Book review: The Name of God is Mercy (Pope Francis)

I decided Pope Francis' recent book, The Name of God is Mercy, which is the transcript of an interview with veteran Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli, would be a good read for The Year of Mercy.  Since I am cheap I requested it from the library, hoping that two weeks would be enough to get through it.  Then I started it and realized it would take me less than two hours to read.  For someone who definitely tends more towards the "justice" end in her decidedly black and white view of reality, this book was a wonderful opportunity to truly understand the definition and ramifications of mercy, but also to get a more inside glimpse into what seems to be at the very heart of our current Holy Father's papacy.

Early on, Francis defines mercy as:

"...opening one's heart to wretchedness...mercy is the divine attitude which embraces, it is God's giving himself to us, accepting us, and bowing to forgive.  

Throughout the book Francis speaks of the deep intertwining between mercy and forgiveness. In referencing the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8), he further explains,

"Mercy is something difficult to understand: it does not erase sins. What erases sins is God's forgiveness. But mercy is the way in which God forgives, because Jesus could have said: I forgive you, now go! As he said to the paralyzed man: 'Your sins are forgiven!' Here, in this situation, Jesus goes further and advises the woman not to sin again. And here we see the merciful attitude of Jesus: he defends sinners from their enemies, he defends the sinner from a just condemnation." 

Francis does well to remind us that we are all sinners. Laity and clergy alike: from himself all the way back to our first pope, Peter, who denied Christ three times the night before His death.  We all stumble, over and over and over and over and over and over again.  How do we experience mercy?  By recognizing our sinfulness.  How do we show mercy?  By recognizing others' needs for forgiveness, no matter in how small a way they may express this.

"The medicine is there, the healing is there, if only we take a small step toward God...or even just...desire to take that step."

Quoting the author's words in the introduction:

"[God] overlooks no possibility, no matter how small, in attempting to give the gift of forgiveness.  [He] awaits us with open arms; we need only take a step toward him like the Prodigal Son. But if, weak as we are, we don't have the strength to take that step, just the desire to take it is enough.  It's already enough of a start for grace to work and mercy to be granted in accordance with the experience of a Church that does not see itself as a customs office but as an agent that seeks out every single possible way to forgive."

Ouch.  How often do I, in my own self-righteous sinfulness and misery, seek out every single possible reason not to forgive others?  But in the chapter entitled "Shepherds, not scholars of the law," Francis again reminds us:

"When a person begins to recognize the sickness in their soul, when the Holy Spirit - the Grace of God - acts within them and moves their heart toward an initial recognition he needs to find an open door, not a closed one.  He needs to find acceptance, not judgment, prejudice, or condemnation. He needs to be helped, not pushed away or cast out.  Sometimes, when Christians think like scholars of the law, their hearts extinguish that which the Holy Spirit lights up in the heart of a sinner when he stands at the threshold, when he starts to feel nostalgia for God."

Who am I to judge the way the Holy Spirit is working in another's heart? I do well to discern and understand His workings in my own heart.  And if He, who has no sin but rather gave Himself for our sins, offers unlimited forgiveness and mercy to those who have the mere desire to take a step in the right direction no matter how many times they stumble and fall again, why should I not also forgive and show mercy seventy times seven-fold (Matthew 18:21-22).

Reading this book, I can see why Francis is so easily misquoted and misinterpretted.  However, as with anyone from Pope Francis to Donald Trump (did I really just use his name on my blog?), it is easy to take a sound-byte and twist it into whatever meaning we are going for.  Taken as a whole, The Name of God is Mercy makes a seamless and beautiful case for the absolute necessity of mercy in the Church and the world as a whole.  Catholics and non-Catholics alike would do well to take Francis' words to heart, and I would wager to say the non-Catholic could stand to gain a deeper understanding of the Catholic Church's teachings on everything from homosexuality to the necessity of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a means for forgiveness of sins by taking an hour or so to read this book than they would from a deep study of moral theology. (Note: I am in no way denouncing moral theology, but the context of this book makes a very simple, clear case for the aforementioned in quite simple, easily understandable terms.  A deeper study of theology would be a natural next step.)

So how and where do we begin to practice mercy?

"Let us examine...the works of mercy. We have received freely, we give freely.  We are called to serve Christ the Crucified through every marginalized person.  We touch the flesh of Christ in he who is outcast, hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, ill, unemployed, persecuted, in search of refuge. That is where we find our God, that is where we touch the Lord  ...  Let us always remember the words of St. John of the Cross: 'In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone'."

