The more I read about the new pope, the more I love him. He cracks jokes. He prays at Marian shrines. He hurried out to the balcony right after he was elected when others wanted him to delay because it was raining and he didn't want to keep the people outside waiting. He rides the bus rather than go in a private car. He pays his own hotel bill.
HE IS ADORABLE.
So far, so good. I think we got a good one. I really believe that Pope Francis was the Holy Spirit's choice.
I'm terribly excited for his installation Mass coming up Tuesday. In the mean time, I have a LOT of crocheting to do to prepare for Easter. Sigh. I always take too much on. This year, I did well for Christmas, but I overextended for Easter. Henry's crab is almost done, but I want to make Anne a chick which I haven't even started yet. I'm also still working on spring birthday gifts and a shrug that I want to wear on Easter day.
Mewing.
I have all next week, then it's Holy Week (!) so I *should* get everything done. I hope.
This weekend, we're going to do a nice St. Patrick's Day meal on Sunday and make a green cake. It should be a good one. And I'm staying riveted to EWTN watching new pope coverage.
Life is good.
Showing posts with label papal succession. Show all posts
Showing posts with label papal succession. Show all posts
Friday, March 15, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
I'm a John Paul II Generation Catholic: the papacy in the life of your Catholic Librarian
Last night I couldn't sleep very well. It's been like that for several nights now. I wake and think about what time it is in Rome (5 hours ahead of me) and what is going on there. Last night, I was thinking that the sweet new pope was likely not getting a wink of shut eye. How could you after the evening he had? You'd be on an adrenaline high for days.
Anyway, I then started thinking about how the papacy has played out over the course of my life, and if you're interested, here it is:
When I was born, Paul VI was still pope, though I do not remember him. The infamous "birth control encyclical pope," interestingly enough. I was 3 years old when he died, and this my friends, was a crucial point in the life of the Church. The original Pope John Paul was elected, and 33 days later he died. At the time, that had to seem jarring. Why did the Holy Spirit lead the cardinals to select someone who would die so soon thereafter? Well, it seems very clear to me. :) If that hadn't happened, we would never have gotten John Paul II. Because of John Paul I's death, the cardinal electors were suddenly open to somebody young and non-Italian, a completely different direction for the papacy. Somebody who could lead the Church for a long time with his youth and vitality, his strong intellect and sense of morality in a time when society's morals were getting much looser . And the whole world was changed as a result.
There will never be another John Paul II. My husband characterized him last night as "a superstar." He was a pope for the ages. I got emotional thinking about him again last night. It's hard to believe that he's been gone for 8 years already. He was the pope of my childhood, young adulthood, and entry into mature adult life. I do not think of myself as being in "Generation X;" I am a John Paul II generation girl.
I was devastated when he died. I remember watching his funeral, the period of mourning. During that Conclave, I was of course extremely interested in how it would come out, but I was not involved like I was yesterday. I was still mourning John Paul II and couldn't fathom anybody else as pope. When the Conclave started, I was watching for news, but I didn't feel a part of things. I remember being on the reference desk on the second day of the Conclave. A colleague came out to tell me that she heard there was a new pope. Desperate for news, I navigated to one of the big news sites. I read that there had been white smoke. Then a patron came to the desk.
%&*!
Not only did a patron come to the desk, she wanted me to help her interpret a chemistry reference source that was in German.
*long suffering sigh*
I remember being in the reference stacks with her, feeling like I had ants in my pants because I wanted so badly to get back to the desk and check the news. Finally, I was freed. I went right to CNN's web site.
Ratzinger!! I remember feeling triumphant. So many people were saying the "Church needs to change, yadda, yadda" thing, like they always do, and I was happy that we had a pope who clearly would keep with John Paul II's vision. It was jarring to see him in the papal vestments, but it felt right. It was like I was shocked and yet not surprised at the same time. It just made so much sense.
The years passed. Then we came to his resignation. And the first Conclave of the social media generation. I kept up with everything via my podcasts and Facebook, and then Twitter (which I have come to love over the past 2 days; Facebook has been annoying me for a long time, and Twitter has a totally different feel).
Yesterday, I was watching the chimney cam. I was keeping up minute-by-minute with Twitter. I saw the white smoke *live* the instant it appeared above the Sistine Chapel. I shared it with my sisters, who both live in different states from me. It was wonderful.
I was hopping up and down in my seat waiting for the announcement and for the new pope to come out onto the balcony. I saw the bands come into St. Peter's Square and play the anthem. I didn't see ANY of that before.
When the announcement came, I missed it because my Vatican Radio video feed had frozen due to overuse. When I tuned back in, all I could hear was Latin that I couldn't even come close to interpreting since I came in right in the middle. But I was immediately brought up to speed by my sister and Twitter.
An Argentine! A Jesuit! Taking a name never before used by a pope, Francis!
I LOVED.
And I *adored* his first speech and blessing, so sweet! He seems very humble, very serene, VERY prayerful. He asked for *our* prayers and extended his blessing to those watching over television and Internet. I was impressed.
