm not packing his lunchbox. I choose to take a nap, so that I can make it for the rest of the day, instead of finishing up the dishes or vacuuming the floors. I let my daughter play in her swing or her rocker while I watch and read a book, instead of reading with her and talking to her. I retreat from the world with no apologies, and take whatever steps necessary to protect myself and my daughter. And I feel like I'm not taking care of my duty of state the entire time. 

My mom once said that sometimes, it's a sacrifice not to do the heroic or even ordinary acts of selflessness that others are capable of. My cross is to lead a totally simple life, only sacrificing when I'm fully rested and don't feel like crying all the time. For example, I found out that I had gestational diabetes on Spy Wednesday, and although I had been able to fast for Ash Wednesday, it would be impossible for me to do so on Good Friday; on top of this, I wasn't able to seek a dispensation, although it was medically necessary for me to eat every 2 hours, 4 snacks and 3 meals that day. I felt defeated, because I hadn't been able to fast all Lent, unlike my parents and siblings, for my daughter's sake. It seems "lucky", not to have to sacrifice, and it was the first time I realized how hard it can be to go against the flow when one is so desperate that therein lies the way to Heaven.

Feast of the Holy Rosary

    In 1571, the West was dealing with an invasion by the Turks, when Pope St. Pius V asked Christendom to pray the Rosary for their salvation from the much larger, more sophisticated fleet. On October 7, the Pope received a vision that because of the Rosary, the small Spanish fleet won the battle of Lepanto and the impending Turkish threat was vanquished.

    Because of this and many other victories, both spiritual and temporal, Pope Gregory established October 7th as the feast of the Holy Rosary; it was extended to the entire Church by Pope Clement XI, and a new Mass and Office elevated it by Leo XIII.