Book review: Saints of the Roman Calendar

The past year or so it has really dawned on me in a new way the absolute treasure trove we have in the saints.  Not simply as intercessors and friends in Heaven, but as **real life examples** of how to do this thing we call life.  Um, wow.  (For more on that, check out Saints: A Closer Look.)  So I've been on the lookout for a comprehensive-ish book with short(er) stories on the lives of the saints.  Don't get me wrong, a good biography/autobiography is well worth the time, and simply doesn't compare to a five-paragraph essay (Saint Francis of Assisi and St. Therese are two that come to mind), but sometimes I just don't have the mental energy to expend on something like that.  And I'm just not quite ready to invest in Butler's.  Yet.  A priest friend recommended Saints of the Roman Calendar (kindle version available here) to me so I went ahead and picked it up.  Good call.  It is a great, comprehensive edition that includes (as stated by its subtitle) "Feasts Proper to the English-Speaking World."  And by "Feasts", this means it includes not only saints but also feasts such as the Assumption or the Immaculate Conception.  And because it is tied to the Roman Calendar, it flows with the Liturgy, which I just love.  Each saint/feast ranges from 2-3 pages and is divided into two sections: "Historico/Liturgical Note" and "Message and Relevance."  The "Historico/Liturgical" section gives a brief biography of the saint/history of the feast and reasons for its celebration including why it was placed on this particular date (for most saints it is the eve or date of their death, but this isn't without exception).  The "Message and Relevance" section often quotes from the prayers of the Mass, the Office of Readings (particularly the non-Biblical reading) or one of the antiphons for that particular day, or it may speak/quote further on some of the written works of the saint or give details regarding their cause for canonization.  Because this version is "Updated and Revised", it includes very modern feasts such as Bl. Teresa of Calcutta or St. Josephine Bakhita.  I particularly appreciate this since the most current edition of the Liturgy of the Hours is 1976.  Each saint/feast ends with a prayer, typically from the Preface or Opening Prayer, oftentimes from the missal that may be particular to that saint (IE, Dominican, Augustinian, etc.)  If you are looking to learn more about the lives of the saints and their liturgical relevance, I highly recommend this book.  I did not receive anything in return for this review, and the links are not affiliate links, I simply wanted to share my love for a new book I acquired.  PEACE!!

Seven Quick Takes: summer reads, ponies and plastic surgery

Seven Quick Takes is being hosted this week over at Team Whitaker.

1. Good books abound lately, we've all been doing lots of reading, myself included.  I read in such spurts it is ridiculous.  It's like 5 books at once or nothin' with me.  But I am enjoying this reading spurt I'm in and making the most of it.  Heck, maybe this time it will last.  When I was a teenager, and even a young unmarried adult I constantly had my nose in a book.  Not always the most practical thing anymore, but I do enjoy it when I can.  Currently on my end-table are The Book Thief (just started, the writing style is odd but I'm intrigued enough to keep reading); Siblings Without Rivalry (much as I loved How to Talk, this one just isn't quite resonating as much, so we'll see if I finish it); and The Hidden Power of Kindness (I really am liking this.  Reading a few paragraphs a day, just enough to munch on and mull over as I go about my day).  Some faves with the kids lately: The Hoppameleon, Thunder Cake and a few others by Patricia Polacco, and we're working on Caleb's Story (of Sarah Plain and Tall) and By the Shores of Silver Lake.
2. The kids, and even I, have been enjoying time by the (kiddie) pool on the deck.  It's just nice to be outside, even on the hot days.  Is it just me, or do other people's kids fight/spat less when they are outdoors?  I don't know what it is, but there is so much less drama when we 'take it outdoors'.
3. We are finally settling into a summer groove, the first part of June was packed with Art Camp, VBS and a family reunion, and now we pretty much have nothing, haha.  I love the more relaxed pace of our mornings and evenings, but honestly kind of miss the routine/structure that school brings during the day.  See aforementioned spatting.  ;-)  It's all good though.  Some days (like this morning) are great!  Playgroup, time at the library, everyone is relatively pleasant to each other for the most part.  And then some days (yesterday) I am ready to purchase the next ticket to anywhere but here.  OH life.
4. I saw this article about The Sign of the Cross on Facebook and it was so interesting and informative.  If you've ever wondered why some people make The Sign of the Cross "backwards", check this out.
5. Wow.  Only five?  Man, there is just not much going on.  How about pictures of the big kids riding the miniature pony at my sister's?  Gemma's legs were almost too long, haha.
    
6.  Every time I drive past the local Catholic hospital and see their marquis advertising cosmetic plastic surgery I am like, really?  Is that truly in line with your mission so much so that you promote it in big flashing letters for all to see?  For real??  So my hubby said I should look up their Mission Statement (see above link).  I am dubious.  Am I the only one who thinks about these things?
7. Clem has been showing some semi-serious interest in the potty.  Not enough to potty-learn, but enough so that I switched him from the pre-fold/snappi combo to Flip and a folded Econobum since it's a little easier and faster on and off.  He had been telling me he had to poop like 2-3 times an hour and I couldn't figure out what the deal was until I realized he was telling me when he was pottying.  So we're just kind of being chill about it.  Kolbe did the same thing when he was about this age but then didn't really potty-learn until around 3, so I have no high expectations.  Helping a child learn to use the potty is both exciting (no more diapers!!!) and exhausting (you have to go again???).

OK, that was seven.  I made it!  Not without talking about the weather and the toilet, but hey! what can I say?!  Happy June everyone, stay cool!

Journal: late November

TODAY

Out my window:  Evening of a very warm/pleasant Fall day (well, it was when I started this post anyways).  Dark early now that the time-change has happened.  We had a big freeze this past week and all my deck plants are dead.  Well, the pansies still have a little life in them but the mums are shot.  Very seasonal.  I like this time of year.  I do not look forward to that stretch between January and March though.  Alas...

