Activities for the Year of the Priest

On June 19, Pope Benedict proclaimed the beginning of the Year of the Priest. With all the difficulties our wonderful priests have had to face during the last decade (and really for centuries, from Peter and the Apostles all the way to today) this is a good time for us to remember how important our priests are.

This morning our newest priest presided over the Mass that my husband and I attended. It was this priest's first Sunday Mass as an associate pastor at the Cathedral parish. In his rather short homily he said some wonderful things, but there was one thing that stuck out for me as I think about the Year of the Priest. He said his job is to get us to Heaven, even if he has to drag us there kicking and screaming, he just wants us there. His statement summed up for me just how important our priests are.

Our priests have jobs that never end. They are called in the middle of the night, anytime during the day, in the wee hours of the morning, and they respond. They look after the church building, the church community, administer the sacraments, in some cases daily, and offer up the Mass every day. And the most important sacrament of all is the Eucharist. Without the Eucharist we are not the Catholic Church. And without the priest we can not have the Eucharist. And the devil knows this. The attacks on our priests that we have seen over the last decade, in particular, are a testament to the fact that the devil does exist.

So during this Year of the Priest, please pray for our priests! Also, pray for vocations to the priesthood. Priests are desperately needed, there is a shortage everywhere. Again, the devil is hard at work.

As for me, I am going to try to remember our priests in my prayers and to pray for vocations to the priesthood. In my own vocation as a married person I also pray that I may be blessed with a son one day who would consider a priestly vocation. In addition to prayer, my Cursillo small group has agreed that we would read the book 101 Inspirational Stories of the Priesthood together. Later in the year we hope to read a biography of St. John Vianney as well (the patron saint of parish priests, who will be named the patron saint of all priests at the conclusion of the Year of the Priest). Finally, my church has started a vocations prayer in our parish. They have a crucifix and a paper with some suggested prayers. Each Sunday they ask for a volunteer to take it for the week and pray for vocations as a family that week. Then you bring it back the next Sunday and another volunteer is found. At some point over the course of the year, I imagine that I'll volunteer Chris and I for this.

Also, this coming Tuesday, the Bishop will be closing the Second Annual Bishop's Cathedral Lecture Series with a talk on the two service sacraments: Marriage and Holy Orders. If you're in Lexington and want to hear more about the Priesthood, this would be a good lecture to attend. Reception at 6:30, lecture 7-9, at the Cathedral in Hehman Hall.

Those are my plans for the year. Anyone else thought about anything special you can do during this Year of the Priest??

In closing, I found this quote that illustrates so clearly the importance of our priests in our Catholic Faith:

"In awe should all men tremble,
the whole earth quake,
and the heavens shout for joy,
when Christ, the Son of the Living God,
is present upon the Altar
in the consecrated hands of a Priest."
--St. Francis of Assisi

My reflection on this Sunday's Gospel will be coming shortly. Stay tuned!

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We were out of town this past weekend and went to church on Sunday at the parish in Little Rock, AR where my husband had gone to school for 1st-8th grades. It was a nice church and the priest that is currently there gave a very nice homily about the end of the Year of St. Paul (ended June 29) and the beginning of the Year of the Priest (started June 19). He used that opportunity to ask the congregation to pray for all priests. I enjoyed his homily, unfortunately he didn't really talk about the Gospel much. So my reflection below is entirely my own with no influence from the homily I heard following the proclamation of the Gospel on Sunday.

As a result of our travels, I didn't pick up a bulletin from my church until Monday morning when I was there for my Adoration hour and it has taken me until now to sit down with it and think about the "Following the Message" question for this week. The gospel reading for this past Sunday was Mark 5:21-43. In this passage we see Jesus and the apostles being approached by a man who's daughter is very sick. On the way to his house a crowd gathers and a woman who has been suffering for 12 years from hemorrhaging touches Jesus' cloak and is cured. Jesus also raises the young girl up (she had died by the time He arrived). Read the passage in Mark for the fuller story, that's just my quick summary.

The question this week: When have I stepped out boldly in faith?
(Sorry, no alternate question for kids this time.)

Along with the question, our bulletin provides some additional food for thought. Here is that text:

This Gospel passage highlights the crucial importance of having faith, and acting upon it. "Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 153). "Believing is possible only by grace and the interior helps of the Holy Spirit. But it is no less true that believing is an authentically human act," wherein our intellect and will are actively engaged in "trusting in God and cleaving to the truths he has revealed" (CCC 154). "To live, grow, and persevere in the faith until the end, we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; it must be working through charity, abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church" (CCC 162). "The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it" (CCC 1816).

When I first read the question the only thing that came to mind was defending the faith, but I don't think that's what the question is really getting at. Given the Gospel reading for this past Sunday, I keep thinking about the woman who was seeking healing. She had great faith!! She knew that she would be healed if she could only just touch Him. She knew this because of her faith. That got me thinking more about just how strong my faith is. Am I that confident that I can just know without a doubt that Jesus could also do something for me the same as this woman. It's hard to admit, but I'm not sure I am that strong. It is human to have doubts and to be a bit sceptical. I have been contemplating this Gospel reading since I first heard it during Mass on Sunday (mostly because I know I was going to be writing about it) and the more and more I think about it the more I admire the woman in the passage. What an amazing faith!!

Then I read the excerpts from the Catechism that I quoted above and that got me thinking more. (That is the whole point of this, isn't it?) Those excerpts really help me put it into perspective. Faith is something that has to grow in us and doesn't happen all at once. It develops over our lifetime and the whole time we have the help of the Holy Spirit in us to help us along the way. I am only starting to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit more and more in my life. The HS is the one part of the Holy Trinity I always tend to overlook. But I am starting to get better about recognizing the importance of It and over time will hopefully learn to listen more.

But back to the question itself: have I ever stepped out boldly in faith? I keep getting stuck on the word "boldly." And I keep coming back to defending the faith. I have stepped out a number of times in defensive of some misunderstanding in regard to the Catholic faith. I have stepped out boldly at times to speak up on pro-life issues when I have had the opportunity. And posting on this blog about my faith is a huge step at times as well. But have I acted boldly?? That's what I'm not sure about. I'm not always the best example of a Christian (I imagine few of us are all the time) but I try. Lately I've been trying harder. Part of the reason is my recent involvement in Cursillo. Through Cursillo I am gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for Catholicism and I love the regular weekly discussions of our faith to help us stay on track as we continue to grow in our faith over a lifetime.

