Sunday, April 20, 2014

Christ is Risen

Happy Easter everyone!!!! Today at mass we learned a little bit about why we color Easter eggs and I wanted to share it with you.
Mary Magdalene was a wealthy woman, called a disciple of Christ, and was the first person to whom Christ appeared the morning after his resurrection. She worked to spread the gospel after his ascension to Heaven, and through her influence, obtained an invitation to the dinner table of Tiberius Caesar in Rome. Illustrating to Caesar that Christ had risen from the dead, she picked up an egg from the table. The egg had long been a symbol for rebirth. Caesar laughed at her claiming that a person rising from the dead was as likely as the egg in her hand changing color. Before he finished speaking, the egg turned a bright red.
A variation of this story found mainly in Greece says that Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary placed a basket of eggs at the foot of the cross where they were painted with the blood of Christ. She then took these blood red eggs to Tiberius Caesar as an illustration of the gospel. The eggs were passed among believers with the giver saying, “Christ is risen,” and the receiver responding, “He is risen indeed.”

Monday, April 7, 2014

Sacrifice

Ahh having cheese enchiladas, it's not a big sacrifice for me but for my 2 teenagers it sure is. They are used to having a little chicken of beef in their enchiladas, but not today. Today we give up meat as an outward sign of our faith and the least we could do.  

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Water

Hidden at the foot of my daughter's bed under blankets one would think I'd find dirty clothes, shoes or even lost homework but at the foot of my daughter's bed what did I find? A bunch of empty water bottles!?!? She had so many that they were even rolling under her bed. It's so refreshing (no pun intended) as a mom to know that my daughter's vice is water. A source of LIFE. Now to get her to but them in the recycling    

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Penitential

So far all of this Lenten season I have the same phrase repeating in my ear: ONLY THE PENITENT MAN WILL PASS, ONLY THE PENITENT MAN, ONLY THE PENITENT MAN. Thanks Indiana for reminding me that I have to KNEEL BEFORE GOD and ask for FORGIVENESS and to FORGIVE.
If seeing Indiana know that we should KNEEL and be HUMBLE before GOD then maybe seeing that even Pope Francis goes to confession.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Gift

Life as we know can get a little out of control, we have so much on our plates these days. I know for me it's a wonder that I ever get some one on one time with the kids. I was blessed these past 2 days to spend some time with my son (my daughter is off on a 13 college tour with her high school).  After he came home from a weekend of camping we had about 3 hours to relax before we went to Sunday night Mass. We normally don't go to Sunday night Mass so when we showed up 15 minutes late I felt awful. Good thing we still had 15 minutes to go to the other Catholic church in our area. We made it just in time.
Today we spent the day kind of doing our own thing. I had to do my weekly menu and other fun housework, My son was going to mow the lawn but decided to sleep in and relax in his room. He said he's do the yard at 5. I thought for sure he was going to try and brush it off for another day but 5 o'clock rolled around and sure enough he got up and started the yard. The dog and I went and got the mail and then hung out outside for awhile but then went inside so we wouldn't get in my son's way.
Now my son could have done the bare minimum but he didn't. Instead he got out the weed-whacker and then he pulled out the rake (that's his sister's job).  The pride I felt. Well you could just imagine. Most teenagers don't like doing their own work yet alone volunteer to do their sibling's work. I went outside and told him I was going to take him out to dinner. His first question was, was it in the budget.  I told him it was, we had the best dinner from Panda Express and had an even better time together.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Solitude

Happy St. Patrick's Day. I know a lot of people celebrate this day by drinking GREEN beer but here we had left over BBQ pork chops and the only thing that screamed that it was St. Patrick's Day was the extra GREEN Key Lime cake my daughter made. 
To say that she likes to bake in SOLITUDE is an understatement. 1) She LOVES to bake and gets upset if we even try- it's her thing and I love that she likes to do it. 2) She also only bakes with nobody in the kitchen or even in the living room for that matter. To take this picture I had to be 10 feet away and then promise to leave as soon as it was taken. 
 
Alone with her tunes and a mixer, making a cake she won't even eat because she doesn't like Key Lime. She is truly an amazing young lady. Giving without asking what's in it for me. Oh and since she thought the Key Lime wasn't GREEN enough she added more GREEN food coloring for us. 

