The Creation Puppet Show

 

 My grandchildren are learning the Creation Story and we're putting on a puppet show.  The sock puppet with eyelashes and lipstick is Eve.  The other sock puppet is Adam.  His eyes are made of wing nuts!  The background setting is on the left.

The oldest grandchild will read the story from the Bible, while the other one will re-enact the story with the puppets.

I'm sure the show will be a success.

Sassafras

 

The plant that keeps on giving.  Look at the different leaves on this sassafras plant.  There is one leaf that is shaped like a closed hand.  There is another leaf that looks like a mitten.  Lastly, there is another that has fingers.

     The Indians used to use the bark or stem to brush their teeth.  Number one: because it did a good job of scraping.  Two, it tasted good.

      Finally, my favorite!  Sassafras is used to make root beer.  

Cardinal Sean Patrick's Letter to the People in Massachusetts

 I want to begin this week sharing with a statement I issued earlier today on efforts to advance the proposed ROE Act here in the Commonwealth:

Our country and our Commonwealth are faced these days with multiple issues that are both empirically complex and profoundly moral in their content and consequences.  These issues include the COVID-19 pandemic, racial justice, climate change, poverty and inequality.  The Catholic Church, in its teaching and social ministries, is engaged with many other organizations in addressing these questions, and we will continue to do so.

In this statement, however, I wish once again, as I have done in the past year, to raise up for attention a uniquely significant moral question: the issue of abortion.  It is uniquely significant because it always involves the right to life, the fundamental human right, which is the foundation of the other spiritual and material rights that comprise the common good of our society. Abortion always terminates a human life.

The right to life of the unborn is deeply threatened by legislation presently being considered in the Massachusetts legislature. The ROE Act is now being debated in the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. Advocates for this bill describe its purpose as protecting the status and legacy of the Roe v. Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973. As a matter of law, Massachusetts already has among the most extreme abortion laws in the county, and if Roe v. Wade were overturned, abortion rights in Massachusetts would be unaffected. Here in Massachusetts, the proponents of the ROE Act describe its objective as increasing access to abortion. Tragically, the bill would do this but in a very extreme manner.

Specifically, the ROE Act would do the following; it would:

· Allow abortion in Massachusetts during all nine months of pregnancy;

· Eliminate any requirement that even late-term abortions be performed in hospitals;

• Eliminate the requirement to make efforts to care for a child who survives an attempted abortion;
• Eliminate any requirement that a pregnant minor (under 18) have any adult consent (parental or through the courts) before undergoing an abortion.

The proposed legislation can reasonably be described as radical in its nature and destructive in its consequences. It is being pressed forward as if it were necessary in a state with some of the most expansive abortion laws in the country. By any rational measure, the specifics of the Act cited above are extreme measures in a state already known as widely pro-choice.  I regret that fact, but it is a fact.

For almost 50 years, abortion has divided this nation morally, legally and politically. Again, I regret these divisions, but it is not possible to remain silent as this legislation is being pressed upon this Commonwealth. Opposition to the Act is required on moral grounds, indeed on basic human rights grounds.

Our opposition to the ROE Act is not designed to condemn, shame or single out individuals. The complex conditions which often bring women to undergo an abortion should be acknowledged and recognized. In the face of these situations, the appropriate attitude should be compassion and care. In the Archdiocese, we attempt to offer both through Pregnancy Help and the Project Rachel program. Our deepest concern is to provide help and support to women.

The Church must oppose the ROE Act, and I invite others to consider why we do so. We will publicize our objections in the parishes of the Archdiocese, seeking the support of members of our community. We will continue to explain our views to legislators and urge citizens to express their opposition to their representatives and senators. We will dialogue with our neighbors who may differ with the Church’s position and will do so with care and civility. In the end, we are simply committed to protecting human life in its most vulnerable condition.

