While the kids watched a movie, my husband and I both took the opportunity to relax in our own preferred ways – he with a few episodes of his favorite show, me in a nice hot bath.
As I soaked in the tub, I heard the movie end and the kids begin to get rowdy.
I waited for a minute or two, hoping my husband would corral them and start the bedtime routine, but he didn’t.
So I got angry.
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My child asked me if we could start going to daily Mass, and I hesitated.
Our parish is a half hour drive, it’s hard to get the kids ready and out the door in the morning, we have so many other things to do in our day.
Excuses.
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Do you see what these months without the Eucharist have done to us?
The Eucharist is our strength, the center of our lives. It is the source and summit of our Faith.
The Eucharist is self-sacrificing love. It is Jesus, entirely given: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, out of love for us.
When he saw sin, what did he do? Did he attack, vilify, cut down?
No, he stretched out his hands and healed, forgave. He stretched out his arms and suffered and died. He humbly allowed himself to be beaten, mocked, and tortured by the very ones who hurt him, the ones he loved with an infinite, self-sacrificing love.
He gave of himself.
And thus he won their hearts.
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I want to tell you about a mission in Haiti that holds a special place in my heart.
My husband and I absolutely love this mission and have have been supporting it for the last 10 years.
Haiti180 is a grassroots organization that is truly changing the lives of many Haitians. And the lives of those of us here in the US who support and fund this mission are so blessed when we share our hearts and resources with them.
But here’s the thing.
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When I was a kid, one of the great joys of Easter morning was waking up to a basket of goodies after our 40 day long Lenten Fast.
My grammy was our Easter bunny, and she always went overboard. Mountains of candy, small gifts, and way too much of Easter grass; pinatas, egg hunts, and always a ham.
As I grew older, my mom continued the Easter basket tradition with us as “big kids.” Only, instead of baskets, she swapped over to Easter paper bags.
They were smaller. They were simpler.
And believe it or not, I loved them even more than our beloved baskets.
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I always get irritated when I read the Gospel story about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:1-45). Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, they let him know his friend was sick. And yet, Jesus didn’t come.
Jesus allowed Lazarus to die. And then, two days too late, Jesus decided to mosey on in.
Too late, Jesus.
You should have been here days ago.
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I woke up and got dressed in my Sunday Best, to watch Mass on a computer screen in my living room.
Then I looked at my calendar and realized: It’s Laetare Sunday.
It’s time to rejoice.
I decided to change into a pink dress for Laetare Sunday. And as I changed, I thought:
It sure is a strange time for rejoicing.
We’re in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic… our state has shut down… we’re quarantined inside our house, our daily routines are completely disrupted… and we are called to rejoice.
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Masses are being cancelled.
Catholics are suddenly unable to receive the Eucharist – and in certain places, even Confession.
It comes as a hard blow.
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Lent is the penitential season before Easter.
It’s a time when we reflect on our Lord’s Passion, and unite ourselves to his suffering.
But how much do you really know about the season of Lent?
Take this Catholic Trivia quiz and find out!
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Virtues are the building blocks of a holy life. They’re the characteristics of how our relationship with Jesus is played out daily.
Virtue is tied up in our spiritual life.
So, don’t try to be virtuous for the sake of self-improvement.
Instead, try to practice virtue for the sake of growing closer to Christ, for the sake of being more like Him, whom we’re made in the image of.
“The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.”
– CCC 1803 quoting St. Gregory of Nyssa
Here’s the deal… I’m not a pro at virtue. I love studying them because I desire so much to grow in them.
So today, I’m going to introduce you to each of the theological and cardinal virtues, but I’m also going to draw on the wisdom of other bloggers who’ve been so amazing to share their knowledge and experience with us!
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