At Adoration yesterday

What a sweet prayer time it was at the chapel yesterday, holding my Mother's rosary and praying again for my group's intentions. I posted this today:

It has been so busy here! Loved being in the quiet of the Adoration Chapel yesterday! I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries since Holy Week is upon us... we will not have Adoration next week at the parish. 

 I asked God for all the intentions regarding anxiety during the Agony at the Garden: our fears, our worrying about children, husbands, jobs. About our relatives and finances--and so many other things. We place ourselves next to You, Lord. keeping company during Your awful agony, putting our own in perspective, and saying to the Father in Heaven, with You: Thy Will be Done. 

I asked the Blessed Mother to bring to Him all of our intentions regarding health, illnesses, physical suffering of ours, and our loved ones as I prayed the Scourging at the Pillar Ave-Marias (I always pray in my native Portuguese)... 

During the Crowning of Thorns I thought of Pilate presenting Our Lord to the crowd: "Ecce Homo"! And He being rejected. I asked God that we may have the courage to be rejected if needed, in His name, because of what we believe. 

During the Carrying of the Cross I brought up our crosses--who doesn't have them? All of our special intentions were brought up in prayer here. Some lives seem to be easier and yet everyone carries a cross sooner or later. Let us walk with Him as He carries his holy cross! That our own ways of the cross may come to glorify Him and bear fruit in our souls! 

And in the Crucifixion, we say together, "I Love You Lord, place me at the foot of the cross to thank You".

Holy Hour on the Solemnity of St Joseph

I failed to post this last Thursday... from my national Catholic home-school moms group on Facebook.

Here's a necklace my husband brought me from Africa, he arrived well but his jet lag so disturbed both our sleep... that our son took my Holy Hour for me last week. I would have slept the entire time! ;-) Today I am happy to be able to go, and take your many intentions with me. It is the feast of the great St Joseph, so let's bring him our petitions regarding family life, yeah! — feeling thankful.

(Later at night:)

Ladies, I prayed the Luminous Mysteries and enjoyed the warm sun pouring into the Adoration chapel! :-) At every mystery I begged St Joseph to hear our prayers and take them to Our Lord.

I prayed for the sacramental life of our families during the fist mystery as Jesus is baptized, and especially for our marriages during the Wedding at Cana!

During the Proclamation of the Kingdom I asked St Joseph for our families: may our life be a witness to God's kingdom, proclaiming it in everything we do! 

I put our many troubles and sufferings under the care of loving St Joseph and the Blessed Mother during the Transfiguration: I always think when we have troubles is when we are closest to the Lord in his glory as the apostles experienced. 

The Institution of the Eucharist mystery had me thanking Him for His loving presence in our life, and I asked for all of the special intentions mentioned, plus the ones that would still come, and the ones deep, deep in our hearts...

At the Adoration Chapel

I belong to a group online of Catholic homeschool moms, a private group where we share tips, prayer intentions, and discuss relevant issues. Mothers young and old from all over country chime in daily, and it is very active. Earlier today, as I was about to leave for my Adoration hour, I offered to pray for any of the member's intentions. I was both surprised and pleased to see, a few minutes later, many intentions streaming in my iPhone, from "employment for my husband"and "I'm going into labor soon" to kids' illnesses, safety during travels, elderly relatives, conversion of hearts, and even the new Congress.  I waited for members to have time to post their intentions, as I greeted Our Lord in the Eucharist and prayed for each of our children. Then I offered the Rosary for the intentions that I was to bring to his feet... I later posted this to the group: 

It was a privilege to pray for all of you. My Adoration hour felt so focused and productive. It is a blizzard day here with schools closed, the chapel has big glass windows and the snow was flying outside. I started by greeting Him and praying for our seven children as usual, then prayed the Luminous mysteries asking the Eucharisitc Lord for all of your intentions! During the first mystery, the Baptism at the Jordan, I asked Him for his healing water to come to the aid of all of your ilnesses, your children, relatives, etc. The Wedding at Cana had me asking for all of the marriages: may He give every couple courage, strength, virtue! And also for the financial situation of each couple that asked for help in that area! Then during the third mystery--the Proclamation of the Kingdom--I prayed for all of the conversion requests! May the beauty of the Kingdom of God enter their hearts! The fourth mystery, the Transfiguration--the mystery of light par excellence--made me think of how His path of light is the path we must follow. That He will guide all of travels, in this life, and also shed light always in our path toward Him, that we see His will clearly! The last one, the institution of the Eucharist, had me bringing to Him, in the monstrance, all of our deep sorrows, some so recent... And all of the so-many and varied petitions you all wrote down here. Thank you for this privilege. Many times with younger kids at home people took my prayers to the Lord! Now I'm happy to do it for you! I will do it again next time!