The Final Mass of Boston's Original Cathedral

The final Mass of Boston's original cathedral: On Sunday, Sept. 16, 1860, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Franklin Street in Boston was filled to capacity, while many more would-be worshipers lingered on the sidewalks outside. The sadness may not be for the building itself, the bishop continues, but what it represents. "The Cathedral of the Holy Cross was the work of a very little band of Catholics," he states, "whose only resources were their faith, their piety, their brotherly union and their trust in God." He reflects that these early Catholic pioneers, led by then Father John Cheverus and Father Francis Matignon, forged a Catholic community and church from what little they could offer, and it is symbolic of their achievement.   



Click on the link to read the article.

COVID-19 Vaccine Myths

COVID-19 vaccine myths: Several popular myths about COVID-19 vaccines have been gaining traction

                                               Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk

on social media in recent months, particularly in regard to messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines being developed by Moderna, Sanofi, Pfizer, etc.  This article in the Pilot by Father Tad looks at these myths.

I'm Sorry Kay Kay

Drawing by Mick Kelley

Sparrowfare has an article on words that hurt.  The author, Peggy Hasler writes in Let there Be Light: Thoughts on The -Giving, Death-Dealing Power of the Tongue. of the time she and a partner were in charge of an ice-breaker exercise to open up a program.  They opened with the statement:   Share a moment from childhood when a teacher said something unkind to you.

 Peggy remembered the time the teacher told her, "I thought you were a nice little girl but you have proven to be a disappointment."

Ouch.  Especially to a child.  Wicked Ouch!

Her partner, an elderly man tells of an incident in Kindergarten.  Kindergarten!!  He still remembered and even had tears in his eyes when he related the incident where the teacher told him that he was nothing but trouble.

May God forgive all who have inadvertently hurt our children with words.  Mea Culpa.

Mea Culpa!

When I was teaching the fourth grade there was a cute little girl who hung on every word, and movement I made.  Her name was Kathleen but everyone called her Kay Kay.  She worshiped me.  She was always underfoot.  Her hand was always raised.  She was a pain-in-the-ass because she was always hanging on me.  One day when I was tired and harassed, I announced to the class,  "Kay Kay, the class is tired of hearing the sound of your voice.  Put your hand down and listen for a change."

Imagine the look on poor, Kay Kay's face, because I can't describe it.

It gets worse.

At the end of the school year, I got married.  Much to my surprise, Kay Kay was in the church watching me get married.  Afterward, her mother told me that Kay Kay insisted (See, she was a pain-in-the-ass.) and insisted that she be brought to her favorite teacher's wedding.  

I have never felt so guilty.  Did that mean that Kay Kay forgave me?  Better, that Kay Kay didn't even remember the incident?  I hope so because afterward, I made a concerted effort not to express my frustration in words to anyone, especially my students.

Although, fast forward thirty years later and I'm working as a clerk.  Once on the phone, the person on the other end, actually said, "I can tell by your voice that you're getting frustrated."  I burst out laughing and my mood did change immediately.

Even on FaceBook, I've been told that my words are too harsh.

As the article explains, harsh words do not explain the situation away; they only hurt the person we're addressing.  

If I haven't found a way to curb my tongue by now, will I ever?  Well, God hasn't given up on me, so I have no excuse not to keep trying.

Joe's Rock

Today, the Ambling Trinity hiked up Joe's Rock.  It's an easy walk on a beautiful day.  This is conservation land in the town of Wrentham MA.  Joan, who is in the sign picture with me is 89 years old.  She didn't walk up the way to the top.  She says she's gotten vertigo as she's gotten older.

Here we are, the Ambling Trinity: Lillie, Joan, and me.

Joe's rock is a property that has hills, dales, meadows, bogs, woods, cliffs, wetlands, rivers, etc..  The rock itself has an elevation of 490 feet.

King Philip is a well-known name in my area of the world.  He was a friendly (for awhile) Indian to the English settlers in the 1600's.  King Philip was the name the English gave him because of his demeanor.  I don't think it was ridicule; I gather it was respectful.  King Philip was also known as Pometacom, Metacomet.  He was a sachem (elected chief) to the Wampanoags and the second son of Massasoit.  Massasoit was a great leader to the Wampanoag people and an immense help to the English settlers.  They would never have survived without Massasoit, hence Thanksgiving!!!!  