And I learned that this morning he was up early, bright eyed and bushy tailed, go go pray at the basilica of St. Mary Major and ask for her intercession for the people of Rome. I just love this guy.
I've been watching some beautiful coverage on EWTN, thank the good Lord for saving me from the secular media. I do watch secular coverage as well, but it's nice to have an alternative. EWTN had on a documentary about the papacy the other night that was awesome. It would have been even better if I could *hear* it without Henry talking through it, but you can't have everything I suppose.
Oh! And I'm reading an ebook right now that I'm adoring. It's Jimmy Akin's Pope Names. Granted, we now have a pope that chose a unique name, but I'm still fascinated. And it's only $2.99 for Kindle, a bargain. He discusses the history of pope's taking new names and trends in the names they choose. Good stuff.
Anyway, back to our pope. I'm very excited for his installation Mass, which I hear will be this coming Tuesday, March 19th, the feast of St. Joseph. And I'm SO excited that we will have him for all of the Holy Week and Easter liturgies. God is good!
Anyway, I then started thinking about how the papacy has played out over the course of my life, and if you're interested, here it is:
When I was born, Paul VI was still pope, though I do not remember him. The infamous "birth control encyclical pope," interestingly enough. I was 3 years old when he died, and this my friends, was a crucial point in the life of the Church. The original Pope John Paul was elected, and 33 days later he died. At the time, that had to seem jarring. Why did the Holy Spirit lead the cardinals to select someone who would die so soon thereafter? Well, it seems very clear to me. :) If that hadn't happened, we would never have gotten John Paul II. Because of John Paul I's death, the cardinal electors were suddenly open to somebody young and non-Italian, a completely different direction for the papacy. Somebody who could lead the Church for a long time with his youth and vitality, his strong intellect and sense of morality in a time when society's morals were getting much looser . And the whole world was changed as a result.
There will never be another John Paul II. My husband characterized him last night as "a superstar." He was a pope for the ages. I got emotional thinking about him again last night. It's hard to believe that he's been gone for 8 years already. He was the pope of my childhood, young adulthood, and entry into mature adult life. I do not think of myself as being in "Generation X;" I am a John Paul II generation girl.
I was devastated when he died. I remember watching his funeral, the period of mourning. During that Conclave, I was of course extremely interested in how it would come out, but I was not involved like I was yesterday. I was still mourning John Paul II and couldn't fathom anybody else as pope. When the Conclave started, I was watching for news, but I didn't feel a part of things. I remember being on the reference desk on the second day of the Conclave. A colleague came out to tell me that she heard there was a new pope. Desperate for news, I navigated to one of the big news sites. I read that there had been white smoke. Then a patron came to the desk.
%&*!
Not only did a patron come to the desk, she wanted me to help her interpret a chemistry reference source that was in German.
*long suffering sigh*
I remember being in the reference stacks with her, feeling like I had ants in my pants because I wanted so badly to get back to the desk and check the news. Finally, I was freed. I went right to CNN's web site.
Ratzinger!! I remember feeling triumphant. So many people were saying the "Church needs to change, yadda, yadda" thing, like they always do, and I was happy that we had a pope who clearly would keep with John Paul II's vision. It was jarring to see him in the papal vestments, but it felt right. It was like I was shocked and yet not surprised at the same time. It just made so much sense.
The years passed. Then we came to his resignation. And the first Conclave of the social media generation. I kept up with everything via my podcasts and Facebook, and then Twitter (which I have come to love over the past 2 days; Facebook has been annoying me for a long time, and Twitter has a totally different feel).
Yesterday, I was watching the chimney cam. I was keeping up minute-by-minute with Twitter. I saw the white smoke *live* the instant it appeared above the Sistine Chapel. I shared it with my sisters, who both live in different states from me. It was wonderful.
I was hopping up and down in my seat waiting for the announcement and for the new pope to come out onto the balcony. I saw the bands come into St. Peter's Square and play the anthem. I didn't see ANY of that before.
When the announcement came, I missed it because my Vatican Radio video feed had frozen due to overuse. When I tuned back in, all I could hear was Latin that I couldn't even come close to interpreting since I came in right in the middle. But I was immediately brought up to speed by my sister and Twitter.
An Argentine! A Jesuit! Taking a name never before used by a pope, Francis!
I LOVED.
And I *adored* his first speech and blessing, so sweet! He seems very humble, very serene, VERY prayerful. He asked for *our* prayers and extended his blessing to those watching over television and Internet. I was impressed.
And I learned that this morning he was up early, bright eyed and bushy tailed, go go pray at the basilica of St. Mary Major and ask for her intercession for the people of Rome. I just love this guy.
I've been watching some beautiful coverage on EWTN, thank the good Lord for saving me from the secular media. I do watch secular coverage as well, but it's nice to have an alternative. EWTN had on a documentary about the papacy the other night that was awesome. It would have been even better if I could *hear* it without Henry talking through it, but you can't have everything I suppose.
Oh! And I'm reading an ebook right now that I'm adoring. It's Jimmy Akin's Pope Names. Granted, we now have a pope that chose a unique name, but I'm still fascinated. And it's only $2.99 for Kindle, a bargain. He discusses the history of pope's taking new names and trends in the names they choose. Good stuff.