It was, for me, a humbling and fulfilling hour. How many times others had prayed for me and my intentions, especially during all those years when my outings were so limited by all of my little children. That I am fortunate to have the time for prayer--what a privilege and a delight.

Diocesan Youth Conference

This happened yesterday here in Brookings. There were 1700 young people there, and it was an all-day event for us. Numbers Six and Seven attended, and Number Six sang in the choir for the Bishop's mass. There were talks, Adoration, Confession, food and games. And the girls of course had a great photo op with someone.

From the files of... Number Six's blog!

Her blog is such a source of joy for Husband and me!

Earl Grey Soliloquy

Friday, September 5, 2014

Now to tell you...

...why I haven't been blogging lately!
The reason is that
(a) I was preparing for the school year
(b) I was helping Isabel get packed for college
(c) I was camping for Labor Day weekend
(d) then I started school

So ha! I have excuses!

For Labor Day every year a bunch of families get together and rent cabins at the diocesan retreat center. Then we all have "Family Camp," in which we stay there from Friday to Monday! There is a pool, volleyball courts, a lake to canoe, fish, or paddleboat, there's always a campfire, a little hiking trail with the Stations of the Cross, a cute village church, and gorgeous views. We all wish we could live there. Anyway, more on that plus pictures in my next post.

I started school on Monday. I am doing:
Geometry (my teacher is really funny)
AP Latin (I was doing that all summer!)
French (we are reading novels this year)
Understanding the Scripture for religion
Conceptual Physics (which I haven't started yet because the book just arrived today)
British Literature (currently reading Beowulf)
Fiction Writing (doesn't start until the 18th)
The Rending of Christendom (history of the Protestant Reformation; doesn't start until the 24th)
Poetry (starts on Tuesday)
and, of course, Piano and Voice!

Among other things, I read a lot of Agatha Christie over the summer. My two favorites so far are Murder on the Links and Murder at the Vicarage. Next on the list is Sad Cypress. 

Oh, and church choir started up again as well. We had our first practice of the year on Wednesday.
As you can see, I'm a busy girl this year! But I still have time for the things that really count, namely, going to Adoration on Thursdays, reading, and writing. (What more could you want??)
I'm planning my next novel, and just added two new characters, plus I just added a plot twist to my current novel!
So yeah, that's Maria B-H: 2014-2015 edition.
Hope to expand on some things soon, we'll see how the week plays out.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Writing Update

I  wasn't planning on blogging just now, but I got onto the computer and opened the Word document of my story, and realized I should! The occasion? I have now written 41,110 words. That's more than halfway to my goal of 80,00 words! I can't believe I've finally passed the halfway point! The funny thing is, I'm about halfway through the story, too. I accidentally planned it very well.
Also, I've been preparing for the school year. I got a new writing binder, and made a cover for it on a whim:

Oh, and remember Sebastian and Antonio? I'm closer to writing about them now, too. As soon as I finish my current book. I'm afraid if I start about my boys too soon I'll never finish about princess Helena. 

A bientot!

Praying for the newly-engaged couple

Yesterday at Adoration I prayed for Number Three as he was about to propose marriage to his beautiful girlfriend. I had prayed and reflected on these mysteries before, when I first knew he was looking at rings, but yesterday it was all happening, and again my fingers ran through the Luminous Mysteries...

I started with the Baptism at the Jordan, and I reflected on his childhood, growing up from an adorable baby and expressive, sensitive toddler to the charming, talkative, sensitive, compassionate college man. We had him baptized and raised in the faith at home, and I prayed that his upbringing in God's love will carry him through his whole life. 

