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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Tongue/Hand and Bread/Wine and Either and Both


So how's Christmas going?

Lovely,I tried to keep it focused on Christ. I hear that you Catholics do that.

We try. Of course that's what the celebration is about. Without the birth of Our Savior, Jesus, they'd be no Christmas.

We agree on that, for sure. I bet the music at your Midnight Mass was special.

Yes, and the flowers, and the Readings.

Was the Mass different?

You mean the celebration of the Eucharist, itself?

Oh yeah! What did you do for a Christmas Eucharist?

You mean the Consecration of the Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus?

yes

That is always the same. The same words that Jesus used.

Well what about the people receiving Communion?

What do you mean?

At the Mass you took me to, some people went to the priest, some to regular people, some had wine, and some knelt down, some bowed, and I couldn't follow what was happening.

Mmmmmm You've just hit a hot button issue -- how best to receive Communion. It's personal preference. Some priests prefer Communion on the tongue, and some prefer Communion in the hand. Some people, likewise. The same with the kneeling, and bowing. That's the way some show reverence. Most people in the United States take Communion in the hand. We call receiving the Bread and the Wine receiving both Species. Actually, that's a matter of practicality: whether there's time, the ministers to distribute Communion, and the occasion. The Bread and Wine is the fuller form. However, we Catholics believe Christ is present in even the One Form.

So who do you know to go to? Which line?

LOL! The closest to your seat.

What if you're in AA and can't drink the wine?

Then don't. I don't, not because I'm in AA, but because I had Cronkhite Canada Syndrome and it's so rare that it's not sure how it's carried. I'm probably not a carrier, but why take the chance when I can receive Christ, wholly and entirely, and receive the necessary grace for my salvation, in the Bread alone?

What if you have celiac disease?

The same. The Wine or better to call it, the Precious Blood, is wholly and entirely the true Sacrament, and the same grace is given, just like the Sacred Host. So celiacs only take the Precious Blood.

Wow.

You can say that again. WOW.

If you Catholics really believe that, then why aren't you all receiving Communion on your knees?


Good question. Very good question! Because we're Americans? Because it would take too long? Because too many are elderly and can't? Because it's not comfortable? .......all of the above. As you noticed some people do. Others may think that's too show-offy. Matt. 6:6 Some pastors have asked people not to. It takes too long. What can I say? It really is a pastoral decision. But one or two people kneeling isn't too time consuming. But wait a minute. Don't get hung up on posture. It's important to receive Communion with faith and devotion whether kneeling or not?

I see.

I'll take you to some Masses where Communion is distributed by the intinction of the Host.

Huh?

You'll see.

OK. That'll be interesting.

Friday, December 30, 2011

My Personal Top Five 2011

Richie and I celebrated our 40th year anniversary!



The Master General of the Dominican Family visited my Chapter.


My granddaughter's first birthday.


Family Newport Vacation.

New Translation of the Roman Missal.

Thursday, December 29, 2011



From the site "We are Catholic." Inspiring!

When is Christmas Over?



When I went back to work today, I was surprised to find all the Christmas decorations put away. That's it! It's gone. Christmas is over.

How sad. Another reason, I'm glad I'm Catholic. Our Christmas lasts until January 8th, this year. The Epiphany, the Feast of the Three Kings, where Christians celebrate the Wisemen bringing their gifts to the Christ child, is actually January 6th. but that's a Friday, so it has been transferred to Sunday, January 8th.

Some people actually exchange their Christmas gifts on this day, instead of the birth of Christ. It's a wonder some enterprising entrepreneur hasn't capitalized on these two holidays and hyped it up to two Christmases. But of course, the religious meaning of Christmas hasn't entered the minds of the secular commercial promoters. They promote the idea of Santa bringing gifts (period).

Hence the mind set of the people at my work, who took down the Christmas decorations. They think Christmas is a party and socializing and gifts. It is so much more. Again, thank God, I'm Catholic. I party, socialize, and exchange gifts, AND I experience Jesus in the celebration at Midnight Mass. Jesus was present in everyone at that Mass. The music, the singing, the candles, the bells, the incense, the prayers, the readings, the blessings, the Kiss of Peace, and listening to my husband sing Silent Night (now there's a miracle)enhance our communion with Jesus. It is a happy time for everyone. For Catholics, this feeling of goodwill last until Little Christmas, Jan. 8th, 2012.

