Get Thee To the Woods, Vol. 21: Mary, Mud, and Mist

Last week our parish school held a fundraiser, the "Race for Education." The kids all wore their gym clothes to school, and spent an hour running and walking in a loop around the school grounds. I had some time before work that day to come and cheer the 3rd-5th graders on during their "race." It was a beautiful day, and warmer than expected.

They even had an official mascot.

It had rained the day before, and the path through the woods was quite muddy.


Mary seemed to bless the children as they ran by.


Someone else showed up to cheer everyone on as well. Can you guess who?

Father B. joined in the fun, too!

Moe reaches the finish line!

The state of Moe's pants at the end of the day. It could have been worse; I saw kids covered in slimy, dark mud. They must have rolled in it. The grass stains came later in the day when he played soccer at recess. I Spray & Washed and Oxi-Cleaned them thoroughly, and guess what? When I picked him up from school today the knees were covered in dirt and grass stains again.

We've had some lovely misty mornings this week.

The birds seem to be enjoying the weather. Today I heard an old-timer call it "The In-Between." Not cold, but not warm either; and you can't decide whether or not to put on a sweater.

I probably won't blog again until after Thanksgiving. My next post might be a review of the film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, which we went to see on Friday night. Or I might tell you all about the re-dedication Mass at our church last night, and post some before-and-after photos. I'm sure I'll share some thoughts and photos from the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Until then, have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving!

One more thing: Pope Benedict is asking Catholics all over the world to pray the Rosary this Saturday, November 27, for an end to abortion. I'm sorry to say we've never prayed the Rosary as a family before, but I think this Saturday would be a great time for us to start. Will you join us?

How have you and your family celebrated God's creation this week? (Praying for the unborn counts, because God created people, too!)

Glorious Mysteries for Life, and Outdoor Challenge!

My friend Judi's official time in the Boston Marathon: 4:09:51. Way to go!

Mystical Rose Design has a great meme on their blog: Pro-Life Tuesdays. Last fall I posted some of the pro-life mysteries from Priest's for Life's website, but I never got around to posting the Glorious Mysteries. I thought today would be a good day to post them (even though Tuesday is normally for the Sorrowful Mysteries--but we can pray any set of mystery any day of the week, right?)

THE RESURRECTION

Christ is risen! By his Resurrection, He has destroyed the power of death, and therefore the power of abortion. The outcome of the battle for life has already been decided: Life is victorious! Let us pray that all pro lifers will spread this victory to every segment of our society.

THE ASCENSION

By ascending to His throne, Christ takes our human nature, given to us in the womb, to the heights of Heaven. He shows us that human beings are made to be raised to Heaven, not thrown in the garbage. Let us pray that the world may learn this truth and reject abortion.






THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT




The Holy Spirit is our advocate. He pleads our cause, for we cannot save ourselves. We pray that He will make us advocates for the babies, who cannot speak or write or vote or protest or even pray.


THE ASSUMPTION


The Blessed Virgin Mary was taken body and soul into Heaven because she is the Mother of God. Mother and child are united. The assumption reminds us that they belong together. We pray that society will see that it cannot love women while killing their children, and cannot save children without helping their mothers. We pray that people will be touched by the pro-life question, "Why can't we love them both?"


THE CORONATION



Mary is the Queen of the Universe. The Church teaches that she is the greatest creature, second only to God Himself. The Church defends the dignity of women. We pray that people will understand that to be pro-life means to be pro-woman, and that to be pro-woman demands that we be pro-life.

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Yesterday after school I schlepped Larry to his flag football game, and Curly and Moe to Tae Kwon Do; then we all went over to church where I teach Religious Education every Monday. Not a whole lot of time for outdoor fun, but we were able to grab a sub from Wawa and have a quick picnic at the edge of the practice field before Larry's game. It felt good to relax and enjoy the sunshine for a few minutes,

and to admire the splashes of color in the parking lot landscaping.
I'm in! Are you?

Pro-Life Rosary: Sorrowful Mysteries

Today our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the mass shooting at Ft. Hood, Texas today, their families, and also for the shooter. Pray for his conversion, and for Christ to comfort those who have lost their loved ones. And now there's been another shooting in Orlando; let's also pray for those victims, too.