The Wedding at Cana Ave-Marias had me praying for their wedding and preparations, and all that will be involved in the process. There is so much in preparing for a beautiful and meaningful ceremony and celebration: that it will be all for God's greater glory.

During the Proclamation of the Kingdom beads,  I prayed that their marriage and family life is a proclamation of God's kingdom by their very life and example, that they will be a reflection of the life of Our Lord Jesus in the world today, wherever they live, through their marriage, their children, their hospitality, and their charity.

When I started the rosary, I didn't know how the Transfiguration would tie in with praying for this incoming proposal/engagement... But as I said the Our Father it came to mind that when I contemplate on the Transfiguration I think of how close the apostles were during those moments to the beatific vision... And I looked back, searching for when in our marriage Husband and I felt closest to God' blinding light. I immediately realized that those were the sorrowful times. The crosses of life, and there many of them. Difficult decisions. Arguments. Children in the hospital. Times of grieving. Amazing how I look back at those times and see them now as moments of God's light. So I prayed that they rely on God, most especially in their difficult moments. And that later, as they look back at their own times of sorrow, they too will see those times as bathed in light.

The last mystery, the Institution of the Eucharist, had me asking God for them to always rely in the sacramental life. That the sacraments of confession and communion will always be part of their lives and that their family life will be a healthy succession of baptisms, first communions, Matrimony, maybe Holy Orders, and of course the Anointing of the Sick when needed, which brings such consolation. 

May their life together bring them much happiness, children, and rewards they cannot yet imagine. That they see their marriage as a noble, worthy state in this life, and a vehicle toward their road to Heaven. 

Catholic Daughters

So today I was installed as a new member (with two other ladies) of the Catholic Daughters chapter of our parish, named after St. Agnes. I joined them so as to use the time I have available now that I no longer have children underfoot... I have started helping lead the Rosary at nursing homes with them, and signed up for weekly Adoration as well. They are a wonderful bunch of hard-working, fun and faith-filled ladies! I am fortunate to be one of them.

Film review: God's Not Dead

“If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly."

Chesterton is quite famous for having said that. Some may misinterpret this phrase as an excuse for lack of effort, but it is not what it says. I too took a while to understand it as well. And yet ever since I did, I have admired the wisdom of these words over and over.

Take the film I took Numbers Four, Six and Seven to last night. A no-Oscar-pretentious Hollywood production, not by a stretch. Some of the acting wasn't even very good. Low budget. 

Wait! I never go to the movies! And, there was a blizzard last night! 

Well, yes, a blizzard. 

This was taken while Number Four drove home at 20 MPH.

And no, I haven't seen a single Oscar-nominated film. No, wait, we did go see the Hobbit as a family. But I'm not sure it was nominated for an Oscar. 

Why? Because my idea of entertainment is not action films, and the rest of the films are either disgusting to see or trying to forcefully shove some weak ideal of save-the-earth or wrong-is-actually-right down my throat, both of which I don't welcome. Nothing wrong with great environmental projects--I am married to an ecologist, keep in mind--but from Hollywood what we get is "protecting the environment is the only moral absolute" and well, we know it isn't. Ultimately I don't trust the spiritual, interior life of Hollywood's producers or directors. 

There is an occasional great film--but I think the moral greatness of a film is almost always accidental, or even done despite of its producers like in the case of LesMis--they couldn't quite take away all of the great elements of the superb, very spiritual story of Victor Hugo's away from the production.

Back to last night's film. I heard about it and watched the trailer earlier in the day:



And I decided to go with the kids before it stopped showing in town. A film like that doesn't last, although it has had a surprisingly large viewership from what I read. I didn't expect a flawless production, but I expected, and enjoyed, a film that talks about what is real in life. Love. Faith. People's hearts seeing what they were blind to beforehand. Courage. 

I did get all that, and more. It wasn't sound Catholic theology but the theology wasn't off the charts either, nothing anti-Catholic. The protagonist, a college student who is singled out by an atheistic professor to prove the existence of God to the class, does a great job studying and preparing his three lectures about it he is allowed to give. Actually this young man is a Disney Channel actor and does a very good job in the film. 