Jesus came to us as a baby. He is not a God to be feared, but to Love. And He wants nothing from us, but our love. This is what I feel this Christmas season--God's love. This is what Christians experience and mean by Christmas. This is exactly, what the secular world doesn't get.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice! Psalm 96

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Want A Patron Saint for 2012?


Matthew from a Catholic Life is matching patron saints to people who request them. I can attest to this wonderful devotion. I have met and become close to my patrons, over the years that I have participated.

I've also requested patrons for my family and others, whom I thought might benefit. So it you, too, would like to receive the patronage of a saint, this year, click on A Catholic Life and ask for a patron. God bless.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Down Syndrome Community



Look at this website, Fraternities Notre-Dame de l'Etoile. They aim to develop and support small "fraternities" of down syndrome people who want to live a spiritually oriented Christian life.
Everyday's life is shared between education, manual activites, and prayer and services, in the parish environment.

Their challenge is now to develop many other such tiny "micro-structures".
It is essential to mitigate the fragility of the size by a united functioning in network.
So don't hesitate to let us be known by parents, by physicians, by anybody, family, teacher, who would be interested to help create a new "Frat" anywhere aroud the world.

May God bless them with many graces. Lord, secure them with Your Love.

Gestation

Since I've volunteered to do the Readings on January 1st, I thought I'd take a look at them to see what I've gotten myself into.


They're good ones. I can relate, Gal. 4: 4-7. When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman,...

Mary's pregnancy must have been like most women's--long, with much praying, worrisome, and with a lot of planning ahead. Finally, a baby is born. Jesus is born.

Isn't this how people convert? I use "convert" very broadly. I mean changing from non-believing to believing, not caring to caring, not understanding to understanding.

Coming to believe, to understand, to accept, or even to go deeper, doesn't happen instantaneously. It takes time. One has to be open, to accept (like Mary did). Then one day, after a period of gestation, epiphany! Thanks be to God.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

In Reference to Our Part of the Story

You know that post I blogged about yesterday. The one where Bishop Anthony Fisher put a kangaroo in the creche. Well, my granddaughter must have listen to him preach. Do you think?

Christmas Hokku

Ronnie,
There is a missing Christmas card, a disorientation, a feeling of something amiss.
Your absence is felt.


Cold aching grief lies within
Christmas has arrived
A warmth lights a way to hope

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Our Part in the Story


Bishop Anthony Fisher, O.P. from Parramatta, Australia, in his homily for Christmas, explains that he once sent a statue of a kangaroo to fit in the nativity scene in Berlin, Germany. At that time, the Dominican Priory in Berlin was just emerging from being a communist nation, and had set up a nativity scene with many animals, and characters--from all walks of life. Thus, a kangaroo would be fitting. The idea was to show that everybody is part of the story.

Everybody? Sure.



Even the caganer?

Definitely.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Special Day

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Not only were we celebrating the Anniversary of the Order of Preachers, but also the Jubilee of Father Anthony Prakash Lohale, O.P. Father celebrated Mass with his "cloistered brothers" in Our Lady of Hope Chapter and spent some time with them. Father enjoyed himself and was blessed.

Afterwards, we went to the House of Hope where some of our Dominican brothers live. We had a good supper and discussion. This slide show depict some of the fun.

Archbishop Thomas Cajetan Kelly, O.P.



I so wish the video showed his Dominican brothers saying "good-bye." The Dominican Salve is impressive.

Thank you Holy Father


From this morning's Zenit:

KOREAN CHILDREN THANK POPE FOR SERVING HUMANITY

Embassy Marks Benedict XVI's 60th Anniversary With a Drawing Competition

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 21, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Three Korean children today represented their peers in thanking Benedict XVI for his love for their people, and his service to humanity.
The threesome at today's general audience gave the Pope a file containing letters and drawings by 33 of their peers, prize-winners in a competition organized by the Korean embassy to the Holy See and published in the Korean Catholic daily "Pyeonghwa Shinmun."
More than 1,200 children from all over the country participated in the competition, which was organized to coincide with the Holy Father's 60th anniversary as a priest.
According to a communique published today by the embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Holy See, the aim of the competition was "to thank the Holy Father for his tireless service to humankind and for his great affection for the people of Korea. ... This event will help the Church and society in Korea to promote the Catholic vocation, increasing the 'sensus fidei' of Korean Catholics."
During Midnight Mass, one of the children will read a Prayer of the Faithful, two will participate in the offertory, two will carry flowers to the nativity scene and two more will receive Communion from the hands of the Holy Father.


