Spring Break

School's Out



Although my first day of spring break was last Thursday, today feels like the first day of actual vacation. Being in the choir and a sacristan at my parish, the Triduum and Easter Sunday kept me quite busy.

Break will be a combination of having lunch with friends that I don't see much of during the school year and working around the house. The housework suffers during the school year too.
Lesson planning will wait until the end of the week. I worked hard at getting grading and recording grades done before break started, only a little to do at the end of the week. The slower pace and not getting up at 5:oo am are the best perks of having this week off.
Well better get back to work.

Happy Easter

Our Redeemer has risen from the tomb; let us sing a hymn of praise to the Lord our God, alleluia.
~ antiphon from morning prayer

Enjoy this season of new life and hope.

Hope is what sits by the window and waits for one more dawn, despite the fact that there isn't an ounce of proof in tonight's black, black sky that it can possibly come.
~ Joan Chittister, OSB

Good Friday

Jesus Christ loved us, and poured out His own blood for us to wash away our sins.
~antiphon from morning prayer

Today is a day that I have mixed feelings. I feel sadness that Jesus, who loved us so much had to be nailed to the cross to wash away our sins. Yet we still on a daily basis turn away from Him by continuing to sin. Then I feel joy that He did love us enough despite our sinful nature to die so that we would be saved. He even gave us His Body and Blood in the Eucharist so that we would be nourished.

Christ our salvation, you gave yourself up to death out of love for us,
- help us to show your love to one another.
~intercession from morning prayer

Holy Thursday

I have longed to eat this meal with you before I suffer.

~ Canticle of Zechariah

Lent is my favorite time of the liturgical year. It gives us time to reflect, pray, repent and, hopefully, grow spiritually with the outward support of the entire Church. Most parishes have added more programs and services to help us in our spiritual journey. There is not all of the commercialism of the Christmas season to distract us from what should be our main focus, Jesus.

Today we enter into the Triduum, the holiest part of the year. Tonight is the Mass of the Lord's Last Supper and then Jesus is processed to the altar of repose. Now we watch and wait!

"I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34)

I was reminded of the group Critical Mass over at Fr. V's blog Adams Ale . Here is one of their songs that I like and think is appropriate for today:

Dog Visitor

I normally don't post emails but my oldest son sent this to me and I thought it was too cute.
First it reminds me of our golden (my baby) that we had to put to sleep a year ago this past Christmas because of bone cancer. I can, also, relate to it because my youngest rarely slept his entire first year.

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard.I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of. He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.

The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour.
This continued off and on for several weeks.

Curious I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is
and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'

The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:
'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep.
Can I come with him tomorrow?'

Happy Saint Cyril and Methodius Day

Father,
You brought the light of the gospel to the Slavic nations
through Saint Cyril and his brother Saint Methodius.
Open our hearts to understand your teaching and help
us to become one in faith and praise.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

~ Morning prayer, Christian Prayer book

Sleep, Glorious Sleep

Yeah!! Tomorrow I don't have to be anywhere until 5:00 pm mass. That means I don't have to set the alarm and can sleep in past 5:00 am. Most weekends I have to schedule things or run errands that I can't do during the week. That means having to set an alarm even if it isn't as early as I usually get up. I have a plethora of school work but I can sleep in. Life is good!! Funny what we get excited about as we grow older. Or maybe I really need to get a life!!

Snow Day

Whoo hoo, snow day today! As luck would have it, though, I had just stepped into the shower and started washing my hair when my husband yelled to me that my school was on the school closings on TV. I was taking my shower earlier than usual because my school district rarely closes. Since Christmas break my 1 hour drive each way has been taking 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours unless the roads are completely dry. The way the morning was shaping up I figured that 2 hours was optimistic. I needed to be at school on time beause our Catholic Schools week mass was first thing and I was a Eucharistic Minister. We were having the mass today because it's the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas and he is our patron saint. I must say I was disappointed about not having the mass but the auxiliary Bishop that was to have the mass graciously agreed to have it tomorrow. Since I was already up and showered I dressed, put in a load of laundry and headed off to mass at my parish. The roads and freeway had not been plowed so the going was really slow. The 25 minute drive took 1 hour 15 minutes. My sons and husband said I was crazy for driving in to mass. Well let's see, I've lived in an all male household the past 20 some years and I teach teenagers. Crazy? I'm just saying...... Besides when we had the big snow storm on Friday night a couple weeks ago my oldest son drove through that to Buffalo and back to go to the Sabres game!! Like mother, like son?

Happy Feast Day St Thomas Aquinas

Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas

Grant me, O Lord my God,

a mind to know you,

a heart to seek you,

wisdom to find you,

conduct pleasing to you,

faithful perseverance in waiting for you,

and a hope of finally embracing you.Amen.

St. Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of the high school where I teach. We were supposed to have our Catholic Schools Week mass this morning with one of our Auxiliary Bishops presiding. Alas, with the weather it didn't happen. I was looking forward to it but better to be safe. Scary to think of all those teenage drivers on the road. Phew!!

My Sunday Adventures

Today on the way to church for 10:00 am mass (choir at 10 and sacristan at 12) the freeway was a mess from the predicted snow that we had overnight. Only 2 of the 3 lanes were passable. You would think that they had enough time to get plows and salt trucks out, but no!! Is this weather something new around here?!! And just let me say, some people should put their cars in the garage when the first snow falls and keep them there until spring!!
At my sacristan mass 2 servers and 1 Eucharistic minister didn't make it but at least they had let us know ahead of time that they couldn't find subs. Our pastor emeritus who was supposed to have the mass also didn't make it both for health reasons and weather. Our pastor had to come over to say mass even though he is in pain from a herniated disc. Both of these priests need our prayers. Since our pastor is the only priest at our parish we have been having a lot of visiting priests since the week before Christmas. This last month in particular has reminded us that there is a real need for more priestly vocations.

The Sunday after Chrostmas high winds provided an adventure. I was sacristan for 8:00 am mass and left the house a little after 6:30 am because I had to stop for gas. At the gas station I had to hold tight to my door when I was opening it to keep it from being whipped away by the winds. Driving on the freeway with an SUV was a little tricky, trying to fight the wind. As I got closer to my parish the thought crossed my mind that this past fall when we had high winds our parish along with the surrounding area had no power for 3 days. As I turneed down the street that my parish is on I was relieved to see houses with outdoor christmas lights as well as inside lights shining brightly. That is until I was a block away from the church. The entire block around and including the church was completely dark. No power. It was still pitch black and not looking to brighten anytime soon because of heavy cloud cover. I went inside but stood in the hallway leading to the church since it was too dark to go any further. Since we were having a visiting priest I hated to call the pastor but it was his decision as to what to do. He called the power company and they told him that we had no power (No, really?!!). We called back and forth to each other deciding what to do, - would people show up, would we have ministers, lectors, communion service or mass, etc. As it turned out it did get light enough that with the candles lit we could go into the church. The ushers told people to sit up front so that they could hear and see better. Since 8:00 am mass is mostly elderly we didn't use the gift table so that nothing was in the aisle. I flipped some of the light switches on before mass started so that if the power came on we would know. The power did come on just as the lector started the first reading so I went back in to the sacristy and turned the rest of the lights on. The rest of mass went on as usual.
Sometimes I think God has a sense of humor and just tries to keep us on our toes!!

Arctic Freeze

Finally the arctic temperature is supposed to let up somewhat tomorrow. The high is predicted at 23 degrees ( a regular heat wave). However we are supposed to get a lot of snow. Give me the snow over the below zero temperatures any day. My drive time to school each day this past week and a half has turned into an hour and a half to two hours anyway. Even though we haven't had much snow, the little we did have turned into icy conditions with the cold temperatures.

Our superintendent said she wouldn't cancel school unless it was minus 18 so Thursday even though a lot of other schools were off, including the district I live in , off to school I went. Our building has glass windows and doors at the end of each wing so with the wind the classrooms at the end of the wings(the ones I'm in) are freezing. I wore a zip up front sweatshirt over my sweater!! On Friday it was even colder and school was called off.

I could see God's hand in this. Friday my husband was to go into the hospital for some minor outpatient surgery and needed someone to drive him because of the anesthesia. Since my son doesn't have classes on Friday he was going to take his dad. I normally would have taken a personal day but because it was the last day 0f midterms and of the grading period, I had to have all grades posted by Tuesday 8:00 am. That meant I would have to pick up the completed midterms Friday and because of the timing of my husband being released and the long drive to school that would have been impossible. Thankfully with school being called off I was able to be there.

Actually I love winter just not the bitter cold. The city I teach in is in the snowbelt and normally gets a lot of snow. A couple years ago we had vey little snow up through January, neither here or in Niagara Falls, NY where my older son was in college. One day in January it started snowing about midmorning and didn't quit. My son called me to let me know it was snowing there and I told him it was snowing here as well. He was disappointed because he thought he was going to be the first to have snow. After school I called him to tell him I had just scraped about 3 inches of snow off of my car but actually enjoyed it because it was the first time this season. He said he did too and felt the same way. I then said we probably should keep this conversation to ourselves or somebody might have us committed!!!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! May everyone have a new year full of health, prosperity and God's blessing.

Mary, Mother of God - Solemnity

Father,

source of light in every age, the

virgin onceived and bore your Son

who is called Wonderful God, Prince of Peace.

May her prayer, the gify of a mother's love,

be your people's joy through all ages.

May her response, born of a humble heart,

draw your Spirit to rest on your people.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

~Morning prayer - LOH~