  Ahh and the mess left behind. Good thing she as dishes tonight after her homework is done .



Sunday, March 16, 2014

Adore

Today the kids and I had a great day out and about. We started the day with Mass and being challenged to have a better relationship with Our Lord by making sure we go to Mass EVERY Sunday and Holy Days of Obligations and if we can Daily Mass. Growing up we were raised already believing that Sundays were Holy Days of Obligation and there wasn't any excuse not to go. After I got married I got very lazy and we always came up an excuse as why we couldn't go; now there are no more excuses. The kids and I will be going to mass every Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation. 

Canon 1246
1. Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church. Also to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension and the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary Mother of God and her Immaculate Conception and Assumption, Saint Joseph, the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and finally, All Saints.

In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:

1) January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
2) Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension
3) August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the  Blessed Virgin Mary
4) November 1, the solemnity of All Saints
5) December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
6) December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ 

We also met up my my son's Godmother and her little girl. It was so good to see them, We hadn't seen them for a couple of years now and it was good to reconnect with them. My son then bought himself an ipod. He's been saving up for it a years now. When we got home his sister invited him in her room so she could help him with all the apps. It was so cool to hear them talking and laughing. I ADORE these two.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Meatless

Ah not eating meat on Friday is one of those things that we Catholics are known for. Those who aren't Catholic don't understand and even some Catholics don't get it. To put it simply we don't eat meat on Fridays during Lent because Jesus died on Good Friday as a SACRIFICE for everybody so the least we can do is SACRIFICE as a whole by not eating meat. Some Catholics mostly outside of the United States actually go MEATLESS every Friday for this same reason.
Tonight the kids and I had Ricotta Pasta with Tomatoes and Peas. It was the first time I made it and will now be put into our recipe box.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Talent

Isn't it amazing when life and something like a photo challenge go hand in hand. Today's challenge word is TALENT and today was also my son's WRESTLING BANQUET. When I say my son isn't a sports guy I mean I have to force him to watch any sport let along participate is not an exaggeration. The only sport  he does like is baseball but he's not as into as he was when he was little, so when he was asked to join the school's FIRST wrestling team and he jumped at it it took us all by surprise. Not only did he join the wrestling team he made the Varsity Team. I'll never forget his FIRST match,
 so far everybody on his team had lost, they weren't planning on winning they were there to get their feet wet and do the best they could with only two weeks of practice. Well J went up and lasted all 6 minutes and would have gone longer but the referee noticed he didn't have a mouth piece (we hadn't got it yet) so the match was over. I was so PROUD of him. He truly FOUGHT and took what he LEARNED and UTILIZED it. 
Tonightreceived his VARSITY LETTER. To say I am proud of him is not saying enough.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Purple

It is so fitting that PURPLE was the photo challenge today. My first PURPLE moment was while getting into the truck to take the kids to school today there was a patch of a RAINBOW in the sky. Sure there was a little moisture in the air from the night before and when I say little I mean hardly any and here in Southern California our Winter has been a HOT one. Heck yesterday was 82 and today should be about the same so to see a RAINBOW was a pleasant surprise to say the least. It reminded of the GREAT FLOOD and that I needed to water my yard. But back to the GREAT FLOOD and my PATCH of a RAINBOW, it just reminded me GOD LOVES US SO MUCH and HE WILL NEVER ABANDON US. So where does PURPLE  and LENT come into play here? During Lent we go on our own personal walk with the LORD and sometimes we forget that He's there to SHOW US THE WAY kind of like how PURPLE isn't seen in the RAINBOW but we know IT'S THERE so to is JESUS.  The picture below is the sky this morning.     
My second PURPLE moment was on the way to Boy Scouts. The SUNSET was a beautiful light violet. It was breathtaking, sadly I didn't have my camera but it was a good reminder to CONTINUE the JOURNEY and to NOT GIVE UP.  