Now that's a reciprocal Christmas present.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Thrice Blessed in Confession

Not only did the good Monsignor give me Absolution,tonight, but he also gave me new insight. No matter how old you are, you can always learn something new.
I never realized that my faults were abuses of my God given gifts.

Who knew?

And hubby is going to like the Penance I was given. ;-)

And also, I met my friend, Sister Lisette there. Sister Lisette is the Religious Education Coordinator for the parish. I was telling her about my planned trip to the Beatification of Pere Marie Jean-Joseph Lataste, O.P., and how I need to learn French. She suggested one of the sisters from the Religious of Jesus and Mary as a French, tutor.

Mais bien sûr!

The Religious of Jesus and Mary is my great aunt's order. And she use to teach French.

Qu'est-ce un cancre que je suis!

Hoping for Cheap Grace

The Light Is On For You - 2011 from Archdiocese of Boston on Vimeo.


Since I'm giving myself a Christmas present by going to Confession, tonight, I listened to Bishop Robert Hennessey explain the importance of Confession, at this time of year. The good Bishop said he gets a kick out of people rushing around, especially Christmas Eve, trying to prepare for Christmas. Think about it--Christmas is the same date, every year.

I see his point. I also see that he doesn't have to worry about money. Some of us have to wait for sales. The best bargains are Christmas Eve. This is when to buy a Christmas tree, for example.

So the good bishop segued into being spiritually prepared for Christmas, and don't wait until it's too late to meet your Maker. Don't put Confession off.

I can segue into that line of thinking, too. Don't wait for the sale; cheap grace isn't going to do it. Better to go to Confession.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Liturgical Dance in Prison



It seems that dancing is exercise and as such is considered appropriate to do in prison. This prison is Cebu Provincial Detention & Rehabilitation Center in Cebu Province in the Philippines. This is a maximum security prison. Since this is a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Ricardo Vidal I'd call it liturgical dance, wouldn't you?

Anyway, good luck to CPDRC. There are quite a number of You Tube Videos of the inmates dancing, but the program has been put on hold because they don't know what to do with the donations.

I have a few suggestions. I bet you do, too.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Slave Market Prayer


Father Nic told us the most captivating story today. I've tried to verify the information, but google wasn't definitive. Fr. Nic was teaching us to chant Salve Regina. He asked us if we knew the origin of the prayer.

The term "Valley of Tears," can be applied to many situations. In fact, this prayer is my favorite because of this expression, "Valley of Tears." But I always associated the phrase with my personal situation. Fr. Nic told us that the phrase was given to the slave market in Alexandria. So this prayer, was a prayer to Our Lady from the slaves in Alexandria.

I can imagine it being prayed throughout history, whenever mankind felt that he was in a "Valley of Tears."

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

Blessed??????

Gabriel words to Mary about God choosing her, have always made me "gulp." Part of me says, "Thank God, I wasn't chosen. Who'd want to see their child tortured to death before their eyes." (OK, a big part of me, thinks like that.) (I'm not a saint, yet.) (Working on it)


I understand that Jesus redeemed us through His suffering and death. But why He'd bother with such ingrates as us, is beyond me (literally). (I'm not a saint, yet.) (Working on it)

Thinking deeper (Working on it), the point is "trust." Mary trusted God and said "Thy will be done." But it is more amazing to me,(I'm not a saint, yet.) (Working on it) that she trusted God through Jesus' Passion and Crucifixion.

I wish Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, would have written about what Mary's thoughts were. Of course, it's not about Mary. Still, she could have questioned how blessed she was to witness her Son's dying.

(I'm not a saint, yet.) (Working on it) Maybe, she focused on our redemption. Maybe, she understood Jesus' teachings and knew and understood the purpose of the Crucifixion.

I'm the one that questions being "blessed" to be the Mother of God. Mary never questioned; she trusted God. (I'm not a saint, yet.) (Working on it) I need to work on trusting God to become a saint. I get it.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

A Vegetable Christmas Tree


This centerpiece is made out of vegetables. I just came from a party that used this Christmas Tree as a centerpiece. The inside is a Styrofoam cone, but everything else is a vegetable. The tree itself is broccoli crowns. The star was something I never heard of. But the decorations on the tree are cauliflower, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and lemon zest, or skin, for garland.

Very nice. Clever. Too pretty to eat.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Community Life


You know that often used verse in weddings, from 1Corinthians 13:4-7. I don't think it's meant for espoused relationships. I think it's referring to community life.

