Uncommon Friendliness {Toddler Love}

Peter with the twins at Benediction before Mass

The twins skittered around in the gathering space today before Mass, as we whispered reminders of a few simple rules Church etiquette.  Following last week's double altar dash, general noisiness and mayhem, we've coached and trained in preparation for today's return to Mass. 

"No running in Church.  Quiet voices in Church."  Like little parrots, they echoed the directions ~ visibly excited to attend daily Mass with us. 

Their heads turned in unison toward the front doors of the Church each time another worshiper entered.  A select few merited big smiles and waves, and others got nothing but the tandem sideways glances.   One woman, whose son died suddenly a few months ago, received much more...

When she entered the Church, Leia ran toward her saying, "Hi!" and looked like she was about to give her a hug, but changed her mind and sheepishly retreated with a shy grin.  Luke jumped off of Peter's lap and ran straight for the woman, saying, "I want a hug!"  In a move that was both bold and totally out of character ~ he gave pure two-year-old love to the grieving mother.  Luke hugged her and let her carry him to a nearby chair where he sat contentedly on her lap for several minutes.

Shortly thereafter, I related the tender moment in amazement to the sacristan.  She smiled as she shared that the intention for today's Mass would be for the repose of the soul of the woman's deceased son.  Timing is everything, and God's timing is perfect!

Coming and Going {Grace Abounds}

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.  May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

In our quest for daily Mass on Mondays, we have accidentally attended many funerals at the other Catholic Church in our home town. Today we happened upon the exceptional occasion of a 'double funeral' for a husband and wife (Nina and John), married 72 years.  Although baptized as infants in different countries, they both received the rest of their sacraments (Eucharist, confession, confirmation and marriage) and lived as members of the Church of the Assumption.   Dying within days of each other allowed this couple's loved ones the unique opportunity to pray for the repose of their two souls together at this one Mass.

Leaving Mass and re-entering the world-in-progress is sometimes like leaping from a hot tub into a glacier fed lake.  Today was one of those days... 

As I exited the Church after quiet prayer following the funeral(s), I caught a glimpse of a pair of high school age boys walking toward me in the opposite direction on the sidewalk.  As our paths crossed, one dropped the conversation-in-progress to chant loudly the lyrics to Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast."

Perhaps the sudden rock-n-roll monologue was for my benefit, or perhaps something inside of him randomly rebelled at the very instant he passed the Holy Church where Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.  I prayed for the young men, and praised God for His merciful, endless, and inexhaustible love.

There but for the grace of God, go I.

Fostering Peace {Eternal Joys of Foster Parenting}

Acolyte Joseph with Father Joseph; Benediction at Sacred Heart Catholic Church

Our recent experience as a foster family reads like a fairy tale in some chapters, and a little like a horror story in others.  The challenges we faced with the maze of daily logistics as a family of nine were sometimes crazy-making.  Parenting seven kids (aged one through nineteen), with several needing delicate handling due to traumatic pasts, required plenty of prayers and lots of help from friends here and above.

Our relationship with the twins (nicknamed Luke and Leia here to protect their privacy) continues to blossom and grow; their mom considers us family, and regularly brings the kids to our house for visits.  They are chattery two-year-olds now, their spunky personalities emerging with every new word and expression.

Recently, Luke found me working in the kitchen and began asking, "Gate...gate...open...hep you!"
I asked him, "Why do you want me to open the gate?" 
"Church... Go Church!" Luke emphatically replied.
I promised Luke that we would be going to Church soon, but "not right now, in a little while."

About one minute later, his little while had passed and he began begging, "Church... Church... Go Church!"

Not every two year old begs to be taken to Mass, but for Luke and Leia, going to Mass with us has become a favorite activity, something they eagerly anticipate.  Seeing Jesus, dipping their little hands in holy water, smiling at familiar friendly faces, holding (wearing) rosaries, and singing are highlights of their visits to Sacred Heart.  Some of Luke's first words were "Holy!" and "Alleluia!" (Sounded more like howey and layooya.)

Luke helps Peter with Thanksgiving meal preparations.

Peter teaches Luke and Leia the fine art of mixing pumpkin pie filling.

Joseph colors with Leia

Upon arriving at Church with the twins, the sacristan approached (my only helper) Joseph, and asked if he would please serve Mass as the normal servers that day were not available.  He agreed, after I assured him that I could handle the twins by myself during Mass.  Little did I know what sort of aerobic activity awaited me.  The little ones were in fine form: chanting (a little behind the congregation); calling out, "JOE!" whenever his motions in the sanctuary caught their attention; pew stomping and circling; and even a run for the altar ~ at which point a friend darted out from her pew to scoop up Leia in the nick of time.  I caught up with Luke from behind, a few steps behind his bolting sister, and every bit as determined to join his big (foster) brother, Joseph and Father Joseph in the sanctuary.

