The Goose Story

  Next fall, when you see Geese heading South for the Winter Flying along in V formation You might consider what Science has discovered About why they fly that way:   As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an Uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation, The whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range Than if each bird flew on its own.   PEOPLE WHO SHARE A COMMON DIRECTION AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY
CAN GET WHERE THEY ARE GOING MORE QUICKLY AND EASILY
BECAUSE THEY ARE TRAVELING ON THE THRUST OF ONE ANOTHER.   When a goose falls out of formation It suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone And quickly gets back into formation To take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.   IF WE HAVE AS MUCH SENSE AS A GOOSE WE WILL STAY IN FORMATION
WITH THOSE WHO ARE HEADED THE SAME WAY WE ARE   When the Lead Goose gets tired it rotates back into the wing formation And another goose flies in the point position   IT'S SENSIBLE TO TAKE TURNS WITH DEMANDING JOBS & LEADERSHIP.
PEOPLE (OR GEESE FLYING SOUTH) ARE INTERDEPENDENT ON
EACH OTHER'S SKILLS, CAPABILITIES, GIFTS, TALENTS & RESOURCES   Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed   WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR HONKING IS ENCOURAGING.
THE POWER OF ENCOURAGEMENT IS THE QUALITY OF HONKING WE SEEK.   Finally...and this is Important...when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose And follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly, or until it dies; And only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation, to catch up with their group.   IF WE HAVE THE SENSE OF A GOOSE, WE WILL STAND BY EACH OTHER LIKE THAT~Anonymous

Thrift Store Treasures

I love thrift stores.  And estate sales.  Hmmm.  And yard sales.  The challenge of finding something wonderful that a previous owner has discarded or undervalued is irresistible.  The thrill of uncovering a treasure hidden beneath layers of paint (or dirt) is addicting.  Yes, I admit it, I’m a junk junkie.

On a recent trip to one of my favorite thrift stores, I was elated to unearth a little statue hidden on a back shelf.  A Berta Hummel figurine!

His face was adorable.  There were two long chips along the edge of his hat, but his face was perfect.  Since I enjoy repair work, I was undaunted.  The nature of the hand painted variations in color and shading would make it an easy fix. 

Later that evening, upon closer examination, I saw a tiny chip on his hand, and one across the bend of his ankle. I needed my magnifying glass to see the faint repair line extending in either direction from a chip on his knee.  

The little guy had been broken and glued back together!  How could I have missed that earlier?  Turning the figure, I saw that his leg had actually been broken into four pieces.  Amazingly, his other leg had been broken into five.  The base had been split in half before being repaired.  The little guy looked as if he had been hurled against a wall. 

I was disappointed, but at the same time amazed at the skill with which he had been repaired.  Someone had lovingly, painstakingly, put all the pieces back together with such expertise and care that the mends were barely noticeable.  There was nothing further I could do, short of a complete restoration repaint.  And my skills were certainly not on the level with the original artist, the master painter.  My repaint would only ruin the charm and appeal of the little guy. 

All night I thought about the little treasure, for he was still lovely, although lacking any monetary value.  He had been severely damaged, and skillfully repaired, but only the original artist could truly restore him.

That’s the difference between repair and restoration.   And that’s kind of how it is with us.  When we are broken, no matter how carefully we try to reconstruct ourselves, the damage remains. It may be barely noticeable, or it may be grossly obvious, but it will be there.  We may present a perfect  face to the world, but somewhere under the layers of paint and dirt, the fine cracks, the evidence of violence, pain, or betrayal will still be there.  Only the Master can completely restore us.  

Have you been hurt?  Damaged?  Are you hiding scars deep below your surface?  Maybe you buried the pain and have never even spoken of it to another human being.  But God knows.  Even if you have been skillfully repaired, the damage is still there; because no one but the Original Artist can fully restore you.  Until you hand Him all the pieces of your life, he cannot complete his work in you.  

You can read God’s promise in Jeremiah 30:17, ‘For I will restore you to health, And I will heal you of your wounds,’

Are you ready to hand Him your pieces?

The Tree of Life

From a sermon by Saint Theodore the Studite

The precious and life-giving cross of Christ

How precious the gift of the cross, how splendid to contemplate! In the cross there is no mingling of good and evil, as in the tree of paradise: it is wholly beautiful to behold and good to taste. The fruit of this tree is not death but life, not darkness but light. This tree does not cast us out of paradise, but opens the way for our return.

  This was the tree on which Christ, like a king on a chariot, destroyed the devil, the Lord of death, and freed the human race from his tyranny. This was the tree upon which the Lord, like a brave warrior wounded in his hands, feet and side, healed the wounds of sin that the evil serpent had inflicted on our nature. A tree once caused our death, but now a tree brings life. Once deceived by a tree, we have now repelled the cunning serpent by a tree. What an astonishing transformation! That death should become life, that decay should become immortality, that shame should become glory! Well might the holy Apostle exclaim: Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world! The supreme wisdom that flowered on the cross has shown the folly of worldly wisdom’s pride. The knowledge of all good, which is the fruit of the cross, has cut away the shoots of wickedness.