Well, the trailer almost tells it all. There is appearance of a Duck Dynasty couple. I don't watch the TV show and I found them sincere and likable. There are issues of sin and love and loyalty or lack thereof, arrogance, greed, selfishness. There aren't any gratuitous graphic scenes of sex or violence. The photography and production levels are not amazing or breathtaking, but were fine, and told the story well. 

What I would have changed? Well when Lemaitre was referred to, I would have mentioned he wasn't simply a "theist" but a Catholic priest. I would have brought the sacraments into the story-line--especially Confession, and personally I would have preferred to skip the Christian rock concert in the finale. Adoration and Gregorian Chant would have been much better--but I had to love the members of that music group, which turns out to be a real Christian music group. They were all funny and sincere. And other minor things.

So back to Chesterton: “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." This story was worth doing, and they did a good thing with it. Not excellent or breathtaking, but they did it, and it was worth doing it. Go see it!

Househunting update

The photo shows the highlight of my day yesterday. The after-lunch cool, calm and quiet for the Adoration Chapel in the large parish church. Home, and a place to rest body and soul, to pray for the suffering friends, the home country in days of turmoil... and finally for personal guidance. To collect in the heart and mind what is needed in our family home. Memorare...

Husband and I drove by the 14 acres property, stopped the car on the dirt road in front of it, turned it off, rolled down the windows: we could both see and hear the interstate traffic. The property was beautiful but the location made us scratch it off the list. If we go out of town to 14 acres, we want neither see, nor hear engine noise. (This acreage's delightful morning sounds came to mind.) In town, I saw a house in a beautiful location: 5 bedrooms and a study too. The lot backs up to a common green area where the kids can throw the Frisbee, and the house was brand new, and superbly well finished. Then there was the kitchen: small, no windows. Leads to one eating area (no formal dining room) that has one window, and it faces north. And the single living area on the main floor has two small windows, and they both are not only north-facing, they also lead to a screened in-porch. The entire house had one single south-facing window, in one of the small bedrooms. Well, that also got scratched off the list. (The huge south-facing windows of this house came to mind, as did the eat-in kitchen and large dining room, and main floor living plus family rooms.)

We are beginning to seriously contemplate building, and it may take over a year to just find a lot that backs up to enough needed green space! We'd need a rental and we did look at a little house near campus so husband could walk home. Well, we scratched that off the list too. I don't mind a temporary small kitchen with no dishwasher, but... we must have at least one decent bathroom with fixtures that don't look they will disintegrate if you touch them. And Husband should be able to stand up in the shower. And I need to be able to breathe inside the home. :-(

So the homeless life continues. So help us God.

Important words

... "what does the spirit of the world say of Mother Teresa? 'Ah, Blessed Teresa is a beautiful woman, she did a lot of good things for others ...'. The spirit of the world never says that the Blessed Teresa spent, every day, many hours, in adoration ... Never! It reduces Christian activity to doing social good. As if Christian life was a gloss, a veneer of Christianity."

They arrived!

The girls just brought them to the Creche! They went through the house, from window, to the top of the piano... following the star. The Nativity scene is never so complete a when the Kings arrive. The come from far away lands, bringing in their adoration and in their gifts the whole world, thirsty for Love and Truth.

Happy Feast of the Epiphany!

Eucharistic Adoration

Our good parish priest has started Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday.

It has been a gift to be there, keeping company to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. He comes into the heart, bringing clarity, consolation and strength.

Thank you, dearest Lord, for Your love for me. Help me always to be with You.

Pray for Catholic College

Our good friends Jack and Sheila asked me to post this...

 

The Catholic College of Our Lady of Corpus Christi (COLCC) is working with the University of St. Thomas in Houston to accelerate its accrediation, as it prepares for the Fall of 2009 semester.  COLCC is expecting to have 50 students registered for classes.  10 students have already early enrolled representing the US, Europe and Africa.  website:  www.colcc.com  

 

The campus is located on 60 acres of Holy ground, located five minutes from downtown Corpus Christi.  The College's Chapel is one of the most beautiful in all of the US; and in addition to daily Mass, holds morning and evening prayer and Perpetual Adoration.

 

Fr. Jim Flanagan, S.O.L.T., founder of The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity 51 years ago, was the visionary to bring a Catholic College faithful to the Magisterium to Corpus Christi. 

