#MyMassTakeaway: Laetare Sunday

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#MyMassTakeaway: Laetare Sunday. . Laetere Sunday reminds us of the joy of the cross, the joy of self-sacrificing love. It can be so hard to see past the suffering of the moment, and acknowledge the resulting grace and joy… . Our pastor shared some prayers to help us see past the crosses in our lives, and catch a glimpse of the Resurrection. . "My past to Thy mercy; my present to Thy love; my future to Thy providence." -Padre Pio. I like this one, because it puts my whole life in Jesus' hands. We can enter into His love in whatever we're experiencing in the moment, and trust Him to bring good out of it in the end. . "Take oh Lord, my liberty. Receive my memory, my understanding and my will. All that I have You have given me. I surrender it now to the guidance of Your will. All I ask is Your grace and Your love. With these I am rich enough and ask for nothing more." -St. Ignatius (probably not an exact translation, but this is how I memorized it…) I love this prayer because it reminds me that God is bigger than me. He's bigger than my suffering. And He has all the tools I need to get through. . Since my induction date is this Thursday, I'm working real hard on having trust right now. I'm fighting off the pre-labor panic. I'm trying to see past the suffering that is labor and delivery, and look forward to the joy of this baby in my arms. I'm afraid, but I know God's got me in His hands, and He has all the tools and grace I need to get through this. I'm going to be relying on these prayers in a big way this week. . Laetere Sunday – joy! in the midst of Lent. The perfect week to have a baby. . #MySundayBest with @rosiehill425, the last Sunday best with this giant baby belly. See you next week, 20 pounds lighter lol!!!!

A post shared by Sara Estabrooks (@tojesussincerely) on Mar 11, 2018 at 10:48am PDT

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For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.⠀Ephesians 2:8-10⠀ ⠀ 🌷Print available in the shop JustLovePrints.etsy.com ⠀ #catholiccreatives #thecatholicwoman #thelivingperson #lifeteen #catholicism #thecatholicchurch #eucharist #jesus #findinggodeveryday #instacatholic #sharegoodthings #elevatesocialmedia #spreadthefiat #everydayediths #bissisterhood #projectblessed #faithandflorals #thedomesticchurch #mymasstakeaway #liturgicalliving #livingliturgically #grace #amazinggrace #catholicmass

A post shared by Lindsay Trezza (@justloveprints) on Mar 11, 2018 at 10:18am PDT

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Sometimes, being a mom is tough stuff. My 5 year old and I went to Mass twice this weekend – because our first attempt at a reverent Mass was waylaid by 5 year old epic antics and shenanigans on Saturday night. . . . Thankfully, the “re-do” allowed us to spend some time, just the two of us, to pray a decade of the Rosary together – each “Hail Mary” focusing on a different aspect of Christ’s life – some identified by me, others identified by him. . . . The most amazing thing was the priest’s closing remarks in his homily today. All about mercy, the priest reminded us that often, as humans, we have a tendency to take things for granted. To overlook saying thank you – to each other, and more importantly, to God. He closed with, “And, this is why we go to Mass once a week – because every Mass we attend is a simple, basic way of saying thank you to Jesus Christ for giving His Body and Blood for us on the Cross.” While we can thank God daily, and praise Him all the time, He asked us to keep His day holy – He wanted us to come together as His followers of the early Church did. He wants us to continue to honor His Sacrifice by coming together. All in a form of thanksgiving. . . . I started out the day dragging. Kicking myself for imposing a consequence that made me get up early, and made me get going this morning. This pregnant lady is exhausted! But, everything said and done, I am so grateful I got to hear another message of hope, another reminder to give thanks, and another opportunity to say thank you for our Lord’s Sacrifice. . . . #mysundaybest w/ @rosiehill425 #mymasstakeaway w/ @tojesussincerely #catholicblogger #catholicmom #catholicsofinstagram #catholicsonline #catholicparenting #christianparenting #christianblogger #givethanks #gotochurch #takekidstochurch #eveniftheyprotest #catholicmomconsequences #rewards

A post shared by Anni Harry (@beautifulcamouflagedmess) on Mar 11, 2018 at 8:18am PDT