I have no information on the Joe of "Joe's Rock,"  except that he was the sachem of King Philip.  This area must have been his home.  The area has everything one would need to live: water, fish, animals, vegetation, and a sense of transcendence.

This is the view from the top of Joe's Rock.  There should be a pond in front of the rock, but it is very dry.  The rivers are streams.  There're no vernal pools.  The wetlands are gone.  Although, the area is still very interesting and beautiful in a geologic and aesthetic way.

Finding a bridge

Photo By Jordan Niranjan On Unsplash

Acknowledging an abyss; finding a bridge: One of the most remarkable differences between the social protests of the 1960s and those of today is that the former were done in concert with, and often under the explicit leadership of, religious people.  Can you see that?  Click on the link.

The Providential Demise of the Papal States

Culture

Bishop Peter F. Christensen Of Diocese Of Boise, Idaho, Takes A Photo Of A Statue Of Pope Pius IX After Concelebrating Mass With Bishops From Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana And Alaska At The Basilica Of St. Mary Major In Rome Feb. 6, 2020. CNS Photo/Paul Haring

The providential demise of the Papal States:  It  liberated the pope to be a powerful voice of moral witness. Click on the link to read the article. 

It's True But

 It's difficult to explain to children about the stories in the Bible.  What would you call them, myths, legends, tales, stories, folklore?

Fact

The beginning had to have been true.  The people were real.  The event real.  But each person telling the oral history was telling it his way, his feelings, his opinions, and his conclusions.  

Tale/Legend/Story

Pretty soon the conclusion is more important than the original event.  

Myth/Folklore

Finally, the meaning, the conclusion, the theme is more important than the original fact.

Take Santa Claus.

Fact

There was a St. Nicholaus of Myrna.

Tale/Legend/Story

He gave presents and money to help people

Myth/Folklore

He'd throw presents down chimneys and they landed in stockings.

The only trouble is, with children I can't use the example of Santa Claus.  What else can I use?

Jealousy

 J. P. Gallaher's "The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican" is a fun and easy read.  It is an introduction to the undercover activities of the rescues of anyone who needed help, whether a Jew, an Allie soldier, and even some Nazis and fascists, by a Catholic priest.  Hugh O'Flaherty's exploits were extraordinary.  The Nazi's tried to capture him but never succeeded.  He saved too many to count.

For O'Flaherty's work, he was awarded the highest honours, including a CBE (UK), the Congressional Medal (US), and was the first Irishman named Notary of the Holy Office.  What is unfortunate, is the jealously of other clerics towards him.  

"He was unlucky enough to become a legend in his own lifetime and this in itself, combined with the traditional chauvinism of Vatican officialdom, clouded his last years.  Now a few of his colleagues and superiors (with the outstanding exception of the redoubtable Cardinal Ottaviani who stood staunchly by him to the end) were bitterly and publicly jealous of his fame--or notoriety, as they would describe it.  They looked upon him as an adventurer, a mountebank, or as one American churchman put it, 'A jumped-up Irish peasant!'"

The novelist, Father Andrew Greeley, who also suffered from criticism from fellow clerics, would call them the "murmerantes."  Why do priests do that?  Those that should know better; that should set an example of charitable rejoicing in a fellow priest's success!  Jealousy, jealousy, jealousy!

First Day of School

First Graders Begin Their First Day Of School At Immaculate Conception School In Revere, Sept. 8, 2020. Pilot Photo/Gregory L. Tracy



We are prepared for whatever may come: ''It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Ca'tholic schools are having real virtual schools.  Desks have plexi glass and are 3 feet apart.  Children line up six feet apart.



That's school during a pandemic.  From the Pilot.

La Salette

La Sallette Shrine has a beautiful story.  

Look at these prophesies:  

“Melanie, what I am about to tell you now will not always be a secret. You may make it public in 1858.