 

Fr. Jim Kelleher, President of COLCC, is committed to leading the College to world-class recognition through the principles of unity, excellence and shared goals.

 

Please pray for the success of the College as it prepares for its Fall 2009 semester. 

Prayer to the College of Our Lady of Corpus Christi

Dearest Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Dear Jesus, A Blessed Member of the Trinity, Son of Mary, the Ever Virgin and St. Joseph, a humble servant of God, please provide guidance, along with your parents, through constant intercession that the deeds and efforts of your humble servant priests, religious, and all other faithful Catholics, who serve to build Our Lady of Corpus Christi into a faithful, world-class Catholic institution of higher learning achieve things that without your guidance would not be possible. 

May You Bless Padre Jim, Padre Dan and Padre Sam; to come together as a team, “Los Tres Padres”, to act as one; three but ordinary men, acting together as one, to do great things that mankind may benefit, to have a profound impact on the daily struggle that faithful Catholics face in the battle of Good versus Evil; and through their daily efforts, to leave no important detail to this goal untouched; may they exalt Our Lady of Corpus Christi College, founded on Holy Grounds through the vision of Father Flannigan, founder of S.O.L.T., so that this effort creates a model so visible to mankind across the world, that others come to study its success and virtues, as they demand to learn and know the truth, and to take the truth with them, so to establish it in nations across the world; those in most need of the protection of the Power of the Holy Trinity; so that souls may be saved and babies not aborted, so that the poor and the persecuted be given the light, to allow them to endure their pain, with the endless hope that salvation is but a moment away, as they achieve their eternal greatness upon entry into Heaven, at the time their souls leave this planet.

May the students that graduate from this college and other faithful colleges that follow, to be held true by the vision of Father Flannigan, that a Litany of Colleges be created, to do the power of the Holy Spirit; may all become great teachers, thought-leaders, thinkers and great priests, religious and parents; so to plant seeds with future generations to come, so to provide the soldiers of faith, with sufficient strength and resolve to take back our society, both in the U.S. and across the world, that the culture of death of the unborn child may be stricken from all laws manmade and untrue, and may the only Truth remain, that Your Word is heard throughout the world, that the unborn through the aged have their rightful unalienable rights bestowed on them through the Power of God, as describe in the Christian Doctrine, that has preceded man through eternity and shall remain true when all the ashes settle and those that hold life to be true, rise up through the ashes to be exalted oh so most high for eternity in the Light, for ever and ever, Amen.

This humble prayer, please allow it to provide guidance, that the Leadership of Our Lady of Corpus Christi, including the Leadership of S.O.L.T., allow for the seeds of Los Tres Padres, to be properly nurtured for five faithful growing seasons of souls here on this Holy Ground; and that that at which time You will release them to do Your Will as You see fit; to which today, we should not dwell, but focus on the tasks at hand, to hold Your Will be done.  Amen.

Praying for Mother

There are nine of us siblings here together... yesterday we went to Adoration, Benediction and Mass. After Mass we visited the Our Lady of Grace altar and asked for Mom... this is the beautiful statue Mom has always had in her bedroom.

In the middle of chaos, peace

She is the one who said, I believe, "In the middle of chaos, [find] peace". Our friend Brian A. sent me these words this afternoon, out of the blue--words of peace, the peace of Christ, in the middle of a rainy, house cleaning, chaotic day and week. Thanks, Brian!

BD. MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA (1910-1997) ON THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

When we look at the Cross, we know how much Jesus loved us. When we gaze at the tabernacle, we know how much Jesus loves us now.

To give us life, He made Himself the Bread of Life (cf. Jn. vi). In this Sacrament of Love, Jesus continually offers long life and faithful personal friendship. To make this love more real, He gives His body to be our Bread of Life.

To be alone with Jesus in adoration and intimate union with Him is the greatest gift of love—the tender love of our Father in Heaven.

Prefatory meditation to François Mauriac, Holy Thursday: An Intimate Remembrance (Manchester, New Hampshire: Sophia Institute Press, 1991); trans. of Le Jeudi-Saint (Paris: Flammarion, 1931). Image credits here