Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Baptized!

Our weekend was, as promised, crazy, to say the least, but the absolute, definite, for sure highlight was welcoming sweet Peter into the Church.

He was baptized in a group baptism Saturday morning, along with four other new Christians. Like Clare, his Uncle Zak turned into Uncle Godfather Zak. He fussed through the first part of the Rite, but seemed to calm down with each passing stage: claimed for Christ, Oil of the Catechumen, and was asleep by the time we got to the water. He started with each pour of the water, and was sound asleep by the time he was topped with Chrism.

The priest asked that we not take pictures during the ceremony, but rather to just pray for the children instead. We did, however, manage to get pictures afterwards! (Photos from my camera, but taken by BG! Thanks, Rhonda!)






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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Some Random Musings on Ash Wednesday

Just some odds and ends on Ash Wednesday:

Via
Ash Wednesday looks so different with a toddler, especially one who is too young to understand what is going on. I generally try to wear more somber clothes on days like today. I'm a person for whom outward appearance really reflect my inward reality. And certainly the Church as packed up the "Gloria" along with the "Alleluia." Let's just say that, after wrestling Little Miss Energy through Mass, I had the chance to be moved by her pink "dwess" as she proclaimed over and over at lunch, "Gwowy to God in da Highst! Amen!" It might be a penitential season, but it is not to be emptied of all joy. Indeed, God is so good, and He is so every day of the year.

I'm sure others have had this experience, but the Holy Spirit has a funny way of working sometimes. I've been pondering for some time what I wanted to do as a personal fast/penance this Lent. Because of the timing of Mr. Man's arrival midway through Lent, I knew that anything too restrictive in the food/caffeine/leisure sense might be personally beneficial, but that my family needs me to be taking in plenty calories/alert/conscious enough to nurse a newborn safely, which is exactly what those things provide me in the early days. Anyway, yesterday, I had a silly epiphany. I say it is silly because it's one of those things that I could have intellectually told you, but didn't have heart/soul understanding of. Lent is not a competition. Not with yourself. Not with others. A personal fast/penance is not the chance to prove how Catholic you are by doing/giving up All the Things. It's a chance for you to make a personal sacrifice that will help you grow closer to God. With that firmly rooted in my heart, I easily identified a small, silly sacrifice I would make for this Lent. It was something that I would think about at least daily, but would not exactly rock the boat of my life at a time when I don't need more rocking than I have. I was content.

Charles and I share our Lenten plans with one another for the sake of accountability. When I told him about the little sacrifice I had chosen, he felt like it was a huge one. Perhaps I have to let go of even more than I realized. It's amazing how God works in us when we let Him.

In the vein of the Holy Spirit getting through to me, this morning, I was able to put a name ("pride") on particular struggles I have on Ash Wednesday (and Good Friday). I don't need to details my thoughts or struggles here, but putting a name on the demon is a good first step to exorcising it.

Mamas who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone with other health concerns, I've heard too many stories about post-fasting problems (supply issues/headaches/dizziness/etc.) this week. Please take the Church at Her word when she says your duty to fast is lifted. Abstain from meat if you are able. Fast from junk food or snacks or media or something, but you have nothing to prove by doing a normal fast. This is from someone who has had to eat a little something on too many Ash Wednesday and Good Friday afternoons. (See above) This year, I'm skipping the junk food and keeping my meals simple, but I'm eating as my hunger dictates. I have two of us to worry about, and not eating isn't going to cut it.

I pray that this is a spiritually fruitful Lent. At the very least, I know I will be giving up being pregnant sometime in the next month or so, and taking on the joy and responsibility of raising another soul for Christ in its stead.

Peace be with you all this Lent.

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Friday, February 28, 2014

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 56

Linking up with Jen and the rest.



1. I never officially declared my 7 in 7 intentions this weekend. Then, a Monday blog post never materialized. I am, however, pushing myself to do 7 in 7 a day late, with Monday being my 7th post. Saturday and Sunday are always my sticking points on these things, so we'll see how it goes this weekend.


2. I have never been happier that February only has 28 days. It has been one thing after another this month, so I'm glad that tomorrow will be the big calendar flip. March and all of your crazy goodness, Welcome! We're glad to have you!

Via

3. That means Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday. Which is late, but still somehow sneaked up on me. Like, I was so used to it being "late this year" and still a few weeks off that suddenly, here is it. I'm still sorting out exactly what my plans are, especially given that I will, essentially, be pregnant for the first half and in the newborn haze for the second half. 

