Anne Margaret {Reborn in Baptism}

Anne Margaret seems to know something very important is about to take place.

Anne Margaret is presented to the priest for baptism.

Answering our Lord's call to 'bring the little children to me,' Anne Margaret's parents, Michael and Daphne, brought her to the waters of baptism and to full Christian initiation at their Byzantine Catholic Church Sunday evening.  Anne Margaret's sacramental moments were precious, and I was blessed to be invited to the Divine Liturgy at which she became a fully initiated Catholic Christian.  She handled the whole experience very well, and radiated the light of Christ in full glory.

Anne Margaret is reborn in the waters of baptism!

Godmother Teresa hands newly baptized Anne Margaret to her mother, Daphne.

Anne Margaret is anointed with the sacred chrism oil; confirmed in her new faith by the sacrament of Chrismation (confirmation).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anne Margaret receives her First Holy Communion in her mother's arms.

Anne Margaret's mom, Daphne, is one of the amazing moms from whom I gain great inspiration for my ongoing journey as a Catholic home school mom.  We are part of a loosely organized but faithfully meeting moms' group from three counties and a number of parishes representing different Catholic rites.  Learning from each others' experiences in home schooling and growing together in faith, this group of moms and their families have a very special place in my heart.  We pray with each other when we meet, pray for each other when we're apart, and with great joy celebrate the sacraments together in our Churches on such occasions as Anne Margaret's rebirth into the Body of Christ. 

Father Joseph presents Anne Margaret to her Holy Mother Mary.

After the final blessing, the servers take a collection and offer a parting gift.

A mission parish of St. John Chrysostom, the Byzantine Catholic Church's Divine Liturgy is celebrated at Immaculate Conception Church every Sunday in Mt. Vernon, WA, at 5:30PM. 

The Byzantine Church is in full communion with the Universal Catholic Church.

Holy Thursday {Our Lord's Last Supper}

Celebrating the Last Supper of our Lord at the Holy Thursday Mass ushers us into the most solemn, holy three days of our liturgical year.  With grand entrance processions on Palm Sunday, we launched into this Holy Week, and tonight's silent recessional allows us to follow Christ through his agony, Passion and death to the glory of his resurrection on Easter Sunday. 

We lift up in prayer:

• our entire Christian world, longing for a unity Christ proclaimed
• those who have grown indifferent and lukewarm toward our Savior who suffered so for our salvation
• those who have yet to know Christ and pray that we can become the 'glow in the dark' Christians whose very lives give witness to His saving power and endless love and mercy
• all those who are burdened by sin and suffering and pray that they may be set free and be reborn in Christ
• our holy priests on this day as we remember the birth of their priesthood and pray for their protection and sanctification, and with deep gratitude for their sacrifices and leadership
• our praise and thanksgiving for the ultimate gift of the Holy Eucharist, given by Christ in the upper room on this very day ~ for Christ is truly present in Holy Communion every day!
• those who are still waiting for the sacraments, may they be given special graces to persevere 
• those who have passed down the faith to us and prayed for us along our journey
• and you!

A blessed Holy Thursday to you and yours.


Flashback photos: Holy Thursday 2009

Flashback Friday

Here I am (age 8) on my First Holy Communion day at St. Charles Borromeo in Tacoma.

I'm standing with my best friend, Aileen.

We arrived wearing matching dresses ~ we were amazed and very excited with the coincidence.

Here are 4/6 of our children standing together at the very same spot at St. Charles,

still Aileen's family's parish.

Ryan (front), Peter, Joseph, and Peter.

Here's Aileen & me a few months ago at St. Charles after Mass.

She's a rock in my life, a sister in Christ, a faithful Catholic, an amazing woman.

We shared our First Holy Communion, and many other Holy Communions throughout our lives, including at our Nuptial Masses (marriages) and those of our siblings; at the funeral Masses for Aileen's daughter, Lucy, and her mother, Kathy; at Zac & Joseph's baptisms and First Holy Communions (they are her Godsons); Zac's confirmation Mass; and at many Sunday, daily, and Holy Day Masses throughout our lives. 

John 6:48-68

I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

I am so grateful for my faithful friend, Aileen, who has answered Jesus as Simon Peter did.
May God bless her, and her family~ especially her father, Dick, who is suffering in his battle with cancer.

First Holy Communion

2010

I was blessed to be able to serve as the photographer for the First Holy Communion Mass last Saturday.

It's fun looking back over the past 4 or so years that I've photographed this special sacramental moment for our parish families.

I'm happy to report that I've given myself a B+ for this year's work.

With that~ we're off on a field trip to Seattle for religion class...