Giving Thanks {Giver + Receiver}

Someone recently quipped that Thanksgiving was 'all about abundance' and cited the number of pies Bridget bakes for the feast as exhibit A for the abundance argument.  Truth be told, I bake quite a few pies for this celebration.  I love pie.  My mom always baked pies for my birthday cakes, but I digress.

The heart of our celebration today centers on 'giving' thanks...to Someone.  Getting stuffed on seasonal delicacies and saturated with televised sporting entertainment may be the hallmarks of the day in many American families, but the true meaning still remains: We give Thanks to God for His abundant blessings.

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me . . . Mark then you who forget God, lest I rend and there be none to deliver. He who brings thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors me. To him who orders his way aright, I will show the salvation of God. ~Psalm 50:14-15, 22-23

What better place to thank God than in His holy house, the Church?  The word Eucharist means thanksgiving, and by God's grace our family will begin this secular holiday within God's house, praising Him and receiving Him in holy Eucharist.  The rest of the holiday is, as they say, gravy.

The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of justice, peace, and the joy that is given by the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Christ in this way pleases God and wins the esteem of men. Let us, then, make it our aim to work for peace and to strengthen one another. ~Romans 14:17-19

  
I give my humble thanks to God:

• For the gift of life and faith given to me by my parents in cooperation with our Lord who gave His life to save me from my sins
• For the gift of eternal life offered through my baptism and renewed through frequent sacraments, especially Holy Communion and confession; for the Holy Catholic Church
• For the gift of our marriage, and my husband's infant baptism on the same day as my own
• For our children Zachary, Joseph, and Peter; for our other pregnancies and miscarriages
• For our parents, grandparents, siblings, families, Godparents, priests, and the Church Triumphant ~ the saints in heaven
• For our Godchildren, foster children, spiritual children and their families
• For our friends, prayer warriors, benefactors, students, teachers, readers, employees, contacts, Scouting and home schooling families, 
• For the Fraternal Society of Saint Peter (FSSP), Benedictines, Carmelites, Passionists, Dominicans, for our Seattle Archdiocese, and our parishes
• For our health, home and daily sustenance
• For our freedom and for those who defend true freedom and the right to life for every human being
• For Truth

I offer thanksgiving to Almighty God for the many and varied resources so readily available to build up my faith and deepen my knowledge of the Truth:

The Holy Bible
Divine Intimacy
Divine Office 
Church Militant TV
Father Z's blog 
Audio Sancto Sermon Series
The Holy See
Spiritual Food for Thought
Father Broom's podcasts
Father Jim Northrop's podcasts
Father Lappe's homilies
Father Hollowell's blog
Father MacRae's blog
The Radical Life
Divine Mercy: Saint Faustina's Diary

And lest I forget, there is one last thing to be especially thankful for on this day:
Pies!

Home Weekend with a Twist

Peter and Joseph prepare for a ride on Galbraith.

Mountain biking, duck hunting, football viewing, and a pizza dinner were all part of the predictable plans for Peter on his second home weekend this fall.  But the big (tiny) surprise rested in his arms as he welcomed a new foster sister, Angelina.  Peter woke up early with lots of love to share and helped feed and bathe our little visitor at the crack of dawn.  Of course early rising is part of Peter's normal routine at high school seminary, but nevertheless, his willingness to jump right in was heartwarming. 

'Angelina' rests in Peter's arms

Joseph's role as the primary teen assistant around the house is relaxed on Peter's home weekends, so not only does he anxiously await opportunities for fun with his little brother once a month, but also gladly shares the chores and duties.  Joseph, true to his easy going nature, joined Peter for a chanted evening prayer (praying the Psalms) one night, doing his best to follow the unfamiliar routine reverently.

Peter feeds 'Angelina' breakfast.

We celebrated another first for Peter as he moved up the ranks of altar servers at our local parish, accepting Father Altenhofen's invitation to serve as acolyte.  Just as Zachary mentored Joseph a few years ago, Joseph trained Peter before vesting, and stood nearby in the role of cross bearer ready to assist if any situations arose.  Peter handled his new liturgical role with poise and reverence, and took great care to perform his duties properly and not to draw attention to himself.

Peter serves as acolyte at Sunday Mass, behind the scenes at E's baptism.

Peter serves first Mass as acolyte, assisting Father Joseph at the altar as Joseph looks on from the cross bearer seat.