Clothing myself in:  Jeans and a t-shirt.  And flip-flops.  Exciting.

Around the house: I dusted the blinds and cleaned the windows in the living room today.  Dusting blinds has got to be the. most. tedious household chore ever.  Ever.

 

The baby toddler:  He is so funny, he has very strong feelings about which parent he prefers, it just depends on the time of day.  Typically if it's between about 7pm and 6am it's me.  Once he wakes up in the morning though it's alllllll about daddy.  He is not saying any words, except for pointing and saying something that sounds sort of like "here" only more pathetic.  Naps have been fair.  The kindergarten pickup in the middle of the day just makes it hard.  But I suppose I prefer poor naps to all-day kindergarten.  He has started enjoying being read to, his favorite is Brown Bear.

 

The kiddos:  Gemma has been really pleasant lately for the most part.  And helpful.  She is growing up.  She's getting more confident with her reading.  She is really looking forward to Thanksgiving Break, she gets a whole week off!  Saturdays have taken on a whole new meaning to her (and me) as well with the advent of school, so the weekend is something fun for us to look forward to each week.

Kolbe has still been plenty tricky.  I think it's just a new phase of development in the life of a little boy who is almost four.  Sigh.  He's growing up too, Lord help guide my little boy -- toots and spit and orneriness and all.  Today at Mass I was pointing out things on the altar and asked him if he wanted to be a server and help Father someday.  He answered, "no, I want to be Father."  Of course in my silliness I smiled proudly, and then he said, "and I want Father to be me."  Ooooookay...

In the kitchen:  This week: Mexican Chili; Chicken Pizza, with mushrooms and spinach and some artichokes in my cabinet I need to use; chicken fajitas with lots of veggies (because I FINALLY made a trip to the tortilla store), tuna (actually salmon) melts on whole wheat english muffins.  Good eats.  I need to make a trip to the meat locker (or the meat-candy store as my husband calls it) this week and pick up some things for the freezer. 

Crafting: I made a couple little photo albums to put in my "bag of tricks" for Mass for the boys to look at.  I included pictures from Baptisms, Easter family pictures from Church, pictures of different religious crafts the kids have done, and pictures of them being nice siblings (holding babies, playing nicely together, etc.).  We'll see if they...erm...help.  Mass has been...interesting lately.  My friend had a really good take on Mass with kids here, check it out.

Learning:  We have "Ll" this coming week and then we're taking a break from letters to fully enjoy and celebrate Thanksgiving (I need to find a turkey craft for the kids...), Advent and Christmas.  I am ready for a change in pace with this.  I've been trying to "rough out" a plan for Advent.  We'll do our Activity Chain again and are going to attempt the Jesse Tree with this DVD I ordered from Holy Heroes and the accompanying ornaments (so excited about the simplicity of this, the Jesse Tree has always intimidated me too much to really do).  I have high hopes.  We'll also do our Picture Book a Day again, that is always fun!

Reading:  Still working my way through Deus Caritas Est and The Faith Understood.  Trying to think what I have in our Ll pile...I always enjoy the picture books we check out for Letter of the Week.  Sometimes more than the kids I think.  ;-)  In November is a great one this time of year.

Watching:  Gold Rush.  Pawn Stars.  Alaska: The Last Frontier.  I have yet to find anyone really who watches the same shows we do.  I'm not sure what this says.  

Bringing me joy:  Confession and chatting with my Spiritual Director.  Such a gift.  A completely wonderful Saturday morning with the kids yesterday.  It was seriously unbelievable.  Just one of those days you want to bottle up and remember.  Cute Clem. 

Thinking about:  The Mass.  We (Aaron and I sans kids) attended the Latin Mass (Extraordinary form) last weekend at a local Catholic Church.  It was very beautiful.  It was a very profound reminder that we don't pray at Mass, we pray the Mass.  It also gave me a deeper and different appreciation for the Novus Ordo as well, which I didn't expect.  This was my first experience with the Latin Mass, and while I can't imagine worshipping like that all the time, I found it to be beautiful and prayerful and a good lesson in the history of the Church's liturgy as well.  Thinking about Christmas gifts, and trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Christmas is actually less than six weeks away.  Really?  Really???  Six weeks????!!!

Pictures to share:  

I think they're pretty cute.

Him too.

Food-for-Thought round-up: August 10

A few that have been all over the internet lately and are probably nothing new to you, but still good:

To Moms of One or Two Children - I've read several articles of this type in the past year or so and oh my, they are so true.  As much as I treasure the days when it was just me and Gemma, or even me, Gemma and a baby, I do.not.want.to.go.back.  Being a first time parent is hard, really hard.  You second guess yourself and everyone has advice for you and you feel like you are parenting in a big fish bowl.  Not that I am completely immune to caring about what others think but oh it gets easier the more kids you have.  Life gets more nuts but you learn to dance with the chaos.  The kids test your limits and stretch and change you (literally and figuratively) in ways you never thought or wanted to be possible, but you emerge a better person on the other side.  Our children - with all their idiosyncrasies and craziness and love and everything in between - are gift.  Pure gift.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Mama Knows, Honeychild - I linked the "Adventures in Family Prayer" one, but poke around a little [and grab a box of tissues because you will laugh so hard you might cry].  It's like Crappy Pictures for Catholics.