There is one "action" I can think of that might answer the question. Last summer about this time I was getting frustrated with my cycles. I had had a miscarriage in March and it had been over four months and my cycles were not getting back to normal. It was frustrating knowing that we wanted children and nothing was happening. About that time I started running into a saint I had never heard of before. Finally, after this happened a couple times I decided that maybe I needed to find out more about her. So I looked up St. Philomena and then decided to ask her for her help. I had never really done this before but decided it was time. So I prayed for healing. I asked for her to intercede and I did a nine day novena for her. I finished the novena on a Monday, had a doctor appointment on Tuesday to see if my doctor had any recommendations, then on Wednesday my chart finally indicated a thermal shift! I was amazed. Sure enough we got pregnant too! I was stunned!! I had faith that St. Philomena was close to God and that she too would ask Him to heal me and He did. Is this stepping out boldly in faith?? It was certainly a leap for me.

So I ask you (anyone reading this): what about you? Does that reading speak to you? Can you think of a time when you have stepped out boldly in faith? What other thoughts do you have on this question and/or Gospel passage?

Reflections on Following the Message

About a year ago my church started putting a "Question of the Week" in the bulletin. They titled it "Following the Message: Reflections on the Weekly Gospel." The idea behind it was that it would give families, church committees, small faith sharing groups, and even individuals, a means for starting conversation and/or further reflection on the Gospel passage heard at Mass that Sunday. Sometimes they even provide an alternate question for kids.

I haven't really reflected on the question much at all, but recently decided that I should try to do so and try to post some of my thoughts on the blog. This way others can see the questions, read the Gospel, and comment as well.

Today's Gospel was from the Gospel of Mark 4:35-41. To sum up, it is the passage where Jesus and the disciples cross the sea to the other side, a storm pops up and the disciples are frightened. Jesus is sound asleep, they wake him, he chides them for not having faith, then calms the seas. The questions for reflection are:

When have I felt that my faith was being tested?

And alternately, for kids:
Do I ask Jesus for help when I'm scared?

When I looked at this question, one situation in my life (very recently actually) immediately popped into my mind. I didn't lose my faith, but I do think it was certainly a test of my faith.

In January of this year, I was 22 weeks pregnant when my water broke and my husband and I rushed to the hospital. We had been planning on going anyway, because I had been very uncomfortable (I was having contractions, but didn't know it) and was getting concerned, but we left quite quickly when my water broke. That was a Saturday morning. After a thorough exam the baby was still alive, but I was admitted as a precaution (chance of infection was great, etc., etc.). My husband and I sat in that hospital room waiting anxiously for any test results, waiting for each time my vitals and those of the baby were checked, each time holding our breath until we found that the baby still had a heartbeat. It was a scary situation, but we were pretty optimistic throughout that day.

During that ordeal I remember telling my husband that we had a fighter. Despite having lost the amniotic fluid, that baby was still alive. We prayed that he would continue to keep going, that the sac would heal itself, and that fluid would eventually return. We called our families and asked for prayers. My siblings called me to tell me about all the people they had talked to who were praying for us. It was a tough day, and yet all those prayers made me feel better. Saturday night before going to sleep, we said a rosary together, thinking about our baby the whole time.

Sunday morning my husband went to Church. While he was gone my vitals were checked again and the baby's heartbeat was now gone. The nurse called Chris and he came right back. That was one of the toughest days.

That situation was one where I could have easily lost faith in God. It was a test of the utmost proportions. Someone asked me during that next week if I was ever angry at God after our son died on that Sunday. Honestly I wasn't. I had brief moments when I wondered how something like this could happen, how God could let something like this happen. But the answer is no, I was never angry. Hurt, yes; confused, yes; grief-stricken, absolutely.

The temptation to be angry, or to wonder where God is was great. But although that temptation was there (and that's the test), I didn't surrender to it. I held onto my faith. But I also realize now that I needed the faith of those around me as well. We are not alone in our lives, none of us are. We have family, friends, our church community, and even strangers. All praying for us, whether we know it or not, and all sharing in our trials, our pains, and our heartbreaks.

I think that's one of the beauties of our faith. We aren't going at it alone. After the death of our son this past January when I started learning how many people had been praying for us, I was overwhelmed. We received tons of emails, cards, flowers, a few gifts, and lots of prayers through online message boards, Facebook, and who knows where else. God's goodness was in all those prayers. So even though I don't have my son with me, I have faith, and thus know, that he is with God in heaven, he is with Mary and all the saints, and he is with Christ.

So has my faith ever been tested? Yes, I think it has. And I hope that I passed that test. I feel like my faith is actually stronger now having gone through the pain of losing not only my little Zachary in January, but also a child before that as well. Our faith helps us to understand that our children are now saints, that they are now living with Christ in heaven, and they can be intercessors for us. That too is a blessing!

Feel free to share your own reflections on these questions or try the kids' question out with your children and let me know how the conversation went. I suggest reading the Gospel passage again before starting. Next weekend I'll be out of town, but hopefully will be able to grab a bulletin on Monday to try this again.

Proper Pro-Life Speak

Ever since the unfortunate murder of Dr. Tiller in Kansas, by a very misguided man who obviously doesn't understand what being Pro-LIFE actually means, I have been watching and reading various news stories about this tragedy and about abortion. It has made me start contemplating the terminology that we use, or should be using, in the Pro-Life Movement.

In particular, I think we need to be consistent about what we call the child in the womb. I have heard fetus, the unborn, and once I did hear the term preborn. The term Fetus is used a lot. It seems to be the term of choice for the news casts I watch. My guess is that it seems the most neutral term. But the question here is, is it a good term for us to use as people who stand up for the rights of ALL humans?

I went to Dictionary.com and found this definition:

the young of an animal in the womb or egg, esp. in the later stages of development when the body structures are in the recognizable form of its kind, in humans after the end of the second month of gestation

This is the scientific term. What is interesting to me is that the fetus is in recognizable human form after the second month of gestation, which the definition also calls a "later stage of development." That's at the end of about 8 weeks!! Eight Weeks!! Some women don't even know that they are pregnant before about 8 weeks; there are roughly 32 more weeks to go. Most abortions happen after the 8th week of gestation. But I digress ...

Fetus is definitely an accurate term to use. But does it work well when discussing pro-life issues with someone who is pro-choice? Ask them if a fetus has any rights and they will tell you that it's about the mother's health. Yes, they are avoiding the question (I know, I used to be in this camp), but I think the word fetus is so familiar to everyone that it can be easily forgotten that it is, in fact, a baby.