Returning to school Monday evening with a bag of clean laundry and a pile of books, Peter greeted his schoolmates and spent a few minutes in the game room before the bells rang for evening prayer.  As many of the major (college) seminarians had not yet returned from home weekend, several of the high school students, Peter included, were able to pray vespers from within the Benedictine's choir.  Joining the community's Liturgy of the Hours in the abbey church and feasting on home made piroshky (freshly prepared by the high school boys under Father Peter's tutelage) rounded out my monastery drop-off experience quite nicely.  Peter's home weekends really are a blessing for all of us.

Heavely Friends {Holy Day}

  

My best friends, role models, and namesakes are in heaven.  These holy friends are certainly not dead, but living in heaven and stand ready and able to assist me (and you) by their prayers of intercession. 

Today we celebrate and commemorate our heavenly friends on the Solemnity of All Saints.  I wouldn't miss going to Holy Mass today for anything!  I am sad to think of so many Catholic Christians who no longer believe in Holy Days and don't follow the teachings of the Church about the obligation to attend Mass today.  But I get it, for I was once very far from caring one whit about holy days of obligation myself.  Please, God, have mercy.

Today's Divine Office readings included passages from the Book of Revelation (5:1-14) and from a sermon of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor (+1153).  St. Bernard's sermon so eloquently teaches about the reasons why we celebrate this Feast and invoke the saints' intercession in our daily struggles.  I love that this sermon dates back to the 1100's:

Why should our praise and glorification, or even the celebration of this feast day mean anything to the saints? What do they care about earthly honors when their heavenly Father honors them by fulfilling the faithful promise of the Son? What does our commendation mean to them? The saints have no need of honor from us; neither does our devotion add the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them. But I tell you, when I think of them, I feel myself inflamed by a tremendous yearning.

Calling the saints to mind inspires, or rather arouses in us, above all else, a longing to enjoy their company, so desirable in itself. We long to share in the citizenship of heaven, to dwell with the spirits of the blessed, to join the assembly of patriarchs, the ranks of the prophets, the council of apostles, the great host of martyrs, the noble company of confessors and the choir of virgins. In short, we long to be united in happiness with all the saints. But our dispositions change. The Church of all the first followers of Christ awaits us, but we do nothing about it. The saints want us to be with them, and we are indifferent. The souls of the just await us, and we ignore them.

Come, brothers, let us at length spur ourselves on. We must rise again with Christ, we must seek the world which is above and set our mind on the things of heaven. Let us long for those who are longing for us, hasten to those who are waiting for us, and ask those who look for our coming to intercede for us. We should not only want to be with the saints, we should also hope to possess their happiness. While we desire to be in their company, we must also earnestly seek to share in their glory. Do not imagine that there is anything harmful in such an ambition as this; there is no danger in setting our hearts on such glory.

When we commemorate the saints we are inflamed with another yearning: that Christ our life may also appear to us as he appeared to them and that we may one day share in his glory. Until then we see him, not as he is, but as he became for our sake. He is our head, crowned, not with glory, but with the thorns of our sins. As members of that head, crowned with thorns, we should be ashamed to live in luxury; his purple robes are a mockery rather than an honor. When Christ comes again, his death shall no longer be proclaimed, and we shall know that we also have died, and that our life is hidden with him. The glorious head of the Church will appear and his glorified members will shine in splendor with him, when he forms this lowly body anew into such glory as belongs to himself, its head.

Therefore, we should aim at attaining this glory with a wholehearted and prudent desire. That we may rightly hope and strive for such blessedness, we must above all seek the prayers of the saints. Thus, what is beyond our own powers to obtain will be granted through their intercession.  - St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor +1153

Saint Bernard, and ALL SAINTS: Pray for us!

Pre-Departure Festivities {Praying, Playing and Feasting}

Zac prays the Divine Mercy Chaplet at St. Mary's Anacortes Faith on Fire Conference

True to his Boy Scout ways, Zachary was prepared for his departure to the University of Notre Dame down to the finest details with a few days to spare.  His extreme readiness meant that our family was free to travel to Anacortes for the third annual Faith On Fire Catholic Family Conference.  Athough we opted out of the camping element this year, we participated in the opening Mass, the magnificent conference talks and the life of prayer and fellowship on the spacious grounds at St. Mary's.  A super-charging faith experience, this conference is one of those "do not miss" family events.