Moving on, no real order to the rest of this:

Social Media Marriage Killers - This was really great.  In a former life before I was married I spent fairly regular time around people who enjoyed (??) talking very disparagingly of their husbands.  It really bothered me then, and it bothers me more-so now that I actually have a husband.  If I have a problem with Aaron, I will take it up with him, not my friends and certainly not Facebook or my blog.  Sure, I will joke about things now and then, but I honestly would never say anything about him behind his back that I wouldn't be OK with him reading or hearing me say.   

The Coming Push to Give HPV Vaccine to Infants - Seriously, my husband called this one several years ago.  They get you at Hepatitis B before you leave the hospital and then they have you.  I realize Health Impact News Daily is probably a fairly biased source, but I've seen several articles on this from various sources of late.  Watch out.  That's all.  (said in my most doom and gloom conspiracy theory voice, haha.)

Teach Your Six Year Old to Tie Shoes in Five Minutes - I don't know.  It looks cool.  And Gemma can't tie her shoes yet (so we have velcro for kdg), but isn't there something to be said for learning to tie shoes the real way?  Someone chime in on this because I honestly don't know. 

This one on Modern Word Choices was interesting.

Six Great Mysteries of the Bible - This is why I like all those shows on Discovery and NatGeo and the like.  So intriguing. 

Gemma has gotten into mazes lately and I found these free printables after a (very quick) google search.  They print in a 20 page PDF booklet which was very handy! We've both enjoyed working on them together.

Why I Want my Kids to be Bored - I liked this a bunch.  The only technology our kids use currently is the TV and their CD player.  Sometimes I feel badly that I don't let them play games on the computer or that we don't own a tablet or whatever else, but then I read things like this.  And I'm not saying those things are bad or shouldn't be used.  Moderation in everything, and I know as our kids get older technology will become more a part of their lives, and that's fine.  But for now, I like where we are and definitely appreciated this article.

What were your favorite articles this week?

Food-for-Thought round-up (August 2)

There is no rhyme or reason to the order (or lack-thereof) this week.  Apologies.  They're still good articles.  

Bringing the Liturgy Back to the Real Vatican II - This article gave me real hope, something that sadly I feel at times I've lost in regards to the Sacred Liturgy.  Some quotes I liked:

Young people are going back now and studying both the texts of the Second Ecumenical Vatican Council with its serious texts on liturgical theology which remain valid also today. They’re studying the rites as they were celebrated, striving to understand the meaning and various elements of the rite and there’s a great enthusiasm for that and a great interest in it. All of it, I believe, is directed to a more intense experience of God’s presence with us through the sacred liturgy. That transcendent element was most sadly lost when the reform after the Council was, so to speak, side-tracked and manipulated for other purposes – that sense of transcendence of Christ’s action through the sacraments.

and especially

There’s no question in my mind that the abuses in the sacred liturgy, reduction of the sacred liturgy to some kind of human activity, is strictly correlated with a lot of moral corruption and with a levity in catechesis that has been shocking and has left generations of Catholics ill prepared to deal with the challenges of our time by addressing the Catholic faith to those challenges. You can see it in the whole gamut of Church life.

Finding Happiness Where You Least Expect It - What a powerful message.

If happiness cannot be found in material possessions, where can it be found? The answer is: we find happiness where we least expect it—in self-denial. This is not a piece of wisdom that is easily learned and lived, because it is so paradoxical. Who, without being told, would ever imagine that denying oneself would bring happiness? ...  Denial of self prepares us for disappointments from others: “Contradictions from others will hurt us less when we have first contradicted ourselves. The hand that is calloused will not pain as much as a soft hand, on catching a hard ball. Contradictions can even be assimilated and used for further taming of our own errant impulses.”

Age Appropriate Bedtimes for Kids - Liked this, and agreed mostly.  Was relieved to see that my kids are hitting about right for hours slept.  Bedtimes are a little later around here than what this suggested, especially for the baby (usually 8 give or take) but they will probably get earlier once school starts.  Although whew, it is hard with a hubby who works a little later and wanting to sit down and eat dinner all together.  And I just can't do staggered bedtimes at this point, besides with the baby, he goes to bed when he's ready to sleep which sometimes coincides with the big kids and sometimes is earlier or later.  Kolbe probably gets a little less sleep than he needs sometimes since he doesn't nap, but all in all I feel like my kids are generally well-rested.  

My husband is not my soul mate - This title really piqued my interest when I saw someone post in on Facebook, and she brings up some really good points Aaron and I have actually discussed before.  This whole idea that God has one person chosen for you and you magically end up with that person and fall in love and live happily ever after, etc. etc. blah blah, you know the story.  At the end of the day (especially a really rough one) sometimes you have to choose to love.  And sure, I look back and I see God's hand in every aspect of the road that led me to my vocation, absolutely! But this romanticized idea that it was all completely beyond my control and I have nothing more than the cosmos to thank for my husband falling in my lap.  Well...  She says it better, a few quotes I liked:

A husband is not only not a biblical promise, it is also not a specific element of God’s “plan for my life.” God’s plan is for us to be made more holy, more like Christ… not marry a certain person.

