Holy Spirit Friday, settle in for a short chat :)

TGIF everyone, and this being the Friday of Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., I have to say that I'm happier than I've ever been before about the long holiday weekend. I mean, I know that there aren't exactly a lot of places to go (though that is gradually easing; here it is easing a bit more slowly than in the rest of the country), and a big BBQ is not exactly in the plans, but there is still something inherently soothing about this particular weekend. It's a good time to reflect on a lot of things, and to enjoy your loved ones.

To that point, my biggest struggle in our current crisis is the way that it has led to our social interactions being significantly cut away. Despite being an introvert, I'm very social, and love talking to people! I'm grateful for modern technology that allows to chat virtually, but a screen does not replace actual human interaction. It's definitely taken a toll on me (and I expect most people) as we are well into our third month of managing all this.

This is a roundabout way of getting to the fact that I have felt very spiritually dry since this all began, and not being able to receive the sacraments certainly isn't helping. I was watching the streaming masses at first, and then...it's just not doing it for me. I mean, of course it isn't, nothing can replace receiving the Eucharist. But I know that many people enjoy the streaming masses. I just find it so difficult to concentrate on them, and next thing I know, mass is over, and all I can remember is the row I'm on in the shawl I'm currently knitting. It's a struggle, for sure. We're dispensed from attending mass, the streaming services are simply a way of trying to fill a gap right now, but for me, I'm finding that I need to fill the gap in other ways. My daily rosary is out the window since I'm barely in my car anymore (and you all know how I love to drive and pray the rosary), but I've been trying to focus on novenas more. They keep me centered and provide a sense of purpose in coming up with intentions for them and keeping track of the days.

I've also picked up my Great Adventure Bible and have been using the reading plan in the front to make a scripture study for myself each night before I go to sleep. There is a little spot to check passages off as you make your way through their recommended sections pertaining to salvation history, and though I don't get through an entire segment every night, within 3 nights I will, and so I check it off then. It'll take me longer than the suggested 3 months to make my way through the plan, but no biggie. If I read a chapter every single night, I am happy, and feel like I'm making positive progress towards a goal. This has been helping me A LOT. I'm really enjoying it.

So I'm doing the best that I can. It seems like public masses won't start back up in my diocese until late June or early July, so I just have to keep hanging in there. I'm mourning the loss of Anne's traditional springtime First Holy Communion (no word yet on that being rescheduled), and on Henry's altar serving days. The diocese has said that when masses resume, there will be no altar servers, and he was reaching that age when kids want to step down from doing it. This was probably going to be his last liturgical year. Those are small things, but with a lot of emotional resonance.

In the meantime, we have the Holy Spirit novena starting today, and I'm so glad that we'll be praying this one together! You can sign up with Pray More Novenas to receive the prayers in your email inbox each morning, which is how I'm praying it. I'll also paste the prayers for Day 1 down below. If you'd like to leave a comment with your intentions for the novena, we can all join you in praying for them!

Novena to the Holy Spirit - Day 1

Charity (tomorrow is Joy, we can all look forward to that! :-))

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us bow down in humility at the power and grandeur of the Holy Spirit. Let us worship the Holy Trinity and give glory today to the Paraclete, our Advocate.

Oh Holy Spirit, by Your power, Christ was raised from the dead to save us all. By Your grace, miracles are performed in Jesus’ name. By Your love, we are protected from evil.

And so, we ask with humility and a beggar’s heart for Your gift of Charity within us. The great charity of all the the host of Saints is only made possible by your power, Oh Divine Spirit. Increase in me, the virtue of charity that I may love as God loves with the selflessness of the Saints. Amen.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ Our Lord, Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pentecost novena upcoming!