So how about the term "unborn?" Until recently I thought this was a great term to use. It makes me realize that the "thing" we are talking about is a human that has not yet been born. And that's the idea! But I started reconsidering my thoughts on this recently. What does the prefix "un-" really mean? Well, the prefix "un-" has two meanings:

1. a prefix meaning “not,” freely used as an English formative, giving negative or opposite force in adjectives and their derivative adverbs and nouns (unfair; unfairly; unfairness; unfelt; unseen; unfitting; unformed; unheard-of; un-get-at-able), and less freely used in certain other nouns (unrest; unemployment).
AND
2. a prefix freely used in English to form verbs expressing a reversal of some action or state, or removal, deprivation, release, etc. (unbend; uncork; unfasten; etc.), or to intensify the force of a verb already having such a meaning (unloose).

There is a lot of negativity in this prefix, at least in my mind. So "unborn" is the opposite of born, it is the removal or deprivation of the state of being born. This really doesn't help Pro-Lifers. I keep looking at this word and keep thinking that it doesn't lend itself well to advocating for the birth of a so-called "unwanted" child (no child is unwanted). And the definitions above make me this even less of this term. Again, it's a term we can use and we would be accurate, but does it help our case??

I have been hearing the term preborn used more and more. It's still a pretty infrequently used term, but I think it's one which has the most power behind it. Again, the actual definition of the prefix "pre-" is:

a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, where it meant “before” (preclude; prevent); applied freely as a prefix, with the meanings “prior to,” “in advance of,” “early,” “beforehand,” “before,” “in front of,” and with other figurative meanings (preschool; prewar; prepay: preoral; prefrontal).

The dictionary actually listed 6 varying definitions, but the one thing they all had in common was the concept of something happening "before." Preborn, therefore, would imply that we are talking about a human that is to be born, thus in the "before birth" state. For me, "preborn" is a much more positive, forward-thinking term, therefore, having a lot more power behind it.

We were all created and became human from the moment of our conception. From that moment we had all our DNA. From that moment we are human. This is scientific fact, not a religious belief. And if we believe that every human being is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that all human beings deserve to be treated with dignity no matter what their stage of life (young, old, sick, etc.), then we have to realize that the most vulnerable humans are those that are preborn. And those preborn human beings deserve that same right to life that we all have.

To bring this back to where I started, the murder of Dr. Tiller was a horrible tragedy. He too deserved his right to life. No matter what our disagreements, those of us who fight for the rights of the preborn advocate for peaceful dissent keeping within the law. Murder goes against the very foundation of being Pro-Life.

That being said, I hope that this issue is discussed more and everyone can have an open mind to really understand what we are talking about when we talk about abortion. Those preborn babies have as much right to life as all of us. Remember, they are just innocent humans who happen to be in a stage of life "before" birth.

The True Presence in the Catholic Church

This past Sunday was Corpus Christi Sunday, also called the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Many Catholic Churches on this past Sunday celebrated by having street processions led by the Eucharist carried in a monstrance and followed by the people usually singing an appropriate song. At my church the street processions happened after the 5:00pm Mass on Sunday evening. We didn't go, but we've been in the past.

The Eucharist is very special in the Catholic Church. For us, it IS the body and blood of Christ. We believe in transubstantiation, meaning that when the priest says the words of consecration it becomes the body and blood at that moment and remains that way, it can't change. Some churches believe in consubstantiation, which is similar but relies on the belief of individuals, so if you believe it's the body of Christ it is, but if you don't, then it isn't. In the Catholic Church, once it is consecrated it is the Body and Blood and whether you believe or not does not change what it is.

So the "Question of the Week" from my church this week was, of course, about the Eucharist. The Question was, "How do I experience intimate communion with the Lord in the Eucharist?" This afternoon the local Catholic radio station discussed this question and I found the conversation very interesting. In particular I was interested in their discussion of those who are not able to participate in our Communion celebration within the Catholic Church.

First, the deacon that was the guest on the show is very involved in an inter-religious group in our city. Once a year, a group of people from another Christian faith attends our Mass (and a group from our Church attends the church service at the other church). The deacon said that he confronts this issue a lot when he has to explain that non-Catholics are not to receive the Eucharist but can go up during communion for a blessing.

Now, for those who don't know, because the Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our faith, only those who are in good standing within the Catholic Church (and thus a member of the Church either through baptism or confirmation, plus there are other requirements) are allowed to receive. The reason being is that by taking the Eucharist we are professing our belief in the Catholic Church. It is not to leave people out. We very much would love to accept all Christians to our communal table. The deacon, when talking about discussing this teaching with our Protestant brothers and sisters, noted that many feel offended by this teaching. This is understandable.

But, he went on to say, he is amazed to see how they respect our teachings, often go up for a blessing, and then later tell him how special they could feel that moment was. The deacon said that many of them seemed to have a much better appreciation for our Eucharistic celebration after being a part of it and all seemed to no longer feel offended by not being able to receive. There is suddenly an amazing understanding for how special this moment is for us and why they can't fully participate. He said it is a beautiful thing to see.

The host on this radio show is a convert to the faith; he was raised in the Baptist church. He said he remembers feeling offended that he could not fully participate in the Eucharistic Celebration in the Catholic Church when he attended with his then girlfriend (now wife). He said he even refused to come forward for a blessing back then. Now however, he sees the beauty in the Catholic Church's teachings on this and understands how special that moment is. He also commented that he is now a Eucharistic minister and he is amazed at how excited people often are to be receiving the body and blood of Christ. He finds it very moving.

For me, I love this teaching! We get to meet Christ every week in the Eucharist, what could be better than that. To actually be able to consume him, you can't get much more intimate than that. I love the passage in the Gospel of John (about the second half of chapter 6) where Jesus gives us this teaching and many of the disciples walk away because they find this teaching so difficult.

The Eucharist is very special to us. And without our priests we wouldn't have the Eucharist. We need our priests, because we need the Eucharist!!

Updating Part Three: Vacation

I haven't been very good at posting lately. I had promised an update on our vacation in May and while I have a few minutes I thought I would do a quick post. And this will be quick.

In May we went to Charlottesville, VA. It was really nice. We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast where we could walk to both downtown and the university quite easily. Our room was called the Sleeping Porch and it literally was a porch. Very nice, but we had a few incidents of flying insects coming in when we left the windows open (no screens).

While we were there, we visited Monticello, saw the Rotunda at UVA, walked around campus, walked through the pedestrian mall, did a wine tasting, hiked up to Humpback Rock just off the Blueridge Parkway, and had lunch at the famous tavern near Monticello whose name I can not currently think of (I should have posted this back when it was all fresh in my mind). Each day we would end up back at the B&B around 4pm for wine and cheese (and other treats) where we could chat with one of the owners, others guests, and review the various menus they had to help us decide where to do dinner.

