Maybe there's something to it...

The frequent reception of the Sacraments, I mean. I've managed recently to work in daily Mass three times a week in between dropping Velcro Boy off at school and the gym. Of course everything else is suffering, but I think that is necessary at this time.

But, I digress...

I made it to two (out of 3 ) Masses last week plus Reconciliation and I found the difference in myself to be amazing!  I was more patient and tolerant.  I recognized several occasions when I ordinarily would have lost my calm...but I didn't.  I felt less stressed too.

We've been to Mass twice this week so far (other than Sunday, of course), once as a family and once on my own and so far it's been a pretty OK week.  Of course there are a few more coming up too...

We might even get to an Extraordinary Form Mass for the Easter liturgy!  Let's pray Doodlebug naps Saturday (he's been dropping them lately :( and I'm soooo not ready for that) so we can let him skip nap on Sunday.

My own group

For the terminally insane!  Only kidding :)  Actually, I'm going to be one of  the facilitators for the next MOM's group!  This is something I've been praying about for a long time now.  Ever since I joined the MOM's group back in September.  This group got started about a year or so ago when someone brought the program to Holy Name.  3 people from that group were the facilitators for our group (MOM's 2).  A new group is forming and needs facilitators.  After praying about, and feeling called to do this, I'm going to be one of them.  Another woman from our group is also doing it with me, but we still need a third.

We'll be meeting about every other Monday evening from 7-9 from Feb 8th until May 24th.  We're currently recruiting people for the group.  We've placed ads in the bulletin and made announcements at a few of the Masses this weekend.  We'll do the same thing next weekend.

The study is really interesting.  It makes you dig deeper into yourself, make new friends, and really get more in touch with your spirituality.  I'm really excited about doing this, but I've been wondering lately what I have to give to this new group of women.  Then today's second reading about the gifts given by the Holy Spirit.  Each persons' gift is different, but still given by the same God.  Then the Gospel about doing whatever He tells you to do.

On top of that, yesterday I picked up a 2010 calendar on the "spur of the moment" (I've been missing having one near the desk).  Inside is the following saying:

Just Think
You're not here by chance,
    but by God's choosing.
His hand formed you
    and made you the person you are.
He compares you to no one else-
    you are one of a kind.
You lack nothing that
    His grace can't give you.
He has allowed you to be here
    at this time in history
to fulfill His special purpose
    for this generation.
-Roy Lessin

All this and an out-of-the-blue email from a list I unsubscribed from over a year ago has convinced me that I am supposed to be doing this group (and  a few other things).  I've also realized that while I'm getting better at reading His signs (I think), I still need to work on listening for His voice.

My epiphany

 I had an epiphany tonight.  We were praying the 4th decade of the Rosary tonight and The Professor was acting silly (over tired I suppose), so I put my arm around him and cuddled him up to me.  This settled him down.  But it suddenly struck me that I had my mind on the wrong thing!  I usually try to keep WHAT Jesus went through in His life, Passion and death in front of me.  You know... the torture, rejection, humiliation, temptations...all the bad stuff.  But it suddenly hit me tonight that I was forgetting the WHY about all of that.  He went through all of that because He.Loves.Us! (so darn much it makes my head spin).  That's why I do what I do, because I love my family (and God of course!).  Plain and simple.

The Domestic Monastery

You have GOT to check out this article!!!  I originally found the link here.  If you've never been to her site, you should check it out too!  This article made me look at our domestic church in a whole new light. 

...the mother who stays home with small children experiences a very real withdrawal from the world. Her existence is definitely monastic. Her tasks and preoccupations remove her from the centres of power and social importance. And she feels it. Moreover her sustained contact with young children (the mildest of the mild) gives her a privileged opportunity to be in harmony with the mild, that is, to attune herself to the powerlessness rather than to the powerful.

Hence, a mother raising children, perhaps in a more privileged way even than a professional contemplative, is forced, almost against her will, to constantly stretch her heart. For years, while raising children, her time is never her own, her own needs have to be kept in second place, and every time she turns around a hand is reaching out and demanding something. She hears the monastic bell (all monasteries have one...whenever the monastic bell rang, they (the monks) were to drop whatever they were doing and go immediately to the particular activity (prayer, meals, work, study, sleep) to which the bell was summoning them.)  many times during the day and she has to drop things in mid-sentence and respond, not because she wants to, but because it's time for that activity and time isn't her time, but God's time. The rest of us experience the monastic bell each morning when our alarm clock rings and we get out of bed and ready ourselves for the day, not because we want to, but because it's time.

Just some food for thought.

I got roses!!!

Ones on paper anyway :)  This MOM's group I'm part of has each of us paired up with someone to pray for us.  Mine is actually a friend of mine (she called to tell me the other day) and I'm thrilled!  Well, I get this card in the mail today and 'lo and behold, there are roses all over it!  Yesterday was St. Therese de Liseaux's feast day (she's my patron saint) and she's known for her roses.  Inspired by Jessica at Shower of Roses, I had considered praying a novena to her, to end on her feast day, but I could never put my intention into words, so I never started the novena.

Doodlebug was sick today (and of course, a crank-a-pot), so I missed today's MOM's meeting.  When I opened today's mail, there are the roses I was never expecting!  The card was mailed yesterday, on her feast day.  Talk about special.