On a Friday Afternoon…

April 13, 2012Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, Photographybluebells, candles, flowers, Garden of Gethsemane, OLGC, rollerblading, socks, statuesCadyLy

It was a nice, sunny, warm Friday after work, and I decided that I didn’t feel like getting stuck in stop-and-go traffic on the way home, so I tarried at Our Lady of Good Counsel for a bit.

My boss had given me her old pair of Rollerblades, and I’ve been keeping them in my trunk — you never know when you are going to have the opportunity to use them.

I parked the car in an unoccupied corner of the parking lot which looked relatively flat and popped open the trunk. I donned my new-to-me ‘blades and started skating around. I could only do 2-3 largish figure 8s around the car before I had to sit on the bumper and rest a bit, but it was a lot of fun!

As you can see, I haven’t yet gotten around to matching my socks and just grabbed the two which came closest to hand this morning:

At least this is the current fashion for the school kids and I can just pretend that I did it intentionally to be trendy. 🙂

After skating as long as I could, I still wasn’t quite ready to leave and walked around with my camera taking pictures of various things.

There were these cute little blue flowers.

I saw pictures of them on Google saying that these are bluebells, but I’m not sure… They’re very cute, whatever they are.

There were also these little berry things. I didn’t try to eat them. 🙂

And a small flowering tree in the “wooded area” between the parking lot and the Garden of Gethsemane.

Peter was still sleeping, so I didn’t try to wake him.

Instead, I looked around and found a cool little stripey rock:

I walked over by our Lord, and someone had placed roses by Him. Unfortunately, this put thorns right by His face.

I wasn’t too crazy about that. 😦

I prayed and lit a candle for my intentions:

I admired the oddly peeling bark of one of the trees:

I then visited the other side, where we have the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto. There was a bunch of new candles anxiously awaiting prayers:

Our Lady had flowering trees, too:

The Living Stones of OLGC:

I’m sure that I wouldn’t be able to pick out which one was my stone if it was held up in front of me. But… didn’t I take a photo of it before I put it in the pile? Hmm…

There’s a little nook by the front entrance with a bench. It’s a little odd, seeing as there are floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides of you, so everyone inside the church can see you sitting out there, but no one was around on a Friday afternoon, so I sat for a little while. See? I even saved you a seat! 🙂

While I was sitting there, I got to look at this statue. I think this is supposed to be Baby Jesus.

As you can see, I’m quite talented at amusing myself. 🙂 As soon as some joggers started down the driveway, I decided that I had stalled for long enough and headed home. It was a pleasant diversion from the daily drive. 🙂 I love Church!

How to Make an Easter Basket for Priests

April 7, 2012Holidays, Men, Tales of My Amazing PriestsCadyLy

Making an Easter basket for priests is a very involved process…. One to be undertaken only after serious prayer and reflection, with love, charity and God’s grace! 🙂

1. Start with a boy-colored basket.

2. Add boy-colored, non-sparkly Easter basket grass.

3. Add golf balls (or other sports-related items).

4. Add carrot shaped plastic Easter eggs, which will contain verses of Scripture and prayers.

5. CANDY! (In this case, Mary Janes becausewe are going retro)

6. More CANDY! (Again, retro lemon drops because I know they will get a boatload of chocolate)

7. Make sure everyone gets an identical serving. We don’t want any fighting, after all! 😉

Men’s Conference

April 2, 2012Presentations/TalksCadyLy

For all men, I am so jealous that you have something like this to go to! So, go! Go and be my spies! Go, and then tell me all about it!

God bless! 🙂

I Choose to Drink of Your Cup

March 31, 2012Lent, Of Trials Opportunities and Gifts, SacramentsCadyLy

The Called and Gifted workshop ended at 4 pm. Saturday Vigil Mass begins at 4 pm. There was no way that I could walk up the stairs from the Social Hall and not attend. I just couldn’t. Plus, I love Palm Sunday! Right before the homily, Fr. John exhorted us to pray that we give our imaginations and attention to God, so that we can truly take in what He would like to say to us today. He said that if we found ourselves lingering at a particular point during the retelling of the Lord’s Passion, that we are to stay there (since it’s probably the Holy Spirit’s work, right?) and not worry about “catching up” to where everyone else is. And to pay attention to this throughout Holy Week.

