GOD AND COUNTRY (2012 MEMORIAL WEEKEND)

I am getting ready to attend the 9:00 a.m. Mass.  It is the only Mass schedule for today.  My husband is driving back to St. Louis from Detroit and he probably won't get home until 8:00 tonight.  I will be taking my sister to the airport for her flight back to Atlanta at 3:00 p.m.   We plan to go to a festival prior to heading to the airport.  We had a good time at the Lantern Festival and also at the Cardinals v. Phillies game last night.  I will be posting lots of photos taken this weekend in future posts.  (Please come back and visit often :) and I promise to share many interesting stories!)

I took the photo below a few months ago when I was asked to help at a 7:00 a.m. Mass.  I am not really a morning-person but I was glad I agreed to be there early because it was completely empty and spiritually beautiful.  People don't normally attend the early Mass and I had to get there 6:45 am to get ready so it felt as if it was just the Lord and me.  After we were done with setting up, I sat and waited.  It was my quiet time with God.  If you are a person of faith, you might share my appreciation of being in the presence of Christ.  On this Memorial Day, let's pray for peace and in rememberance of the men and women who gave their lives and those served and are serving our nation so we could enjoy freedom and liberty.  

LENTEN SEASON (2012)

"You are dust and to dust you shall return."
February 22nd was Ash Wednesday. Receiving ashes on the first day of Lent is a practice that dates back to the 5th century and by the 11th century was a universal Christian practice. In ancient times, many people used ashes for religious, magical and medical purposes. In the Old Testament, ashes were sprinkled on the head or over the whole body as a sign of mourning and penance. During the Reformation, most Protestant Churches eliminated the use of ashes. In recent years, however, many of these Churches have resumed the practice. Pope Urban II (c.1035-1099) is credited with recommending that Catholics receive ashes on Ash Wednesday.

As Catholics, the imposition of blessed ashes on our forehead on Ash Wednesday signifies the purification of our minds and hearts, which is the fruit of our Lenten observance of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. I pretty much was at church the whole day starting with 8:00 a.m. Mass, went back in the afternoon to help get the Lenten Supper ready to be served at 2:45 p.m. This was our first year providing Fasting Supper that included 4 kinds of homemade soups (Disclaimer: I had nothing to do with making the soups. I just helped serving the food), grilled cheese sandwich, salad and drink (lemonade and water). We requested donation only. Ash Wednesday (and Good Friday) are days of fasting and abstinence from meat. My husband stopped by after work and we had supper. I selected the clam chowder and CP had his favorite brocolli cheese. I continued to help until 6:45 p.m., just in time to join my husband for 7:00 p.m. Mass.

HE HAS RISEN

FOURTEENTH STATION - Jesus is laid in the tomb. (Matthew 27:59-60)

"O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live. You shall know then that I am the Lord. I have promised it, and I will do it, says the Lord" Ezechiel 37:12-14)

"He has risen. Behold the place where they laid him." (Mark 16:1-6)

GOOD FRIDAY

{Then Jesus took a cup, gave thanks and said, "Take this cup and share it among yourselves. I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until God's kingdom comes"} Luke 22:17-18

{Then Jesus took some bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to the apostles, saying, "This is my body, which I am giving for you. Do this to remember me." In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup and said, "This cup is the new agreement that God makes with His people. This new agreement begins with my blood which is poured out for you."} Luke 22:19-20

{Happy is the one who reads the words of God's message, and happy are the people who hear this message and do what is written in it. The time is near when all of this will happen.} Revelation 1:3

OUR SINS HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS

ELEVENTH STATION - Jesus is nailed to the Cross. (Luke 23:33-34)

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (John 19:18)

TWELFTH STATION - Jesus dies on the Cross. (Luke 23:44-46)

Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, "It is finished, Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Then bowing his head, he died. (John 19:30)

THIRTEENTH STATION - The body of Jesus is taken down from the Cross. (John 19:33-34, 38a)

LET THERE BE PEACE

I was very pleased to find the statue of St. Francis of Assisi right outside the Jewel Box. With so much turmoil in this world (and at times in my personal life), I thought the prayer below is so fitting. Let There Be Peace On Earth - The prayer of St. Francis of Assisi Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me; Let there be peace on Earth, the peace that was meant to be; With God as creator, family all are we; Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me -- let this be the moment now; With every breath I take, let this be my joyous vow: To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally; Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me.

Peace in the world, peace in the our homes and peace in our hearts!

OUR SORROW, OUR PAINS THE CROSS HE CARRIED

EIGHTH STATION - Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. (Luke 23:27-28)

NINTH STATION - Jesus falls a third time. (Psalm 118:25-28)

Jesus fell again in weakness; Stumbling as we do, to lead us; Through our sorrow and our pain.

TENTH STATION - Jesus is stripped of his clothes. (Matthew 27:34-35)

"They divided my clothes among them, and upon my garments they cast lots."

