Our Magnum Opus

March for Life 2012

Our parish youth group chartered a bus to take 36 teens and their chaperons to the March for Life in Washington DC.  They stopped for Mass at the gorgeous St. Paul's Cathedral in Pittsburgh.  They spent time in the Smithsonian, visited the monuments, and a Franciscan Monastery.  They attended the vigil Mass at the Basilica and the youth rally and Mass before the march.

And they marched.  For the babies.  For the sanctity of life.  The media ignores the march.  But Washington cannot, (in spite of the stealth technology employed by pro-lifers.) The official attendance estimate is 500,000. For 39 years this march has been growing and the marchers getting younger.  There are other marches for life around the country.  Our young warriors will never forget this trip and will go on fighting till Roe is overturned and every baby has a chance at life and love.

Kevin J. was there with Christendom College who led the march.  Alex and Monica were there with our youth group.  I have been going through hundreds of wonderful pictures trying to chronicle this experience for them.  I know it strengthened their faith and their resolve.  And they had a very good time.  :)

I do not have any pictures of Kevin, he is somewhere in the back of the Christendom crowd.  Being a true Catholic gentleman, he ignored his mother's directive to push and shove his way to the front  to get in the photo for blogging purposes.

I love this picture of the Hasidic Jewish Rabbis marching with the college kids.

The Youth Group

the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in Pittsburgh

Fr. Gerald leading prayers on the bus

heading into the monastery

So many beautiful pictures, the monastery should be a post by itself, but here is St. Francis.

Monica

Alex's group at the monuments.

Tebowing.  Alex is second from the left, you can tell by the big boats boots.

This is why I could let my kids go.  Better chaperons you will not find anywhere.  Even Fr. Gerald... as over protective as any parent!  All the adults spent plenty of time just counting kids.

the woman who deserves the credit for a great, safe trip, Miss R. the youth group director

Youth Rally before the March

This was taken at one of the Masses, not sure which one but I like the picture.  :)

on the metro

When you are from Old St. Patrick's parish, you wear shamrock scarves of course.

"I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born."

~Ronald Reagan

Pray, fast and fight for the preborn!  Love each other in Christian charity.

Next year the Washington DC March will be Friday January 25, 2013

_{I gathered photos willy nilly from all over (mostly friends) and could not possibly reconstruct to give proper photo credits, my apologies.}

 

Food for Thought

The younger crowd has been enjoying the delightful Catholic Children's Treasure Box series.  I have been reading two a day to them.  The text is simple and the pictures sweet, but those Maryknoll sisters knew what they were doing, there is a lot of religious instruction packed into these pages!  The kids favorite story is the on-going adventures of Wupsy the Guardian Angel.

I encouraged the big kids to read The Catholic Book of Character and Success but I guess it wasn't on their top ten.   Instead I have been typing pertinent bits and pieces culled from it and posting  where they'll read it.   These little gems, offered intermittently, seem to be more helpful to them.  They certainly are to me.

The building of character is a lifelong task.  It requires the exercise of unremitting effort and weariless patience.  It means rising up after falls, trying again after failures, never letting discouragement take hold of you.  It means honest thought, careful observation of yourself and others, self discipline and courage.  Yet all these things are possible while you are living your ordinary life, and they will bring with them the reward of the effort you make.   _{p. 147}

When It Gets This Cold

The morning temperature is 3 degrees right now.  Whenever it gets this cold I automatically feel gratitude that my father is retired.  He never owned or drove a car, my parents always lived in town and walked everywhere.  That meant that my father walked about two miles each way to work in all kinds of weather.  As a child I recall worrying terribly about him on days like today.  I'm sure he dressed in warm layers and mom sent him out after a warm breakfast but cold like this hurts and is dangerous.  I remember him returning home from work encrusted with snow and nearly frozen.  We would all swoop around him unraveling his scarf and feeling the snow spray over us.  I'm sure we were not very helpful.  LOL  Poor man. 

Steady and dependable, Dad rarely missed a day of work, rarely had a vacation and rarely complained.  He could not afford to strike, so he had to cross the picket lines one year.  They threw rocks at him.  They called my mother and threatened to wreck our car.  We didn't have a car but their threats were frightening none the less.

One year the business he worked for closed.  Dad was unemployed for a year.  Mom was newly pregnant. He supported us that year doing odd jobs and making folk instruments.  He took his dulcimers to the farmers market and folk festivals around the country.  We didn't lose our house but it was a lean, sometimes hungry,  year.  I remember eating a lot of oatmeal and beef.  Yes, beef.  My parents had just bought a side of beef before his job loss.  My mom stretched that beef out a looonnnng way. 

