My husband made his first confession at 23 years old; I made my first confession in second grade. And his examinations of conscience put mine to shame.
How does he do it?
I finally decided to ask him.
I’m inspired by his story, and I know you will be too.
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The Saints will find you when you’re not really looking for them.
They will make a big difference in your life without you even realizing it.
They will surprise you with the timeliness of their intercession.
Today, I want to share a few stories about the Saints and their influence in my lives. These are a few of my friends, the Saints.
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I have a new friend who is a Byzantine Catholic.
And I know, I’m butchering the terminology from line one, but I’m just figuring this whole Catholic rites thing out so gimme a break!
Anyways, I went to Mass on a recent Saturday and noticed it was the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.
That Solemnity isn’t a Holy Day of Obligation for me (Latin Rite) but I happened to know (don’t ask me how) that it was a Holy Day of Obligation for my Byzantine friend.
So I got to wondering how she would fulfill her Holy Day of Obligation, since her Byzantine church is kinda far away.
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#MyMassTakeaway for June 23, 2019, Corpus Christi. Cover photo by For the Taking Photography.
Do you have one of those phrases that pumps you up every time you hear it? I do.
In the liturgy of baptism, after the parents profess the baptismal vows, the priest prays, “This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen.
There’s something about the string of I do’s followed by the simple phrase “This is the faith” that rocks me to my core.
I want to stand up and clap and cheer and shout and hoot and holler.
It’s hard to explain.
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Hey moms. These days are hard, I know.
You need some encouragement. An uplifting word. Something to carry you through. I have lots of that for you today, from moms who have been in your shoes.
But first, let’s pray together a quick meditation on the storms of life you’re going through.
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#MyMassTakeaway… We found a Latin Mass! 4th Sunday of Easter.
We recently discovered there is Latin Mass in our area, and we tried it today. I noticed that the readings are different from the NO readings so I’ll cite it for you.
James 1:17-21. One of the things I love about the letters in the NT is how they are sometimes addressed, “Beloved.” Even when they’re giving admonishment or correction.
Whenever I hear beloved, it strikes me at how charitable the apostles are in their correction. I’m reminded of the gentleness of God’s correction and the gift of the sacrament of Reconciliation.
And I’m always drawn to reflect if I give the same mercy and understanding when I’m called to the task of correction in parenting.
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I used to sleep through Eucharistic Adoration. When I was a kid, my mom took us to “Holy Hour” every week. I knelt down, elbows resting on the back of the pew in front of me, hands clasped in praying form, propping up my head.
I tried to pray, but it was so calm and quiet, the incense was so heady, and I began drifting off to sleep.
So I sat down, and switched to reading whatever “holy book” I brought with me. Eyes… closing… can’t keep them… open…
Then I blinked, and it was time to go.
Yes mom, I will admit it now, I often slept through Adoration.
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#MyMassTakeaway for Third Sunday of Easter.
Why don’t I get Sunday rest?
Monday through Saturday, I work. I feed and dress kids, teach them school, prepare their meals, and clean up their messes.
Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning – they’re all my responsibility.
Sunday comes around. The “day of rest.”
I wake up in the morning.
I get the kids dressed.
Load them in the car, bring them to Mass, wrangle the baby the whole time, come home, make breakfast, wash the dishes, pick up stray laundry, make lunch, prepare for the next school week, make dinner, brush teeth, tidy the kitchen, plop into bed exhausted.
Where’s my Sunday rest?
Several years ago, I complained about this dilemma to my confessor.
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#MyMassTakeaway for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion.
Today I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the poor apostles in their confusion.
First, they thought Jesus communicated very clearly to be ready for a fight. They heard him say to go out and buy swords.
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#MyMassTakeaway for the 4th Sunday in Lent.
As a hungry teen in my mom’s kitchen, I would often sample the pantry.
“I don’t know what I’m hungry for.”
I’d eat a cookie, a handful of chips, a few crackers, a piece of chocolate. Nothing satisfied.
And then my mom would offer me something, “Can I make you an omelet?”
Yesss pleaaaase.
My mom makes the best omelets. Stuffed with veggie and cheese and cooked just right to perfect fluffiness and deliciousness.
The real food she offered me – nutritious, healthy, and yummy – always satisfied.
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