Check out our pictures here: May 2009 Vacation. The pictures are on my Facebook page, but this link should make them viewable to anyone, whether you are on FB or not.

Next trip on our agenda: Chris' 20 year High School reunion in Little Rock, Ark.

Updating Part Two: The Eucharist

Continuing my updating from my last post, I wanted to share some of the highlights from a talk I went to a little over a week ago.

A little background: last year the Diocese of Lexington began a series called the Bishop's Cathedral Lecture Series. Over the course of four years, they are planning a series of four talks in each year that will address the four pillars of the Church. Last year's lectures were on the Creed and this year the focus is on the sacraments. The next two years will tackle the other two main sections of the Catechism. So, the Second Annual Bishop's Series began with a talk in April by the Bishop on the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. In May the talk was on the Eucharist and Fr. Robert Barron from the Archdiocese of Chicago gave this lecture. So now we've covered the three Sacraments of Initiation. Two more lectures are left to cover the other four sacraments: The Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick) and the Sacraments of Service (Marriage and Holy Orders).

So with that background, I have to share some of the wonderful stuff I heard when I attended Fr. Barron's lecture on the Eucharist. I found it a very enlightening discussion!! I've been to a lot of talks on the Eucharist, I have read a lot on it, and I very much believe in the concepts of transubstantiation and the Real Presence. And yet, I was completely captivated by this discussion and learned a lot.

So Fr. Barron started out by telling us that he was going to discuss the Eucharist through three means: 1. Meal, 2. Sacrifice, and 3. Real Presence.

In terms of meal, he looked at the concept of "meal" from a cultural perspective from the beginning of Genesis through Jesus' time. The first major meal that had an effect on all of civilization is the fruit in the Garden of Eden. By that one act, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sin entered the world. When Jesus instituted the Eucharist we were given the opportunity to share in the ultimate sacred meal. Fr. Barron called the scene with Adam and Eve the "meal gone bad." From there we had Israel in the desert receiving manna from heaven to sustain them. Throughout the rest of the Bible, according to Fr. Barron, God is trying to bring us back to the divine banquet. There is no question that food and meals are very important throughout the Bible. Even today we organize practically any gathering around food. Many of Jesus' miracles involve food of one form or another: the wedding at Cana, the multiplication of loaves, gathering in someone's house around food, and the most important of all: Jesus' establishment of the Sacred Meal at the Last Supper.

Second, Fr. Barron discussed Sacrifice. What an amazing sacrifice Jesus made for us!! There is no doubt, all Christians agree that Jesus sacrificed his life for our sins. A truly amazing thing and really quite unique in the history of religions. In no other religion does that religion's god put himself into a position to sacrifice himself for the people of the world. It's a very extraordinary thing!! And the idea of sacrifice is integral to our faith. We as followers of Christ often have to sacrifice things for our faith and beliefs. Jesus even told us that we would sacrifice our lives (and there are many martyred saints). He asked people to sell all their possessions and follow Him. He asked people to leave their family and friends to follow Him. In addition, the Eucharist is an amazing sacrifice. In addition to allowing Himself to be killed on the cross for us, the ultimate sacrifice, He also gave us the Eucharist and told us to do this in remembrance of Him. So we do, in the Catholic Church we do it every day, we celebrate His sacrifice at every Mass.

I apologize if that previous paragraph seems a bit unorganized. Fr. Barron also said that in a world gone wrong sacrifice is necessary to bring about community. He told us that he was talking to his sister one day and she was telling him that many people were starting to leave the Catholic parish he had grown up in. She said many of them were joining a nearby Evangelical church because it felt more friendly and welcoming and not much was asked of them. It was easier. There was a little more to the story, but this part of it was interesting in terms of sacrifice. I have heard many people complain about the hour they have to spend in church on Sundays and they especially complain when mass goes a little long. I am always amazed at that!! Jesus sacrifices his life for our sins and we can't take an hour a week to spend time in Mass thanking him for this sacrifice. We need to be prepared to sacrifice just a little of our time, whether it is an hour or an hour and a half. Is that really a lot to ask?? Somehow I don't think so.

In addition, Fr. Barron discussed the concept of the "Lamb of God," a common title we use to describe Jesus. Lambs were often the animal of choice for sacrifices to God; interesting that this is the title we use to describe Jesus. Also, in terms of the Mass, he emphasized that the Mass is a re-presentation (read those as two words: re and presentation) of what Jesus gave to us. We do it not because God needs it (God doesn't need anything) but because we need it. We need the sacrifice of the Mass.

[By the way, I am currently reading The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn. So far it is an amazing book, as most of Hahn's books are. For more on the Mass, why we use the title Lamb, and how the Mass can explain the Book of Revelation, I highly recommend reading this! Hahn always has an amazing perspective as a former Protestant minister now Catholic theologian.]

Finally, we moved to Fr. Barron's third point: the Real Presence. The story he told about his sister mentioning to him that so many people were leaving his home parish included him asking her about the Eucharist. He asked her if these people miss the Real Presence in the Eucharist. She told him that many people probably don't understand what that means. This is so sad. As Catholics we believe (whether you know it or not) that the Real Presence of Jesus is in the Eucharist upon the consecration of it during the Mass. This is the source and summit of our Catholic faith.

So another story: most people have heard of the author Flannery O'Connor, who was a practicing and faithful Catholic. She was also a shy person. She was at a dinner once with Mary McCarthy, a lapsed Catholic. Trying to draw Ms. O'Connor into the conversation she remarked that the Eucharist was a beautiful symbol. O'Connor's famous response was, "If it's only a symbol, then the hell with it." How true!! We don't believe in the Eucharist as just a symbol, it is so much more!! It is the living Christ!!

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is in chapter 6 in the Gospel of John starting around vs. 22 through the end of the chapter. When you read this you notice that many of the disciples following Jesus leave at this teaching. Now, Jesus talked in parables a lot in the Gospels. In this passage he is being literal, and when given the chance to explain himself he doesn't say, well, what I really meant was ... No, he emphasizes his words even more, saying in John 6:53: "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you." And he goes on repeating himself many, many times. Then the disciples say, this is a hard teaching (vs. 60). Yes, this is hard and is still dividing Christians today. At the end of this chapter in John, many of the disciples leave him because they can not accept this teaching. If Jesus was only speaking in parables, he would have called them back, explained that he was speaking only symbolically. But he doesn't, he lets them go.

For me, this is where the idea of sacrifice and the Real Presence come together. It is also where our faith is most tested. Fr, Barron explained that the scene in John 6 would have been shocking to Jews of Jesus' time, it would have been appalling, actually.