THE LITTLE CHURCH MOUSE IN THE JEWEL BOX

One of the 56 butterfly sculptures, part of the Wings in the City exhibit www.wingsinthecity.org, is on display at the Jewel Box in Forest Park. We have been living in St. Louis since 1995. We visited Forest Park on many occasions such as going to the annual hot air balloons race, to the museums or just driving around the park. Yet, last weekend was the first time we went inside the Jewel Box at Forest Park. From the outside, it has an appearance of a neglected greenhouse. Once inside, it is so beautiful and inviting. The place was set up ready for a wedding. We did not know that the Jewel Box was available for rental for special events.Ok, TOTA, what about the title "The little church mouse in the Jewel Box"? During the week of March 21 – 25, I went to Mass in the morning, then to work and then back to church with my husband for the Parish Mission. I just thought the title, “The little church mouse in the Jewel Box” was sort-of perfect for this post!My husband started calling me “a little church mouse” when I began going to 8:00 Mass on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Last week two Vincentian priests, twin brothers, visited our parish and presented a week long Parish Mission entitled “I Could Have Done More”. Starting Monday, March 21st thru Thursday, March 24th, at 7:00 p.m. each evening, the priests celebrated Mass with a homily focused on different theme for each night.The theme on Monday was our trust in God when we pray. The priest told a story about the people in a small town gathered to pray for rain during a drought. Almost all the town people came to the church, including a 10 years old boy named Billy. After an hour of praying, the Lord answered their prayers and the heavy rain began pouring. Little 10-year old Billy was the one person carried an umbrella. No one trusted in God like little Billy. They prayed but in their heart and mind, they were not true believers!On Tuesday, the theme was learning to rely on God’s wisdom and power. We are a “quick fix” people, always expecting instant relief. We need to remember that God acted in His own time, not according to our schedule. Forgiveness was the theme on Wednesday. Forgive those who offended us was sort-of easy, the hardest part was forgiving our own mistakes. We often are too harsh on ourselves to the point where we could not move on. The sacrament of reconciliation was offered after the Wednesday Mass. (On Wednesday evening, when the priest started reading the Gospel, I began to question whether he was reading the same Gospel from yesterday. Then I realized that I heard the same reading from the morning Mass. And I thought the priest was confused because of his old age. It was I that was confused!) Thursday was the last day of the Parish Mission. The theme was to have a peaceful mind and heart. To achieve a peaceful mind and heart, we must not only forgive those offended us but also pray for them. We also must not be vengeful (like saying, “I forgive you but I hope God will get you!”) This is the hardest part and I don’t know if I could ever achieve a peaceful mind and heart!

OUR WEAKNESSES THE HOLY CROSS HE CARRIED

Photos taken during our Westward adventure on Route 66 in July 2010. The structure, "the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ", built in 1995, south of I-40 Exit 112 on Highway 295 was the newest religious monument located in Groom, Texas. The complex also includes 14 statutes of the “Stations of the Cross”.

FIFTH STATION - Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry His cross (Mark 15:20-22)

SIXTH STATION - Veronica wipes the face of Jesus (Matthew 25:37-40)

SEVENTH STATION - Jesus falls the second time (Isaiah 53:4-6)

THE CROSS HE CARRIED

Photos taken during our Westward adventure on Route 66 in July 2010. The structure, "the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ", built in 1995, south of I-40 Exit 112 on Highway 295 was the newest religious monument located in Groom, Texas. The complex also includes 14 statutes of the “Stations of the Cross”. THIRD STATION - Jesus falls the first time (John 15:18-20)

FOURTH STATION: Jesus meets his afflicted mother (John 19:25-27)

2011 LENTEN SEASON

The Lenten Season began on Ash Wednesday, March 9th. Lent is a time of conversion and spiritual renewal. All faithful Christians are called to seek repentance, fasting, almsgiving and turning away from practices that might be sinful. Lent is the time of preparation for the celebration of the Easter mysteries.

I went to 8:00 a.m. Mass on Wednesday because there was a work-related function in the evening. I had a few errands to take care of in the afternoon but no one pointed out that I had “something” on my forehead!

I did not know about the earthquake in Japan and tsunami until after the 8:00 a.m. Mass on Friday morning (March 11th) when the lector asked for prayers for those affected by the disaster. Later, as I watched the sea overtook the land, it made me feel as if the world was really coming to the end.

After dinner, we went to church for prayer of the Stations of the Cross.
These photos were taken during our Westward adventure on Route 66 in July 2010. This giant cross stands just south of I-40 Exit 112 on Highway 295. The newest religious monument, built in 1995, is located in Groom, Texas, and called the “Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ”. At 190 foot tall (19 stories), it is billed as the “Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere”. The complex also includes statutes of the “Stations of the Cross”.

FIRST STATION – Jesus is condemned to death (Mark 14:61-64)

SECOND STATION – Jesus carries His cross (John 19:14-17)