Anyway, back to our pope. I'm very excited for his installation Mass, which I hear will be this coming Tuesday, March 19th, the feast of St. Joseph. And I'm SO excited that we will have him for all of the Holy Week and Easter liturgies. God is good!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
I'm overwhelmed
If this is how I feel, I can't even imagine how the new pope feels.
Wow. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Buenos Aires, now Pope Francis. The first Jesuit pope in history.
I got tears in my eyes when I first spotted him on the balcony, after saying several *very bad* words because my feed had just frozen. I will have you know that I recovered quickly from my free fall into panic mode. How could my feed freeze THEN?!
My first impression: he seems very humble and prayerful. From popular surmise, he is very doctrinally orthodox. He's older than I thought he would be, but that's no matter.
I like him very much. It's hard to compare anybody to my beloved John Paul II, but I have a good feeling about this pope. A very good feeling.
Wow. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Buenos Aires, now Pope Francis. The first Jesuit pope in history.
I got tears in my eyes when I first spotted him on the balcony, after saying several *very bad* words because my feed had just frozen. I will have you know that I recovered quickly from my free fall into panic mode. How could my feed freeze THEN?!
My first impression: he seems very humble and prayerful. From popular surmise, he is very doctrinally orthodox. He's older than I thought he would be, but that's no matter.
I like him very much. It's hard to compare anybody to my beloved John Paul II, but I have a good feeling about this pope. A very good feeling.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Big day
Today is the BIG DAY. I know that it is highly unlikely that a new pope will be elected today, but I'm super excited all the same since it is the official beginning of the Conclave. I love that my campus is on spring break so I have lots of extra time to stalk the places via which I'll be monitoring coverage. So, what am I doing?
(1) Keeping up with that precious Fr. Roderick. His Twitter handle is @FatherRoderick and I follow him on Facebook. As well, I'm awaiting each installment of his Catholic Insider podcast with baited breath.
(2) Apparently, #HabemusPapam is the hashtag to search for on Twitter to keep up on minute-by-minute coverage. There is also a #Conclave hashtag.
(3) I am also now following @Raymond Arroyo now (from EWTN) and @ConclaveChimney. Isn't that just the cutest thing? The first Tweet I saw from the chimney read "Guys, I'm stuck up here on this roof..." I just about died laughing. He's re-Tweeting some good stuff.
(4) I'm keeping my eyes peeled on the Vatican's web site, which does has a live stream of St. Peter's Square. I'm hoping that they will have a "chimney cam" going once the cardinals begin voting.
I don't have a Smartphone, but for those that do, I know there is that fabulous new Pope App, and for once, I'm very jealous of those that have access to this.
I'm just trying to keep up and trying to stay prayerful. As soon as something happens, I'll be on here chattering about it.
I'M SO EXCITED I CAN HARDLY STAND IT.
(1) Keeping up with that precious Fr. Roderick. His Twitter handle is @FatherRoderick and I follow him on Facebook. As well, I'm awaiting each installment of his Catholic Insider podcast with baited breath.
(2) Apparently, #HabemusPapam is the hashtag to search for on Twitter to keep up on minute-by-minute coverage. There is also a #Conclave hashtag.
(3) I am also now following @Raymond Arroyo now (from EWTN) and @ConclaveChimney. Isn't that just the cutest thing? The first Tweet I saw from the chimney read "Guys, I'm stuck up here on this roof..." I just about died laughing. He's re-Tweeting some good stuff.
(4) I'm keeping my eyes peeled on the Vatican's web site, which does has a live stream of St. Peter's Square. I'm hoping that they will have a "chimney cam" going once the cardinals begin voting.
I don't have a Smartphone, but for those that do, I know there is that fabulous new Pope App, and for once, I'm very jealous of those that have access to this.
I'm just trying to keep up and trying to stay prayerful. As soon as something happens, I'll be on here chattering about it.
I'M SO EXCITED I CAN HARDLY STAND IT.
Friday, March 8, 2013
CONCLAVE! And, Henry's first confession
I got the breaking news while I was on the reference desk that the Conclave has been officially set to begin on Tuesday. I immediately wanted to navigate over here to this blog, but imagine this, I was commandeered by an absolute *onslaught* of panicking students needing things to take home with them over spring break. That and a community patron who had an index card full of chicken scratch that he wanted me to painstakingly interpret with him for about 30 minutes.
*long suffering sigh*
I was *dying* to read the Catholic news and get to my blog. So here I am. What a perfect week, spring break! Things will be quieter at work and I can stalk Sistine Chapel chimney web cams and pertinent Twitter feeds. SO EXCITED.
In related Catholic news, tomorrow Henry receives the Sacrament of Reconciliation
for the first time. :) Mike and I are both accompanying him to the church, and
we're taking him out for lunch afterwards.