There is no biblical basis to indicate that God has one soul mate for you to find and marry. You could have a great marriage with any number of compatible people. There is no ONE PERSON for you. But once you marry someone, that person becomes your one person.

This is profoundly unromantic advice. We love to hear of people who “just can’t help who they love,” or people who “fall in love,” or “find the one person meant for them.”  Even within the Christian circle, we love to talk about how God “had someone” for someone else for all of time. But what happens to these people when the unstoppable and uncontrollable force that prompted them to start loving, lets them stop loving, or love someone else?   What happens is a world where most marriages end in divorce, and even those that don’t are often unhappy.  My marriage is not based on a set of choices over which I had no control. It is based on a daily choice to love this man, this husband that I chose out of many people that I could have chosen to love (in theory, don’t imagine that many others were lined up and knocking at the door). He is not some illusive soul mate, not some divine fullfulment, not some perfect step on the rigorously laid out but of so secret “Plan for My Life.”

 Seriously though, I think I've quoted about three-quarters of the article.  Just go read it.

How I Avoided and Got Rid of GBS - I was GBS+ with my third pregnancy, and after seriously weighing the risks/benefits, we ended up going ahead and doing a round of IV antibiotics before Clem was born (they actually only had time to get one round in, I guess two 4 hours apart is preferable).  I was not thrilled about doing this, for my gut or his, but it seemed to be the best decision for us at the time.  At any rate though, several of these protocols are things we already do so I am definitely interested in trying to avoid being GBS+ next go around (no that is not in any way shape or form an announcement), as once you are positive your chance of being positive with subsequent pregnancies is pretty good.   I think I would scale back on the Vitamin C by about 1000mg (as per hubby's recommendation), but I think it's worth a try.

15 things You Should Give Up To Be a Happy Parent - This was just a good reminder.

What Pope Francis Really Said About Gays - Sigh.  The media.  

Kate used no painkillers during birth - I really didn't want to get sucked in.  I tried so hard to turn the other way.  But alas...I've only read two articles though, so I only just got a little sucked in.  But this was great!  Props, Kate!

First Steps: A Stay-at-home Mother Faces Letting Go - **Sniff**  Oh Gemma. This made me tear up a little as we approach the beginning of the school years for Gemma.  We are ready for this step, I am confident, but I still feel emotional about it.  Oh life.  I liked this the best:

It all snuck up on me but here we are. After four and a half years of holding her close, it is time to slowly begin to let go. A bittersweet process that will last the rest of our lives.  I hope that she never forgets the love and the fun and the magic in our first four years together...even if the details grow fuzzy in time.

 I don't know this blogger, but this post definitely struck a chord with me right about now.

Journal: Bible School

We just finished off a busy week of VBS.  WHEW!  So here I am, better late than never.

TODAY

Out my window:  Maybe some rain moving in?  It has been so mild.  VBS was outdoors and the weather was just perfect.  We have spent some quality time on walks and at the neighborhood park or just playing in the yard lately.  I am so grateful for the beautiful (albeit a bit late) Spring we are having.  Hopefully summer will keep itself in check and we can keep on with this mild, rainy pattern we've been in since February.

Clothing myself in: jammies now, but I wanted to share... I ordered a couple pairs of these capris on a whim because they were on sale earlier this week (they still are, just not quite as good a price) and they are everything I dreamed they would be and more.  It is funny how excited a $10 pair of "bum around" capris can make me these days.  Yup.  True story.  Buy me a new t-shirt that fits well and it may just send me over the moon.

Around the house: Oh goodness, trying to find a balance between staying caught up but not being so OCD that I put housework before people.  I've been doing more stuff after the kids are in bed and that helps.  This week I moved the kids beds and vacuumed around/under them (not while they were in bed), and little jobs like that always make me feel good, even though no one probably notices them besides me.

 

The baby: He is so cute, have I mentioned that?  He loves waving at people.  This week I helped in the daycare for VBS, so he and Kolbe were with me and my boys and I had a very fun time.  Clem enjoyed the interaction and the middle school girls who were helping out really doted on him too.  He is a very "go with the flow" kind of kid.  I'm beginning to think that's just the way it has to be with the 3rd, 4th, 5th etc. child.  They just don't really have a choice. It's funny, I never would have volunteered for something like this when Gemma was a baby, or even when Kolbe was, because it would have interfered with naps, meals, etc.  The more kids I have the more I stretch and grow, and for this I am grateful.  Grateful that I have children who put me outside my comfort zone.  Grateful that I have children to help me realize that life is about others, not me.  Now I'm losing focus though.  Moving on...