Heaven and earth collide in the beautiful Mass celebrated by Archbishop Sartain at St. Mary's

A phone message from Judah inviting us to his baptism Sunday morning caused a departure from our original plans to attend morning talks at Faith of Fire so that we could witness his new birth into the Body of Christ.  Sharing and celebrating this leap of faith with Judah meant back to back services, as we drove straight from his baptism to the closing  Mass celebrated by Archbishop Sartain at St. Mary's.  The pews were packed, but we were able to stand at the baptismal font and participate in the amazing mystery of the Holy Mass, celebrated with great reverence and awe.  As always, Archbishop Sartain's preaching deeply inspired and encouraged us to grow in faith and never let the world 'steal it out of us.'

Peter, Joseph, Judah, Zachary and Enoch celebrate Judah's baptism into the Body of Christ.



Zachary, Cole, Patrick, Peter, Joseph, and Roy dine in style at Grandma & Grandpa's

 True to form, Grandma Billie and Grandpa Cliff hosted a delightful, delicious and welcoming farewell barbecue for us and a few of Zac's friends on his last night in town.  Zachary provided the after dinner entertainment by pulling out the old potato canon for a blast on the shores of Lake Whatcom.  Unfortunately the striker wasn't working properly so there were only a few flying potatoes.  But we can say without reservations that Zachary went out with a bang!


Zachary bids farewell to Grandma Billie and Grandpa Cliff.



Calling Down Fire {New Priest}

 

Opening with fire, Father Altenhofen hit it out of the park Sunday in his first weekend Masses at Sacred Heart.  Father Altenhofen commenced his sermons by sharing his life-long love of Sacred Scripture and admitting that he was always known as a "religious little character."  Father conveyed his particular fascination with the prophets, heroes from his youth. The image of the Prophet Elijah calling down fire upon the soaking wet altars in the 'prove your God' contest against the false prophets of Baal inspired and intrigued Father as a young boy.

"I knew this was the business for me!" Father exclaimed, revealing the first promptings toward his call to the priesthood from the early age of seven flowing from his relationship with the Word.  He reminded us that the roles of priest, prophet and king were conferred upon each one of us at our baptism. He exhorted each of us to courageously take up our role as a prophet in our daily lives, giving hope to the hopeless and rebuking wickedness while always sharing the love of Christ.  As a prophet represents God in the midst of the world, so are we to be the light of Christ as we fulfill the particular mission given to us by God.  Reminding us to be like St. Paul, who lived out his difficult ministry by relying upon God's grace, with which all things are possible, Father Altenhofen gave us quite a powerful pep talk.

Each hearing a call to the priesthood in his childhood and showing his profound reverence for the Holy Eucharist, our new priest and our outgoing priest have much in common.  Continuing to keep the confessional open for an hour daily, Fr. Altenhofen takes care of our souls in this sacrament of healing reconciliation as Fr. Qui Thac so lovingly did in his six years as our pastor.  This bears mentioning, as many parishes -even with thousands of registered Catholics- only hold the confessional open for one hour per week on Saturday afternoons.  We are extremely fortunate and grateful for the availability of confession at our little Church and praise God for sending us a priest willing to continue this life saving ministry despite the personal sacrifices involved.

The priestly height difference is worth mentioning, as our altar servers are learning to stretch and extend their reaches to hold the weighty Roman Missal up several inches higher for Father Altenhofen. Our new priest is off to a fine start in his ministry at Sacred Heart, and we look forward to being his students in the school of growing closer to Christ. 

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.

Altar Servers {Easter Morning}

Easter morning debut: a first time server assists Peter (the thurifer) by holding the boat containing incense.  While his face seems to show concern about his first time serving at Mass, in reality, he had something stuck in his eye... Peter gently guided him along throughout the Mass, helping him to be in the right place at the right time.    I think he grew a few inches in the process!

For five or so years, we have been responsible for training and scheduling the altar servers at Sacred Heart.  Enriching the spiritual lives of young people by bringing them closer to Christ (literally!) gives great consolation.  For the most part, the training has been carried out by Zachary, with other servers (including Joseph and Peter) also assisting and coaching our new servers as they learn the ropes.

 

Zachary and two awesome servers assist at two baptisms on Easter Morning.

 

As acolyte, Zachary incenses Father before incensing the people at the beginning of  the Liturgy of the Eucharist during Easter morning Mass.

St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!