He already has his new rosary that I got him partly in
commemoration of this event, I gave them to him on the eve of Lent so that he
could pray with them each night and so far we've made every single night except
when I'm out of the house at his bedtime, usually Friday night belly dance
class. He's been very cute about it. His Act of Contrition is all memorized and
we've talked about the how-to's and why's of confession several times. We even
looked at a confessional together one day after Mass.
He still seems a bit nervous about the whole thing, and
insists that the teacher told him at "confession practice" that they
had to use the face-to-face side, not the screen, which I find somewhat hard to
believe, but we'll see tomorrow I suppose. The kids are apparently also
presenting an opening program in which they sing a few sacred songs, a piece of
the puzzle that Henry is not very happy about.
"I can't sing good, Mommy."
Well, neither can I, so I sympathize with that. Our
family is not blessed with vocal abilities.
So, it's a very nice occasion and I'm looking forward to
it. It's the first sacrament either of our children will have received other
than baptism. I wish they still did First Communion in second grade, like when
I was a little girl, but that's changed, at least in this diocese. We made our
first confession right aorund now, like Henry is, but then we did First
Communion right in May of the same year. Henry won't make his First Communion
until a year from May. A pity. It's actually tough to bring him with me in the
communion line now because he looks old enough to receive and the Extraordinary
Ministers of Holy Communion keep trying to give it to him. I have to intervene
each time. :)
So, a big sacrament day for Henry tomorrow. I'm just
hoping to have a restful and non-tantrum filled weekend. Yes, that would be
referring to Anne not myself, but I confess that sometimes in the middle of the
night I have weak moments. Last night was epic, but I'm actually in a pretty
good mood despite that. We'll get there.
Next week is going to be major. Let us all catch our breath now.
Next week is going to be major. Let us all catch our breath now.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Distracting myself while we await the conclave...
It was an emotional weekend for me, as I'm sure it was for all of you. I listened to a bunch of podcasts as I went about errands from The Catholic Insider, aka Fr. Roderick (I just adore him). I subscribe to The Break, one of his other shows, and have for some time, but I just discovered The Catholic Insider. And I loved listening to him reporting in right from St. Peter's Square on Thursday, it made me feel like I was there and a part of everything as well. I'm anxiously awaiting more installments as this historic story unfolds.
I'm poring over the newspaper each morning and constantly sticking my nose in my Facebook news feed eagerly awaiting more information, but in the meantime I've been distracting myself with marathon crafting sessions. Easter is approaching, and in case you didn't already know this (snort!), this is my most inspired crafting time of the year. Did you know that March is National Crochet Month? Well. Now you know. :)
Henry and I were at JoAnn's yesterday for their Coupon Commotion to gather some supplies and away I went. I've got a whole horde of secret birthday gifts tucked into my at-home knitting bag that I'm very excited about, photos to be revealed at a later date. I'm also working on stuff for the kids' Easter baskets.
Henry has been asking me to make him a stuffed crab since Christmas, so I'm working on that now for him. Anne is getting a little crocheted chick. I also want to make Anne an Easter sweater, we'll see if that happens or not, time dependent. I also just ordered Anne a set of saint peg dolls from Cam's shop, because she loves hers that I got her for Christmas. She will be getting the Our Lady of Fatima collection complete with all 3 children. I have an Amazon order planned for my next pay period with books for both kids and a movie for Henry.
I have found that I love crocheting toys. I don't mind knitting them as well, but crochet is my absolute favorite for this. The projects are cute, quick and easy. In case we need inspiration, this is the chick that I'm going to be making:
I just love Easter.
BTW, I love this designer's work. This chick is a free pattern on Ravelry and on her blog. She also offers a Thanksgiving turkey, a bluebird, and a puppy for free. I bought her wolf pattern and am eyeing up a teddy bear and a bunny. Her patterns are well written, detailed (with lots of instructions on assembly, something that can be woefully lacking in other amigurumi patterns) and adorable. I've been having a great time with them. When I'm not obsessing about the papacy. You know how that goes.
I'm poring over the newspaper each morning and constantly sticking my nose in my Facebook news feed eagerly awaiting more information, but in the meantime I've been distracting myself with marathon crafting sessions. Easter is approaching, and in case you didn't already know this (snort!), this is my most inspired crafting time of the year. Did you know that March is National Crochet Month? Well. Now you know. :)
Henry and I were at JoAnn's yesterday for their Coupon Commotion to gather some supplies and away I went. I've got a whole horde of secret birthday gifts tucked into my at-home knitting bag that I'm very excited about, photos to be revealed at a later date. I'm also working on stuff for the kids' Easter baskets.
Henry has been asking me to make him a stuffed crab since Christmas, so I'm working on that now for him. Anne is getting a little crocheted chick. I also want to make Anne an Easter sweater, we'll see if that happens or not, time dependent. I also just ordered Anne a set of saint peg dolls from Cam's shop, because she loves hers that I got her for Christmas. She will be getting the Our Lady of Fatima collection complete with all 3 children. I have an Amazon order planned for my next pay period with books for both kids and a movie for Henry.
I have found that I love crocheting toys. I don't mind knitting them as well, but crochet is my absolute favorite for this. The projects are cute, quick and easy. In case we need inspiration, this is the chick that I'm going to be making:
I just love Easter.