“The priests, ministers of my Son, the priests, by their wicked lives, by their irreverence and their impiety in the celebration of the holy mysteries, by their love of money, their love of honors and pleasures, and the priests have become cesspools of impurity. Yes, the priests are asking vengeance, and vengeance is hanging over their heads. Woe to the priests and to those dedicated to God who by their unfaithfulness and their wicked lives are crucifying my Son again! The sins of those dedicated to God cry out towards Heaven and call for vengeance, and now vengeance is at their door, for there is no one left to beg mercy and forgiveness for the people. There are no more generous souls; there is no one left worthy of offering a stainless sacrifice to the Eternal for the sake of the world.

         “God will strike in an unprecedented way.

Now, remember what happened in history after 1846.

         “May the curate of my Son, Pope Pius IX never leave Rome again after 1859; may he, however, be steadfast and noble, may he fight with the weapons of faith and love. I will be at his side. May he be on his guard against Napoleon: he is two-faced, and when he wishes to make himself Pope as well as Emperor, God will soon draw back from him. He is the mastermind who, always wanting to ascend further, will fall on the sword he wished to use to force his people to be raised up.

         “Italy will be punished for her ambition in wanting to shake off the yoke of the Lord of Lords. And so she will be left to fight a war; blood will flow on all sides. Churches will be locked up or desecrated. Priests and religious orders will be hunted down, and made to die a cruel death. Several will abandon the faith, and a great number of priests and members of religious orders will break away from the true religion; among these people there will even be bishops. [A prediction it would seem of what happened in the 18oos in France, but also later, under Hitler and Stalin, or also relevant to the Fatima Third Secret, whereby martyr priests ascend a hill?]

         “May the Pope guard against the performers of miracles. For the time has come when the most astonishing wonders will take place on the earth and in the air.

         “The Holy Father will suffer a great deal. I will be with him until the end and receive his sacrifice.

         “The mischievous would attempt his life several times to do harm and shorten his days but neither him nor his successor will see the triumph of the Church of God.

         “All the civil governments will have one and the same plan, which will be to abolish and do away with every religious principal to make way for materialism, atheism, spiritualism and vice of all kinds.

 These prophesies have happened.  Scary?  But remember all the apparitions of Mary offer us hope. Mary constantly intercedes for us before God.  She always is calling us back to the way of her Son, Jesus Christ.  

A Good Mystery

 

Chances Are...by Richard Russo is about three friends vacationing on Martha's Vineyard.  Lincoln, Teddy, and Mickey met in college. For graduation, Lincoln invited the other two to his summer home on Martha's Vineyard. There's a girl in the picture, Jacy.

Russo masterly weaves two time periods together.  At that graduation fling, Jacy disappears.  She is never heard from again.  She was engaged (not to Lincoln, Teddy, or Mickey) and had two concerned parents.  No one heard from her.

The other time period is the present time.  Lincoln invited Teddy and Mickey once again.  Lincoln is thinking of selling the property and this might be the only chance the three friends will ever see each other again.  After all, they are now senior citizens.

Naturally, the three reminisce.  The topic is Jacey.  They fantasize about many scenarios.  Lincoln even does some research reading old newspapers, at the library.  He talks to an old policeman who once was the police chief.  

I suspected the jerk neighbor.  But some evidence pointed to Mickey.  The novel is a mystery. It is one of those books that you stay up until two in the morning reading.

And it was worth it.

Virtue Signaling is Showing Off

What is "virtue signaling?"  Wikipedia defines it as:Virtue signalling is a pejorative neologism for the conspicuous and disingenuous expression of moral values with the intent to enhance one's own image.

IOW virtue signaling is publically stating that one is morally correct and a super good human being.

Isn't that showing off?  Is my judgment, "virtue signaling?"

If this image is copyrighted, tell me and I'll take it down.  How's that for "virtue signaling?"