After considering some ideas based on my call out for novena submissions last week ;-) I decided to highlight the Pentecost novena! The timing on this is quite perfect, as it will start next Friday May 22nd, and run through May 30th - the feast of Pentecost is May 31st! I'm excited! I even have a Pentecost rosary all lined up  for it, hee hee. It's bright orange with a Holy Spirit centerpiece. 👼

So! What we'll do is that next Friday I'll put up a post with the prayers to begin the novena. I'll also feature a Holy Spirit themed post (of some kind, I'll figure the specifics during the week) and everyone can chime in with their novena intentions and Holy Spirit moments. :-)

I love praying community novenas! It cheers me up so much. So I'm looking forward to this. Be compiling your Holy Spirit reflections for use next Friday, yay. See everyone then!

*vitual hug*

I finally don't look like Death, Pentecost novena update, and a new podcast in my queue!

AHHHHHHH... I'm back at work, and finally feeling like myself again. Which is to say that my hair is brushed AND straightened, and I have actual, real clothes on! As opposed to my sick uniform of yoga pants and old tee shirt, that is. We all slept well last night too, which goes a long way, friends.

I had Anne at the pediatrician yesterday, and do you want to know what he said after he had a look at her? And remember, this is the hacking, vomiting, irritable child of the past 4 days:

"She has seasonal allergies."

"ARE YOU SURE?!"

That would be me, tactfully replying. We had both just been so incredibly miserable it seemed to me that a diagnosis of seasonal allergies would make me feel like a total wuss.

"Yeah, it's the worst I've ever seen it this year. It has to do with the bitter winter we had. The grass and tree pollen all started at the same time, rather than being staggered throughout the spring like usual."

*glares!*

We can blame this bitter winter of 2015 for yet one more indignity to my life. He prescribed some allergy medication for Anne, and I popped a Zyrtec when I got home. And well...

SO MUCH BETTER. I mean, I had the fever rash and everything, I was pretty convinced that I had the Plague. I still got a few throat tickles in the middle of the night:

*Tiffany awakens with a start*

*coughs all over Mike*

...but all in all, it was MUCH better than it's been. Well, for me anyway. ;-) We postponed our family birthday dinner for Anne until we were both feeling better, and that's tonight, so I'm excited!

In the mean time, I've been hard at prayer with the Pentecost novena, which we're on day 6 of:

...and it's been a really nice one so far. How's it going for you? I will talk about this more in my next video post, which I hope to have out tomorrow!

Finally, I wanted to mention a new podcast that I starting subscribing to, as I did a lot of podcast listening during my two days off this week as well. Remember when I wrote back in the fall about how much I loved Serial? Well, I now subscribe to Serial's cousin, Undisclosed. Most of the podcasts I listen to are Catholic, but I like to mix it up with some of the secular persuasion as well. :) I used to listen to This American Life, and that is a *great* podcast, to be sure, but the experience was so varied for me each week. Some weeks I was gripped by the content, others were very good and educational, some were "just ok" for me, and yet others I didn't like at all. And my podcast queue is pretty full, so I just don't have room for something that isn't right on target for me each week. Serial and Undisclosed are different from This American Life in that they are both solely true crime/legal podcasts, and I *always* find those fascinating. If you've never listened to either of these, and would like to start, I would suggest going back and listening to all of the season 1 Serial episodes first, since Undisclosed really assumes that you have done so. I think the content would be very confusing if you haven't. This is my third week of listening, and I'm glad that I picked it up. It's a nice balance to the other podcasts that I listen to. Does anyone else listen to Undisclosed? What do you think of it?

All right, that's it for this Wednesday. I hope to see you all tomorrow in my video post. Talk to you then!

Really excited about my new video series, & Pentecost novena starts tomorrow!

Hi all! My week has gone very well, and thus I am in good spirits. I am SUPER excited about the video post I did, and plan to do again in the weeks to come, but let me circle back to that. First, I wanted to say that I'll be praying the Pentecost novena, which starts TOMORROW:

*Holy Spirit descends!*

...and I created a page with a link to the prayers if you'd like to join in. Please consider doing so! This novena will run today through next Saturday, May 23rd, the vigil of Pentecost Sunday. I love praying novenas that lead right up to the specific feast. Makes me feel all liturgical and nerdily Catholic.