BTW, I love this designer's work. This chick is a free pattern on Ravelry and on her blog. She also offers a Thanksgiving turkey, a bluebird, and a puppy for free. I bought her wolf pattern and am eyeing up a teddy bear and a bunny. Her patterns are well written, detailed (with lots of instructions on assembly, something that can be woefully lacking in other amigurumi patterns) and adorable. I've been having a great time with them. When I'm not obsessing about the papacy. You know how that goes.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Bereft
I wasn't prepared for how awful I felt watching Pope Benedict's helicopter fly out over Rome yesterday. It wasn't yet 2 pm EST, so I wasn't expecting it, and the emptiness that I felt startled me.
I remember Blessed John Paul's final illness and death like it was yesterday. I was about 8 weeks pregnant with Henry, which was a great comfort to me, and of course we had all known that John Paul's death was coming. Although Paul VI was pope when I was born, he and John Paul I died when I was far too young to remember. So, John Paul II was the only pope that I'd ever known, and I LOVED him. I mean, LOVED him. It was the great goal of my life to meet him in person, and I was never able to. Mike and I do have a papal blessing from him when we married 3 months prior to his death, which is of course very special to us.
So, John Paul II's long decline was hard on me, but it just seemed to me like he would live forever. It just didn't seem possible for me to imagine the Church without him. But toward the end there I could see the writing on the wall, and I prepared myself. The new life growing within me felt even more poignant as John Paul passed away.
I remember the mourning period, the funeral, the conclave. I still felt numb. And when Benedict was elected, I was thrilled, because I knew how close he was to John Paul, and I felt confident in his ability to lead the Church.
Now, with his resignation, it all feels so different. I'm glad that he's still here with us, praying for us all. But him stepping down feels very jarring to me, and having the Church without a pope really scares me.
I hear that Monday the cardinals will meet to set a date for the conclave, that'll be good. I remember the last interregnum and this one feels both the same and different, if that makes any sense. It's so strange, it's so exciting, it's so sad, all in one.
I hope that we have a new pope soon, and that he is spectacular. I keep reading in the newspaper about how "Pope Benedict leaves a church in crisis, his successor will have so much to deal with." Well yes, but isn't that always the case? Is the Church (indeed, the world) ever NOT in crisis in some form or another? I think that the media is just trying to stir the pot.
Yesterday evening after our takeout, we put on BBC World News for a spell, and their coverage wasn't too objectionable. There was the inevitable speculation about "papal favorites" which is completely pointless, but there you have it. After that segment was over, I put on EWTN, which was airing a Mass for Benedict at the National Shrine in Washington DC. It was lovely.
It comforted me to pray our Lenten rosary decade with Henry before he went to bed. He's *adorable* with his new rosary beads, and he keeps pleading with me to pray the entire rosary. Given that it takes us at least 10 minutes just to get through a single decade I've been reluctant (at least before bed) but I love that he's enjoying it so much. I'm very blessed to have him; I think he's going to grow up to be a kind and wonderful person and (please God!) a great Catholic.
These are historic and important days that we're experiencing, and I'm so glad to be sharing it with all of you. Let's all aim for a prayerful weekend, and I'll check back in, as ever, on Monday. :)
I remember Blessed John Paul's final illness and death like it was yesterday. I was about 8 weeks pregnant with Henry, which was a great comfort to me, and of course we had all known that John Paul's death was coming. Although Paul VI was pope when I was born, he and John Paul I died when I was far too young to remember. So, John Paul II was the only pope that I'd ever known, and I LOVED him. I mean, LOVED him. It was the great goal of my life to meet him in person, and I was never able to. Mike and I do have a papal blessing from him when we married 3 months prior to his death, which is of course very special to us.
So, John Paul II's long decline was hard on me, but it just seemed to me like he would live forever. It just didn't seem possible for me to imagine the Church without him. But toward the end there I could see the writing on the wall, and I prepared myself. The new life growing within me felt even more poignant as John Paul passed away.
I remember the mourning period, the funeral, the conclave. I still felt numb. And when Benedict was elected, I was thrilled, because I knew how close he was to John Paul, and I felt confident in his ability to lead the Church.
Now, with his resignation, it all feels so different. I'm glad that he's still here with us, praying for us all. But him stepping down feels very jarring to me, and having the Church without a pope really scares me.
I hear that Monday the cardinals will meet to set a date for the conclave, that'll be good. I remember the last interregnum and this one feels both the same and different, if that makes any sense. It's so strange, it's so exciting, it's so sad, all in one.
I hope that we have a new pope soon, and that he is spectacular. I keep reading in the newspaper about how "Pope Benedict leaves a church in crisis, his successor will have so much to deal with." Well yes, but isn't that always the case? Is the Church (indeed, the world) ever NOT in crisis in some form or another? I think that the media is just trying to stir the pot.
Yesterday evening after our takeout, we put on BBC World News for a spell, and their coverage wasn't too objectionable. There was the inevitable speculation about "papal favorites" which is completely pointless, but there you have it. After that segment was over, I put on EWTN, which was airing a Mass for Benedict at the National Shrine in Washington DC. It was lovely.