Via

4. Charles finalized his rank order list for residency this week, which is good, because it was due on Wednesday. Anyway, there was lots of hemming and hawing and debating over slots 3-5, but I think we both feel good about the final list. 3 more weeks of waiting, then we'll finally know our fate. This whole residency applications thing has been a long, long process that I will not be sad to see end.

5. Today, my cousin's daughter is turning 8, which I'm pretty sure is not actually possible. My cousin is like an extra sister to me, so that means O is like my niece. I remember like yesterday the day she was born: sitting frustrated in rush hour traffic trying to get to the hospital; holding that sweet, long awaited bundle of joy; knowing, for the first time, that rush of unconditional love that only new little babies can bring. Happy Birthday, sweet girl! Just do me a favor and stop growing up!

6. When Charles was doing his nights in the ER, I sent him a lot of random pics of Clare, including a few of her sleeping. They make great filler:




7. Today marks my 35/35 point: 35 weeks pregnant, 35 days until my due date! It is definitely an exciting sign that the end is near. This week, I've been feeling a few more occurrences of baby hiccups (but still not as many as Clare had in utero) and gobs of crazy baby movement. Mr. Man feels like he's somehow dropped even lower in the last couple of days, which, um . . . yeah, I don't love. My interest in sweets has also been on the uptick for the first time this pregnancy. I had an appointment on Monday, and everything still looks good.{Hopefully, I'll actually update with a photo this afternoon!}

Have a lovely weekend!

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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

3 Things January -- Miscellany

Linking up with Michaela at California to Korea for her monthly 3 Things I love About Catholicism series. {Note to Michaela: I love the shorter deadlines and themes. It helps with the procrastination and the writer's block! Thanks!}

1. Universality: I love that the Church really is catholic (with a small c). I love that the Church is the same both horizontally and vertically. Her prayers, readings, and teachings are the same every day in every place where Mass is celebrated, even if the language and some customs vary. I love that, similarly, she is the same through time. Her teachings may have developed over the years, but they have been, are, and always will be the same.

Via

2. A Tradition Everywhere You Turn: I'm not a fan of picking and choosing which Church teachings to accept or believe, but I am a fan of that fact that there is a celebration, tradition, or devotion that speaks to everyone. As we grow in our faith and as our lives go through different seasons, there is a time and a place for these different devotions, different prayers, different emphases. So long as the focus remains on growing in love of Christ, these changes are perfectly acceptable and reflect the needs of different parts of the Body of Christ.

Via

3. Love of People: Like God, the Church loves people. I love the Church's consistency on this subject. Forget cradle to grave. She loves people and seeks to protect them from conception to grave (and beyond if you consider prayers for the dead). I know that the Church sometimes gets flack for its (according to many in the media) emphasis on the pre-born, but her teachings reflect that each and every person from conception to natural death has inherent and equal dignity. That is why she seeks to protect the unborn, to serve those who are in the most need, and to protect the elderly and vulnerable.

Via
Again, thank you to Michaela for the kick in the bottom opportunity to talk about my faith. May God bless you.

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Monday, July 22, 2013

My NFP Story

{This has been sitting in my drafts folder for longer than I care to admit, because I've been too chicken to hit publish. In honor of NFP Awareness Week this week, I decided to be bold.}
 

I've never set out to write a "Catholic" blog. Mostly, I just set out to write. Since my Catholic faith is an important part of my life, it certainly creeps into the conversation.

While I enjoy learning about my faith, and as such know a lot about it, I don't have the deep knowledge of a theologian. I don't have the clear explanations of the apologist. I don't have the hutzpah of an evangelist. I'm left being a lame, "Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words" Catholic (quote falsely attributed to St. Francis). Only, as one homilist pointed out -- in our society, words are usually necessary!

So, for a variety of reasons, but especially the "words are necessary" one, I'm sharing with you my own journey to not just using NFP, but truly embracing it and loving it. I am so passionate about it, how can I not share it here?

As I begin, I'd just like to say, first, that I'm not here to condemn those, especially those friends and family members, who might be reading, who use/have used other methods of family planning. I'm sharing my experience. Second, I'm not here today to explain the science or theology behind NFP. There are lots of places to find that allllll over the internet/blogosphere/bookstore. I might suggest starting at iusenfp.com for some fun, modern, user-friendly information written by real women who also use and love NFP. Third, I am not here to debate what "good" or "just" or "grave" or whatever reasons are to use NFP. Again, I'm just telling my story.

Anyway, the story really begins with a rewind back 5 years. At that point, I had been Catholic for a couple of years. I had just started dating a really nice guy. And I had what I considered "typical" positions held by pretty much all the Catholics that I knew. Among these were, "abortion is wrong, and I would never have one myself, but I don't know if they can/should be illegal" and some version of "artificial birth control rules, NFP drools." I have always thought that IUDs were scary and were clearly abortifacient as (what I now know to refer to as) a method of action. I truly believed that life begins at conception, but things like condoms and the Pill that prevented conception and still brought the husband and wife together in the marital act couldn't be all that bad.