There might be a vote tomorrow in the House of Representatives on Nancy Pelosi's 2,000+ page health care bill. If the bill is passed, it would mean you and I will be forced to pay for elective abortions, and the elderly and terminally ill might be under pressure to end their lives in order to save money. Lord help us. Please follow this link to contact your representative in Congress now.

Today is Friday, when the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are traditionally prayed. Here are the mysteries with pro-life meditations, posted on Priests For Life's web site.

THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES

The Agony in the Garden
Let us pray for mothers and fathers who are in agony because they are tempted to abort a child. May they be given the good news that there are alternatives, and may they make use of the help that is available.









The Scourging of Jesus
As Christ's flesh was torn by the instruments of those who scourged Him, so the bodies of babies in the womb are torn my the instruments of the abortionists. Let us pray that abortionists may repent of these acts of child-killing.




The Crowning with Thorns
Jesus suffered the pain of thorns in His head, and did so silently. We pray for the mothers and fathers of aborted children. So many of them suffer deep grief and regret over a choice they can never reverse. So many suffer in silence, because others tell them it's no big deal.







The Carrying of the Cross
Jesus was not condemned by the power of wicked people. He was condemned because of the silence of good people. Silence always helps the oppressor, never the victim. Let us pray that we may never be silent about abortion, but rather will clearly speak up to save babies from death.







The Crucifixion
As we ponder the death of Christ, let us remember the many women who have died from so-called "safe, legal" abortions. Let us ask forgiveness and mercy for them. May their memory save other women from making this tragic mistake.







Now, more than ever, we need to be united in prayer for the sacredness of life.

Pro-life Rosary: Luminous Mysteries

This past week, I had the privilege of participating in two one-hour vigils for 40 Days for Life outside a Planned Parenthood clinic about an hour's drive from where I live. (Praise God that the closest abortion facility is 45 minutes away!) My friends and I discovered that to pray all four sets of mysteries of the Rosary--Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous--it takes just about exactly one hour. We use Father Frank Pavone's pro-life meditations. Last week I posted the reflections on the Joyful Mysteries; today I'll share the Luminous ones:

THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES

1. Christ is Baptized in the Jordan

When Jesus is baptized, the Father's voice is heard: "This is my beloved Son." All are called to become adopted sons and daughters of God through baptism. We pray that children in the womb may be protected, so that they may be born and welcomed into the Christian community by baptism.






2. Christ is made known at the Wedding of Cana

Jesus revealed His glory by the miracle at Cana. The new couple was blessed not only with wine, but with faith in Christ. Let us pray for strong marriages, rooted in the Lord, and open to the gift on new life.






3. Christ proclaims the Kingdom and Calls All to Conversion

"Repent and believe the Good News." Let us pray that these first wods of Jesus' public ministry may be heard by all who have committed abortion. May they know that the Lord calls them to conversion, and may they experience life-giving repentance.


4. the Transfiguration

Christ is transformed on the mountain, and the kisciples see His glory. May the eyes of all people be transformed, that they may see each and every human life as a reflection of the glory of God Himself.







5. Jesus gives us the Eucharist

"This is My Body, given up for you." The Eucharist teaches us how to live and how to love. Let us pray that parents who sacrifice the babies for the sake of themselves may learn instead to put themselves aside for the sake of their babies.




Please continue to pray for the unborn!

Pro-Life Rosary: Joyful Mysteries--and Another Marian Feast Day! Yay!

It's Columbus Day, and no one in our house is going to school or work today. I have a long list of tasks on my mental to-do list (including figuring out how to celebrate Moe's ninth birthday, which is sneaking up on us too quickly), but I'm feeling inspired to blog at the moment.

This morning as I was praying the Rosary, I decided to dig up my copies of the Pro-Life mysteries that are posted on Priests for Life's web site. I began to think to myself, October is considered the Month of the Holy Rosary (we just celebrated the Feast of the Holy Rosary on Oct. 7), and since we're in the middle of the Fall 2009 40 Days for Life campaign, why not post those beautiful mysteries here? (And it was fun searching for pictures to go with each mystery!) Today I'm posting the Joyful Mysteries, and hopefully between now and the end of this month I'll post the Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous ones as well. These are great meditations for when we pray for an end to abortion:

JOYFUL MYSTERIES

The Annunciation

Mary is troubled by the angel's greeting, yet rejoices to do God's will. Let us pray that those who are troubled by their pregnancy may have the grace to trust in God's will.