*adjusts glasses*

So I hope that you're praying along with me! In other news, the video post series is suddenly all I can think about. I really, *really* enjoyed doing that, and I have gotten a boatload of positive feedback on it, both here in the comments and elsewhere in the social media sphere. So my goal is definitely weekly video posts! I'm certain weeks will come up wherein I won't be able to do them, but aim high, right? The only rub is a pleasing recording time/setting. If I'm at home, we have:

"MOMMY! Henry's *bothering me* again! And...oh, what are you doing, Mommy? Are you taking a picture? CAN I BE IN THE PICTURE MOMMY?!"

That would be cute exactly one time. After that, it would just be exhausting. For everybody.

The other option is at work, and that is fantabulous (that's another Tiffany word, right there *officially coined!*) except when my office neighbors are also there. We are lucky enough to have private offices here, but I've met note cards that were thicker than the walls in here. And I don't think you want to hear all about the doctor appointments and other various and sundry things I learn about my office neighbors any more than I do. So, the location piece of the puzzle is still to be worked out. But I *will* work it out. And for this reason they will almost certainly not be posted on the same day every week. I'll just make them when I have the right environment in which to do them.

But I DO have a few things finalized with regard to the video series. I do have a title. And a graphic.

*squeals!*

And so, ta DA!

Did you ever?! I LOVE IT.  So whenever you see that, you know that a video post will follow. What I'm thinking is that these will be short conversations between you and I, while I have morning tea. And you have your tea, or coffee, or whatever your beverage of choice is. Time wise, they will always be under 10 minutes (I will shoot for 5-7 minutes). And the topics will vary each week, just as they always do on this blog, but I'll always let you know the topic up front. It'll be whatever is on my mind that particular week. Could be faith stuff, librarian stuff, amusing dance stories, books, or a current event in the news. And I'll include a saint or other devotion at the end, whatever I'm feeling that week as especially inspiring. Sound good?

Excitement abounds, yes? How is your week going?

Pentecost Sunday...

Happy Monday everyone! I'm back at work after a perfectly lovely Pentecost Sunday. It was an overcast day, one with a cool summer breeze that make you very happy to nestle inside. 

Anne really likes going to Mass these days, she's always anxious to go, but Henry is still difficult to get motivated. He likes going up to communion, but we have a lot of work to do with getting him engaged in the liturgy. Ever since his First Communion preparation though, he *has* been doing much better with following along in his missal. That's a definite improvement. I love looking over and seeing his little brow furrowed as he flips to the appropriate passages, so sweet.

So we packed up and headed out, me sacrificing myself by letting the children pick the music that we listened to on the ride to our parish. I had a big bag of clothes that Anne has outgrown to pop into the donation bin in the parking lot, and Henry always fields this task. He does a great job at hoisting the bag into the bin and getting it to fall through in one attempt. My attempts are not nearly so elegant or successful.

We get into the church, and I made sure to point out the red banners and vestments to the kids, explaining that they were just for Pentecost. Anne was wide eyed, Henry looked noncommittal. :)

We all enjoyed the special Sequence that the congregation sings on Pentecost, and Anne happily pointed out that the fountain in place on the altar for Easter was still present. I wistfully told her that this would be it's last week, since we officially go back to Ordinary Time after Pentecost Sunday, all the way to Advent. *sob*

Both kids were very well behaved for Mass. Henry looks adorable when he processes up for communion, hands folded prayerfully. Anne has even started walking on her own in the communion line so that my hands are freed up to receive from the chalice as well.