(Side note: I just said "marital act." I really have turned into an NFP person.)

Notice how I slipped, "had just started dating a really nice guy" into that last paragraph? He was smart and nice and cute and Catholic. The thing was that he was pretty passionately pro-life in all respects. Like big time. And he was sure. Positive. Without a doubt. NOT going to use contraception when he got married. Which is all well and good and stuff except that I was pretty sure that I wanted to marry him (spoiler: I did!) and our views just didn't seem compatible. I needed to figure out how to rectify that if the marry him thing was going to happen.

The thought didn't form word-for-word like this, but this is pretty much how it went: I need to know about this NFP stuff. It will prove one of us (him) wrong, and we can move on from there. So, thanks to the wealth of information available with a click of the mouse, I learned a ton about NFP. In the process, I learned some things that totally surprised me: 1) real people, like people I would be friends with, used NFP; 2) it works (define "works" as you will; for me, then, it meant that if you were serious about delaying pregnancy, you could); 3) it kinda made a lot of sense.

Along the way, I was doing a lot of praying, both about the relationship and about "finding the truth" or something like that. (When I don't like the answer I'm getting, I tend to pray in lame, generic terms in vain hope of getting a different answer.) I married the guy and I fell head over heels in love with NFP. In the opposite order.

What changed? My perspective. For my whole life, I lived on society's junk food message that the more sex the better and that everyone should just plain be on the Pill unless they were actively trying to get pregnant. In my research, I learned about the biology of NFP. I learned about the various methods of NFP. I started to understand, for the first time, Church teaching on marriage and sexuality. I started to get excited about NFP. My heart and mind just grew more passionate and open from there.

Mostly though, I learned how empowering NFP is. For the first time in my life, I wasn't ashamed of how my body worked. And all the things you didn't talk about? God made those! He gave them to me! Fertility is not a disease that needs to be kept at bay with creepy chemicals! It is a gift! If it ain't broke, no need to fix it! And if it is broken, it should be diagnosed and treated, not just patched up with a pill to "regulate" your cycle until it's time to have babies.

All of this is before touching on legitimate concerns about carcinogens and abortifacients and estrogen levels in our water supply. 

I'm not saying NFP is perfect or easy. There are couples that struggle mightily with it, and I respect them so much and offer them my prayers. Certainly, it requires a shift to understanding that sex is for marriage, and that any act of sex can result in pregnancy. Certainly, it requires self control. Certainly, it requires trust, in yourself, in your body, in your spouse, in God.

The thing I want people to know, though, is that I'm Catholic and I use NFP. But I don't use NFP because I'm Catholic (though certainly they are related). I use NFP because I truly, 100%, with my whole heart, believe that it is the only moral way to space pregnancies. Because I believe that it truly upholds the dignity of women. Because it works. Because it is real women's health.

Besides:



P.S. All my graphics are from iusenfp.com. Thanks, girls!

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Monday, April 29, 2013

Pics or it Didn't Happen

It happened! Okay, it happened in September, and I wasn't even blogging then, but I am so overwhelmed with gratitude to my mother-in-law for sending these to me this weekend when she found out that I didn't have them. I seriously almost started to cry when I found out that she did.

Clare was baptized on September 9, a day shy of her 2 month birthday. It was the best we could do juggling the schedules of 1) student doctor Daddy, 2) The Godfather who lives out of state, 3) the church.

She was baptized after a Sunday Mass. Of course, she was a perfect angel for Mass, but as soon as Mass ended and the baptism began . . . so did the screaming. (She was quite the screamer in the beginning.)

We have a video, but it is not very pleasant to watch, because of said screaming. Then, because we were so stressed out from the screaming, we failed to take any pictures with the priest or of the family in the church or anything. We were so sad when we realized that later in the evening.

Screaming in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Screaming and making a run for it as she's anointed.
Screaming as she receives the Light of Christ from her Uncle Godfather Zak.

The whole thing was kind of a disaster in our minds, and we just kept telling ourselves that the important thing was that she was baptized, the Sacrament of Baptism doesn't depend on a happy baby, and other, similar attempts as consolation. Which are all very true, but . . . you still want things to go well. Or at least better than they did.

We hosted lunch at Charles' aunt's house (more space and close to the parish) afterwards and got some pics there, but my camera was MIA. All I got were a couple of texts on my old phone (!!) that wouldn't let me do anything more with the pics than look at them on a 2 inch square.