Although I didn't leave daily Mass with the peaceful sensation of having been rejuvenated and refreshed by the Lord (and certainly without my usual opportunity for silent prayer time) I left completely satisfied and extremely grateful for the love of God in allowing me to serve His little ones and bring them closer to Him.

Not Quite Lost {Missing Boys}

A foolproof plan it was not: "Take Joseph's cell phone and call me when you are ready for a ride home from the park."   Nice in theory, but putting it into practice became quite difficult without the phone.

Yes, Peter and his buddy Cam left the phone at home on their early morning fishing expedition, seriously messing with my morning serenity.  It's not that far to walk home from the fishing pond, and any other day that would have been plan A.  But as Peter is now donning a walking cast to recover from a nagging, painful ankle injury, the walk was to be avoided if at all possible.

Yet somehow I think the mix-up simply allowed for God's plan A; and if you are interested, you can read the rest of the story at Discerning Daily.

Cam and Peter head out before breakfast to do some fishing catching.

Be Not Afraid {Sending Zachary to Notre Dame}

 Tim and me with our oldest son, Zachary (17) on the occasion of our 21st wedding anniversary; snapped after daily Mass by our groomsman, Mike, on leave from his job in Afghanistan.

It has been interesting to filter through all the responses (comments online and in person, text messages, phone calls) to our recent announcement that Zachary will be accepting an academic scholarship and attending the University of Notre Dame in the fall.  For those who bleed blue and gold~Notre Dame alums like Zac's Grandpa Pete~the reactions have been predictably ecstatic.  For many who know Zachary's academic gifts and love of learning, Notre Dame seems a perfect fit.  But from others comes a steady undercurrent of concern for Zachary's spiritual well being, considering the ways Notre Dame (and many other Catholic universities) have grievously failed to maintain and uphold an authentically Catholic campus from the top down.  However, we are not afraid to send our son to Notre Dame.  We are at peace with his decision, more so than when we allowed him to transition from our home school to begin attending classes at the local community college for running start/associate in arts degree at age 16.

Notre Dame is a Catholic university, as a visit to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart's page or to the campus ministry site reveals: daily Mass; Masses offered in the dorms; devotions; retreats; daily confession schedule; Sunday evening Vespers.  In any Catholic university, parish, or family each person can either choose to fully and actively participate or not, and we trust that Zachary will continue to place a high priority on living out his faith within the one+holy+catholic+apostolic Church.  Will he encounter Catholics who are unable or unwilling to fully give themselves over to ALL that our Church holds, teaches and professes to be true?  Yes.  Will he be exposed to the errors of moral relativism? Yes.   Will this be a new experience for him?  No.

We place our trust in God's divine providence, and in our son, whom we have raised to the best of our ability, and who continually astounds us with his intellect and his virtue.  We will joyfully help him make his way to South Bend, Indiana, in 108 days for the beginning of his new life at the University of Notre Dame.  In all fairness, I should mention that we also have a secret weapon, a personal security guard and a delightful advocate into whose loving care we continually place Zachary, our children, Godchildren, foster children, confirmation sponsees, and ourselves: Our Blessed Mother Mary, after whom the University of Notre Dame is named.

No·tre Dame [noh-truh deym, dahm, noh-ter] (noun) the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus.  Origin: French: our lady

Holy Mary, Mother of God, 

Pray for us!

My dear Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ please note~

I am not advocating praying to the dead!

• Jesus promised eternal LIFE to all who follow Him.
• Certainly Mary followed her Divine Son.
• Mary LIVES with Jesus in heaven.
• From the cross, Jesus offered Mary to us, saying, "Behold your mother."
• We ask Mary to pray FOR us to her Son; she's an advocate within the communion of saints.
• We do not pray TO Mary, we pray THROUGH Mary (this is an optional, though very popular Catholic devotion).
  

Heading East {Washington DC and New Hampshire}

Grandma Billie took this lovely photo of us at SeaTac Airport at around 4AM.

To sleep or not to sleep? That is the question one asks oneself when a departure from home is scheduled for 1:45AM.  I opted to sleep, being a person who can almost always fall into a deep sleep just as my head hits the pillow, if not sooner.  However, on this night before departure, the whole falling asleep thing didn't quite happen as normal.  So, rather than a few hours of sleep to prepare for the big day, I logged maybe half an hour or so of real sleep, but who's counting?

Paying for two nights parking at SeaTac in the 3's, we were inside the airport and checking in by 4 for our 6AM flights.  Grandma Billie and Grandpa Cliff headed to Washington DC with Joseph and Peter (a Christmas gift); Zachary and I were en route to New Hampshire to visit Thomas More College of Liberal Arts.  With flights departing within minutes of each other, we shared the early morning ride and the joys of passing through airport security together.  After the pat-downs, re-packing of our x-rayed belongings and putting our shoes back on, we said our goodbyes and parted ways.