After Mass, I remarked to Mike what a lovely Easter season it was. A lot of my Lent was very spiritually dry, but I had a hall-of-fame Holy Week, and the Easter season that followed has been very fruitful. May, in particular, resonated with me this year. Likely because I had a child receiving a sacrament this May, I really reveled in Catholic sacramental season, and noticed the other associated traditions. The May Crowning, ordinations to the priesthood and diaconate, rosary processions. All so special.

Later in the day, as we were home preparing for a Sunday dinner with my mom, it started raining. An absolutely fabulous, perfectly cool summer rain. I was so glad to be home and thinking about Pentecost Sunday, and upcoming Ordinary Time. There are still so many riches to be had there, and I'm looking forward to exploring them with you. :)

How was your Pentecost Sunday? Leave me a comment!

* Photo from Holymusic55 on Photobucket

The comfort of liturgy

I sense that this will be a multi-post day :) so stay tuned for some belly dance talk if you enjoy that sort of thing. But it's been a tough couple of days and I wanted to write a bit about that first.

Death is one of those situations in which we take comfort in ritual and being in the presence of others, of our community. And ritual doesn't just involve a religious ceremony. The "wake" process always struck me as being a death ritual that many people find great comfort in. Having the deceased laid out for us to pay our respects to and pray in front of their mortal remains, leaving flowers, gathering together to talk and support each other, processing to the cemetery, etc.

And as a Catholic, I obviously find great sacredness, joy, and comfort in religious ritual and liturgy. It struck me anew yesterday at the funeral, which was at a Christian church of a decidedly non-liturgical bent. We sang some hymns, the pastor presented a sermon, the associate pastor read some scripture. All of these are very good things, things that Catholics do too, of course. :) I just find such great comfort in the standard words and pace of the Mass, in physical sacramentals like holy water and incense, in the presence of holy reminders like icons, statutes, candles and stained glass, in the Eucharist. Everything feels empty to me without the Eucharist, but I understand that not everybody believes as I do.

I'm certain plenty of non-Catholics feel uncomfortable in a Catholic worship experience, so it goes both ways. But I did miss my Catholic "stuff" yesterday quite a bit. This church, though, was very welcoming and the pastors very kind.

We're all still incredibly sad but glad to have the formal events behind us since those do suck the life right out of you. I found out about Michael's death this past Sunday morning, right before I went to Mass for the feast of Pentecost. To be honest, I didn't really feel like going anywhere after I found out, but I knew that Mass would be soothing, and it was. As I reflected on the death of someone that I loved, I realized that someone was being baptized during the Mass. Not an infant, but a young girl of maybe 13. She had on a beautiful white dress, it was so lovely. So it was a full circle sort of day. Someone had died, but there is also life, and where there is life, there is hope.

After Mass Henry and I lit a 7 day vigil candle for Michael. Henry's dream is always lighting a candle after Mass, and he was thrilled to be able to get "the big one." I appreciated having him there with me.

Novena to the Holy Spirit and a few liturgy musings...

Me again. :) I found a great site for the Holy Spirit novena that is slated to begin tomorrow and continue to Pentecost. This is a site that not only includes the prayers, but will email them to you each day so that you won't forget. I'm signed up. :)

In other news, I attended Mass this afternoon for the Feast of the Ascension like I mentioned, and I was left pondering something: what is the best way to address things that happen in Mass that go against Church law/rubrics? It wasn't like anything major happened at Mass today, but I did notice a few things, and then I kind of berated myself for noticing them. I should just be focusing on the Mass and the Eucharist, I told myself. But I can't help but notice such things. I'm not accustomed to seeing them, I guess I've been very lucky at the parishes that I've attended. But this was the Newman Center at the university I work at, and I get the feeling things are a bit more loosey goosey there. :)

I don't really think one *can* do much, unless it's something really egregious, which this wasn't. I don't want to sit there being "judgey" but on the other hand I don't think it's unreasonable to want the liturgy celebrated in the proscribed manner. It's all very curious.

Anybody have any wisdom to share?