 

Lesson Two

 

Today we had our second faith formation.  It was fun!  Everyone enjoyed it! And this time it took half an hour.  I think that's just right for a six-year-old and her ten-year-old sister.  I know that it takes me days to prepare and it's over in 30 minutes, but I enjoy the preparation.  

We started with music playing in the background--"Down to the River to Pray".  And while we worked the older one kept singing "Down to the River to Pray."

We began by blessing ourselves, especially the six-year-old who off how well she knows how to bless herself.

Religion:

We talked about how we knew about God: Bible, Church, and Traditions.  I told them that the Bible was a Book of many books: letters, songs, stories, laws, poems, history, etc.  To prove this we made a craft.  I gave them pictures to paste into their own book.  Each book contained a poem, a picture, a letter, a cartoon, a word search, and a story.  Then I explained that if I said I don't like your book, you'd ask what I didn't like, i.e., the story or the picture or the poem, etc.  So no one can say they don't like the Bible because there too many different genres in it.  

Church:

I reviewed the white statues on the facade of the church.  I showed them the statue of Mary in front of the rectory and the statue of St. Therese of the Flowers, next to the church.  We then related St. Rocco's Festival stories.  We have the statue of St. Rocco on the other side of the church.

Mass:  

They didn't remember that the Mass is the Last Supper.  Well, it so happens that last weekend was the girls' uncle's birthday.  I reminded them that they brought a tomato pie that they made.  One aunt made the birthday cake.  Another aunt brought shrimp.  Everyone had a job to do.  This discussion segued nicely into the different jobs people at Mass do: priest, deacon, altar servers, lectors, cantors, choir, ushers, and ministers of Communion.

Prayer:

I taught them that game: here's the church, here's the door, here's the steeple, open the doors and see all the people.

A craft was next.  The older one traced the younger one's hand and on each finger she wrote who to pray for: the thumb is closest so we pray for the family, the pointer finger points us the way to go, so we pray for teachers, the tallest is for our president and our pope, the ring finger is our weakest so we pray for the sick, and the last is for ourselves.  We can't forget to pray for ourselves.

Song:

We closed with Amazing Grace.  I didn't have to teach it to them because they already knew it.  Nana sings it all the time.  Now they know two songs.

Presentation is Important

 My family is talking about what a good time they had yesterday.  It was my son's birthday.  Since we are quarantined, so to speak, due to COVID 19, we had a party where we socially distanced ourselves from each other.  

The tables are 6 ft. apart and so are all the chairs.  But what I think made the party special was that the tables had tablecloths and flowers.  Everyone probably pictured us sitting on lawn chairs eating from a dish balanced on our laps, so they were impressed.

The flowers were all from my garden: herbs and marigolds.

Basil, sage, chard, parsley, and marigold made a beautiful arrangement.  The basil had flowered too and the aroma was wonderful.

Rhetorical Device

 

Look at the rhetorical device used in Job 10: 19.

Whose offspring can be honorable? 
          Human offspring.
      Those who fear the Lord are honorable offspring.

Whose offspring can be disgraceful?
           Human offspring.
       Those who transgress the commandment are disgraceful offspring. Sirach 10: 19

See where the same answer is given for opposite questions, i.e., "honorable" v. "disgraceful"?  Clever, no?  In this way, Ben Sira emphasizes differences among humans.  He is challenging the societal, cultural, and political distinctions among the people.

I wish I could do this.  I know I won't rest until I do.  Stay tuned.

Statue of St. Therese of Lisieux

See this picture of St. Therese of Lisieux.  I'm having a terrible time finding a close up.  This is for the next lesson in my grandchildren's faith formation--the statues outside the church.  

In front of the rectory is a statue is Mary.

This is distinct, compared to Therese.  And on the other side of the church is one more statue. This is St. Rocco.  My parish, for many years held a St. Rocco's festival, so he has a special place in the parish's heart. 

Out of all 3 statues, St. Therese of Lisieux is the smallest.  I guess I can find a better one by googling.

Once again, I'm spending way too much time on my lesson plans.  