Enjoying a third breakfast or a first lunch (depending upon the time zone) Zachary strolls along at Chicago's O'Hare between flights.

Met at Manchester, New Hampshire, by the Thomas More College shuttle, Zachary and I embark upon the final leg or our day-long journey to campus.

Due to an annual vocation awareness event at a local Catholic grade school near TMC, the daily Mass schedule had been changed so the priest wouldn't have to bi-locate.  After the marathon day of travel from coast to coast, we landed on campus right as the 5PM Mass began.  If you know me, you know this was truly the highlight of my day!  God is so good!  

Mass in the small, beautiful chapel was followed immediately by a home cooked meal in the cafeteria below.  Italian beef, fancy rice, freshly baked rolls with fresh salad, topped off with self-serve chocolate ice cream for dessert seemed far better fare than the standard institutional-style campus meals.  A professor joined our table just as the conversation had turned to shooting and eating snakes, which somehow segwayed into a fascinating discussion about beauty in liturgy.  Turns out this gifted professor will be speaking at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, in a few days on this very topic, and the insights he shared with us shall be treasured as a highlight of my TMC campus visit.

Ready for his immersion experience into student life at Thomas More College, Zachary surveys the campus.

Clean Dogs, Book Burning and Broken Skin {7 Quick Takes}

Ordinary dog washing doesn't have the thrills that dog-washing-while-dodging-water-balloons has.  Just ask Joseph, who somehow managed to wash both dogs and avoid being pelted by water balloons on a recent sunny afternoon. Neither Charlie nor Rocky found anything thrilling about being hosed down and shampooed when they had excitedly assumed someone was going to take them for a w-a-l-k when the sounds of the gathering of leashes and collars reached their ears. 

Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled that Joseph decided to bathe the beasts without even being asked.  However, the placement of the bathing operation (a few feet from the front door) did make me wonder if we are ready for dog washing 201.  Having deleted all the carpet on our main floor and stairs, the visible damage and dirt from dogs and boys has been severely reduced, mostly, sort of.

A 2+ hour webinar last week especially geared for home school students with entrepreneurial tendencies was a huge hit with Joseph and Peter.  But the real huge hit came at the closing infomercial where you can 'join' the program for only three easy installments.  The boys were ready to sign up, and granted, if the promises for potential income were to come true, the program would pay for itself several times over.  But let's just say we did not hit the 'buy it now' button.  The e-tips gleaned may bear fruit in some future money making scheme, or it may fade away like the great ideas of yesterday.

It's not every day you get to have a book burning at Church!  With the new translation of the Roman Missal, the proper way to dispose of the old books is burning, and I'll bet you can guess who jumped at the opportunity to head up this service project in the hours before our Easter Vigil began.  Before long, the fire ring was surrounded by males of all ages ready to pitch printed pages into the flames.

"Hi!" he said.
"Hi!" he repeated.
I think perhaps Luke heard a reply!

Another day at the office for Zachary at the Eagle Project carport site on Saturday, with a few adults and a brother to cut the 2x12's for the outriggers to hold up the fascia and install the 4x6 supports.  Once again the weather was amazing and although a hefty to-do list remains for the project to be complete, a little progress is better than no progress.

Zachary's shin took had a run-in with a slab of concrete at his Eagle Project during clean-up yesterday.  I'm pretty sure that lower puncture wound needed a stitch (or at least some glue), but my vote wasn't counted in the official balloting.  According to Zachary's version of the mishap, either he was leaping over a tall building in a single bound, or he was testing the strength of the concrete.
Tim's take sounded more like someone avoiding ten whole steps by taking a shortcut.  You decide!

Thanks, Jen, for hosting 7 Quick Takes!

Zucchetto:
(zū-kĕt'ō, tsūk-kĕt'tō)

The small, round skullcap of the ecclesiastic. The official (Latin) name is pileolus; other designations are: berettino, calotte, subbiretum, submitrale, soli-deo.

We were having a casual discussion with Bishop Tyson about road biking (one of his favorite activities), when the topic of helmets came up.

Zac asked the bishop if he wore his zucchetto under his helmet, and in reply, the bishop mentioned that he's (sadly) not been able to find a magenta helmet.

Zachary offered to help find said helmet, but that he would need the zucchetto to match the color exactly. At this point, the bishop took his zucchetto off and placed it upon Zachary's head! As he did, the color of Zac's face suddenly matched the color of the zucchetto perfectly!


Of course, each of the boys wanted a turn wearing the zucchetto, and thankfully I had slipped my simple point & shoot camera into my pocket before leaving for daily Mass.

After all, "You never know when a little camera might come in handy!"