St. Ambrose Choir

 Did you know our choir has a Facebook Group where some of them post practice references, announcements about upcoming choir events, and videos that Sarah makes with recordings of them singing at Mass. Her latest video is of "The Reproaches" by John Sanders, which they sang on Good Friday during the veneration of the cross. Father Andrzej asked her to share it with the blog.
  I'm so glad that Fr did, if you were unable to attend Good Friday services you will love listening to the choir sing... 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgLLSoI_22Q

What's Up with Friday the 13th?

Show of hands---how many of you are afraid to get out of bed on Friday the 13^th?  Because, you know, if you lived in Greece or in a Spanish speaking country, you would more likely be worried about Tuesday the 13^th.  But the ancient Chinese, as well as the Egyptians, actually considered the number 13 to be lucky. 

So what’s up with Friday the 13^th?  Is it really a day chuck full of bad luck? 

The thing is, the thirteenth day of any month will always fall on a Tuesday if that month began on a Thursday.  And, if a 31-day month contains a Tuesday the 13th, the following month will always contain a Friday the 13th.  But no more than three Friday the 13ths can ever occur in any one year. 

We can always find coincidental connections around numbers and dates if we look hard enough for them. And it's usually more fun to tell scary stories about them than uplifting ones; pluls people tend to remember them (and exaggerate them) more frequently.  Thus, they hang around and continue to grow.

The truth is, according to the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics, there are actually FEWER accidents on Friday the 13^th than on other Fridays.  But perhaps that’s just because people were being more careful on those days.

So here’s the point.  No matter what day it is, be careful, be prudent, and pray for the protection of your Guardian Angel every day.  Plus, it never hurts to wear clean underwear when you go somewhere in a car.  At least that’s what my grandmother always said.

Have any favorite superstitions you’d like share?  Send them along, in the comment section below!

The Vatican Website

The Vatican website, http://www.vatican.va/, includes a page listing the latest publications. For example, in the English translation of today's general audience, Pope Benedict XVI remarks that:

. . . today is marked by the spiritual joy of Easter, born of the Christ’s victory over sin and death. When the risen Lord appeared to the disciples in the Upper Room and showed them his saving wounds, their lives were changed. With the gift of the Holy Spirit, Christ gave them the peace which the world cannot give (cf. Jn 14:27) and sent them forth to bring that peace to the world. The mission of the disciples inaugurates the journey of the Church, the People of the New Covenant, called to bear witness in every age to the truth of the resurrection and the new life which it brings. Today too, the Lord enters our hearts and our homes with his gifts of joy and peace, life and hope. Like the disciples on the way to Emmaus, may we recognize his presence among us in his word and in the breaking of the bread. During this Easter season, let us resolve to walk in the company of the risen Christ and allow our lives to be transformed by faith in him and by the power of his resurrection.

The Best Version of Yourself - Matthew Kelly

There are many things that people cannot agree on at this moment in history. Our culture and communities are increasingly divided by differing opinions and a whole range of issues. Be this as it may be, we believe that all men and woman of good will can agree that each man, woman, and child should have the resources and opportunities to explore, celebrate, and become the-best-version-of-themselves. We are committed to providing resources that educate and inspire people to become a-better-version-of-themselves each and every day. 

Mathew Kelly shares his first-rate ideas of how we can regenerate interest and engagement among Catholics today. In his (entertaining) RE Congress workshop, he discusses some game-changers and teaches us what we can do differently in our life and in our parish. Take the time to watch this incredible video by one of the great spiritual voices of our times.

Eight hundred years ago, a young man searching for meaning in his life went into a dilapidated old church and heard the voice of God speak to him: "Rebuild my church. As you can see, it is in ruins." If you and I listen carefully, I believe we will hear the same voice saying the same thing in our hearts today.

Francis's first response was to repair and rebuild a number of churches in and around Assisi, but the voice kept calling to him: "Francis, rebuild my church. As you can see it is in ruins."

Over the past twenty-five years, we have spent a lot of time, energy, and money building and restoring the physical facilities of our churches. But the voice of God continues to call to us. Once again, God is saying, "Rebuild my church," and the rebuilding that needs to be done now is of the spiritual nature.~ Rediscover Catholicism-A  spiritual guide to living with passion & purpose, by Matthew Kelly

Lenten Video Series - Easter Sunday

Lenten Video Series: Good Friday

GOD: Still Bigger than the Rifleman

Am I the last person in the world to know that CBS is planning  a remake of the 1958 black & white television series, The Rifleman?  And why the heck would I post about this on our Parish blog?

The Rifleman, in case you are not familiar with the show, takes place in the 1880s and follows a widowed Civil War hero, Lucas McCain, as he builds a new life for himself and his young son, Mark, in the wilds of New Mexico Territory.  He got his nickname because of his amazing skills with his specially modified rifle, an 1892 Winchester. 

