Today had its ups and downs. At one point we got in a rut. Everybody was yelling at everybody else. We were all tired, frustrated, and sick of each other.
At times like that it's tempting to label the day a bad day, and throw in the towel.
But it's not impossible to start over.
We took some time to catch our breath, say a prayer, and take a break from each other. Then we dove back into our day with cooperative activities. We ate a snack together, cleaned a mess together, listened to a @catholicanswers quiz show together, and made pizza together. We ate dinner together, then piled on the couch and read books and told jokes together.
We focused on rebuilding our relationship. The more I go to confession, the more I realize that building relationship is key to making change. It's what gets to the heart of the heart of the matter. It's what promotes peace.
Don't be afraid to hit reset on your day. Don't be afraid to insist on spending time working together. Don't be afraid to say relationship matters.
When things get rough, take a break, say a prayer, and come back together again.
Be a family. You got this. God's got this. ❤
#MyMassTakeaway - Jesus lined up with the rest of the sinners. He wasn't concerned about his image. He wasn't afraid what other people thought of him. He didn't stand up and announce, "Just so you know, guys, I've never sinned." He was willing to sacrifice his self-image out of love for us, to give us the gift of baptism, to make the waters holy for us.
It can be so hard when we feel others don't see us for who we are. When they have misperceptions about us. Sometimes we want to clear our name. We want to defend ourselves.
But in today's Gospel, we learn that the truth speaks for itself. All we need to do is remain committed to sacrificing ourselves for love of others. Just keep doing the right thing.
After Jesus' baptism, God the Father cleared Jesus' name. He revealed Jesus' innocence, his divinity, the mystery of the holy Trinity.
At our baptism, God cleared our name. And he continues to clear it with every confession. Just keep lining up with all the other sinners. Don't worry about your image. Don't worry what others think of you. Keep loving others. Keep loving God.
It's only his opinion that mayters anyway.
That's it, you guys, I'm going traddie.
Just went to my first Latin Mass and wow, THIS is worship, THIS is reverence. It had me in tears it was so moving!
Except (in my husband's words) "a little too much vatican-2/current-church-bashing in the homily." Duly noted.
Man, heaven is gonna be so good. So beautiful, right down to the details. So full of love. Can't wait to get there. I feel renewed in my desire and motivation to pursue it with my whole heart.
And my kids... My wiggly, squirmy, whispering, giggling kids... They made it through the whole hour and a half. I had to glare at them a few times, but they made it! I am so blessed they got to experience the richness of the worship of the Sacrifice of the Mass.
Can we bring this back, please?
Part of the reason for my tears tonight was memory. My high school/home parish HAD that sense of worship and reverence, even in the novus ordo Mass (with a heavy sprinkle of Latin thrown in)! It's not impossible.
And though (if a Latin Mass were closer) it would be tempting to run away from the irreverence surrounding us, I feel like this is where I'm needed now. To bring reverence back to my novus ordo peeps.
I want to remember, we're all the same Church. We all are Catholic. Let's all live it, no matter which Mass we attend. Let's remember to worship God. Truly WOTSHIP him! And treat his home and all the things of God with greatest reverence.
How much am I going to regret posting this? 😬😂😬😂 Will the floodgates of division open? Or can we all just come together in joy and wonder and awe at all things beautiful? Please??
Today was a really good day.
You would never know it by looking at my house. The dishes are filling the sink AND the counter, I can't find the living room floor, and I'm climbing into bed in the same jammies I woke up in.
But I'm beginning to realize these things don't need to define my day. My perfect idea of the day would probably include lots of uninterrupted cleaning and organizing, things perfectly in place and never being used out of turn.
But I'm starting to accept the imperfect nature of this world. Things will never be perfectly aligned, but that can't stop me from living life.
My standard of good is changing. Whereas good used to mean catching up on my chores and putting together the perfect dinner and nobody arguing, now I realize just how low that standard aims.
Today I aimed higher. I focused on patience and peace and presence. Patience when my kids don't hear me the first time. Peace when everyone's emotions are running high. Presence in the midst of conflict, when I'd rather sink my attention into my phone until it all blows over.
I let some of my desires slide to focus on the things I need. A clean house won't get me to heaven, but a clean heart will. I don't need the sweeping and washing to get done without delay. But I do need to pray without delay in trying times.
Someday I'll get caught up on the dishes. I'll scoop all the toys back into their bins. I'll change into fresh jammies to start my day 😉. But I wouldn't trade this good day for those things. This day, I saw the joy in my kids' faces. I listened to them practice empathy as they played together in the next room. I gave my time to working on art projects with and for them. I made a dinner for my husband to come home to, no matter how crispy. And I may have yelled a time or three, but I hope my love for them was louder.
Today was a really good day.
#catholicmom #catholicparenting #Catholicsofinstagram #Catholicinspiration #catholicsonline #peacefulparenting #virtue #VirtueChallenge #VirtueChallengeTeam #projectblessed
I realized recently that my kids have very poor Saint recognition skills. So I've been working on promoting interest in imagery of the saints. One thing I've been wanting to bring into the house is Saint peg dolls. My generous MIL gifted me some supplies to try my hand at painting my own Saint peg dolls for and with my kids. Today we made our first batch of holy friends. We've got a St. Lucy, a favorite for her "pettiness" factor - though I'm unsure if St. Lucy with the eyeballs is the same St. Lucy with the candles on her head... But we went for it. 😂 St. Cecilia of the creepy eyes with fresh blonde highlights in her hair (done by Princess with a helping hand from mommy). She's a favorite among all my kids thanks to @holyheroes glory stories. St. John Bosco, whose black on black details were a challenge. I'm more and more convinced he's our family's patron. And St. Peter, done by Hero, complete with beard, fishing net, and the keys of the kingdom. Of course the first pope is a necessary friend! I can't wait to add more to our collection. What favorite saints would you recommend?
#MyMassTakeaway - What Kind of Gifts?. As I was scrolling through hilarious memes of wise men (and women) bringing baby Jesus practical gifts like diapers and wipes, my analytical mind couldn't help but ask: Why DIDN'T the wise men bring more practical gifts?! What kind of gifts are gold, frankincense, and myrrh for a newborn baby? They must have missed the registry.
Those wise men had more on their minds than the temporal needs of baby Jesus. Their gifts ministered to his identity as Christ. They fed his mission as priest, prophet, and king. The wise men had a comprehensive view of Jesus as a person.
It makes me think of my attitude towards my kids. Sometimes I get caught up in meeting their immediate, temporal needs - in the endless cycle of diaper changes, meals, and laundry. I give of myself, constantly, repeatedly, but am I giving the right gifts?
Do I see my kids only as tiny bundles of neediness? Or do I minister to their identities as children of God? Do I feed their mission as disciples of Christ? Today, inspired by the feast of he Epiphany, I desire to take a more comprehensive view of my children as the persons they are. I desire to give them the precious gifts they need to help them fulfill God's plan for them.
#mysundaybest with @rosiehill425
#catholicmom #Catholicsofinstagram #Catholicinspiration #catholicsonline #catholicmotherhood #liturgicalliving #epiphany #threewisemen #wethreekings #goldfrankincensemyrrh #whatweretheythinking