In Discussion Group, tonight, we were discussing how hard it is to live in community, especially a celibate one. It is especially so in a male celibate community. If you're competitive, and feel the need to present a certain persona, it is very hard to love your confreres. The verse tells us basically to be humble enough to forget ourselves--our needs, our ego, and consider the other person's needs. We need to see Christ in them, and one can't if you're maintaining the persona of an alpha male.

Love is patient, is kind; love does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, is not self-seeking, is not provoked; thinks no evil, does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth; bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Read this verse again, thinking of a couple making their marriage vows. Between two people in love there naturally is this mutual give and take. What bride is more ambitious than her husband? Self-seeking? Unkind? Thinks evil? Come'on! They're just getting married! This verse is wasted on them.

Now read this verse again, thinking of a Lay Dominican Chapter.

Oh boy!

Those that live in community need to forget all pretense, ego, ambition, and look for the best in their brothers and sisters. That's where God abides.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Augustine's Confessions, 10.27.38

Wrongly thinking that beauty lay without,
blindly I cast about.
How late did I begin
to realize your beauty lay within.


To one bereft of sight
you said Let there be light.
Thus to my deafened ear
you called, you cried! hoping that I might hear.
I thirsted, hungered, yearned.
You touched me, and I burned.
How late I came to you,
to beauty ever ancient, ever new.
How late I came to you.
Tim Murphy --October 2008

Monday, December 12, 2011

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Click to Mix and Solve
.
This is Our Lady of Weight Loss puzzle. Think I'm kidding. Go to the Kick in the Tush site and you'll see Our Lady of Weight Loss.

I don't think she compares to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Managing Stress


Oh no! I can feel that I'm stressing. That makes me stress that I'm going to get stressed, and that might affect by health and the ability to be happy and live a productive life. I've already had one stress related disease. So I know it can happen.

OK. What's happening? I'm baking these tiny loaves of bread for Christmas presents, for people at work. Since they're gifts, I want them to look nice and taste good. And it looks like that's not happening. Some dough spilled out of one of them already. Messes dropped on the oven floor stink up the whole house and make me worry. I've already burnt my index finger on the oven rack. Santa better bring me some new oven mits because these are getting too thin.

They're still not done. It's taking these small loaves longer to bake than large loaves!

As soon as these are out of the oven, I'm destressing. How?

This is how to manage stress according to the Book of Faith.

1. Blog Yes, get on my computer and rant. I didn't even mention how I got stuck going to the children's Mass, this morning. It was the only time I could make it. Almost an occasion of sin. Then when I went to go to Chapter, I wasn't allowed in. It seems there was a mix-up of times. And now, my Christmas baking is testing me. So it's good when no one wants to listen to me (Hubby's watching the football game.) that I can blog.

2. Go outside and walk around the block.

3. Telephone someone and chat.

4. Eat an apple. Yes, I'm a stress eater and I'll eat something unhealthy unless I can eat something more readily available. Always have a fruit bowl.

5. Go to the movies. Today that wasn't practical.

6. Drink. Tea or wine is relaxing. Yesterday at a Christmas party I drank a Reisling called Relax. I think it's better than a Blue Nun.

7. Change your clothes. Take an inventory of your closet and see what you need. Get on line and do some shopping. When I don't have the money, I make a list of what I want to buy for when I do have the money--some day.

8. Plan something. Plan how to decorate the house for the next holiday. Plan what to do for someone's birthday.

9. Think of someone in a nursing home and think of something nice to do for them.

10. Pray a Rosary. It's particularly relaxing to listen to a CD of the Rosary. The ones I have are very calming.


The important thing is to take my mind off myself. I have to enjoy and not stress. Life is too short. Nothing matters except saving my soul and taking along a few others. Focus. Focus. Focus.

All is passing. God alone sustaining. God alone abiding.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Christmas Alphabet Game

The answers follow the letters of the alphabet from A to Z with the answer to # 1 starting with an A and # 26 starting with a Z.

1. They herald the miracle of Christmas.
2. Heard in churches on Christmas day.
3. Used in both decoration and illumination.
4. What little girls may like to find under the tree.
5. What we all do too much of at Christmas.
6. Where the stockings should be hung.
7. What everyone should have for everyone else.
8. Traditional Christmas decoration.
9. We like real ones outside and artificial ones on the tree.
10. Santa is supposed to be this.
11. What a German child calls Santa Claus.


