Worship committee assignments & Divine Mercy excitement on Laetare Sunday...

For a Monday morning, I'm in a really good mood. Most of it relates to Catholic stuff, which I'll get to in a moment, but I'll admit that part of it is the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and the beer Mike and I will be consuming Friday afternoon. :0 Every year, Mike hosts a March Madness pool, which is great fun though we don't watch basketball the remainder of the year. So I'm always a good sport and fill out a bracket. ;-) And this year, for the first time in the history of the Tournament, the University at Buffalo Bulls are making an appearance! They won the MAC, which is an automatic bid, and they're seeded 12th, slated to play West Virginia Friday at 2 pm. I'm taking the afternoon off, and much beer consumption and revelry will ensue. Looking forward. It's just a nice little pick-me-up for the spring.

But yesterday! So lovely. Laetare Sunday, halfway through Lent! No rose vestments at our parish this year, sadly. We do have a new priest, but I assumed vestments stayed with a parish, though perhaps I am wrong about that. Our previous priest had rose vestments that he wore on Gaudate and Laetare Sunday each year. Our new priest was wearing violet yesterday, which is the main liturgical color for Lent and the other option for Laetare Sunday in the absence of rose. Mass was absolutely beautiful, and when the kids and I went back to the sacristy afterward we saw Palm Sunday paraphernalia piling up back there. Oh!

SO EXCITED.

But back to the sacristy. There was a reason I was in there. Fr. Joe made an announcement about the Worship Committee and the upcoming first meeting. He asked those who had expressed an interest in volunteering to pick up a Sourcebook after Mass. Being the Type A eager beaver that I am, I discreetly stalked him after the closing hymn as the kids and I chatted with some of our new friends from the parish. When he paused near us to talk to the head of the music ministry about upcoming liturgies, I sensed my opportunity to pounce. As soon as he was done, he turned and found my smiling face. :0

He was pleased by my interest and went right back to get my book for me. A liturgy book, homework, I LOVE THIS STUFF!! The meeting is next week and I couldn't be more nerdily pleased.

In other exciting news, Pope Francis announced on Friday an upcoming extraordinary Jubilee Holy Year of Mercy. I live for this stuff, people. Holy Doors being opened, special THEMES, I mean. :0 This special year will begin on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2015, and run through the feast of Christ the King in late November, 2016. I was so happy to read about this, since I have a devotion to St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy. And with Divine Mercy Sunday quickly approaching, I had ordered a corresponding rosary to pray the novena with, since that starts each year on Good Friday. I mean, could the timing be more perfect? It arrived Saturday. Da da DA!

Rosaries by Allison

I'm dying to pray with it, but am saving it for the Divine Mercy novena. Which I'll post more about as Holy Week draws closer, so consider joining in! Lots to look forward to, to be sure.

How was your Laetare Sunday, dear reader?