Monday, March 10, 2014

Reflection

During Lent we look into our hearts and see how we can improve to become more holy. My picture for today is of both my kids. They are a reflection of me and how I conduct my life both the good and the bad. This Lent I have been praying more about how to better raise them and be the example God wants me to be and be more of a REFLECTION of HIM.
God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer. ~Mother Teresa 

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Eucharist

Receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist is such a wonderful gift, that as Catholic Christians I think we take for granted. We don't always grasp the AW and WONDER in the SACRAMENT.
The Holy Eucharist is a SACRAMENT and a SACRIFICE. In the Holy Eucharist, under the appearances of bread and wine, the Lord Christ is contained, offered, and received. The whole Christ is REALLY, TRULY, and SUBSTANTIALLY present in the Holy Eucharist. We use the words "really, truly, and substantially" to describe Christ's presence in the Holy Eucharist in order to distinguish Our Lord's teaching from that of mere men who falsely teach that the Holy Eucharist is only a sign or figure of Christ, or that He is present only by His power. Christ gives us His own body and blood in the Holy Eucharist: first, to be offered as a sacrifice commemorating and renewing for all time the sacrifice of the cross; second, to be received by the faithful in Holy Communion; third, to remain ever on our altars as the proof of His love for us, and to be worshiped by us.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Faith

Ahhh teenagers. I try to talk to my teens about the Catholic church and encourage them on their journey; but sometimes it's so hard to not say WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND???? One knows there is a GOD but with all the different religions out there they doesn't want to take a stand on any of them. Instead it's  WELL I DON'T KNOW WHAT I BELIEVE, and the other one says they JUST DON'T BELIEVE in anything. It breaks my heart and I will continue to pray for their conversion and to bring them to Mass with me.
Today my son and I had a chance to have a long talk about faith and what he knows to be TRUE. He asked questions,  I asked questions and the answers were very close. I think he's a afraid to take that LEAP OF FAITH especially when others around him could care less.  I do in my heart believe both kids will allow God to embrace them and will walk in the Faith. It's always seems so much easier to go about life with out any "rules". Continued prayer is always welcomed.
     

Friday, March 7, 2014

Test

Right now in my life I know I'm being TESTED on so many different things but they seem to be associated with one big life changing event. Divorce. There are times where I should bite my tongue and times where I just want to give up. I am so thankful for my parish, and knowing my voice in this is being heard and that I still am a Catholic and in good standing with the Church. I know the kids and I will come out of this, sure with many tears and a few scars but with the Lord holding us we are traveling on the right path.
I'm not saying divorce is the way to go when things get hard I still don't want this but I have no say in the matter. Thankfully I'm equipped with family, prayer and the Church.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Virtue

Today's photo challenge is VIRTUE. This was a hard one to come up with as far as getting something that portrays VIRTUE on film; and then it hit me. My teenage daughter wears a tank top EVERYDAY. What a tank top? How is that have anything to do with VIRTUE? Well let me tell you. She wears one under her regular tops everyday. She makes sure everything that needs to be covered is covered. She has a ton of them. It's kind of fun to shop for them too, we found a store that has them for $1 once a month so we search for any colors or patterns that she doesn't have yet. She makes sure they are the right color to match the top she would wear with it. Best of all she is the one who thought to do this. It is so much apart of her style that any regular top we do buy we make sure she has a coordinating tank to go on under it.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season. 40 days to examine my life. To Pray. To Fast. To Give Alms. Yeah I know I should be doing all those things anyway, and I do but this is the time to check myself. Not for a day or even a week but for 40 days, to change me for the better. To do more in LOVE with GOD and to THANK HIM in ALL that I SAY and DO.
As a way for me to document my journey this Lent I joined a 40 day photo challenge. I know that doesn't seem very life changing but it's just a part of what I'll be doing this Lent. Today's word is DUST. I grabbed my camera and started taking pictures but nothing conveyed what I wanted until I went to the front door and turned around and saw what people see when they first step into my home. An old vanity passed down to me from my Mom who got from one of her sisters.
The hole and the dust kind of symbolize my life. I know with the Lords guidance and my working hard all will be healed. So I thought I was done with my DUST photo challenge, but GOD had other plans. As I was walking into the office I saw my Bible by the computer, with guess what on it. Yep DUST. I immediately started dusting my Bible, and then it HIT me to take a picture. There is a reason for the hole and dust in my life, and the way to fix it is to open the Bible and pray.
                                                  

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