12. Christmas parcels, when mailed, should always be
13. People kiss under it.
14. They get cracked during the Christmas baking.
15. First word in the song, "O Christmas Tree."
16. St. Nick carries it.
17. When kids are waiting for Santa they are
18. There are supposed to be eight of them.
19. Another name for St. Nick.
20. Meat often eaten at Christmas.
21. At Christmas, it's a lucky child who has a rich
22. Besides, meat, we should make sure we eat a variety of
23. We hang it on our front door.
24. Abbreviation for Christmas
25. In England, people always brought one home for Christmas.
26. The way some folks walk after an overdose of Christmas spirits.

Answers: angels, bells, candles, dolls, eat, fireplace, gifts, holly, icicles, jolly, Kris Kringle, labeled, mistletoe, nuts, O, presents, quiet, reindeer, Santa, turkey, uncle, vegetables, wreath, Xmas, yule log, zig zag These answers aren't open for discussion. They're not up for debate. I'm the mommy, that's why.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Santa Joke


Brother Tonto: I got a job as a substitute Santa at the Mall.
Brother Diotrophes : What's your job title?
Brother Tonto: Subordinate Clause.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

No Women Cantors

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. I'm so disappointed. There are such beautiful songs about Mary: O Sanctissima, Immaculate Mary, Hail Holy Queen enthroned above, Alma Redemptoris Mater, not to mention concluding with Salve Regina Chant. But we didn't sing those. We sang songs most people couldn't sing.

Why?



The Cantor was a soprano.

Forget about fighting for women to be priests. That's a waste of time. Fight to ban women from being cantors.

I can prove that my grievance is right. Listen and watch the congregation when you have a woman cantor. Listen and watch the congregation when you have a man cantor.

Aha! See, I told you. Most people can't sing those high notes. When it's a male cantor, everyone sings.

Stop the arguing about womynpriests and girl altar servers. Take up my cause; no woman cantors. At least no sopranos.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Christmas Cards


Writing Christmas Cards is fun. I like to connect to relatives and friends, at least once a year. My address book is a file of index cards. On the front is the name, address and phone numbers. On the back, are notes. Information like their children's names, birth dates, boy/girl friend names, etc. I'll refer to this in the card.

Most of the time, I just sign my name. I just don't have time to write more. It's the card that's the gift. I'm saying, "thinking of you." But it's the outside of the card, that causes me anxiety. I try to match the picture to the receiver. I'm not sending a beautiful Madonna and Child to my Wiccan co-worker. That would be wasted. She'll get a generic Santa, or snowman.

I enjoy sending the religious ones to my friends who would appreciate it. After all, Christmas is religious. I even mail these cards with the Madonna stamps. The other cards are mailed with the pine cone stamps.

It's important to send cards before Christmas. But people who write the newsletters with their cards are always late. Did you ever notice that? I think that's why they do it--write long letters. It's to say, see that's why I'm late; I'm excused; I was writing this letter; Aren't I more special? Not that I don't like the newsletter. I like to see what your family's been up to. But have you ever noticed that the news in these letters is always wonderful. I never read about Daddy got drunk and smashed the car and the police arrested him, and he's in prison for a bit. Suzie was raped. Johnny keeps getting fired from his jobs.

Every thing is always honkey dorey. Well, if everything is so wonderful, and honkey dorey, how come you didn't send me any money with your wonderful, honkey dorey, news?

Monday, December 5, 2011

Intents Intense over Tents



OK! I had to laugh. I couldn't help it. Kudos to Occupy Melbourne. Watch the video and you'll see that the police came to take down the tents. As they approached closer, the people popped out of the center of the tents. They were wearing their tents as clothes! Very clever. An example of non-violent protest, or should I say aggression. HA! This is a new version of passive aggressive behavior. The police didn't know what to do.

I try not to pay attention to any of the Occupy Movements. It reminds me of the 60's and the Peace Movement and these kids aren't protesting a War. Do they know what they're protesting? I'm not sure. Has it been defined yet?

OK. They've got my attention with their humor. I'll pay them serious consideration now.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

More Questions


Still haven't got a grasp on the Eucharist.

Don't worry. It's a mystery. Pray for the grace to understand.

I have lot's of other questions. Let me start at the beginning. Why did you and everybody else, stick your fingers in that dirty water and make the sign of the cross?

