Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

What a blast I'm having this week!  Omega is here, visiting.  We're having a grand time.  This week's posts reflect the thinks we've done and thought and talked about.  I'm going to link up with my fellow bloggers on This That And The Other Thing blog for more can read what I posted.  Click here to read more.

Monday:     Short story.

Tuesday:  Book review of a classic.

Wednesday:  Mary's story.

Thursday:  I still haven't found it.

Friday:   Dominican Sisters of Bethany fun.

Saturday:  Profession Day in my chapter.

How's your Advent going?

Litany of Mercy

My Lay Dominican Chapter held its Promise Day, today. Of course, we had Mass.  When it came time for the Prayer of the Faithful, my "cloistered brothers" prayed a Litany of Mercy.  I never heard this before and thought it was beautiful.  It was created for the beatification Mass for Blessed Jean Joseph Lataste, O.P.

Leader: Gracious and loving God, be present with your mercy in the house of Bethany, the house where everyone is welcome, an open house without bars.

With your love          ALL: be present here

Through your forgiveness          ALL: be present here

In your reconciliation            ALL: be present here

With your light            ALL: be present here

In your sympathy            ALL: be present here

With your fidelity            ALL: be present here

In human forbearance          ALL: be present here

That we may meet everyone with respect         ALL: help us good God

That we may accept everyone in hospitality         ALL: help us good God

That we may accept everyone with acceptance          ALL: help us good God

That we may not disturb the peace of others          ALL: help us good God

That we may meet everyone with discretion         ALL: help us good God

That we may grant the necessary silence to everyone         ALL: help us good God

That we may admit a thought to everyone in our prayer         ALL: help us good God

So that we may be light for the hopeless     ALL: open us up Oh Lord

That we may be light for the prisoners         ALL: open us up Oh Lord

That we may be light for the seeker          ALL: open us up Oh Lord

That we may be light for those in doubt          ALL: open us up Oh Lord

That we may be light for those in fear           ALL: open us up Oh Lord 

That we may be light for the distressed          ALL: open us up Oh Lord     

That we may be light for the homeless           ALL: open us up Oh Lord

Emotional security          ALL: Grant us, God

Fellowship          ALL: Grant us, God

Joy            ALL: Grant us, God

Diversity          ALL: Grant us, God

Togethernesss          ALL: Grant us, God

Community           ALL: Grant us, God

Creativity          ALL: Grant us, God

For your love          ALL: We thank you Lord

For our charism          ALL: We thank you Lord

For Bethany           ALL:  We thank you Lord

Games for the Temporary Professed

Sister Barbara asked for some English sentences, for a game.  Tomorrow is a celebration for professions.  Two novices will be making their temporary profession.  Sister plans to give the novices some sentences to translate.  The languages will be English, French and German.  I'm doing the English.  I'm going to sneak in some Latin, too.    What do you think?

The silence of a stupid man, looks like wisdom.


Speech is given to many, intelligence to few.


Nothing moves faster than gossip.


Don't whistle and drink at the same time.


An ugly vase doesn't break.


Community is being together--even when apart.


Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.


In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.


The harder you work, the luckier you get.


People forget how fast you did a job, but they remember how well you did it.

Latin

Fortunam citius reperias quam retineas.

Summum ius summa iniuria.

Nos in vitium credula turba sumus.

Falsum etiam est verum quod constituit superior.

Virtuti melius fortunae creditur.


Can you translate these?

Calling All Prayer Warriors

Help! I've lost my niece's passport and she is going to need it next week.  Pray.  Please.

Tony, Tony,
Please come down.                            
A passport's lost
And must be found.

Our Lady,
Undoer of knots,
Please untie the
mystery of where
I put that
passport.

It goes without repeating, that I ask all through Christ,
Our Lord.  Amen

St. George and the Chickens

My friend, Mary, told me an interesting story, today.  She was born in Kerala, India.  She was baptized in St. George's church.  St. George is honored in Kerala, and especially in this church.  They have festivals to celebrate St. George's slaying of the dragon.  In Kerala, since there are a lot of snakes, the snake is symbolized by the dragon.  They see St. George protecting the people against the snakes.  On the day of the festival, people bring their chickens to the church.  The chickens are auctioned off and the money goes to the church.

One year, Mary said she wasn't going to bother.  She didn't bring her chicks to the festival.  That night a snake came in and ate every single one of her chicks.

You better believe that she brought her chicks every year thereafter.

Kristin Lavransdatter

Kristin Lavransdatter III: The Cross
by
Sigrid Undset
Translated
by
Tiina Nunnally
Reviewed
by
Faith Flaherty

Kristin Lavransdatter is a trilogy of historical novels written by Sigrid Undset. This edition is a translation by Tiina Nunnally, which I found very understandable.  Notes are included for further explanation, in the back of the novel. 