Dad became rather well known for his dulcimers.  I still remember lying in bed at night listening to those pleasent folks songs float through the house as he played.  I am glad he is safe and warm at home on cold days.  He still enjoys playing his folk instruments.

Planning Lent

Lent is over a month away but after all the Christmas celebrating, we are ready for simple.  Lent always seems to bring it's own trials and opportunities for penance yet it is still one of my favorite seasons in the Church.

We were in desperate need of pulling back from electronics and desserts so that has already happened. The last couple of years we gave up meat as our sacrifice and that was a good sacrifice!  But we are working on reducing our carbs and increasing high quality protein.  I just don't know how to do that without meat.  So we have not decided on what we are giving up yet. 

I do know what I want us to work on!

During Lent we will focus on the great heritage of the Traditional Latin Mass and traditional Catholic music.  Since this is not Kevin's or my heritage (we grew up on Kumbaya and burlap banners) it's a challenge.

To learn the Extraordinary Form (the Traditional Latin Mass) in a more orderly way, I hope to use The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass from Our Lady of Victory.  I ordered it but have not seen it yet.  Allison at Totus Tuus Family recomended the book in this post.

For our music, we will learn the Stabat Mater and there are enough verses to keep us busy all Lent.  I could not find an on line video to learn from, though there are many beautiful settings for this piece.  They are all just too difficult for our ability level.  Jonathan at Ictus made an mp3 of all the verses which is perfect!  I am so grateful to him for doing so.

Beautiful music.

Stabat mater dolorosa juxta Crucem lacrimosa, dum pendebat Filius. Cuyus animam gementem, contristatam et dolentem, pertransivit gladius. O quam tristis et afflicta fuit illa benedicta Mater Unigeniti. Quae moerebat et dolebat, Pia Mater cum videbat Nati poenas incliti. Quis est homo qui non fleret, Matrem Christi si videret in tanto supplicio? Quis non posset contristari, Christi Matrem contemplari dolentem cum Filio? Pro peccatis suae gentis vidit Jesum in tormentis et flagellis subditum. Vidit suum dulcem natum moriendo desolatum, dum emisit spiritum. Eia Mater, fons amoris, me sentire vim doloris fac, ut tecum lugeam. Fac ut ardeat cor meum in amando Christum Deum, ut sibi complaceam. Sancta mater, istud agas, crucifixi fige plagas cordi meo valide. Tui nati vulnerati, tam dignati pro me pati, poenas mecum divide. Fac me tecum pie flere, crucifixo condolere, donec ego vixero. Iuxta crucem tecum stare, et me tibi sociare in planctu desidero. Virgo virginum praeclara, mihi iam non sis amara: fac me tecum plangere. Fac ut portem Christi mortem, passionis fac consortem, et plagas recolere. Fac me plagis vulnerari, fac me cruce inebriari, et cruore Filii. Flammis ne urar succensus per te Virgo, sim defensus in die judicii Christe, cum sit hinc exire, da per matrem me venire ad palmam victoriae. Quando corpus morietur, fac ut animae donetur Paradisi gloria. Amen.		At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last. Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, All His bitter anguish bearing, Now at length the sword had pass'd. Oh, how sad and sore distress'd Was that Mother highly blest Of the sole-begotten One! Christ above in torment hangs; She beneath beholds the pangs Of her dying glorious Son. Is there one who would not weep, Whelm'd in miseries so deep Christ's dear Mother to behold? Can the human heart refrain From partaking in her pain, In that Mother's pain untold? Bruis'd, derided, curs'd, defil'd, She beheld her tender child All with bloody scourges rent. For the sins of His own nation, Saw Him hang in desolation, Till His spirit forth He sent. O thou Mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above; Make my heart with thine accord. Make me feel as thou hast felt; Make my soul to glow and melt With the love of Christ our Lord. Holy Mother! pierce me through; In my heart each wound renew Of my Saviour crucified. Let me share with thee His pain, Who for all my sins was slain, Who for me in torments died. Let me mingle tears with thee, Mourning Him who mourn'd for me, All the days that I may live. By the cross with thee to stay, There with thee to weep and pray, Is all I ask of thee to give. Virgin of all virgins best, Listen to my fond request Let me share thy grief divine. Let me, to my latest breath, In my body bear the death Of that dying Son of thine. Wounded with His every wound, Steep my soul till it hath swoon'd In His very blood away. Be to me, O Virgin, nigh, Lest in flames I burn and die, In His awful Judgment day. Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence, Be Thy Mother my defence, Be Thy cross my victory. While my body here decays, May my soul Thy goodness praise, Safe in Paradise with Thee. Amen.