The Visitation

John the Baptist leapt for joy in his mother's womb. We pray that people may realize that abortion is not about children who "might" come into the world, but is about children who are already in the world, living and growing in the womb, and are scheduled to be killed.






The Nativity

God Himself was born as a child. The greatness of a person does not depend on size, for the newborn King is very small. Let us pray for an end to prejudice against the tiny babies threatened by abortion.



The Presentation

The Child is presented in the Temple because the Child belongs to God. Children are not the property of their parents, nor of the government. they--and we--belong to God himself.








The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

The boy Jesus was filled with wisdom, because He is God. Let us pray that all people may see the wisdom of His teachings about the dignity of life, and may understand that this teaching is not an opinion, but the truth.








I also learned this morning that today is the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, considered one of the earliest devotions to the Blessed Mother. According to tradition, Our Lady, even before her assumption into Heaven, appeared to St. James while he was in Spain. She appeared by bi-location atop a jasper pillar, and handed him a statue of herself and asked him to build a chapel in her honor. You can read more about this devotion here and here. There's a recipe for a beautiful cake honoring Our Lady of the Pillar on Catholic Cuisine. (Today is also the Feast of St. Seraphin of Montegranaro, and you can find out more about him here.)

I think I put more links in this post than I ever have. I hope it isn't too many. Have a great Monday!

"If You're Too Busy to Pray, You're Too Busy"

There was a time when I used to get up REALLY early every morning and pray the Rosary. It was about an eight-month period from the time my second child started sleeping through the night, until I found myself pregnant with my third. We live next to a small lake, and if the weather was warm I would sit and look at the water while I prayed. On misty mornings I loved watching the fog dance across the water, as though it was praising God along with me. Other times I would just sit and look out the window and watch the trees and the birds. When I found that my mind was wandering I tried to incorporate those thoughts into my prayer, and even into the mysteries themselves. If I was worried about a sick relative, perhaps the mystery of the visitation helped me remember to call or visit that person. During that time, my best friend had recently given birth to premature twins, who spent months in NICU before they came home; I prayed for them many times, especially when I prayed the joyful mysteries. I treasured these quiet times every morning, and I miss them. I will still pray the rosary occasionally if I'm up early, but not on a regular basis anymore, except maybe during Lent.

I remember talking to our parish priest about this; often, I told him, in the afternoon if I'm tired I think to myself, "Gee, now's a good time to pray the Rosary; I think I'll take a nap." His reply was, "Sometimes you just need a nap." This made me feel less guilty, and I even imagined that Mary must have taken afternoon naps when she really needed them.

Now that it's summer, I don't get up quite as early as I do during the school year. I had time to pray this morning, but what did I do? Checked my email (mostly spam), my Facebook page (nothing interesting posted since 11:30 last night; everyone is still sleeping, duh), and checked for new blogs. I have many things on my to-do list for today, and soon I'm going to need to wake up my kids so I can take my oldest son to swim team practice. I don't know that blogging about praying counts as praying! During the school year I get up just about as early as I did in my daily-rosary days, so why don't I pray then? Lunches to make; gotta feed the dog; the kids need their breakfast; I need to eat my own breakfast; if I don't read the paper now I'll never look at it. Oops, I forgot to check my email! These are my excuses.

I heard a priest on EWTN recently quote Mother Theresa, who, when another priest lamented to her that he was so busy these days that he didn't have time to pray, she replied, "If you're too busy to pray, you're too busy." Unfortunately, many of the things we're too busy doing are time-wasters like watching TV, surfing the Internet (Do I REALLY need to watch that new Harry Potter trailer AGAIN?), or reading trashy novels and magazines. My excuse today? I feel the need to update my blog, and I might not have another chance to do so until next week.

Truthfully, I was about to begin telling you about our amazing trip to Yellowstone last week. We've been home since Monday, and now that I'm finally finished unpacking and the laundry is somewhat under control, and I've posted the pictures on Facebook, I'm itching to tell you all about it here! I have also seen some interesting things posted on other blogs I want to share with you too; and I've read a couple more books I'm hoping to tell yu about. When I logged in and got ready to start typing, I thought to myself, "I wonder if I should pray the Rosary instead?" Hence this blog post.

My son in up, and I need to get moving. Maybe I'll have time for a quick Divine Mercy chaplet before the day gets too busy for praying.