The Cross is about the life of a Norwegian woman living in the fourteenth century.  The culture was completely foreign to me.  I found the customs fascinating. 

I was particularly interested in the fact that there seemed to be no capital punishment.  Two men were killed and the perpetrators weren’t arrested, thrown in prison and subjected to inhumane deaths.  Instead, they had to make restitution.  The details weren’t given, just that they had to give property and money to the victim’s family.  The perpetrators were worried that banishment may sometimes be required, as part of restitution.

Another cultural and historical fact that surprised me was that priests were married.  The priests’ wives, and children, and even their bastard children, were casually referred to as frequently as other villagers’ families.  It was as common as the hay in the fields.

I was also impressed by the people’s devout allegiance to their church.  They unquestionably believed their religion.  They would complain about this priest being lazy or stupid, but they had no doubt about the priest’s charisms when it came to celebrating the Mass, or other sacraments.  They prayed all day at prescribed times and used prayerful ejaculations.  They breathed faith.

The Norwegian medieval theology was curious.  Most people couldn’t read.  Only a couple of Kristen’s seven boys were interested in learning.  Otherwise, it wasn’t really necessary.  So the people couldn’t do research in St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, but they knew their faith and its practices.  Their prayer life, piety, work, and family life were all interwoven together.  Even when a group of ignorant men wanted to offer the human sacrifice of a child to satisfy an angry god, the people knew better.  This was a time of sickness.  The black plagued devastated the area, and people were desperate. 

The novel itself started with too many characters.  I had to write them down to keep them straight.  I wrote about two pages worth before I became too interested in the story to bother to stop and write down who was who.  From then on, Kristen and her family’s life took hold of me.  My life stopped and Kristen’s ruled.

Needless to say, I enjoyed the novel.  Kristen’s life was hard, yet so identifiable that one can easily relate.  Sigrid Undset tells a spell binding story with memorable characters.  I am still thinking about the book, even though I finished it weeks ago.  It definitely is a classic.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/simcha-fisher/i-cant-believe-you-havent-read-kristin-lavransdatter#ixzz3K2o9tbUQ

The Mensch on the Bench partners with the Elf on the Shelf

Today, the Elf woke up to being squashed between two big books on the bookshelf.  Every morning Elf wakes up in a different location.  It’s a hard life, but an important one.  Every Advent, Elf keeps an eye on the children, until Christmas.  It is Elf’s job to report to Santa Claus how the children are behaving.  And with this family of eight, oh wait, baby Dominic is a new addition this year, this family of nine children, Elf is kept very busy.

Yikes!  Hannah is shoving a chocolate into the baby’s mouth.  Whew.  Abraham to the rescue, he’s the oldest and the most responsible of the children.

Last night, the children set up the crèche.  And Abraham gave me the baby Jesus to hide, until Christmas.  Jesus wasn’t born until Christmas, so he’s not put in the crib, until then.

 

Mary and Catherine are setting up the menorah. Tonight, Dad will light the first candle, commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, at the time of the Maccabean Revolt.

It is interesting to observe this family celebrate both Christmas and Hanukah.  Dad is Jewish and Mom is Catholic.  Both religious traditions are observed in this family.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Oh NO!  Simon is making Judith and Aaron cry.  He’s a bit of a bully, but when Patrick comes to help Judith and Aaron, Simon back off.  Now, they all run off to supper.  Whatever happened, it’s over and forgotten.

The supper consists of potato latkes, which is a family favorite.  I also saw Mom working on a Buche de Noel, so I know what’s for dessert.  I just love this time of year.  It’s the first night of Hanukkah, so Dad will light the first candle.  Each child usually gets a little present for each day, but this year, I don’t have a clue what it is, and no one’s more observant than I.

Mmmm.  There is one present under the tree.  It could just possibly be one family present, like the year the first Hanukah gift was a toboggan for the family.  But this little-wrapped package is so small.  Maybe it’s a new dreidel?  But there’s nothing wrong with the old one.  Everyone loves playing with it.  I can’t wait for sundown and the first candle is lit.  The children are all excited.

Now the beautiful blessing is being prayed.  Dad lights the shamash and uses it to light the first candle.    I love it.  The children look so angelic and happy.  Did I tell you I love this stuff?

Ah!  It is that little present under the Christmas tree.  It’s … it’s what?  A funny teddy bear?  He’s wearing a prayer shawl, a beard, a soft black fedora, and a big, big smile.  He’s a mensch!

The children love him.  Dad explains that the Mensch is joining with me.  We both will be a team.  Now, I won’t be overworked and stressed.  I have a Mensch and he’s even winking at me. 

I don’t know what the kids think, but you know what I think?  I think Santa has given me an early Christmas present.  He’s given me a helper.  Together, Mensch and I have this family covered.                                                                                               Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah!