What's a Sinner

My granddaughter and I were listening to my playlist.  There's a song entitled, "When I went down to the River to Pray."  I sing it and she joins in.  Each stanza calls out to different people, "Hey Sisters come on down, come on down to the river to pray."  The next stanza calls out to brothers.  There's also fathers and mothers.  It ends with "Hey Sinners come on down, come on down to the river to pray."

I was asked, "Who's Sinners?"

"We are.  Everyone is."

"Huh?"

I tried to explain.  We all tell lies.  We all disobey our parents.  We all are mean at times.  We hurt people.  These are called sins.  We who do these naughty things are called "sinners."  So we all need to pray.

There was no response.

The Catechism 402-421explains sin--why, how, and what.

 Maybe I should have told her about concupiscence?

Worse than Cooties

The hiking group had fun yesterday.  We came across a turtle.  I thought I'd help him get closer to the water, so I picked him up and carried him down to a brook and place him on the muddy shore.  On the way down, he peed in my hand.  Then everyone ran away from me crying out, "Ugh! turtle pee! turtle pee!"

Later on, we came across a dead bird, on our path.  For some reason, John, one of the hikers, feel moved to pick him up and place him under some leaves, away from the path.  But I didn't want him to even touch the dead bird.  Why would a bird die like that?  He looked like a young robin.  So I cried out, "Ugh! diseased bird! diseased bird!"

And everyone forgot about the turtle pee.

Linda to Lin

The time period drew me in.  Tricia Dower, the author of Becoming Lin, placed her story in the 60’s.  That’s exactly my era.  I was right there.  What the main character, Lin, went through, I did also.

 Lin was born Linda Wise.  Once she left home and got married her name changed.  She became Lin Brunson.  She matures and becomes her own person—not the Wise’s daughter—and not Pastor Ron’s wife.  But her own person, not an attachment to someone else.  Again, I can identify.  Because of a mistake in filling out my college application, my first and middle name got mixed up.  I welcomed the opportunity to shed my “different/stand-out/comment inviting,” first name, to a common one. 

I sympathized and emphasized with so much, in this story.  The Vietnam War, the protests, the new bride, the new mother—all these roles, I lived.  Of course, however, Becoming Lin was about Linda Wise’s maturation into Lin Brunson.  Her story was not mine and I had to stop living Lin and let her go. 

That was Lin’s husband’s problem.  He had to let go.  He was a good guy but a control freak.  He actually had a hutzpah to get a vasectomy with discussing it with his wife.  That was the first red flag.  Every nice thing he did after that made me suspicious.  Although Lin’s “separation” from him was interesting.  And compared to Lin’s friends’ experiences with men, Ron was an excellent husband.

I won’t spoil the ending for you, but I will tell you that it’s not a Disneyland ending.  But it is the perfect ending. 

The problem was that Lin got married too young.  She needed to mature into her own person.  That’s the novel’s plot.  The author made it real.  Her characterization is solid.  Her descriptive setting is well drawn.  It really is an excellent book.

I did receive this book to review but my opinions are my true feelings.

The blog tour's official site is:
http://becominglinblogtour.blogspot.com

Tricia Dower's Web Site: 
http://triciadower.com/

Tricia Dower's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/tricia.dower

Tricia Dower's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TriciaDower

Tricia Dower's Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1302018.Tricia_Dower

Tricia Dower's Blog:
http://triciadower.com/silent-girl-speaks/

Becoming Lin Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28481693-becoming-lin

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Becoming Lin blog tour site:
http://becominglinblogtour.blogspot.com

Prices/Formats: $12.99 ebook, $22.95 paperback
Genre: Women's Fiction, Historical, Coming of Age
Pages: 240
Release: March 20, 2017
Publisher: Caitlin Press
ISBN: 9781987915075

Amazon buy link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K10Q71O?&tag=tributebooks-20

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Midpoint Trade buy link:
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Two Icons

I was looking at an icon of Our Lady of the Gates of Dawn and thought I was looking at the icon of Our Lady of Siluva.  I was wondering where Jesus was.  So I did a bit of googling.  They are two separate icons.

Our Lady of Siluva is also called Our Lady of Lithuania. She appeared in 1608 to Protestants.  The story is remarkable.  Go to Our Lady of Siluva site to see the history.

Our Lady of the Gates of Dawn tells the story of a beloved painting.  In 1702 the city of Vilnius was attacked by the Swedes.  At dawn, the heavy iron city gate fell on top of the invaders, killing four Sweedish soldiers.  This rallied the Lithuanian army and they defended their city.  Hence, devotion to the icon grew.

Our Lady of the Gates of Dawn

Niccolo di Toldo of Perugia

Panel of Francesco Messina‘s 1962 monument to St. Catherine of Siena outside Rome’s Castel Sant’Angelo.

Who is Niccolo di Toldo of Perugia?  He is the prisoner whom St. Catherine of Siena befriended.  He wasn't particularly religious.  He was also a bit of a drunk, who happened to talk against the ruling government in Siena.  They had no freedom of speech.  And for that, he was sentenced to be executed!  Yes, his head chopped off for mouthing off when he was drunk!

And we think our justice system is unfair!

Brutal, cruel, and very unfair, but this was the reality of the times.  Niccolo was furious at the injustice of it all.  He was going to his death hating God, the Church, and man.  He would have nothing to do with the priests who came to prepare him for death.  But he did agree to see Catherine.  Maybe he was just curious to see this celebrity, because she was one, in her time iand place.  Maybe because of her reputed miracles.  Maybe because he had heard how she got the pope to move back to Rome.  But see her he did.

We know the story of his conversion from Catherine's letters.  She describes God's grace.  They bonded.  They became close.  Catherine promised never to leave him.  She was there to catch his head when he was executed.  She didn't move.  His blood drenched her. She remained in that very spot in calm prayer, content to know that Niccolo was with Jesus.

The Gazebo on the Common

The Gazebo on the Common

There’s no doubt, it’s a focal point.
Children fly to it like a magnet,
spinning and stretching out toes.
A stage, a wondrous world
of prima ballerinas and dancers.

Children picnic under its roof.
Parents spread out on the grass,
under the shade of leafy trees.
No one sits with the statues,
so aloof with their sad weapons.

Incongruous isn’t it?
A place where children romp,
parents relax and dream,
also harbors bronze soldiers,
machine guns, rifles, and flags.

Think deeper.
The soldiers answered a call
to keep these children dancing
without a care, and parents
 savoring every moment.

Can I donate my body to science?

Can I donate my body to science?: is an article in The Pilot by Father Tad Pacholezyk.  The answer is yes.  But make sure you know what's going to happen to it. You don't want your body desecrated.  After its research needs are completed, you would want your body buried in a respectful manner.  You may have a grave site and stone designated and waiting for your remains.

You have to take into consideration the sensibilities of your family. Are they OK with the idea.  There are a few more concerns that the article mentions.

Personally, about a month ago, I went to the funeral mass of my friend's mother.  There was no coffin at the mass.  There was a table with her mom's picture on it.  The mass was the usual funeral mass.  It was an especially beautiful mass because the music was chosen AND sung by the granddaughters.  Of course, the readings were chosen and read by her children.  The only thing different was the absence of the coffin.