-1-

January 28: Tim, Zachary and I were baptized.  We joyfully celebrate our Triple Baptism Anniversary on this, the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Agnes (her secondary feast).  Tim (in 1968) and Zachary (in 1995) received this new birth in the Holy Spirit at St. Benedict Church in Seattle, and I (1968) at St. Agnes Church in San Francisco, in the Haight Ashbury district near my dad's medical school, UCSF.  Do you know your baptism anniversary?  If not, do some research and discover the date so you can celebrate it and praise God for such a tremendous gift!   Trust me, it's no mere coincidence that my husband Tim and I share this exact date of our baptisms... God arranged it precisely so that we would know for certain that we were created to be married to one another.

-2-

Officially now a foster-free zone, we have begun deliberations over the possible return to a new normal with Zachary moving back to his old bedroom upstairs.  Zac rather enjoys the seclusion and quiet of the downstairs room, which is also warmer; but it's tiny size makes his giant mess harder to conceal.  Many have inquired if we intend to continue offering foster care in our home, and the honest answer right now is we don't know. After six+ months with three foster children ages 5 and under, and 2+ years with Ezra, we are eager to spend some quality time as our family of 5.  If we do take on future foster placements it will be after careful, prayerful consideration of where and to whom we're already committed and how we are called to best use our gifts.

 Scoutmaster Tim + a few Scouts {tackling a gigantic mess under Peter's direction} = Scout Service Project Saturday.

-3-

As the newly elected Quatermaster, Peter's leadership responsibilities in our BSA troop include organizing and cleaning the disastrous Scout Room.  Part storage room, part meeting room, part garbage can, the Scout Room can go from neat and orderly to downright dangerous in a matter of minutes. Boy Scouts heading out on camping trips, in their pre-departure mode with last-minute furious searching and 'packing' give way to uninhibited chaos in the gear room.  Having a clean-up day a few times each year beats back the mess and gives our Scouts one clean room to share.  Next stop: bedrooms!

 Sorting the useful from the useless, Peter and helpful Scouts Enoch and Bryce attempt to make order.

-4-

An Eagle Project of enormous effort and profound perseverance, Zachary's carport project built up a little steam this weekend as a talented construction worker (Scout dad) volunteered his time and expertise to install the rebar forms for the concrete pour to begin actual construction work.  This endless ongoing project continues to offer opportunities for leadership, vocational awareness, technical training, communication skills, and character growth.  Continuing tomorrow, and many work days in the next few weeks (months?) the carport will take shape soon, mark my words...

-5-

In a shocking phone call from Liberia today, Ezra heard that his father spent two days in a coma after a tragic car accident in which at least one person was killed.  Reportedly, he was one passenger of many piled in the back of a pick-up truck which spun out and overturned.  Ezra spoke to his father, and offered him prayers for healing.  Unfortunately, the whole report could be fact or fiction.  You see, there is an ongoing history of many, many phone calls from Liberia; most all in a given series culminating in a desperate plea for cash.  In fact, when I reported today's news to Ezra's mom, Renee, she replied: "We had a call a couple of months ago that (Ezra's cousin) Stanley was in a car wreck, broke his arm, and was in the hospital for several days."  When I asked Ezra how he felt after hearing the news today about his father's accident, he replied, "Stanley told me my dad was in a car accident a few months ago."  Either the Liberians are in an awful lot of car accidents, or...
 

-6-

On the business front, my entrepreneurial husband Tim opened another new venture: music lesson rooms.  These are adjacent to our new Music Store, next door to our first pawn shop.  For a small fee, music instructors can rent a room in which to provide lessons for students.  A small waiting area for parents as a bonus, plus high hopes that a few will spend time and money shopping for at least part of the time they're waiting. 

-7-

Our home might catch you off guard if you've never visited real honest-to-goodness out-in-the open Catholics before; or if you're not in touch with you inner teenage male; or don't enjoy large rowdy labs knocking you over at the entryway.  Zachary hosted a houseful of (relatively new) friends from his swim team recently, for a few hours of fun and games (DnD).  Unfamiliar with some of our visible sacramentals, his Jewish friend asked him about the holy water.  "It's a powerful weapon against evil," was Zachary's simple and honest explanation.  Baptized in it (on this day), we keep the holy water handy at our house for blessings.  (No, it's not magic; no we don't worship it.) It's just holy water, on tap and available at your local Catholic Church.  Take some home and keep the baptismal blessings flowing!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!