Blessed Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe to you!

I will let Archbishop Dolan talk about this, he always does a good job...A War For Women

We're having fun making tilmas for today and some buns for tomorrow (more on that later) and, it's just come to my attention that there is a play tonight and I am in charge of refreshments!

Good thing the audience was only promised popcorn and water ;0)

I wish you all a happy Feast of Our Lady. What a wonderful way for me to round out my 44th year (yes, tomorrow is my birthday!)

Advent...waiting "patiently"

This was the year it was going to be different. I got all the cards out right after Thanksgiving (yours is coming, Lisa...I put "Michigan" instead of "PA" Sorry ;op) and I bought all the gifts. They were even wrapped before the first candle was lit (who knew that I would receive grandmother's gifts via Amazon, unwrapped? Grrr). Anyway, the point is, I was done.

Being done would allow me all this time to be prayerfully waiting with my family for the Birth of Our Lord. Within these walls, that is what we've been trying to do; for the most part anyway. Outside, however, the pressure to rush into Christmas seems even more extreme than usual. I know it's probably the Dark One tempting my peace into annoyance. I'm doing my best.

I read this yesterday The Annual Advent Argument. It would seem that even Cardinal Dolan is trying to strike a balance while admitting that social pressure is sometimes unrelenting. I've thought and prayed and looked for a solution.

This is how it looks now:

A lovely-smelling but still bare tree and a stocking for Jesus. The stocking is being used to hold our "good deeds", offered to Jesus as a birthday gift. Each time one (or many of us) does something extra good, extra nice, or without any whining, it is written on a slip and put into the stocking. The kids have really gotten into this, even the 2-year-old.

The reindeer, by the way, is a Christmas card holder, brought into the marriage by my beloved. I could live without it but, what can you do? There are non-negotiables in marriage.

St. Nicholas visited us yesterday. That is another conundrum. Is St. Nicholas also Santa Claus? If so, does he come once or twice? Our line is that St. Nicholas inspired many other people, including Santa, to want to be loving and giving in order to celebrate the joy of Jesus's birth.

He only comes once to this house (we don't sign presents from Santa). The stockings are to hold goodies that, along with the gifts, come from mom, dad, and the relatives who, like Santa, want to share in the joy. Is it already causing problems? Some (#2 child). Still, they're not as troubled as if, say, they were still attending Catholic school where the Breakfast with Santa was held last weekend. That is a rant for another time. Or, maybe, they're teaching the whole St. Nicholas connection too. Who knows?

I know this is rambling. I've warned you about that before. I guess my ultimate goal is, like Cardinal Dolan suggests, a little bit each day with the biggest celebration on Christmas, the birthday of Jesus.

This week we will bring out the mangers and begin reading the Christmas Story. Then the carols and learning about the songs and how they relate to the season. Perhaps some lights on the tree (the relatives arrive next Friday). Ornaments to celebrate Gaudete Sunday. Stockings and everything else the last few days. Gifts, as always, don't arrive until Christmas Eve.

We'll see. Life is one big experiment. Ultimately we pray about it and do what we hope is pleasing to Him.

Wishing you a Blessed Feast of the Immaculate Conception (yes, it's a Holy Day of Obligation). Stop reading and get yourself to Mass ;0)

Some light reading...

I'm trying to figure out exactly what these people want. The end of civilization (through contraception)? Or simply to control every aspect of our lives (while taking the control away from the parents)?

Obamacare Begins Child Sterilization, Without Parental Consent (this is just so ridiculous, I still feel like it has to be made up.)

Tragic and misguided (and you thought eugenics ended with Margaret Sanger)

Delaware passes anti-spanking bill (Yes, for the record, I am against spanking anyone under 3. My problem with this is that, again, it's so far-reaching, it's just crazy. I get kind of spooked when someone can "interpret" a law to suit their agenda. Unless I'm wrong, we already have laws against child abuse.)

No kneeling while you protest... (is this not in the mainstream news because it's made up or because it is that troubling?)

The whole "Catholic" thing...

I have been trying to keep up with Cardinal Dolan (while wondering about his invitations to certain dinner parties - not going to rant on that right now) and I ran across this article : Evangelizing Amid Sobering Statistics  Permit me to wonder aloud about a few things...

First, Cardinal Dolan doesn't really address the "lapsed Catholics" who still consider themselves "part of the family." I, however, need some answers. Can you explain this to me? I'm starting to feel like we need a "Catholic church Alumni Association". You know, for those people who don't really want to be part of the organization anymore but still like to bring it up in conversation sometimes. Heck, maybe they'll even go to "homecoming" every few years and make a donation once in a while. Those who, for whatever reason (do you have one?), don't want to follow the teaching but still want the Sacraments and want the freedom to label themselves "Catholic" when the situation presents itself.

I promise you, this is not a rant. I really, truly, would like to know why this is. I am a practicing Catholic. I fail at that...often. However, at the end of the day, I do think I try the very best I can to educate myself about my religion so that I can follow it to the best of my ability while also passing it on to my children. It's not easy. It's very often not fun. It's almost always counter-cultural. Why would you want to paint a target on your back (especially these days) if you're not going to get the full grace and benefit from walking the walk? There are sooooo many other religions out there. We won't make you stay if you really want to be elsewhere.

Second, this kind of astounds me:

"But I wonder if another group is most somber of all: this is the big percent that tell us they left the Church not so much because of any particular beef with Catholicism or because they found another congregation more tantalizing, but because they do not see the need for any religion at all!
These are the ones who claim that they believe but could care less about belonging. They’re 'spiritual' but not religious, they tell us."

So, let me work this through my tiny brain. These Catholics have left the Church, not for any specific reason (like pedophiles or women's ordination) , but because they aren't really religious at all. They don't want to belong. Wow. I would have liked to talk to some of the people who answered in this manner. You're telling me that you read the news every day and your best plan is to go it alone? Why are we so much about individualism in this culture? Why do we think we can solve all the problems by ourselves? Why are the incidence of depression and feelings of isolation so high when we all have 500 friends on Facebook? (please note the above comment...I'm not saying that everyone will choose to be Catholic but, goodness, don't you want a family somewhere?)

As you can see, I have no answers. It's just so troubling to me to think that society has changed so much and that so many people think it's better now. I look at my childhood and the society in which I am raising my children and I tend to disagree.

And now I'm off to bed to listen to the thunderstorm. Better than therapy and so much cheaper!

Wishing you a blessed 4th

Because I can't say it any better...

Happy Dependence Day!!!