It comforted me to pray our Lenten rosary decade with Henry before he went to bed. He's *adorable* with his new rosary beads, and he keeps pleading with me to pray the entire rosary. Given that it takes us at least 10 minutes just to get through a single decade I've been reluctant (at least before bed) but I love that he's enjoying it so much. I'm very blessed to have him; I think he's going to grow up to be a kind and wonderful person and (please God!) a great Catholic.
These are historic and important days that we're experiencing, and I'm so glad to be sharing it with all of you. Let's all aim for a prayerful weekend, and I'll check back in, as ever, on Monday. :)
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Sede Vacante begins, and my 1,000th post...
It's hard to believe, but this is post number 1,000 on this blog. It's a small and humble blog, but I know that people do read it (and some regularly! *kiss*), and I can't tell you how much that means to me. I love to write, and this has proved a wonderful creative outlet for me.
My first post is dated September 23, 2008. That was actually a tough time in my life. Henry was just shy of 3 and was in the throes of the Terrible Two's, Mike was stressed out at his job and we knew that he wasn't happy there. I had just started belly dancing, so it hadn't yet reached its zenith in my creative life. I felt anxious and overwhelmed. And I started blogging. I started small, but eventually reached a happy and comfortable rhythm. It's been such a blessing.
And on this historic day, I'm so glad that I feel like I'm experiencing and sharing everything right along with my online friends and the Church worldwide. I believe that the official resignation time, 8 pm in Rome, will be 2 pm EST. I'll be watching with baited breath. I feel a bit weepy, but I know that it'll be ok.
We're getting takeout tonight from Chipotle (we're nerds) and plan to watch any tolerable media coverage. I'm working on crocheting some birthday gifts so I'll take out my nervous energy on my creations. Speaking of, here is the finished Lady Edith shawl:
Lady Violet's dinner gauntlets, from the Downton Abbey mystery knit-along:
And my Valentine's socks (a little late):
I'm certain there will be a lot of blogging over the course of the next few weeks. I've been vigilant with my rosary (as has Henry, he's been particularly adorable this Lent) and with the Liturgy of the Hours. Well, I'll fess up. I haven't missed a single Morning Prayer, but Evening Prayer often goes by the wayside. It's just so hectic once I get home and have the kids to attend to. But I persevere and that's what matters. Prayer is so, so important right now.
Let's all hang in there for what could be a wild ride.
My first post is dated September 23, 2008. That was actually a tough time in my life. Henry was just shy of 3 and was in the throes of the Terrible Two's, Mike was stressed out at his job and we knew that he wasn't happy there. I had just started belly dancing, so it hadn't yet reached its zenith in my creative life. I felt anxious and overwhelmed. And I started blogging. I started small, but eventually reached a happy and comfortable rhythm. It's been such a blessing.
And on this historic day, I'm so glad that I feel like I'm experiencing and sharing everything right along with my online friends and the Church worldwide. I believe that the official resignation time, 8 pm in Rome, will be 2 pm EST. I'll be watching with baited breath. I feel a bit weepy, but I know that it'll be ok.
We're getting takeout tonight from Chipotle (we're nerds) and plan to watch any tolerable media coverage. I'm working on crocheting some birthday gifts so I'll take out my nervous energy on my creations. Speaking of, here is the finished Lady Edith shawl:
Lady Violet's dinner gauntlets, from the Downton Abbey mystery knit-along:
And my Valentine's socks (a little late):
I'm certain there will be a lot of blogging over the course of the next few weeks. I've been vigilant with my rosary (as has Henry, he's been particularly adorable this Lent) and with the Liturgy of the Hours. Well, I'll fess up. I haven't missed a single Morning Prayer, but Evening Prayer often goes by the wayside. It's just so hectic once I get home and have the kids to attend to. But I persevere and that's what matters. Prayer is so, so important right now.
Let's all hang in there for what could be a wild ride.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
One more week with Pope Benedict XVI, and my long week of teaching finally ends...
I can't believe that Pope Benedict's resignation is now a mere week away. So sad! On the other hand, I'm terribly excited to experience this historic moment in the Church, and to watch coverage of the conclave. Like most of you, this is only the second conclave in my lifetime that I'll have any memory of.
Next Thursday, we're planning to get takeout (my hubby's idea, isn't he wonderful?!) so that we can eat in the living room and watch the news. I know that nothing will really be happening next Thursday aside from the resignation becoming official, but I know there will be tons of news coverage of it and I want to see it.
Other than that, I finally taught my final class for this week. I know that teachers teach multiple classes every single day, but since I'm not as used to it as they are, it just drains me. They all went well, it's just nice to relax for a spell. When I teach, I have to be Super On Librarian Tiffany and I can't rest easy until the class is complete.