 

The kiddos:  Gemma had SO much fun at VBS.  And speaking of change, my how she has changed and grown in a year.  Last year she had fun, but there were tears every day when mama left.  This year (I only took her one day since I was helping with the daycare back at Church) it was a wave and a smile, a quick kiss and off to join the fun.  It is a joy watching her grow, if not a bit bittersweet.  We had a very bad day on Tuesday, and several horribleawfulohmygoodnesshowdoIevenhandlethis episodes in the days leading up to that.  Some refocusing on my part, prayer (and a trip to confession for me to re-center) and the rest of the week has been pretty darn good.  Thank you Jesus.

Kolbe also had fun with VBS at the daycare with me.  Next year he will be old enough to attend VBS with big sis so we will see how that goes.  He had fun playing with the other kids, although by the end of the week I was glad we were done because he was starting to get a little too familiar (read: there was a little more fighting/typical kid stuff) once the novelty had worn off.  It was fun to watch him warm up to other kids though, he is often a loner at play when we are in a big group, so it was nice to see him have fun playing together.

In the kitchen: Might as well cover last week and this upcoming one.  I tried to have easy meals last week since I was gone all morning each day, so we had Breakfast Casserole; some enchiladas that I had ingredients for already prepped and frozen; crock pot roasted chicken with green beans and potatoes on the side; Aaron cooked some chicken and sausage on the smoker one day; and baked flounder (a new fave around here) with leafy green salads.  Our neighbors garden is starting to produce and she is sharing with us again.  She told me that back in China, the saying went, "a neighborhood with a garden in it is a happy neighborhood."  I've got to agree with her.  This upcoming week we have minute steaks with probably more salad; homemade pizza; a family dinner and a family wedding on the "menu". 

Crafting: My Bible school t-shirt was too big on me, so I took the sides in and it turned out just to my preference.  I was pretty proud of this accomplishment.  Oh, and I hot glued a broken box together and helped Gemma with a couple bead necklaces.  Namely the one that she threw across the room in a fit of rage since she couldn't find a letter "A" bead.  Yup.  True story.

Learning:  Mainly Bible School.  Oh, and the Unifix Cubes came and the kids just love "playing" with them.  They are pretty awesome.  They came with a little booklet, and the number of hands-on math activities you can do with them is literally endless.  We've been mainly working on patterning, and some counting by 2's, 3's and 5's (with Gemma).  Gemma has also been really enjoying some of the Glory Stories MP3's I've purchased and burned to CD for our van (they are short enough that even though we're never in the car for long we can usually get thru them in an outing).  We currently have Bl. Imelda, St. Juan Diego, St. Therese, St. Anthony and St. Joan of Arc.

Reading: Didn't have as much time to read this week, but still working my way through St. Francis.  I'm reading Charlotte's Web to the kids and Gemma really likes it.  I have a sound recording (from the library) of All of a Kind Family Downtown that we may start listening to at mealtime, instead of me always reading out loud.

Watching:  New season of Pawn Stars!!  I find this show so interesting and fun to watch, even if some of the drama between the people who work there is pretty staged.  

Bringing me joy: Aaron's cousin's wedding we went to last week.  It was so beautiful.  One of those weddings that you left with your heart just bursting with love and joy.  Made me happy.  And the kids had fun (aside from being absolutely and positively horrendous during Mass. Sigh.)  VBS and watching Gemma dance around the house singing all her new songs.  Good friends.  Good, good women in my life.  Oh I am so blessed.  Helping out with VBS.  This was one of the more substantial stewardship things I've done since having kids, and it made me very happy to help out and feel involved and active in the parish.  I am hopeful that having kids in school will continue to guide me to these opportunities, and that we can find a comfortable balance for our family.

Thinking about: School next (well, this I guess) year.  Seeing Gemma at VBS, and hearing about what she learned and experiencing the fun she had and joy it brought her really made me excited for her to start school.  As much as I like doing things at home with her, having her away at VBS made me realize how much (at least at this point in our lives) I need others' help with her education, and I am excited to begin that partnership with our Catholic parish school.  Will it be perfect?  Heck no, I'd be kidding myself if I wanted that.  But I am confident, at least for this coming year, that it is the right thing for her.  The right thing for all of us.  Hard to believe we have just two months and change until the big day. Oh, and respect and discipline.  This was interesting.  And this...was interesting too.  Maybe I should just start a Saturday roundup...

Pictures to share:  

VBS last year (orange) and this (green).  Wow, time flies.

Review: Brother Francis DVDs

For his Feast Day last year, Kolbe's godmother gave him a Brother Francis DVD entitled Let's Pray.  I couldn't tell you how many times Kolbe has requested and watched it (he enthusiastically refers to it as his "ball-ball DDD"); he really really likes it.  I like it too, the songs are catchy (the Our Father actually still brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it), the animation is bold yet simple, and the message is aimed perfectly at the 3-5 year old crowd, with its explanation of what prayer is and why we pray.  It also talks about how we can pray through our "doing", and tells the story of St. Therese, who did little things with great love (cue music). 