During the reading, I seemed to dwell on two images or points in the Gospel. The first was the image of the woman anointing the Lord’s head with the costly spikenard, and how this was a type of anointing for his burial.

3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 But there were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment thus wasted? 5 For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor.” And they reproached her. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you will, you can do good to them; but you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burying. — Mark 14:3-8.

The second was at the Lord’s Supper where, “he said to them, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,'” Mark 14:24.

Preparation for death and His cup.

As I am writing this, my mind is racing with all sorts of things related to this. But as I am to reflect upon this throughout Holy Week, I will take up some of those ideas at a later time and just relate what I was thinking during Mass, which has to do primarily with His cup.

The first thought was of the Father’s Will. Jesus said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt,” Mark 14:36. In so saying, Jesus is choosing to drink from the cup, if that is what the Father offers Him. Jesus chose to drink.

My second thought was of the disciples, squabbling about who among them would be “first,” and Jesus’ response: “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink…?” Mark 10:38. I take this to mean that by drinking His cup, you are asking to share in His Passion.

With both of these thoughts, it seemed to me that the Lord was asking me if I was willing to participate in Holy Week by sharing in His Passion. Would I drink from His cup?

The chalices on the altar called to me. My eyes were drawn to them. This was a serious question. There was only one way I felt I could respond, “I will, yet let not what I will, but what You will be done.”

I was sitting quite far back in the Church and thought that perhaps I wouldn’t actually get to make this choice. Perhaps the cup would pass me by (meaning that the Extraordinary Ministers would be all out of the Precious Blood by the time I got up there). I was actually worrying that this might be the case, because, for some odd reason, I wanted to do this! But God did not allow that to happen. When I got to the cup, there was more than enough for me.

So, I consumed His Blood and I united myself to whatever the Father had in store for me, whatever experience of the Lord’s Passion I am to have this week, with confidence, knowing that I would be bolstered by the Holy Spirit and loved by the entire Trinity throughout the week.

What, to all other eyes in the Church this afternoon, appeared to be just another parishioner receiving communion under both species … was probably the most important question and powerful decision that I have made so far during this Lent.

May I cooperate with His grace.

My Heart is in That Man

March 31, 2012Of Trials Opportunities and Gifts, Prayer/Prayer Requests, VocationCadyLy

It is rather a unique experience for me, but this man, for whom God has given me to pray and care, and by whom God has taught me so much about what it means to love another person (in a non-romantic way), has my heart.

I wrestle with this concept — I really do! On one hand, I keep questioning myself; is there something wrong with me? Is there something disordered here? Because I don’t want that. That would be “of me” and not “of God,” and I don’t want to have any part of something which is not “of God.” For His sake, my sake, and his sake. So, I triply denounce anything which is just my runaway emotions or imaginings.

But…

I don’t think this is disordered. I pray about it all the time. I discern myself and with my spiritual director, priest, and others. I think that it is just a unique way of loving which I am less familiar with, but with which God in increasingly making me familiar.

See, we are all meant to love outside of ourselves. We are all meant to see each other person as the most holy thing you will encounter with your senses outside of the Eucharist — Jesus Himself. We are all meant to pour our entire selves out for other people.

I know that I am an unfinished work, because although I am getting closer to understanding this with this one person, I don’t yet have this kind of love for ALL people. And I should. I really should.

I think it’s a process. Of softening my heart. Perhaps in a way, my heart was hardened. Oh, not in the sense that I was mean or uncaring for other people — that’s never been the case. But I think that I have been hurt before, and so I hide my heart within myself and only share parts of it with others.

For this one man, however, God has done something like take my heart outside of the place where I keep it hidden within me and placed it within him.