 

'Tude! Dude.

Two men looked out through prison bars;

The one saw mud, the other stars.

                                                 Anon.

Dream Interpretation

My Christian Prayer group meets on zoom, nowadays.  My friend, Albert is on it, too.  Albert is 90 years old and deaf as a haddock.  I try to help him as much as I can. He has trouble hearing and following the conversation and instructions.  If he does hear it, he doesn’t understand it.  It takes time for his mind to process the information—at least that’s how I see it.  I am very sympathetic towards him because I have a feeling that I will be in his condition, someday, and I hope people will be kind to me.

Last week, the night after our zoom meeting, I had a dream about Albert—a nightmare, actually. Albert accidentally locked me in a closet.  He was oblivious that he shut the door on me and the door was locked.  He didn’t hear me call.  He didn’t hear me bang.  No one did.

That’s it. That’s the dream that woke me up.  It really bothered me. 

I didn’t have to have psychoanalysis to figure out that I felt trapped by Albert.  I admit that when he’s not at a meeting I feel happy.  Do I feel stuck? I shouldn’t because when I don’t have time or the patience on certain days, I tell that to Albert and he accepts it. 

But still.

It continued to bother me for a few days.  So much so that I just had to get out of that closet.  Now this closet was not a walk-in-closet like you have in your bedroom.  It was a closet that classrooms have.  It was full of shelves.  I barely had room to turn around.  I started looking for something to smash through the door.  There were mostly reams of paper and some boxes.  I saw a couple of glass vases that were pretty heavy and solid.  But then I saw a statue of liberty.  It was about a foot high and made of metal.  That was my best choice.  How ironic would that be if I gained my freedom from a statue of liberty!

So I banged on the door.  No one came, but I noticed that the center of the door seemed weak.  So I banged and banged, concentrating on the center.  I banged until I smashed through.  It was a small hole but big enough to slip my hand through.

And my arm followed my hand through the hole and down to the door knob.  I was looking for that little knob mechanism that turned the lock.   It wasn’t there; instead this side of the knob had the key hold, which meant that the locking mechanism was on the inside of the door—my side.  All this time, all I had to do was unlock the door from the inside, myself.

I’m an idiot.  I have the solution to my problems, within my self.  All I have to do is open the door.  

My astronomy club meets on zoom, nowadays.  My friend, Albert is on it, too.  Albert is 90 years old and deaf as a haddock.  I try to help him as much as I can. He has trouble hearing and following the conversation and instructions.  If he does hear it, he doesn’t understand it.  It takes time for his mind to process the information—at least that’s how I see it.  I am very sympathetic towards him because I have a feeling that I will be in his condition, some day, and I hope people will be kind to me.

Last week, the night after our zoom meeting, I had a dream about Albert—a nightmare, actually. Albert accidentally locked me in a closet.  He was oblivious that he shut the door on me and the door was locked.  He didn’t hear me call.  He didn’t hear me bang.  No one did.

That’s it. That’s the dream that woke me up.  It really bothered me. 

I didn’t have to have psychoanalysis to figure out that I felt trapped by Albert.  I admit that when he’s not at a meeting I feel happy.  Do I feel stuck? I shouldn’t because when I don’t have time or the patience on certain days, I tell that to Albert and he accepts it. 

But still.

It continued to bother me for a few days.  So much so that I just had to get out of that closet.  Now this closet was not a walk-in-closet like you have in your bedroom.  It was a closet that classrooms have.  It was full of shelves.  I barely had room to turn around.  I started looking for something to smash through the door.  There were mostly reams of paper and some boxes.  I saw a couple of glass vases that were pretty heavy and solid.  But then I saw a statue of liberty.  It was about a foot high and made of metal.  That was my best choice.  How ironic would that be if I gained my freedom from a statue of liberty!

So I banged on the door.  No one came, but I noticed that the center of the door seemed weak.  So I banged and banged, concentrating on the center.  I banged until I smashed through.  It was a small hole but big enough to slip my hand through.