I recently contacted Herald Entertainment to inquire whether they had any DVDs available for bloggers to review and they sent me a copy of Born into the Kingdom along with a companion coloring book.  This DVD was similar in length (less than 25 minutes) and format to Let's Pray, and covered the story of Creation, original sin and its consequences, finishing up with the gift of Baptism.  While we've read the story of creation numerous times from various Children's Bibles, I don't think we've ever watched it, so I appreciated my children being able to experience the story in this way.  Plus, when we read the story of creation, I don't always follow it up by talking about Baptism, so I really like how that was all tied together for young minds who might not otherwise draw those conclusions.  I found it a little odd that they depicted Adam and Eve hiding because of fear without mentioning their nakedness, but I suppose I can understand why they did that, being television and all.  I also didn't particularly appreciate their analogy of Baptismal Grace being like going to the doctor to get a vaccine when you are sick (for various reasons...even my hubby commented on that from the other room as he listened along), but overall though the big pieces of the salvation picture: Creation, the Fall, and salvation through Christ and Baptism were woven together very well in a way that was probably a bit over my three-year-old's head, but still very age-appropriate for preschoolers and even K-2 I would think.  I particularly liked the catechesis it provided as it walked step-by-step through the Rite of Baptism.  

This DVD would make a GREAT Baptism Anniversary gift, or present for an older brother or sister in anticipation of a new sibling's arrival and/or Baptism.  Of the two DVDs we have viewed, Let's Pray is definitely my favorite, but they are both well done and I look forward to viewing more of the DVDs in this series with my young children.

I was provided with a review copy of Brother Francis: Born into the Kingdom by the publisher Herald Entertainment in exchange for my honest review.

Holy Saturday: Paschal Candle prayers at home

You know how you see one thing that looks like a nice, small, good idea and it snowballs into a much bigger production than you initially foresaw?  Read on.  A couple weeks ago I stumbled upon several posts about making your own Easter Paschal Candle at home and in a burst of productive insanity decided to give it a try.  It actually wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it might be, and it was FREE (or more accurately, I already had all the items it took).

• a 3x6" white pillar (of the Wal-mart variety, I am told to be 'legit' it should be at least 51% beeswax, but oh well)
• acrylic paints (yes, they really do work on wax, and let me tell you I was dubious)
• red gems (in place of incense grains, I just wasn't seeing it...)
• dull pencil to etch your pattern on before painting.

I started by drawing a simple cross on a piece of paper and then traced around it on the center of the candle with the dull pencil, letting it make a nice indentation.  I probably went over these indentions 5-7 times to get a nice clean line.  I added the numbers for the year, an Alpha at the top and an Omega at the bottom (free-hand) and then painted inside the lines as shown.  I let everything dry and added the gold paint on the inside of the cross.  We'll add the gems (I am praying my glue-dots will do the trick) when we bless the candle tonight...

Because after I made it I realized it would be nice to have some sort of prayer and blessing for it, rather than just sticking it on the middle of the table.  And since the Easter Vigil is just not an option for our family at this point in our lives, I thought it would be nice to incorporate some of the prayers and rituals done there.  I drew from several sources for this, namely The Year and Our Children and my Magnificat (for the prayers).  Here is what we will do.  

Begin with the Sign of the Cross and pray the below, tracing the parts on the candle as noted.

"Christ yesterday and today (vertical bar of the cross)

the beginning and the end (horizontal bar of the cross)

Alpha (A, above the cross)

and Omega; (Ω, below the cross)

all time belongs to him (2, upper left quadrant)

and all the ages: (0, upper right quadrant)

to him be glory and power (1, lower left quadrant)

through every age for ever. Amen." (3, lower right quadrant)

(while adding the gems to the four ends and center of the cross: ) 

"By his holy and glorious wounds may Christ our Lord guard us and keep us."

Light candle.

"May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds." 

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with your Spirit.

V. Let us pray:

O God, who through your Son bestowed upon the faithful the fire of your glory, sanctify (at this point sprinkle candle with water) this new fire, we pray, and grant that we may be so inflamed with heavenly desires, that with minds made pure we may attain festivities of unending splendor.  Through Christ our Lord, 

R. Amen.

V. A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John.

R. Glory to You oh Lord. 

 (Read from the Bible John 20:11-18 -- the story of Mary Magdalen at the tomb).

Litany of the Saints as prayed at Mass, adding our family member patron saints to the end. (found in Magnificat)

Renewal of Baptismal vows (bless family members with Holy Water). (found in Magnificat)

V. Now that the days of the Lord's Passion have drawn to a close, may we who celebrate the gladness of the Paschal Feast come with Christ's help, and exulting in spirit to those feasts that are celebrated in eternal joy.

R. Amen 

Sign of the Cross to close.

Our candle will be our centerpiece for the 50 days of Easter, and we will use it throughout the year on special feast days and such.

Wishing everyone a blessed joy-filled Easter.  REJOICE, for He is risen indeed!

Journal: Pope Francis

TODAY

Out my window: Cloudy and gray.  Some beautiful glimpses of Spring this past week.  Oh we're so close I can almost taste it.  That said, it's pretty chilly today so I think we are actually going to have our last fire of the season this afternoon.  Crazy.

Clothing myself in:  Sweats, but Church clothes earlier.  Oh dear goodness, we went to an early Mass today at a different parish as my future sister-in-law was being received into the Church and making her First Communion and it almost killed us.  Really...getting everyone up, around and out of the house before 8...it was ugly.  Very, very ugly.  And we get to do this five days a week next year? Le sigh.  

