Mary, Mother of the Church!! A New Feast!

Today is the new obligatory memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church. Don't you just love it?

The title Mother of the Church was given by Pope Paul VI in 1964.

But the obligatory memorial was instituted just this past March 3, 2018 by Pope Francis.

It will be celebrated the Monday after Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. How wonderfully appropriate.

The Feast is so new that the lectionaries, Magnificat, etc. do not even have the new readings for it.

The Gospel for this memorial is John 19: 25-31. It includes: "Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple who he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

To learn more about this new feast read HERE from ncronline.org.

Perhaps you are wondering why the photo of an old, inexpensive statue of Mary with two candles?
When I was quite young, my mother used to organize little May Crownings with the neighborhood kids. There were a lot of Catholic families in our neighborhood and we all carpooled to the local Catholic school, St. John the Baptist in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

These May crownings were for the children. We made the crown from little flowers in the yard. Our mothers would come to watch and help with the singing. There was a lot of giggling and no one got in trouble for being a child.

Anyway, the above photo is the statue we would crown. And  yes, the candles date back that far too. I am that ridiculously sentimental. I keep it above my sink where I can have the pleasure of looking at it every day and remembering.

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us!

A Happy Mother's Day

For mothers, Mothers Day is the day we celebrate our most important job on Earth, regardless of what other jobs we may have. I remember when my oldest son was born. I thought immediately that the event was so momentous that it made everything else in my life seem trivial, everything I had done before and everything I would ever do.

When you become a mother your heart expands exponentially. There is someone you would die for without hesitation. There is someone whose needs, at least for a great number of years, will always be more important than your own.

I had a lovely Mother's Day. My youngest daughter came home for the celebration!And helped make brunch with my husband. It was delicious. Eggs, gluten free pancakes, sausage- both link and patty, bacon, fruit....

My youngest son and his darling wife came over despite needing 

to be at a family Baptism, on Elle's side, in the afternoon where they were to be 

the godparents of newborn nephew Joseph!

My always busy son John was able to join us!! And even played the piano!!

The adoring aunts and godmothers of these two grandsons....Every woman there was a mother or godmother!

My youngest grandson Jude is the sweetest little guy. Always happy!

For a mom, the sweetest times are always spent with children and grandchildren. There just isn't anything better, is there? Even when the "children" are all adults the joy of just being in their presence is very difficult to describe. And the grandchildren....well, that is the subject of another post.

Bishop Robert Barron on Aspects of the Ascension

On this the traditional Feast of the Ascension Bishop Barron's thoughts on heaven and earth are especially appropriate.

The Ascension raises questions in our minds, does it not? Where is heaven? Is it up? We know it is not a physical place in the way we would normally think of a physical place. And yet we also know that Jesus in present in heaven, in His body. So how do we reconcile those two realities? Bishop Barron explains the mystery very well, with words that we know can only point to those realities that are beyond our understanding.

Cold Climates and the Development of Virtue...

When you live in Michigan it's very difficult to know exactly when Spring has started. We are always on our guard to not get too excited lest our enthusiasm be dashed by yet another frost...or even snow. This particular Spring has been long in coming.

Some say that living in Michigan, or any cold climate, builds character. I can see that could be true. Of course, to actually build that character, one has to take advantage of the opportunities.

In the dead of winter we must embrace endurance and sometimes even long-suffering. Feeling cold for months on end can be trying, to say the least. To drive on treacherous streets is sometimes terrifying, particularly when surrounded by Michigan drivers convinced that their driving is so skilled that there really is no need to slow down on icy roads. We must accept and embrace the fear. Instead of letting anger toward other drivers take a hold, we must take a step back and pray for their and our own safety.

When Spring starts to tease us (and believe me, it is always a tease in this state) we must learn patience. The first rather warmish day does not mean there can't be any more cold ones without our throwing a fit. Even the tenth warm day does not mean winter cannot put forth one more last gasp. We have to love the little snowdrops and crocuses, delighting in their beauty and fragile hardiness in the midst of the inevitable late frost. We have to resist complaining. Unless, of course, it's the light-hearted complaining to a neighbor or cashier, the grumbling that's accompanied by a smile or a chuckle that includes a certain affection for the state known for its fickle weather.

When finally, hopefully, Spring has truly arrived (fingers crossed) we must embrace gratitude for the loveliness of it all. We must notice every new bud, each new flower, the refreshingly warm breeze, the sunshine....all of it. Having lived in the black and white of yet another very long winter, let's rejoice in the colors, the new life, the amazing beauty of God's creation coming back to life.

Spring in Michigan means the glory of God is all over everything. And we have another new opportunity to praise Him, the Author of all life.

God is good. All the time. (In every season.)

Day Out With Thomas

Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan holds a fun event in the Spring called Day Out With Thomas. Anyone with little boys in their life knows how beloved the little tank engine Thomas is. My grandson is no exception.

The event includes a ride on Thomas. Here we are waiting to depart.

Sir Topham Hat is there and you can have your photos taken with him. There is an activity center with multiple tables where tracks can be arranged and Thomas and his friends pulled around. Children were very drawn to these activities. What is it about trains that so fascinates the young?

As I once watched a Thomas video with my grandson I wondered what is it about this series that so appeals to the children. I think there are a couple reasons. First, (but not most importantly) Thomas is adorable. That cute little face with the innocent smile. There is also a positive message in each episode. I think they tend to have one of two themes. Do your job and don't be a jerk. Children understand that. They are just learning to do what is expected and to behave.

Naturally we stopped at the gift shop...

Well, yeah!

There was also an opportunity to have your picture taken with Thomas. We missed that chance because of the line but had another on the way out.

But...great excitement. Off in the distance we spotted Thomas coming around again.

Blaise blew Thomas kisses as he waved good-bye.

It was adorable. What can I say.