One of the hardest things to understand in this idea that the Real Presence is there in the materials of bread and wine is the teaching of transubstantiation. Fr. Barron explained that the substance changes during the consecration even while the appearance does not. To help explain this further, he said that appearance and reality are often not the same. Take the stars in the sky. When we look into the sky and see the stars, what we are really seeing is how the stars were many hundreds of thousands of years ago. Some of the "stars" we see are no longer there because of how long the light takes to travel from where that star once was to where we are today. Appearances are one thing, reality can often be another.

This was one of the best talks I've been to in the Bishop's series. We went to three of the the four talks during last year's First Annual Series and have been to both of this year's. There are two more left this year and I'm looking forward to hearing more. Fr. Barron was an incredible speaker, he didn't use any notes and was so incredibly knowledgeable. I came away from this talk with an even deeper appreciation for the mystery of the Eucharist.

Updating Part One: Cursillo

Lots has been going on for me lately, all of which I have wanted to post about. But time has made it difficult to do so and so they have all piled up. Now, having just returned from vacation I am going to attempt to post about three recent events over the last two weeks. Up first: my Cursillo Retreat weekend.

Cursillo was at the end of April and beginning of May. It was a women's retreat, although the Cursillo Movement is composed of men and women, the retreats are held separately. The retreat takes three full days, beginning Thursday evening and ending Sunday night. It was a very full weekend!!

I am not going to divulge a lot of information. This is the kind of thing that you really have to experience for yourself. It is a spiritual retreat and each individual will be affected by it in different ways. So it is actually best for me not to say a lot; only, if you are curious I encourage you to pray about it and consider taking the time to experience it for yourself.

I did learn that Cursillo is an active movement in the Catholic Church worldwide as well as in the Anglican community. Protestants also have something similar called "A Walk to Emmaus."

The higlights for me during my Cursillo weekend included, first, an incredibly moving "Way of the Cross" on Thursday night. The prayers read during the 15 stations included meditations in Mary's voice. It was so moving for all of us and there were lots of tears as we moved through the various stations of Christ's path to His crucifixion.

Second, the community that was formed over the three days was amazing. There were 24 of us attending the retreat, and about 10 people on the team, which included two spiritual directors (both priests in the diocese, the only men on the retreat, poor guys!! But they did put up with all us women quite well!). Many of us were strangers, coming from a variety of churches in Lexington, Frankfort, Versailles, Paintsville, and maybe another city or two. But after three days we had formed a bond with each other. It was truly amazing how quickly that bond formed as well.

Finally, I was amazed at how much I learned and how much I grew spiritually. Without really knowing that I needed this, I came away knowing that this was exactly what I had been needing in my life. As I said above, this is an experience, and one that is worth trying. No matter what your relationship is with God, Cursillo can do nothing but make it stronger. And who doesn't want a stronger relationship with God?

One of the things I find most encouraging about Cursillo is the ongoing part of it once the retreat is over. Cursillo teaches you a method and through regular group meetings following the retreat you are encouraged to keep this method working in your life. The group meetings are pretty flexible and there are a number of ways to do them. I have been to one large group meeting following the retreat and it was a great way to renew myself. I haven't yet found a small group to meet with yet, but hope to soon.

So that was my Cursillo weekend. The next Cursillo in the Lexington Diocese will be in October for men (the next women's retreat will be next spring). If you are considering it, pray about it and let God guide you to making this decision.

Storm Heaven with Prayers

I am making every attempt to ask everyone I know to please offer some prayers for a little girl who desperately needs them. If you are able, please help us storm heaven with prayers.

A friend of mine has an eight year old daughter who is in the hospital and very sick. Her name is Meredith and her illness is very sudden and still somewhat unexplainable. At this point there seems to still be more questions than answers. Right now all I am trying to do is ask for prayers for this little girl and her family.

Please ask your favorite saints for their prayers as well. Our Catholic faith has a wonderful teaching that the saints in heaven are there to help intercede for us with God. I was told this weekend that one of my favorite saints, St. Philomena, is one who is very effective for sick children since she herself died young (she was martyred when she was about 14); she's the patron saint of babies, infants, and youth. St. Philomena is also considered to be very close to God and often not denied her requests.

So I will be praying to God as well as asking for the intercessory prayers of our Mother Mary, St. Philomena, and my own children, Casey and Zachary. I hope you will join us with your prayers as well and help us storm heaven with prayers for this little girl.

Save Smith's Josten Library!!

Smith College is considering closing the Werner Josten Performing Arts Library as a cost saving measure. Unfortunately, it seems that the money they would save closing the library would actually be negated by the cost of moving the materials and accomodating music listening needs and theater and dance viewing needs in the main library on campus.

For those who are on Facebook there is a page you can join to get more info or sign a petition to keep the library open. Just go here: Save Smith's Josten Library.

I worked at Josten from 1998-2000 as a graduate assistant. Josten supports the music, theater, and dance programs. Josten has an amazing collection and is recognized as one of the best performing arts libraries at a liberal arts college in the country. The college is planning on moving the collection into the main library. The main library is already overcrowded and part of the collection is in a storage facility. Josten's collection of 114,000 books, 60,000 sound recordings, and 2500 video recordings are going to go where?? And how is the main library going to accomodate listening stations and listening rooms (which Josten can currently accomodate) in this already overcrowded library? Josten also has a rare book room. Josten is used a lot by other members (students and faculty) of the Five College system. Plus it is used by a large part of the Smith College community, not just those majoring or minoring in music, theater, or dance. Lots of students participate in the arts at Smith and take classes in the arts or participate in ensembles and productions, without actually being a member of those departments.

I personally can't even imagine seeing the Josten collection squeezed into the Neilson Library. All those books, CDs, LPs, scores, and videos!! And down in the basement of Josten is a nice collection of orchestral and choral scores and parts that few know about. I remember taking the tunnel under the music building that went through the Josten basement into the theatre/dance area and walking by those locked cases of scores and parts. It's a huge part of the collection, and unlike most academic music libraries, the Josten library takes care of those scores and checks them out to the ensembles that use them. So will the music department take those over or will Neilson have to do it??