If this all sounds rather odd and unpolished, it’s because it is. These are new thoughts, and I’m hashing them all out here for you to see (and me to remember and be able to go back to later). What it comes from is from my experience last night. Whenever I’m around this person, I feel some sort of visceral connection. Like my senses are being tweaked. I’m kind of used to that by now. It helps me, I think, to “tune in.” Does he need more prayer than usual today? Does he seem sad, burdened, joyful? How can I help?

I was at that Called and Gifted workshop last night and he was there also. As I was leaving — driving away — I looked back at the place and the thought came to me (in a way different that my thinking it myself, if that makes any sense), “My heart is in that man.”

Last night, just before bed, I was reading from Peter Kreeft’s book, “Before I Go.” The last thing I read was “What Does ‘I Love You’ Mean?” He replies, “‘I love you’ means ‘I tie myself to you.'” I find this to be so true. I’ve written before about how I think that prayer binds you — in love, in Him — to another person. I think prayer is one of the most loving things you can do for another person. So, as I pray, I am binding myself, and I am loving. And I am finding that my heart is moving outside of me and is residing in others.

This morning, I woke up and continued reading. On the next page, he’s talking about family and another line jumped out at me. “So to give someone your time is to give him your life.”

A true gift of self. I am not my own. I belong to God. May I cooperate and go wherever He leads me, and continually seek after the pieces of my heart which He is placing in others.

7 Unrelated Issues of the Fryeday…

March 30, 20127 Quick Takes FridayCadyLy

— 1 —

Exhaustion. As I write this, this is foremost on my mind. I am exhausted. I got more than enough sleep; that’s not the issue. But I could totally sleep through the whole day. Unfortunately, it’s only lunch time, and I have lots of things to do, even after work.

— 2 —

This probably should have been #1, but tonight I get to go to the Called and Gifted Workshop! I’m so excited to discern what my gifts and charisms may be. My friend, John, lent me a binder outlining some of the things that we will be going over tonight and tomorrow. Tempted as I was, I did not take the assessment in the binder, and decided to wait for the workshop. It was tough, though! 🙂 I am really excited for this weekend!

— 3 —

Wii at Work! One of my coworkers brought in his Wii today. This is awesome! 🙂 I love my team! We have been playing Tecmo Bowl and F-Zero. Boy, it has been a long time since I’ve played F-Zero. I now suck at it! LOL! More practice is necessary. I suppose that means that I should look into getting a retro controller for my Wii and downloading the game.

— 4 —

Holy Week is coming up! I love this week! I’m so happy that I get to take Holy Thursday and Good Friday off! Palm Sunday is fun, too. I would have to say that I look forward to the Chrism Mass on Thursday morning, perhaps even more than Easter Mass. Why is this? For me, it seems to be more … personal … in a way. There is something about seeing hundreds of priests renewing their promises to the Archbishop, the diocese and to their particular parishes that catches my breath. It is truly beautiful. I hope to be able to escape the Washing of the Feet at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Thursday evening. The last event of Thursday is what I affectionately refer to as the Pub Crawl of the Altars of Repose. Every year, some friends and I have piled into a car (usually with snacks for the journey) and made our pilgrimage to 7 different churches to pray with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. I can’t wait!

— 5 —

Exhaustion … and nausea. I hate the nausea. But that means that I have redemptive suffering to offer! Today’s suffering will be for Wanda. Please join me in praying for healing for her and peace and comfort for her family.

— 6 —

This week, I have been spending a lot of time on Ancestry working on my family tree. It’s rather fun to do, and since both my mom and my dad’s ancestors were in colonists, there is a lot of documentation on the families. While this is fun, it certainly is also a LOT of work, not only in the massive amounts of data entry, but in sifting through some of the information available online to determine if the suggestions are plausible. Do any of you have any experience with geneology? Any suggestions? I have gotten to the point where some of the ancestors from my mom’s line are marrying into ancestors from my dad’s line (Incest?!? 😉 ) and on the online version of the software, there’s not a good way to reconcile people, so I think that I will have to buy the actual software program — just for that feature. 1,600 people and counting! 🙂