This class I just taught was an extremely small upper-level seminar. I had 1 eager beaver, 1 interested but cool, and 1 that looked angry. A typical random sample, I suppose, of the undergraduate population. I got all teachery on them and made them brainstorm for keywords that I wrote up on the white board. My eager beaver added suggestions promptly when asked and wrote everything down carefully. The other interested student offered a comment or two and politely, but quietly, paid attention the entire time. My angry customer demanded to know what the heck this assignment was that I was talking about. Ah, the joys of college life.
I'm bound for home and a glass of wine with my knitting later. I can't wait to ring in the end of a long week.
Next Thursday, we're planning to get takeout (my hubby's idea, isn't he wonderful?!) so that we can eat in the living room and watch the news. I know that nothing will really be happening next Thursday aside from the resignation becoming official, but I know there will be tons of news coverage of it and I want to see it.
Other than that, I finally taught my final class for this week. I know that teachers teach multiple classes every single day, but since I'm not as used to it as they are, it just drains me. They all went well, it's just nice to relax for a spell. When I teach, I have to be Super On Librarian Tiffany and I can't rest easy until the class is complete.
This class I just taught was an extremely small upper-level seminar. I had 1 eager beaver, 1 interested but cool, and 1 that looked angry. A typical random sample, I suppose, of the undergraduate population. I got all teachery on them and made them brainstorm for keywords that I wrote up on the white board. My eager beaver added suggestions promptly when asked and wrote everything down carefully. The other interested student offered a comment or two and politely, but quietly, paid attention the entire time. My angry customer demanded to know what the heck this assignment was that I was talking about. Ah, the joys of college life.
I'm bound for home and a glass of wine with my knitting later. I can't wait to ring in the end of a long week.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Further reflections on the pope's resignation, and my Lenten plan
I feel like I'm still in a haze from yesterday. What an
important day for the Church. I got the sense that it would be a day in which I
remember some of the details of what I was doing for the rest of my life, as
often happens on days in which unexpected but life altering things happen. It
still hasn't fully sunk in, but it's been on my mind since the moment I found
out, and so these are my thoughts:
I respect his decision. Only he and his doctors know the
specifics of what is currently going on with his health. And we know that
Benedict is a prayerful man. If he felt that this was the right decision, I
believe him.
But I'm sad. I get uncomfortable as I read what has now
become an oft repeated statement that "...this is good, as it paves the way
for future popes to resign when they get older. And with modern medicine aiding
us in living as long as we do, resignation will become increasingly
necessary."
I don't completely agree with that statement. I certainly
don't think that John Paul II's model of suffering at the very end of his life
as pope was a mistake. I don't like the implication that from now on, any pope
should consider resigning as he ages (especially past age 80), as maybe we
can't learn anything from him anymore. It just smacks of the condescending
attitude our modern society typically has towards the elderly. Not productive.
Not valuable. Useless. I completely disagree.
On the other hand, I can respect that each individual
pope should do as they see fit for themselves. Perhaps Benedict does not feel
called to share his physical struggles publicly in the same way that John
Paul II did. There is nothing wrong with that.
I can very much picture Benedict happily living out the
rest of his days in study and prayer. If that is what is best for him, and what
he feels is best for the Church, then I'm fine with it. I'm quite excited about
the prospect of a Lenten conclave, and see this as a powerful and poignant
lent. I look forward to the excitement of a new pope for the Holy Week and
Easter celebrations to come.
What I am already sick of though are the negative
comments I'm seeing in some places. How the Church needs to "get with the
times" and "become more progressive." And it always relates back
to the issues the Church takes the most criticism for. Birth control. Abortion.
The definition of marriage. Female clergy. Priestly celibacy.
I certainly think that the Church is a living and evolving
institution, and it should address modern issues as with all things, with love.
But I think that people who are expecting the Church to change on her core
teachings are going to be sorely disappointed. It's not going to happen.
I am very curious and excited to see who will be elected,
but I have a feeling that the wait is going to feel very long. And all of the speculation
is drawn out even more than usual since we have this two and a half week span
before the resignation becomes effective.
I'm looking forward to it being a time of intense prayer.
And on that note I have devised my Lenten scheme for 2013. I'm not going to observe
any dietary restrictions other than the expected fast and abstinence on Ash
Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstinence from meat on all other Fridays of
Lent. I'm going to read some Catholic books. I have a copy of George Weigel's
God's Choice: Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church that I'm
going to pull out. I'm certain I will still read some fiction. But overall I'm
going to try to pray more, and to add in morning and evening prayer from the
Liturgy of the Hours for all of Lent. I started doing that last Lent and loved
it, but once I tried moving to the Magnificat prayers instead I fell off the
wagon. This year, I'm sticking with my study old 4-volume Liturgy of the Hours
books. And that's it.
Although that doesn't seem like a lot, I intend to make
it count. I'm going to be praying a lot, as we all should, for our new pope,
whoever he may be.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Oh my
Let me begin by writing about my weekend (somewhat more lighthearted) and then making my way to this morning. We could all use the levity, I'm certain.