Josten is one of my favorite libraries. I have worked in three music or arts libraries and visited several others, and Josten is on the top of my list for a wide variety of reasons. As a graduate of Smith, I have a personal attachment to it. Actually, one of the pictures that is often used in promoting the libraries is one of Josten. It's the same picture that is on the Facebook page. It's taken from the mezzanine level looking down into the reference stacks. I know that picture well, since it looks like it was taken from the same location as the study carrel I had checked out to me for four semesters. As a librarian and a subject-specific librarian, I am very disappointed that a college would put so little value in the needs of specialized subject areas. Listening areas for individual and group study needs of music students are absolutely necessary. Someone suggested putting the sound collection behind the front desk in Neilson. 60,000 recordings?? Give me a break!! And video viewing areas are very important for dance students and theater students. Smith's video collection is mostly dance and theater oriented. You need places for these students to use those materials. And reference work for music, dance and (to some extent) theater is very important and very specialized. Music librarians have the specialized background to assist patrons with their music needs. It can't be done by just anyone!!

There is also a very historic component to the Josten Library. Josten is the only library I've worked in that actively keeps four classification systems going. Only two of them are being added to, but there have never been plans to convert the other two classification schemes, instead all items are left as they are. So the print book collection is in Dewey (older) and Library of Congress. The music score collection is in Cutter (older) and Library of Congress. The Cutter Classification is very unique!! The sound recording collection is in another scheme. I believe the video collection is in LC, but I'm not 100% certain on that one. So the Cutter Classification is truely historic and unique to Josten. Charles Cutter (one of the "big" names we learn in library school) worked at the Northampton public library and developed this classification system. The Public Library (just down the road from the Josten Library) still uses this system (I can't remember to what extent, I wasn't in there a whole lot) but I remember that a good part of the music collection in that library was still in Cutter. There may be a few other libraries in the Boston area that have some Cutter classification, but it is no longer widely used. Josten has kept it up because of the uniqueness. This is unique to the Library world, and should be preserved. I worry that moving the collection to the main library would mean re-classifying that part of Josten's collection into LC to make things "easier" for the main library. It is practical, but would be a great loss.

This whole mess is very disappointing and seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to budget issues rather than a well thought-out response to economic problems. Please consider signing the petition on the Facebook page. For those not on Facebook you can still express your concern by writing directly to Smith College President Carol Christ at cchrist@smith.edu.

Thanks for reading this and I hope you will consider supporting this effort.

Reflection on Holy Week

In early March I wrote some reflections on the Season of Lent and promised to write more in regard to Holy Week later. So, now that we're nearing the end of Holy Week I figured it was time to write that reflection.

So what is Holy Week? This is the last week before Easter, a very holy time that begins with Palm Sunday and ends with the Easter Vigil on Saturday night. So much happens during this last week!

First Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday was this past Sunday and we started Mass outside the church where the bishop blessed our palms and a Gospel reading was read before the procession into the church. The procession reminds us all of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Once we're inside, the Mass starts and proceeds as normal. When we get to the Gospel reading, it is an extended reading of the crucifixion. I've always found this reading interesting and sometimes hard to participate in. This is one of a few times in the Church where the reading is written out for several readers and the congregation gets a part as well. I'm always uncomfortable with the role we get in the congregation as "the crowd." So our part usually consists of saying "Crucify him." It's an uncomfortable role, but I realized this year that it is also a good reminder that God is good. Christ died for us, he died for our sins. So although the people then shouted "crucify him" over and over again, and we today often turn our back on God assuming we know better, God still loves us and forgives us. It may be uncomfortable, but it really is a good reminder of our own sinfulness.

In previous years at the Cathedral we have had a Tenebre Service on Wednesday night of Holy Week. This year they moved it to Sunday night. As a result, we did not attend this year since I have to get up so early on Mondays. I was disappointed that it wasn't on Wednesday night because I always thought it was a great way to introduce the Triduum, which begins on Thursday. Anyway, I did write about the awesomeness of the Tenebre Service two years ago. So if you want to know more, check it out here.

Today is Holy Thursday and with today begins the Triduum. The Triduum is basically three days of prayer that preceed a special feast, in this case Easter, thus we call this three day period the Pascal Triduum. On Holy Thursday the Church holds a Mass to remember the Last Supper. Unfortunately, I am too sick today to attend this Mass, but my husband went tonight. Holy Thursday has so much meaning to it, it's truly an amazing day. During Mass the priest will reinact the washing of the feet. Traditionally twelve men will have there feet washed to represent the twelve apostles. In every Mass we remember the institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper, but obviously it has much more meaning during this celebration of the Mass. Also, this is the last time we will celebrate the Eucharistic mystery until Easter. The priest will concecrate enough hosts during this Mass to also have available for tomorrow's Good Friday service. Then as the Mass comes to an end, the Eucharist is retired to a side chapel where He remains until midnight. That's also how the Mass ends, if my memory is serving me right. It's a very solemn ending, very moving.

At midnight Christ present in the Eucharist is removed from the Church. It is the only time during the year that Christ is not present in the church. I always find that the church seems kind of empty during that time. It makes the anticipation of Easter even greater. I'm not really sure where they put Christ during that time.

On Good Friday we remember the crucifixion of Christ. Also, it's a day of fast in the church: two small meals, one regular size meal, and no snacks. On Good Friday we have a service (not a Mass) to remember the crucifixion. Why do we not call it a Mass? Well, the Mass revolves around the Eucharist, and since the priest will not be concecrating any hosts, we call it a service. This service usually begins with a procession into the Church with a huge cross (at least in my church). During the service we will also all come to the front of the church to venerate the cross. I can't remember what else happens during the service. I know it's also a very solemn service. But at the same time it's a joyful time. That may sound strange, but that's why we call it Good Friday. Without Good Friday we wouldn't have Easter. Jesus died for our sins and this is the day that we remember that great sacrifice. What a wonderful reminder of the goodness of God!

Holy Saturday, the third day of the Pascal Triduum, is the one and only day in the Church where there is no Mass or service anywhere in the world. The Eucharist is still absent (since Christ had died) and it is not yet Easter (the celebration of the Resurrection). However, once the sun goes down on Holy Saturday, the Church begins the Easter season.

Lent ends and the Easter Season is ushered in with the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday night. After six weeks of Lent, six weeks of sacrifice and extra prayer, we joyfully welcome the six weeks of the Easter Season.

I enjoy Lent. Many people find it a struggle, and at times it certainly can be. But the sacrifices we make are only a small reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. That reminder over the past six weeks makes Easter even sweeter.

New Catholic Carnival

The most recent Catholic Carnival is up, check it out:

Catholic Carnival #218: Notre Dame and so Much More

And if you want to know more about the Catholic Carnival (how to get the weekly list, how to participate, etc.) check out this link: What is the Catholic Carnival?

Enjoy!!

More on Pope's recent comments

One of my Facebook friends posted a link to this very informative news story. It relates to the cartoon in my local paper that I found offensive and was the cause of my writing a letter to the paper (see post below).