Back and Forth

Kevin J. is headed back to college this morning.  He has been home three times since the fall semester began.  Each visit seems to go too fast.  He slips back into the family routine with ease and helps out with an adult maturity.  His friends are at the house often when he is home and there is usually a social function going on somewhere... basketball, movies, football, movie production, computer games that produce mom eye rolls...  Letting him go back is getting a little easier but he was home for Christmas a whole month... this time is tougher than I thought it would be.

All our teens have many 'away from home' activities that result in much coming and going.  All good opportunties that I am grateful they have.  It means an adjustment in mothering and how I view the home for them.  It isn't their world anymore.  It's homebase and I want it to be a pleasent, relaxing place.  A harbor where faith and family renew and strengthen them as they venture out into the ever widening world.

Kevin holding newborn Maria nearly 7 years ago

Kevin showing Dad around his college campus a few months ago

Warm Early January

Oh boy, I could get used to this!!  Michiganians for global warming!!  Temps in the 40's.  I think it was 50's yesterday.  I know snow will come, the roads will be bad, I hate driving in snow.  But right now we are enjoying this delightful blessing of mild temps in January.  Aunt Kari and Monica took the kids to the nature center.

Our local nature center is a habitat for injured animals who would not survive in the wild. They have indigenous animals from a bobcat to deer to birds.  They offer many classes, camps and teaching opportunities there but we are just down the road so we visit often.

 Mr. Bobcat

a one eyed (Red-tailed?) hawk

Dominic

 

Maria

Monica

Regina

Dom sketching something

Dom and Will making muscles

...in January... amazing...

 

 

More Christmas Kin

The Christmas celebration for Kevin's side of the family was hosted by Kari and Dave this year.  Fun times, wonderful party. _{(I am still playing with effects in iphoto.)}

Alex

Monica, Regina and Aunt Roxanne

Dominic is always ready to show his muscles

Aunt Kari and Uncle Bill

the Aunts: Kari, Roxanne and Bridget

opening gifts

Lydia

Kevin and Bridget

New Year Goals

They are not that lofty... it seems hopeful that I could manage to accomplish them...

1. paint the stairway and upstairs hall

• buy paint and roller covers
• assign job to big boys

2.  frame and hang the prints and photos collected for that purpose

• measure each item and keep an eye out for something already matted and framed at the thrift stores that I can re-purpose

 and/or

• using Micheal's coupons for matting and framing, do one a month

3.  make beeswax candles

• again with the coupons... beeswax, wicks, color, wax thermometer

4.  make Elizabeth's healing salve

• need the herbs, beeswax, essential oils, cheesecloth, vitamin E capsules and containers

5.  learn the Traditional Latin Mass (we have been attending once a month for over a year, but with little ones, I cannot hold a missal and my learning curve is steep)

• my plan is to hide away with a laptop after the younger kids are in bed and study from the the tutorials on the Sancta Missa website

I will try to update as I make progress!! 

will too...

 

 

Holy Mother of God

Today is the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. 

The solemnity of the Mother of God, which now coincides with the octave-day of Christmas and the beginning of the new year, was probably assigned this day because of the influence of the Byzantine Church, which celebrates the synapsis of the most holy Theotokos on December 26. This is in accordance with the Eastern practice of honoring secondary persons on the day after the feast of the principal personage (in this case, the birth of Christ).

_{text from EWTN}

It is also the New Year!  I have coughing, hacking little girls so the rest of the family is at Mass.  It's a rule that someone in the family must get sick over the Christmas octave.  Hopefully it won't last long.

We celebrated New Years Eve in our usual way with games, stomping on bubble wrap and a toast.  All done a few hours early to allow us to celebrate with the younger children before bed.  We end the celebration with a rosary for the repose of the soul of Grandma Galbraith (Kevin's mother) who died this night 16 years ago.

May your family have a very blessed 2012!

Christmas Kin

We hosted one of the family parties this year.   Lots of wonderful cousins for our younger children to play with!

my incredible parents

Monica gave her Godmother a pencil drawing of her son, Will.

the gift opening begins