We got some snow on Friday (just under a foot) but didn't have it nearly as bad at the further East Coast. My sister in Maine is still digging out. My dance class was cancelled and we spent the evening watching more of Downton Abbey. Which, I have to say, has been difficult to avoid spoilers for. This gap in the airing between the UK and the US is quite dangerous. *unhappy face*
Anyway, I digress. Saturday morning and afternoon were "just ok." The kids were all worked up and I was feeling oversensitive. Happens sometimes. Henry was slated to spend the night at his grandparents, so we had just Anne for the evening. It feels strange only wrangling one kid. The day looked up as we took her to the mall and did some shopping at Yankee Candle. We're big scented candle fans in my house.We had a coupon, so we stocked up for the remainder of the winter and spring.
We got home, watched another Downton and headed to bed. Anne had been snugly tucked into her crib for hours.
We get in bed and begin to chat. The sound of a barking dog permeates our bedroom. There are several dogs on our street, but it is rare to hear one barking like this, especially on such a cold night. Mike looks alarmed.
"Do you hear that dog?"
"I do, Sweetie."
"Why is he barking non-stop like that? Dogs shouldn't be out tonight, it's only 10 degrees."
"Yes, that's true, it's so rare to hear a barking dog outside on this street. Are you worried?"
"Yes. It's too cold."
We chat for a while longer, also discussing dinner for Sunday, which involved Mike travelling downstairs to take ground beef out of the freezer to thaw for meatloaf.
"It's been a half hour and that dog is still barking. I think it might be Oliver from next door. I'm going to go check it out."
Isn't he heroic? He gets dressed and hustles downstairs. I promptly fall asleep.
I am awakened by the unmistakable feeling of someone staring at me. I pop my eyes open. It's Mike.
"It's Oliver. He's in the backyard barking at the back door. I don't think Chris and Dina are home."
"Did you knock on their door?"
"No, that would have been weird."
"I don't think so. I mean, what can we do? We can't just go and take their dog if we aren't sure that they're not home."
"All right. Let's both go back. We can't leave him out there."
*martyr-like sigh*
I grab my robe to throw on over my nightgown which consists of red flannel with Scottie dogs decorating it. We hurry downstairs and bundle up.
Mike rings their front bell. No answer.
We both head right to the backyard. Oliver is where Mike left him, barking frantically to be let in. He has a clear conversation bubble over his head that says:
"WTF?! LET ME IN!!! Wait. Who the hell are *you people*?"
"Oliver, come here Sweetie."
*vicious barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark!!!!*
"It's ok Honey, you can come be warm in our kitchen. Come on..."
*snarl!* *bounding leap to the back of the yard* *vicious barkbarkbarkbarkbark!!*
Fantastic. He's usually a nice dog, he was just obviously in Protecting Backyard Mode, followed by being freezing and terrified. It had now been 45 minutes since we first heard him barking, and we likely just hadn't heard him previously because we had been watching t.v.
I creep forward. "It's ok Oliver..."
"Um. We're going to have some explaining to do. They just pulled up."
Ha! Our poor neighbors pull into their own driveway and here come Mike and I, in our pajamas, tromping out of their backyard.
"Hi. We were , um, just worried about your dog."
"Oliver! How did he get out?! Oh my goodness, thank you! He must have snuck out when he left, we've been gone for hours!"
So, all is well that ends well. Oliver is fine. Our suspicions were correct in that he wasn't supposed to be out and needed rescuing. The fact that we failed in aforementioned rescuing didn't seem to be important. We tried.
So that was the big excitement Saturday night. Sunday was extremely pleasant. Mass (in which Anne was an excellent girl), plans for Ash Wednesday (going for ashes with Anne at 4 pm, Henry will get ashes at school), some shopping, a nice meatloaf, more Downton Abbey, knitting. A good day was had by all.
This morning I had the regular Monday thing going on. It's extremely busy right now at work with teaching, and I was anxious to get in and prepare for a 9:30 am meeting. I also wanted to spend some time with my Marian consecration prayer and finalize my plans for Lent.
I'm driving in, listening a Catholic Weekend podcast from 2 weeks ago about the March for Life because I'm perpetually behind with podcasts. I stop at a red light. My cell phone vibrates.
Normally, I would ignore it, since I was driving, but as I was stopped at what I knew would be a lengthy light I pull it out of my purse to see if it's a new text from my sister. It's a phone call and it's from Mike. I immediately worry, since he would have known that I hadn't reached work yet and would only be calling about something important. I pick up.
"Hi Sweetie. I just saw on the news that the pope is resigning."
I was stunned. I mean, I shouldn't be. He's older than John Paul II was and we've known that his health has been declining in recent years. But I was still shocked. This is still a huge development in Catholic news and fairly uncommon.
I don't really know how I feel about it yet. I respect his decision, but I'm so sad to see him go. John Paul II was the only pope that I remembered for the first 30 years of my life, and now I will see 2 conclaves in 8 years. I have always liked Benedict XVI. I respect and admire him. Nobody can replace John Paul II in my heart, but I do love Benedict.
I'm anxious about who will be elected. I think things will be fine, but I can't help but be anxious. The unknown is always like that. It's going to be a powerful Lent, I think. It's just so soon! I'm not ready. But I suppose we never are.
*doe-eyed sigh*
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