Around the house: Quiet as I type this around lunchtime, my "big kids" got to stay and play at Grandma's for a bit after brunch.  We're in full spring-cleaning/chores mode now.  We have a bunch of stuff we do once or twice a year that is on our lists to tackle in the upcoming weeks.  I washed and lemon-oiled the kitchen cabinetry on Friday, and today I cleaned and treated our leather couches.  Aaron turned the humidifier off and reversed our ceiling fans yesterday (now you know just to what degree of nerdy we really are, yes, we reverse our ceiling fans during the Winter), and has been working on cleaning up the yard for Spring.  Still wanting to wash some windows, clean out the cars and oh am I anxious to plant some annuals here in about a month. 

 

The baby:  Has four teeth now...two on top and two bottom.  Those top ones give him the cutest little buck-teeth grin.  He would make a good rabbit.  We packed away his bath chair this week now that he is sitting so well.  He thinks sitting in the tub is pretty cool stuff, and has already figured out how to splash.  We had homemade (baked) potato fries last night and it was as excited as I've ever seen him about food.  He tried cantaloupe for the first time this morning and thought that was pretty tasty too. 

 

The kiddos:  Gemma may very well be the most curious child in the world.  OK, probably not really but wow.  So. Many. Questions.  What does this word mean?  What does that vehicle do?  Why do we...?  How do they...?  When do you...?  I love her.  I love that she loves to learn.  Some days it exhausts me though.  

Kolbe has been acting very "three" lately.  Like I told Aaron, "he's not naughty, he's just three."  Even so...  Did I mention the exhaustion?

Yesterday the kids and I went to the Zoo to watch the annual sheep shearing, I had just randomly read about it in their quarterly newsletter and thought it looked like something cool to do.  It was a lot of fun.

In the kitchen: Chicken Enchiladas (I'll use some of the homemade Cream of Mushroom in the freezer, and am hoooooping to have time to make tortillas again) with mexi toppings; Homemade Pizza (last time I made pizza I put extra meat and sauce in the freezer, so this will be EASY!) and green salad; family birthday dinner; Chile Rellenos and fresh fruit salad on Friday

Crafting: Nope.  Thanks for asking.

Learning:  Nothing out of the ordinary planned this week.  I think we'll craft some Daffodils on the first day of Spring, and I have some math flashcards I'm going to pull out to show Gemma.  I ordered this book of tracing for Kolbe, and he's also been working on cutting from this book.  So crazy, I pulled it out about a month ago and he was nowhere near ready, and now he is going to town. 

Reading:  I reworked the MY BOOKSHELF tab on the blog.  I've wanted for years to find a better way to keep track of what I read and it just this week dawned on me to do it here.  Duh.  I know there's GoodReads and other things like that, but honestly I just don't want "one more online presence" to maintain.  I'm also going to keep track of our family read-alouds in the same spot.  I finished The Lions of Little Rock this week and am going to begin browsing Rome and the Eastern Churches next, plus probably some more fiction, either The Giver or The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had.  Who knows, one of these days I may even decide to read The Hunger Games...  We are on chapter 2 of Heidi (I found a nicely illustrated, unabridged version at the library) with the kids.

Bringing me joy:  Pope Francis.  The new Papacy and the hope that it brings to our Church.  Watching the White Smoke live with both kids was really exciting (for the most part ;-D).  I'd had an inkling all morning (the Holy Spirit?) to turn on the TV, and am so glad I did around noon and got to watch it all as it happened.  I even convinced the kids to keep watching until the new Pope was introduced, and while there were a few more, um, intense moments, it was pretty cool.  It was so exciting watching it all happen live, and it's still remarkable to me the huge and good part social media plays in our lives and our Church today.  As I was listening to the Cardinal make the announcement it was like "Habemus Papam, a bunch of Italian, Francisco," and I thought, did he just say Francis would be his name?  But then Fox News (whom I thought did a really nice job covering the event, but maybe I'm just biased because I am obsessed with Megyn Kelly) was talking about Leo and Gregory and this and that and I figured I must have misheard.  So I was really excited to realize that his name was indeed Francis, and named for Francis of Assisi specifically.  The first thing that immediately came to mind (even before I was sure that was really his name) was, "Francis, rebuild my Church."  It was one of those goose-bumps, eyes well-up with tears moments for sure.  And from the little bit I've read (oh there are so many articles, I just don't where to start) it sounds as if he intends to do just that.  "Peter you are rock... ... ...and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."  God is good.  I guess there is a joke that he should have been Clement XV, to get back at Clement XIV who supressed the Jesuit order.  That would have been kind of cool, for obvious reasons.  Did you know the last pope not to have a Roman Numeral behind his name was in 914 (Pope Lando I believe? Who knew!)  Apparently John Paul I doesn't count as he deliberately took the names of his two predecessors (John XXIII and Paul VI).

Thinking about: See "bringing me joy". 

Pictures to share:  

Gemma and Kolbe with Pope Francis

 Wearing their butterfly costumes Gemma made.

Handsome.  See his toothers?