And my arm followed my hand through the hole and down to the door knob.  I was looking for that little knob mechanism that turned the lock.   It wasn’t there; instead this side of the knob had the key hold, which meant that the locking mechanism was on the inside of the door—my side.  All this time, all I had to do was unlock the door from the inside, myself.

I’m an idiot.  I have the solution to my problems, within my self.  All I have to do is open the door. 

Lesson One

 How did my lesson plan go?  Well....I'm not sure.  I don't know whether to be disappointed or not.  I'm teaching my grandchildren their faith.  One is 10 the other 6.  

I started by explaining God.  He created everything.  He is great.  I was only talking for a couple of minutes and I could see that the youngest was bored.  So I started talking about their parish church.  I gave them each a picture of their church.  On the facade are six statues.  I told them what each one was and showed them other pictures of that statue that were clearer.  When I showed them St. Paul, I said that he is holding a sword because he was killed with a sword.  The older one said, "Grandma!!! She's only six."

If they are upset because Paul was beheaded, what can I say about Jesus' crucifixion!!!

So I changed the subject to explaining the Mass.  I told them the Mass is the reenactment of Jesus' Last Supper.  Then I showed them Da Vinci's Last Supper.

Next was prayer. We tried to teach the 6-year-old how to bless herself.  It wasn't easy.  She kept skipping "The Son."  I told the big sister to help her every night.  

We finished by singing "Down in the River."

It took 20 minutes.  I worked days--Days, on this lesson plan and we completed it in 20 minutes.  But I won't be able to judge how it went until next week when we meet again.  I'll see how much they retained.  

As I was leaving I heard big sister say, "See, there was nothing to be afraid of."  This sentence made me reflect on the six year old.  What did she learn?  I'm not sure. I think she was confused; she didn't know what to think.  And now I know that she was nervous and afraid.  Poor kid.  No wonder she had such a terrible time learning to bless herself. May the good Lord help her and me.

Disposing of religious articles

Disposing of religious articles: Q. What is the proper way to dispose of the medals, rosaries, small crucifixes, etc., that many Catholic organizations mail out unsolicited? (I have enough of everything!) (Atlanta) Click on the blue link to read the article.



I would give your religious items to your pastor to dispose of reverently.  As to unsolicited items sent via mail, give them to a prison chaplain, a missionary order or someone who would love to distribute them.  Otherwise, do what the article advises.

Inevitable Grace

 Before I got into "Inevitable Grace," by Piero Ferrucci, I thought this book was about religion. Not really. It is about finding your true self, which very well is the fact that you are a wonderfully made child of God, but one doesn't have to be a believer to read this book. Ferrucci examines seven ways: beauty, action, illumination, dance and ritual, science, devotion, and will, to discover more about yourself.

The author looks at people we know, and looks into what made people what they were. Pablo Casals, the cellist is a good example. In a crisis, Casals went into a depression where all he saw was ugliness, selfishness, oppression, and violence. He hated life. Eventually, he saw that what he saw and felt was only a part of humanity. Music was a good part but not all. When he looked out at the audience he saw that all those people loved music, like himself. And they have to go out and live in our broken world. We are all brothers and sisters and we share misery and happiness. And his music, he hoped was helping.

Ferrucci gives many more examples. They are all noble stories and inspiring.

Pope calls for day of prayer, fasting for Lebanon

Pope calls for day of prayer, fasting for Lebanon: VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has asked Catholics and all people of goodwill to observe Sept. 4 as a day of prayer and fasting for Lebanon.

My Dream

 Today, I saw my brother standing                              

Next to our lovely mother.
Her dress was white and shining
brightly in the sun.

She called my brother with a glance,
and together they walked
hand and hand into the mist.
Now never have the chance
to say good-bye or to have a cry.

No, no, no.
They soared high up in the sky
I-I-I just have to watch
as the eagle flies,

No wings have I, only feet
to walk and run.
Don't look behind
just stare ahead and
bide my time.

by Boo-Boo