Here's the article that further supports the Pope's position:
Harvard Researcher agrees with Pope on condoms in Africa

Happy reading!!

A Letter to the Editor

Tonight I submitted a "Letter to the Editor" to my local paper, the Lexington Herald-Leader. I wrote this because I found the Sunday cartoon insulting to me and all Catholics. Any person of faith should be offended that this is acceptable commentary in our culture.

The cartoon in question is currently on the top of this page: Joel Pett's Cartoon. I don't know if this page changes (I'm guessing it does) but the cartoon shows a woman entering a clinic carrying a box of toe-tags while the Pope tries to stop her. A cemetary is in the background and you can see very sick people in the clinic. Obviously it's a commentary on the Pope's remarks about condom use during his recent trip to Africa. If I can find this cartoon somewhere else at a more permanent URL, I post it in the comments section.

Here is the text of my letter to the paper:

Joel Pett has offended all practicing Catholics with his insulting cartoon of March 23. The cartoon depicts Pope Benedict XVI confronting a woman entering a clinic. It implies that our Holy Father would rather that people die than be allowed to use condoms. This is a horrible depiction of the Catholic Church, an institution that has continuously upheld the culture of life.

For centuries Catholicism has condemned all forms of birth control, whether that is condoms, artificial contraception, or sterilization. This is not a new teaching; it’s as old as the Church, a 2000 year old institution. Yes, HIV/AIDs is a problem in Africa and in many other parts of the world. But throwing condoms at the problem is not going to solve the problem. Education is needed to put a stop to the crime of rape and we need to emphasize that sex is for the institution of marriage only.

As a practicing Catholic, I find Pett’s cartoon insulting to me and all other Catholics. Why does Pett feel free to insult Catholics? Would he have been as insulting to Judaism or Islam? I am betting not. Why is it okay to insult Catholicism and the Pope but not any other major world religion? Oh yes, I forgot, it’s politically incorrect to insult Judaism or Islam, but Catholics and Christians are okay. It’s time that some respect was shown to ALL peoples of faith and an apology is owed for this recent insult.

I only read the Sunday paper, so if you happen to see this in the paper during the week, please let me know. I'm curious to see if they actually print it. I wish I could have said more, but there was a 250 word limit.

However I know that with Pett as the Herald-Leader cartoonist, there will be many more opportunities.

Contraceptives and Breast Health

One of the risks of using oral contraceptives is increased risk of breast cancer. It's been studied and proven several times over the years and yet it isn't widely known about. Very sad! Today I was reading through some posts on a message board I like and someone pointed us to a blog posting on this very subject. It was so good I thought I would share it here. Please go check it out:

Breast Cancer: The Pill's Deadly Legacy

I hope that many people will read this with an open mind and will prayfully consider what the effects of the pill are on our bodies and on our environment.

More commentary on Stem Cells

There is a lot of buzz throughout the blogosphere about the executive order signed yesterday in regard to opening up research on embryonic stem cells. Barb at SFO Mom wrote a short post today, No one is expendable, in which he lists several links to other bloggers' posts on this issue. So go check it out for more information and perspectives.

One of my favorites on her list is the posting from The Curt Jester. He has a nice commentary on the text of the President's speech from yesterday.

Something else I should point out that I didn't mention in my post from yesterday is that embryonic stem cell research has been going on for some time. But that research had to be privately funded. What the President did yesterday was open up this research to public dollars. That means our tax money. This is not the time to be using our tax dollars to fund abortions overseas, to fund embryonic-destructive stem cell research, and to do any number of other ridiculous things that are in the recent stimulus bill.

So even if you don't have any qualms or moral objections about killing embryos in the name of research, you should be concerned that we are going to be using our tax money for it now when adult stem cells have proven again and again to be much more stable and successful than embryonic-destructive research.

For more specifics on the pros and cons, check this unbiased site out: Stem Cell Research Facts.

A Sad Day for Life

Today was a very sad day. Today life became more of a commodity and less something to cherish. Today is the start of millions and millions of more lives lost. Today we as a country took a step backwards in the respect for the dignity of human life.

Many will argue just the opposite. Those that think today was a victory for science will say that we will be saving lives after today's events. Unfortunately, this will not be the case. If a life can be saved, and that is a BIG if, millions of lives will be lost just to save that one.

So exactly what happened today? Today President Obama signed an executive order opening up research on embryonic stem cells. Apparently research on the more successful adult stems cells is not good enough. Research on embryonic stem cells destroys a life already created. It's basic biology: a unique sperm fertilizes a unique egg to create a new, unique set of DNA in an embryo. This embryo is a life and to harvest cells from it destroys it. What do we call it when we destroy a life?? Oh that's right: we call it murder.

I have found many other bloggers commenting on today's events who are much more articulate than I am. For some better perspectives on this I recommend reading these other posts:

Posted last night: You'll be Paying for more Human Destruction on Monday. This posting also lists all the pros and cons of both adult stem cell research and embryonic stem cell research. A very interesting list!!
And today from one of my favorite blogs for analysis of current events from a moral perspective: Did anyone doubt he'd do it?

I also tried to find a decent article on today's new executive order from the mainstream media. Didn't have much luck. I know Fox News was talking about it on TV tonight when I was making dinner, but I couldn't find anything specific on their website. I tried CNN and they had to bring in a whole bunch of other environmental stuff. Only about 25% of the online article even discussed embryonic stem cell research.

So I finally went to Life Site News. Their article, Obama Unleashes Taxpayer Funds for Embryonic-Destructive Research, has excerpts from the President's speech as well as perspectives from opponents, which is hard to find in the mainstream media.

In closing, I am disappointed but not surprised that this has happened. So far our new administration has reversed the Mexico City Policy that will start sending our tax dollars to other countries so they can perform abortions. And now we are going to allow scientists to destroy human life in the name of "research." According to Obama, "our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values." And yet he calls himself a man of faith. I thought as people of faith we were to live our lives as faithful followers of Christ. So what happened to ethical science?

Science can be done morally and ethically without destroying human life. And we have that ability!! Adult stem cell research has time and again proven much more successful. And we won't be destroying human life in the process, we'll be respecting the dignity of it. That is living a faithful, Christian life.

The Naming Ceremony Experience

While I have a few minutes left of my lunch break, I thought I would just mention how the Naming Ceremony was on Sunday that my husband and I attended.

The purpose of the ceremony was to recognize the children that all those in attendance had lost due to Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Abortion. There were probably about 20 people there. When we walked in we got cards on which to write our names and our child's name. At the time I didn't know what they were for, but I took two, one for each of our children, grabbed a program, and we found a seat.