Anyway . . . I have pics now and can prove that it happened! It did! Praise be to God (for the gift of the Sacraments more than anything)!

The Godfather takes his role much more seriously than the cup would have you believe.
Charles' fam

BG and Grandad (my fam)

Our little fam.


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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Alleluia!

Happy, Happy, Happy Easter! Praise be to God! Alleluia, Alleluia!

I hadn't made any decisions about whether or not I was going to post during Holy Week, not post during Holy Week, or what. Then I got some sort of weird virus-y thing that left me congested and running a fever(?) and run down this week.

Anyway, I'm back up and running, just in time to celebrate! I'm feeling particularly joyful and festive today, even though yesterday I was feeling somewhat melancholy about not going to the Easter Vigil for the first time in a looong time. Last night, though, the joy filled me, even as He passed from death to Life.

He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

Meanwhile, after Clare was in bed, we filled the house with Easter!
 
My first banner

First Easter Basket

Noah's Ark from Grandma

And this morning, we celebrated.


And celebrated some more at Mass. We decided to intentionally hit the outdoor overflow Mass at our parish, and it was a beautiful day to sing joyfully to the Lord.

Easter finery
Are we done yet?
With Mama

Grainy iPic of my shoes, 'cause the full-length shots make my knee-length dress look like the longest tea-length dress ev-er.
Told ya so

And since I'm linking with Grace, the deets:

Dress: Express (from a million years ago), Shoes Rampage (also very old), Cardi not pictured: Old Navy; Clare's dress: gift

Now, we're doing a bit of relaxing before Charles' parents come for dinner!

Happy, Happy, Joyful, Blessed Easter! Alleluia!

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Friday, March 22, 2013

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 17

7 quick takes sm1 Your 7 Quick Takes Toolkit!

Super late, super short Quick Takes for this here Round 17. 

1. Like I mentioned a couple of days ago, we took Clare to the actual playground in my in-laws' neighborhood for the first time the other day. She was tired, so not too interested in swinging on her own, but did enjoy swinging and sliding with me.



2. We also had one heck of a jam session with Grandma's instrument collection. We were pretty much laughing hysterically through the whole thing.



3. As I type, we are watching our recording of Tuesday's Papal Inauguration Mass. Incroyable!

4. Mmmmm....blueberries! And yay for going straight from the high chair to the bathtub!


5. Belmont 64, Arizona 81. Bring it, Harvard!


6. Yesterday was Charles' last day of that particular rotation. I don't want to besmirch anyone, but I'm so glad it's over. What I learned: if Daddy ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

7. About two weeks into Lent, it always seems like it will never, ever end. Then, all of a sudden, Holy Week is around the corner. Have I had a good Lent? I don't know. I've had better. I've had worse. When you're considering Lent, what I better, what is worse? I'm not here to be a theologian. I'm just marveling that Sunday is already Palm/Passion Sunday.

As always, have a lovely weekend, and visit Jen for more!

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Friday, March 15, 2013

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 16

7 quick takes sm1 Your 7 Quick Takes Toolkit!


Sweet 16. 'Nuff said. Joining Jen.

1. Love his model of humility and service already. There is a heart for the poor in this house, and it seems to be shared by our Holy Father in a very real way.

Via


2. Yesterday, Clare and I shared our first mother-daughter pedicure. Thanks to the sudden onset of sandal weather here in Phoenix, I threw some polish on my naked tootsies. Clare, of course, was not content with her sippy cup of water and really want the polish instead. It was like playing keep-away with a very curious puppy. Andi will be proud.

3. I'm still deciding what St. Patrick's Day is going to look like here. We'll wear green, of course, but I'm not generally big on "holidays" that are just an excuse to drink. On the other hand, I am nothing if not festive, so I imagine that I'll make up some treats or something. In future years, I'll make festive food (since we'll be doing family stuff this year, I'll hold off for a year) for sure!

Maybe be a little something?


4. Last weekend, we hung Clare's baby swing (which had been a Christmas present -- thanks Grandad and BG!) on the patio and have enjoyed the fresh air and flying baby!

Mmmm...straps!

5. With Selection Sunday and March Madness looming, I must make my allegiances known. Bear Down! (Love of University of Arizona Basketball is a birthright. And also my Alma Mater Go Cats!)

Via

6. Yes, we're the Wildcats, but say Bear Down! There's a story. Also, our away color is navy, but the fans wear cardinal. Campus is also an oasis in the desert. What can I say? It's in the blood.

7. I've got nothing but wishes for a lovely weekend for all of you!

Go henceforth to Jen for better reads!

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