In case you are wondering how I know these things, let me explain that I am a die hard fan of this fictional hero.  And, yes, I own the DVD version of the series.  All 168 episodes.  I can now watch hours of uninterrupted Rifleman.   At least in theory I could, if I actually had hours of uninterrupted time.  But I digress.

Unlike its contemporaries, such as Gunsmoke, where a strong but unemotional Matt Dillon maintains law and order with a firm hand and a fast gun; or Bonanza, with Ben Cartwright, father and figurehead, issuing an occasional edict, but leaving most of the action to his sons, there is a much greater appeal to the Rifleman, at least in my opinion

 While Lucas McCain is indeed a hero of epic proportions, he is also a loving father.  One who is not ashamed to grab his son and plant a big kiss on him after a harrowing experience.  A father who is wise and uses his wisdom to convey decent human values to his son.  He allows his son to make decisions, and to make mistakes; but he is always available to provide guidance and support.  He is strong and powerful, but never uses violence to prove a point, even when it would be easy, even when it would bring a quick end to the problem.  And when the Rifleman does bust a move on the bad guys?  He takes care of the problem, once and for all.  Plus, he’s not afraid to quote the Bible during teaching moments.

I had a friend who once told me she couldn’t identify with a loving God, a Father who cherished  her beyond all measure, because she had never experienced that type of love as a child.  Her own father had abandoned the family, and she often felt the sting of her stepfather’s cruel sense of humor.  Thus, her image of Father was closer to one of stern king, pitching lightning bolts as punishment for insignificant transgressions.   

I have often pondered the possibilities of using an image of the Rifleman as a tangible figure of our loving Father in Heaven.  Our God is all-powerful, easily able to vanquish His enemies, and yet he prefers to turn our hearts to Him in love, rather than to force submission through fear.  He loves us with a love that surpasses human understanding.  We all know that the Lord has the power to destroy His enemies, but how much more does he love to win our hearts.  His love for us is unconditional.

Will CBS remain true to the original Rifleman?  Or will this become simply another casualty to the bloody, violent television programming some people consider more realistic?  I guess we’ll have to wait and see.  In the meantime, I’m happy to watch my 168 episodes, in black and white  and free of commercial interruption, and be grateful for my own loving Father in Heaven.  And while I’m at it, maybe I’ll buy my friend a copy of the old DVDs

Have you ever experienced something that helped you better understand some aspect of your faith?  I’d love to hear about it.

The Triduum

The Triduum is an excellent example that the law of belief and doctrine is founded upon the law of prayer and worship (lex orandi, lex credendi). Let me explain. The Catholic Church teaches that the services of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Saturday's Easter Vigil are not to be considered as three different Masses but rather as one Mass.

Note that, in honor of ancient Israel where a day begins and ends at sunset, we start the Mass before sunset on Thursday.

Thursday's service includes the foot-washing ceremony, signifying the basis of leadership within the Church, and concludes with Eucharistic adoration in remembrance of our Lord's prayer in the garden of Gethsemane.

On Friday, we remember the actual cruxifixion with the Stations of the Cross at 3pm and then at the Good Friday service at 7pm we venerate the cross, celebrating the glorious work of God for our salvation. As Saint Paul says, "Christ, and Him crucified".

On Saturday, we begin the Easter Vigil at 8:30pm so that it will not conclude until after sunset, i.e. on Sunday morning according to traditional timekeeping, as we celebrate our Lord's resurrection 'on the third day' and welcome new catechumens into the Church.

Thus the Church keeps together in one celebration, in one Mass, the interrelated events which various groups outside the fullness of the Catholic Church sometimes have a tendency to separate, giving undue significance to one component or another.

The Triduum is the highpoint of our liturgical year and so the several Masses on Easter Sunday are a reflection of this, not so much anticlimactic as an aesthetically proper easing at the conclusion of the drama of the work of God for us.

Easter and Holy Week Activities

With Easter just a week away, many of us are looking for great ideas on how to incorporate Easter activities into our daily lives. Catholic Icing is a resource for Easter and many other religious holidays. Not only that, it’s a resource for fun faith filled activities for any day of the week.  Holidays, sacraments, liturgical year, saints, and the Rosary are all highlighted. At Catholic Icing you'll find great crafts and ideas to help us to incorporate our Catholic faith into our daily lives. 

Here are some of the Easter highlights:

Make a Resurrection Set (Free to Print!)

How to Make Resurrection Rolls

Make Empty Tomb Treats from a Doughnut!

Have a meaningful Easter dinner with these Resurrectionstory napkin rings. (Free to Print!)

Craft a Paschal Candle for Easter

Printable Lenten Calendar

Stations of the Cross Eggs

"Almsgiving Countdown for Kids"

Catholic Resurrection Eggs or "Holy Week Eggs"

Easy Crown of Thorns Craft to Keep Track of Sacrifices


About the author of Catholic Icing 

Lacy:

I love the Catholic faith and want nothing more than for my children to share this passion. I hope you find some ideas here for your own Catholic family or students to grow with their love for the faith as well!

More about Lacy

Lenten Video Series, Palm Sunday