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Laetare Sunday. 💕”When we find the courage to recognize ourselves for what we are, we realize that we are called to deal with our fragility and our limits. Then it can happen that we become overcome by anguish, by the anxiety for tomorrow, by the fear of illness and death,” Pope Francis said. (And) Christianity does not offer easy consolations: "It is not a shortcut, it requires faith and a strong moral standing, which rejects evil, selfishness, corruption." But, he said, it also gives us the true and great hope in God the Father, who is rich in mercy and who has given us his Son, thus revealing to us his immense love. “This is why we rejoice today: because God is always there to take us by the hand” he said.” #mysundaybest #mymasstakeaway

A post shared by Annie Deddens (@catholicwifecatholiclife) on Mar 11, 2018 at 11:42am PDT

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“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.” (Eph 2:10)✝️ I thought about today’s words from St. Paul and #mymasstakeaway as I surveyed this lovely basket of colorful wool pieces from Ortega weavers in the tiny village of Chimayo, NM. Their handiwork with weaving these traditional rugs goes back many generations. In fact, we have one of their largest rugs in our church. The colors and precision in each stitch are awe-inspiring! If you travel to the tiny town of Chimayo (home to the famous Sanctuario de Chimayo) you can see the weavers at work on the ancient looms. Weaving these kinds of rugs and their intricate designs is a skill handed down through the Ortega family. So just to have this little basket of the pieces they’ve cast off in making larger rugs, vests, bags and wall hangings is very cool. ✝️ I don’t profess to have this kind of skill when it comes to fine arts. I admire those who do. But today, we are reminded in the reading that we are all part of God’s handiwork. All part of His grand plan – and He already knows how my piece fits into the design. He knows where you fit in, too. We might sometimes be tempted to think we are just the small scraps. The parts cast off. The pieces that are the left overs. I can tend to feel that way when I look at what so many others around me are doing. Their call and vocation and expertise may lie in another place or area of the faith where I can’t go, no matter how much I wish I could. But just look at this lovely basket of scraps! When gathered up and folded in and tucked up alongside each other, it’s a little work of art! It could be displayed on a bookshelf or tucked into a corner of my bedroom. It can bring light and interest to a table that greets visitors as they enter my home. It can be a conversation starter. A chance to share the story of Chimayo. An opportunity to share our Catholic history and faith about the chapel that pilgrims will soon walk many miles to visit on Good Friday. So many creations! All part of His handiwork. That’s who we are, friends, when we come together. A beautiful tapestry of talent. 💙

A post shared by Julie Habiger (@sparksthroughstubble) on Mar 11, 2018 at 2:19pm PDT

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We went to mass last night with 5000 of our closest friends. Ended up in the cry room, which is lovely when you need it and chaos when you don't. Didn't hear the homily. Spent most of mass keeping my three year old in the pew. Worked up a sweat of epic proportions. Gratefully received the Eucharist. So glad his grace is sufficient enough. (#mysundaybest #mymasstakeaway #catholicsonline)

A post shared by Ginny Kochis •Not So Formulaic (@ginnykochis) on Mar 11, 2018 at 2:50pm PDT

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El Evangelio de hoy, Juan 3:14-21 decía: <<Dios no envió a su Hijo único para condenar al mundo, sino para que el mundo se salve por medio de Él>>. A veces da miedo acercarse a Dios, porque es confrontarnos con nuestros errores y nuestros pecados… pero, vale la pena arriesgarse porque la paz que uno experimenta en su amistad, es más valiosa que cualquier otra cosa en el mundo. Sin embargo, hay que vivirlo para creerlo. Cuando alguien nos lo platica, parece cuento… (¿con tantas cosas malas que hay en el mundo, puede alguien a quien "no vemos", darnos paz, sabiduría, esperanza..?) La Misa de hoy me movió de muchas maneras. Pero lo más hermoso que me llevé de ella fue el recordatorio de que realmente, así como Dios libró al pueblo de Israel del exilio, Él nos sigue librando de mil y un peligros y tentaciones, físicas y espirituales, todos los días… Y si lo seguimos, Él nos traerá de regreso… (Así decía la canción de la Comunión… y me sacudió muchísimo, porque sí, Él me trajo de regreso a casa y me dio todo lo que mi corazón desesperadamente pedía… cuando mi voluntad finalmente se unió a la de Él) ❤ #MyMassTakeaway To Jesus, Sincerely #ConquémequedédelaMisa #ElÁrbolMenta #SomosCatólicas

A post shared by El Árbol Menta (@elarbolmenta) on Mar 11, 2018 at 9:41pm PDT