So the first part of this service was similar to the Liturgy of the Word during Mass. One difference was that in place of the First (Old Testament) Reading they read the poem Whispers from Heaven. I was introduced to two versions of this poem shortly after Zachary's death and it makes me cry every time. Following this there was a Psalm and a Second (New Testament) Reading.

One of the deacons gave the homily and he did mention his own experiences of losing a child. Other than that, his homily was a bit all over the place.

Following the homily, they invited anyone who had lost a child to come up and with either the deacons or the priest, we would say a prayer for our children and light a candle. The prayers we said were very nice, entrusting our children into Christ's arms and praying that we will one day see them again in the Kingdom of Heaven. I couldn't get through the part that we had to recite, I kept crying. So I'm so glad Chris was with me. He ended up saying most of the prayer himself. I just knew that I would burst into tears if I tried to talk.

We recived two candles, one each for Casey and Zachary. Also, the cards I had filled out were given to the deacons so they could put my babies' names in the prayers and then the cards were left in a basket. I presume that maybe the cards would be used for praying for us and our children later.

Following the service a few people stood up to tell a bit about there own experiences. Plus everyone was invited to the parish center following the service to talk more and meet others who have had similar experiences. We were not able to stay, Chris was cooking soup and needed to get back.

Overall, it was really a wonderful experience and a very healing time. We had already named our children and have gotten used to refering to them by their names. But for those who might not have done that I'm sure it offered a greater level of healing and comfort to know that they have a child in heaven and can refer to that child by name.

I heard something recently and I honestly can't remember where. But it has stuck with me for a while and I wanted to mention it here. Someone once mentioned that they found immense comfort after the loss of a child when someone (a priest maybe) mentioned that she should stop praying FOR her child and instead pray TO her child. Our children are now saints in heaven. They can pray for us. We only need to ask.

And I like that I can specifically ask Casey and Zachary, my two special saints in heaven.

Naming Ceremony this weekend

The First Annual Naming Ceremony in the Lexington Diocese is happening this weekend. This is a special service for all those who have lost children due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion. I've never been to one and I don't know what this one will entail exactly, but I've heard that they can be very healing for those of us who have lost our children for these reasons.

My husband and I plan to attend and we'll be remembering both of our children, Casey (miscarraige) and Zachary (stillborn). If you or someone you know has lost a child and would like to attend, I highly encourage it. I'm a firm believer in the healing effect naming a lost child can have on a mother and/or father.

Where: St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton Catholic Church, 1730 Summerhill Dr., Lexington
Date: Sunday March 8, 2009
Time: 2:00pm

Random Thoughts on Lent

Lent started last Wednesday. Lent is a time of sacrifice and a time of reflection as we prepare for the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of our Lord. It's a solemn time in the church, and yet I really like this time. There is something very cleansing about it.

We start the season with Ash Wednesday. We go to Mass and we receive ashes on our foreheads. These ashes remind us that we started as dust and we will be dust again. It is a reminder of our mortality. Many Christian faiths do this, not just Catholics. In my opinion, this sign of our mortality is a powerful reminder of how much we need our faith. I was impressed with the numbers of people at Mass that day. I hope all those people who came to Mass just because it was Ash Wednesday and don't plan on coming back again until Easter were touched by something and will consider coming back for Sunday Mass.

Have you ever wondered where the ashes come from? The fireplace in the rectory? A bonfire from a Mardi Gras party the day before? Actually, they come from the palms that were used on Palm Sunday the year before. A few weeks before Ash Wednesday our church (and I'm assuming many, many others) start collecting the palms from everyone and they burn them to be used for ashes. It's very cool, and environmentally friendly!!

During Lent there are some slight changes in the Mass. Some may not even notice them and there may be some I don't know about. But there are two obvious ones. The first is that we don't sing the Gloria during this season. We wait until Easter Sunday, the day Christ rose from the dead. That is a glorious day, so we don't sing the Gloria during the solemn season of Lent and then we pull out all the stops on Easter. Our choir always does a great job on the Gloria on Easter, with brass and percussion to make it even more glorious! The second thing missing during this season is a recessional song. Now, I don't know if this is true in other churches, but it is in ours. Our priests leave the church at the end of mass in silence. I think it's a very powerful reminder of the solemnity of Lent. Unfortunately too many people are picking up their coats, talking to their neighbor, or trying to get out, and it ends up being too noisy! It annoys me, but I try to set an example to those around me by waiting until the recessional is out the door before I move.

Do you know someone who is giving something up for Lent? Ever wondered why they do this? This goes back to this season being a time of sacrifice. Our thoughts are that Jesus gave up his life for our sins, the ultimate sacrifice, so during this time of preparation we also make a sacrifice, and usually that comes in the form of "giving something up." People give up TV or video games; some people give up desserts or chocolate or some other special food; some people try to give up something like worrying or being judgemental. The idea is that you are making a sacrifice for these six weeks and that by missing this "thing" in your life you will be reminded of the sacrifice Jesus made for us, His Life!

Another way to go through Lent is by adding something to your day. I know people who try to go to daily Mass during Lent. Some people add in a daily devotion of some kind: a rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, or some other form or daily prayer. This is a great way to help your spiritual life during this time.

Then there is the days of fast and abstinence! The blessings of Lent are never ending. We fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and then we abstain from meat all the Fridays of Lent. So our churches host Fish Fries every Friday!! (On a side note: I've noticed for years that all the fast food restaurants start advertising their fish sandwiches at this time of year!) This helps our cleansing throughout this season as well.

A lot happens in the Church during Lent as well. At my Church we will have a Lenten Mission, coming up in a couple weeks. These are done over three nights and some years we have an out-of-town guest speaker, other times it is someone local. This year we have a priest from St. Meinrad Archabby coming to talk about St. Paul. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is also very important during Lent. Actually, it's important all the time, and I for one should probably go more often, but I do make a point of going during this time. We'll be having a Reconciliation Service at some point prior to Easter as well. I've never been to one of those, so I may go this year in addition to going to confession.

The Saturday before Palm Sunday my church will have a Chrism Mass. My church is the Cathedral for the diocese, which is why we host this mass. During this mass representatives from all the diocesan churches will be there as the Bishop blesses all the oils that will be used for the year. These are the oils used during Baptisms, Confirmations, the Sacrament of the Sick, and probably some other things as well. I have been to this mass in the years when I was involved in the music ministry, but haven't been in a while. The next day will be Palm Sunday which starts Holy Week!

I think I'll stop there for now. I'll go into Holy Week more later. Holy Week is another wonderful time with lots going on. So come back to learn more!!