— 7 —

Irony of the Day. Yesterday, my co-worker had gotten 3 voicemails and an e-mail from the Red Cross, letting him know there was a crisis shortage of blood and that they needed to come in. So, of course this was on my mind when I arrived at church for Bible study and saw the Red Cross set up in the Davidson Center for donations. Even though I was already late, I figured that perhaps God wanted me to give blood today. After all, what are the chances that I’d have had this be a topic of conversation earlier in the day AND have had dinner just prior (so that *maybe* I wouldn’t pass out this time)?! I walk in and ask the girl where I start. She lets me know that they’ve stopped taking people for the day (even though there were still people filling out the initial questionnaire). They stopped taking people at 7 pm. It was seriously 7:02 pm. Guess it wasn’t *that* much of a crisis. 🙂 LOL! Either that or God thought that my time was better spent at the Bible study. And I can’t argue with that. 🙂

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Find Joy in Each Day

March 26, 2012Prayer/Prayer Requests, SacramentsCadyLy

Today was our Parish Reconciliation Service. I had tried to go to reconciliation on Friday at Christ the King, but they only have confession for 25 minutes prior to Mass, and there was a long line of people. It got to where I was the very next person to get into the confessional and I was started to really think that I’d get in. Alas, the woman in front of me took a long time and I wasn’t able to go. It’s so disappointing when that happens.

I try very hard to control my emotions, although they want to do things like make a sign right next to the one that says “Confessions will stop 5 minutes prior to Mass” which says, “This means you should confess your sins in number and kind and not try to justify them, for the sake of the people behind you in line who also need to be forgiven of their sins.” It doesn’t take that long to say, “I kicked a puppy three times, smacked my kid brother, was late for Mass every Sunday for the past 3 months and stole a pen from work.” 10 seconds. DONE.

So, I try to give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they haven’t been to Confession in a long time or are extremely shy? Maybe they do have a lot things to confess? Suppose something upsetting happened to them and they need extra counseling from the priest? With all that, you can’t be upset at the other people who were in line.

All of this comes and goes in a second. A moment’s irritation and then I am back to myself again. 🙂 But, it does leave me with the question of where I am going to get to go to Reconciliation. I was too sick on Saturday to do much of anything, and I know that Palm Sunday weekend is rather hit-or-miss for being able to catch confession. So, when I saw that we had the Parish Reconciliation Service, I knew that I had to go then.

I was the second person to see my priest. I was in and out quick (you’re welcome!) and my penance was to say a prayer, either from the liturgy aid or from somewhere else. I gathered my things and went from the church to the chapel, where — delightfully — the Eucharist was out for Adoration. I had looked in the bookshelf before entering the chapel for a book of prayers, but didn’t see any. I was going to grab a Bible and pray one of the psalms, but the Bible I was looking for wasn’t on the shelf. I thought that someone might have left it in the chapel and went in. Alas, no Bible in the pews. I sat down and looked through the things in my bag, looking for a prayer. (Doesn’t one usually search for the *answer* to a prayer?)

I came across my “Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa” book and opened to today, Monday of the 5th week of Lent. In the prayer section was, “Dear Lord, help us to find joy in each day no matter what is happening.” This reminded me of this weekend, which was arguably one of the roughest weekends, healthwise, that I have had in a long time.

Saturday started with me waking up screaming in pain from some major muscle cramping. Screaming. It was that bad. After that, I had some muscles in my upper back begin cramping up. They haven’t really subsided, even now. Ouchie. On top of that, I had a headache, dizziness, nausea, and a lot of chest pain. I slept most of the day, only waking up when a friend rang my doorbell for us to go see the play, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” at the seminary (which was *awesome*).

Sunday, I felt just as bad, except my back and shoulder had hurt so much, I hadn’t slept very well. But, it was a gorgeous and warm day, and I didn’t want to miss out on it, so I got ready for the day, packed up a bag with some books and headed out. I stopped at a friend’s house to see if she wanted to accompany me, but she had to work. I dropped her off and made my way to Cranbrook, where I had a lovely time reading among the various flowering trees. I picked her up from work a couple hours later and we spent some time at Manresa. I still felt pretty bad, but thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful, peaceful day that God had granted me. I was able to see, however, just how poorly I was doing, because even a slow meandering around outside was too much for me.