Well...in the first place, it's not dirty water; it's called holy water. We don't drink it. Don't worry. Catholics dip the tips of their fingers in it, and bless themselves by making the sign of the cross, i.e.," In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen" This is a prayer. The holy water is changed often. A drop of bleach may be added for cleaning the font. Sometimes a font will have a liner that is changed often. But in any case, like I said, no one drinks it.
This prayer is called "The sign of the cross." It's so easy to learn and the gestures make a cross to reinforce that it was our Trinitarian God who died on the cross for us.

You may wonder why or what the symbolism is. Water has always been a sign of cleansing. Many Old Testament references a cleansing with water. Other religions also have some sort of cleansing ritual. The Bible is full of them. (Ex 14:15-22, Ex 17:6-7, Josh 3:14-17, Ezek 47: 1-12, Mt 3:13-17, Jn 5:1-9, Jn 19:34, Jn 3:5) So it isn't surprising that in our Baptism, we use water to cleanse ourselves of Original Sin. Hence, when a Catholic enters the Church, you'll see him remind himself of his Baptism, by dipping his hands in holy water, and saying a prayer--the Sign of the Cross.

What makes it holy? The priest boils the hell out of it--just kidding. A priest will bless it. That's it. I've seen people touch their fingers in the holy water, then touch their child's fingers, so the child can then bless himself with holy water.

Some people have small fonts at home, so that they can bless the family as they leave the home. Kinda beautiful, huh?

This holy water is called a "sacramental." The catechism definition of a sacramental is "every baptized person is called to be a blessing and to bless...Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the same way the Sacraments do but by the Church's prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it...They include blessings of persons, meals, objects and places." (Catechism verse 1669-71).

IOW, a sacramental is a reminder of something important. You've seen TV Healers put oil on people's hands to heal them. This would be considered a sacramental. A prayer shawl one puts on to pray, too. See--something to remind you of something important.

Ah! You got it.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Fifty Dollars is Fifty Dollars


Brother Tonto and the Prior enjoyed walking around the fair grounds. Every time they went,they found themselves in front of the airplane ride. Brother Tonto would wistfully read the sign, "Fifty Dollars a ride". The pilot explained that he'd fly over the neighborhood and your home--in their case, the priory. But the prior would say "Fifty Dollars!"

And Brother Tonto would explain, "The experience would be priceless."

The Prior, was aghast. "Fifty Dollars! Do you know what fifty dollars could buy? It would feed us for a week. We could pay a bill. We could help the poor. We could buy some books. Yadayadayadayadayad........"

Every year, the pilot would relive this same scenario.

"Fifty Dollars! Do you know what fifty dollars could by? It would feed us. We could pay some bills. We could help the poor. We could buy some books. We could get the plumbing fixed. We could send money to Father Tom's Kids. Yadayadayadayadayad........"

This year, however, when the pilot saw the friars approaching, he made an offer that the friars, (especially the parsimonious prior), couldn't refuse. "I'll make a bet with you."

"Eh?"

The pilot said, "I'll fly you both free, if the prior won't speak--during the entire time."

The friars were sure to win. After all, they lived in silence. Mostly. Some of the time. Well, the prior was sure he could remain silent. Sure. This wasn't even a gamble; the prior would win.

Up they went. Brother Tonto pointed out the priory and the pilot flew all around it. It was awesome. The scenery was spectacular. God is awesome.

But the prior hadn't said a word. He was sitting in back and was silent during the tour of the neighborhood, the priory, and fairgrounds.

The pilot was beginning to worry that he was going to be out Fifty Dollars. So he did some aerobatic maneuvers. He did some spins over the fair. No sound from the back. He looped over the priory. It was quiet. He was rolling over the river when he noticed that Brother Tonto was turning green. Still no word from the prior. The pilot also noticed that he was low on fuel.

The pilot had no choice, but to land. As he was taxiing to a stop, the pilot remarked that he was very surprised that the prior could keep his mouth closed, this long.

"The Prior?" Brother Tonto's voice went up. "Oh, he fell out during your spin over the river."

"What!" The pilot was aghast. "Brother Tonto, why didn't you say something?"

"Well, because..." Brother Tonto spoke from memory. "Fifty dollars is fifty dollars. Do you know what fifty dollars could buy...........................................?"

Friday, December 2, 2011

First Christmas Party


It's a festive gathering, to celebrate Christmas.
The hot buns were delicious.


MMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm


Hold the dessert. I'll just have the whipped cream.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Praying from the Heart

 The book I chose for my Lenten reading was Inner Life A Fellow Traveler's Guide to Prayer, by David Torkington.  I finished it this Sun...