But, I persevered on. Went to Mass and the RCIA meeting where we had some pizza for dinner. Finally, I collapsed into bed, thankful for the wonderful day and the great people He placed in my life.

I think that joy is both a grace and a choice. God gives me joy, but I also choose to be happy. I choose to focus on the beauty and gifts and grace which I have been given. I choose to not get discouraged over my physical problems. I choose to live as best I can every day, even when the pain is great and the temptation to sleep away my days is lulling me to stay in the house. I choose to offer up my pain in the hope and expectation that God will be able to help someone else because of my cooperation. I choose to accept the joy he offers.

And every day, I get the chance to choose joy again.

Joe and the Coat

March 24, 2012Film & Theater, Sacred Heart Major SeminaryCadyLy

By Divine Providence, I was reminded of the annual play, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, taking place at Sacred Heart Major Seminary on the last day it was to be shown, and in time for me to actually catch it!

I called up April, and luckily she was able to come with me. It was a great production! And, we must have gotten the best night, since Archbishop Vigneron was also in attendance! 🙂

We got there in plenty of time, so I gave April an unofficial tour of the Seminary. We found all kinds of cool places there, which I will not recount here since we probably shouldn’t have been in some of them! 🙂

In the chapel, April took the opportunity to see what it felt like to sit on the presider’s chair:

Tell me that it’s not fun up there!

I didn’t take pictures during the play, since I was too busy enjoying it! It was wonderful and a lot of fun!

After the play, we went to Coldstone and got some Amazing Technicolor Dream Cream!
I picked cotton candy ice cream with raspberry sorbet, rainbow sprinkles and white chocolate chips:

Just look at these happy faces!

Oh the Things You Find…

March 24, 2012Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, MenCadyLy

I was in my garage looking for my A&P textbook this morning. I didn’t find it, but I *did* find “Principles of Gene Manipulation.” I took it inside the house and was flipping through it when I found a scrap of paper that I had apparently used as a bookmark.

Someone’s address on the USS Hancock. I have no idea how, where or when I met Jonathan. Now, I’m curious… So I pop onto Facebook and search for his name. No luck. I search Google — I know, it’s a long shot, but his last name doesn’t seem common so there’s a chance.

Well, I *did* find something. Apparently, he was married and his wife died while he was stationed in Iraq. 😦 How horrible! I can’t imagine that pain.

He has a profile up on one of the Veterans sites, stating that not only was he on the Hancock, but he was an Electrician’s Mate from NNPTC Orlando. So, he was a Nuke, like me. Did I know him in Nuke school? Did I meet him in Jacksonville? In Norfolk? Puerto Rico? Hawaii?

I’m still curious. I’d like to run into him again and catch up on things. 🙂 Fr. JJ always says there’s no such thing as a coincidence…. I wonder what this means…. 🙂

How Not to Wake Up

March 24, 2012Health and Medicine, Of Trials Opportunities and Gifts, Prayer/Prayer RequestsCadyLy

I believe there is a right way and a wrong way to wake up.

For example, screaming in pain. This is not the right way.

Unfortunately, this is how I woke up. I had a muscle cramp in my leg so bad, my entire limb was distorted. While screaming and trying to stretch it out — something to make it feel better — my thoughts were of earthquakes as I tried to determine the Richter number of this particular episode. The epicenter of this particular event seemed to be in my ankle and shooting up the lateral side of my calf.

“On fire” does not even begin to describe the feeling. Even through the screamy pain, I did unite my suffering to the cross for a particular person. You are going to have a fantastic day. You’re welcome! 🙂

In further achy news, my chronically tight and painful neck muscles have spread their misery to my surrounding upper back muscles. Way to share, guys.

Soon, it will be close enough to dawn to attempt a walk to the park to stretch these muscles out. Let’s all cheer. Neuromuscular disorder – yay.