Easter Hunts

The first hunt was for Easter shoes in the attic--the girls' clothes bins are treasures of gold!
The second hunt was an Easter egg hunt--one day, this will be over.  What fun it is while it lasts!  Here are the kids dying the eggs, with Granny's help!

What a Triduum!

    The Triduum is the three day period before Easter that, in the Catholic tradition, is treated as one event that lasts three days.  It begins on Holy Thursday with the Washing of the Feet and the Institution of the Eucharist.  But that Mass does not technically end, and it goes into the next day, in which we re-live the Crucifixion.  Then on Saturday night, we enter a bare, dark church, Christ dead and in the tomb.  We read many texts from Genesis onward, about God's plan, culminating in the Resurrection.  Then we are there to witness the first moment of the Resurrection: the moment when God conquers death: the Triumph over Sin and Death.  The bells ring, the lights fill the church, and we sing loudly.  It is such a joy to be with Christ through these mysteries of His Life, Death and Resurrection.
     Well, we are kicking off this Triduum with extraordinary events.
     First, Mom and Harville were already in town, and they extended their stay through Friday afternoon.  Mom and I had a wonderful time together, enjoying a heart to hear that I will always remember.  I am going through spiritual transformations that she was such a loving witness to.  Meanwhile, she is experiencing such miracles in her life, the presence of Christ in such a palpable way. I am so, so full of joy about this epiphany of Christ in her heart!
 

    Then, another miracle--PawPaw Ronnie called and announced his plan to visit us and celebrate Easter with us.  Wed. afternoon, we learned he was coming on Thursday!  We have not seen him in almost a year.  He has understandably gone through such a hard year.  It is indescribable to witness his return, and to sit alongside him for Holy Thursday and Good Friday liturgies.  What a joy to be with him again!

    How blessed we are, with such family!  

Jake's Run

Jake and I went on our first ever jog!  He sort of hated it as I coached him on form.  But I promised him that good form improves one's time, and that soon he would be beating me by a lot.

That seemed to go a long way!

Palm Sunday

     Of the two hours of Palm Sunday liturgy today, the thing that struck me the most poignantly, AGAIN, as it always does, was that Jesus did not defend himself.  He did not resist his arrest, he did not explain himself to Pilate, he did not fight the soldiers.  He accepted the wrongful claims, accusations, beatings, torture and death, and instead of "clearing up" the misunderstandings, he went to the cross "as a lamb to the slaughter."  That was Jesus' answer to power, to justice, to human dignity.  It takes supreme strength, intense inner poise, to suffer well.
     As our priest preached so well today: when we arrive at heaven's door, we will not be asked, "How good were you?  What did you accomplish?"  But instead, we will be instructed: "Show me your scars."  To suffer well, to suffer in union with Christ, which can only be done with the saving grace of conversion aiding us, is what is needed to enter eternal life.
     God, give us faith!  Let us be Christians, true followers of Christ!
     God, give us the ability to live out the Passion and Death, so that we can share in the Resurrection!

Teenagers, all of a sudden!

You know you have children on the brink of becoming teenagers when:

--They sleep till eleven AM, and then are upset when you wake them
--They can sew with a sewing machine
--They cook with the stove and the oven
--They scrub bathroom floors, wearing rubber gloves and old clothes, until the floors actually sparkle
--They use cleanser and face lotion morning and night, and still struggle with clear skin
--They discuss theology, lead family prayers, and get themselves up early for morning prayer

Amazing!

     Thank goodness, however, that they still play with dolls, still play dress up, and still make bows and arrows out of twigs.  

And thank goodness that someone is still ridiculously young.  

Growing Up!

First Confession

    In preparation for her first Communion in 2 weeks, Clare made her first confession this week.  Oh my goodness!  She was so pleased to be so grown up.  It was a coming of age for her, like a rite of passage.  It was such a joy be with her that evening in the church, finding her maturity, her identity as a Catholic Christian.  Oh, how I love her!

Walks at Dawn

     Visiting Kim and Ken, we had SUCH a wonderful time!  Clare suggested a sunrise walk with Ken, whom she heard wakes up early.  A little uncle-niece bonding time!  So cute!

We love you, Ken!  What an awesome uncle and brother in law!  A running buddy for Ron, no less!  

Sunny Days

Sunny days are here for some of our favorite family!

We love you guys!

homemade pasta

Our spring break was so relaxing.  The hour that I finally "let go"--several days into the break--was the hour that I took out pasta machine and started flattening homemade pasta dough.  I made tortellinis out of it stuffed with portabellas and poured truffle oil over it.  It was divine.

Electoral College

    Jake is in a homeschool co-op.  He was chosen to lead one side of a debate, regarding the pros and cons of the electoral college.  He was chosen to argue for the "cons."
    He was so well prepared.  I was so proud of him.  His team won, 3.5 to 1.  These sorts of things--reasoning, arguing, support positions--are his gift!  As a "phlegmatic" temperament, he is excellent at researching things, and has the patience to read and read until he's got the info.  Then with a streak of showmanship and ambition, he can present with passion.  I pray that he finds the right vocation, that can use these gifts for God's truth!
     Sometimes I wonder if homeschooling is hurting our kids.  I wonder if we are lagging behind.  Recently, more of his friends have been admitted to an excellent private school in the area.  Sometimes I wonder if we are holding him back!  We did not even apply.
     But what I see is that in his current environment, he is excelling.
     Yesterday he and I discussed next year's schooling.  I told him we need to emphasize spelling and grammar.  An hour later, that idea apparently having churned in his head, he came up with this idea: "Mom, how about I go through one letter of the dictionary per month, and just memorize the whole thing!  It will take 2 years, but let's do it!"
     Tears almost came to my eyes.  I would pay a thousand dollars (if I had it!) for a child to volunteer for a job like that!  How did he get to be that way?
    Our homeschool is not impressive, compared to well-established schools.  But the school is only as good, in truth, as the kind of student it puts out.  So, our humble school will press on!

Offering up ourselves

     Here we are on a Friday of Lent, and the question is: what are we sacrificing?  What are we giving up?
     There comes a time in every Christian's life when, after building up virtue, discipline, prayer, community, Christian vocation, it is time to give up one's self.  That is, building up all these good things is important.  But we can get fused with them.  We can feel like these virtues and practices and disciplines are ours.
     But they are not ours.  They are God's.  It is only by God's choice that we live and breathe at all--we are not in control of our existence.  It is only by God's choice that we have found faith--God gives the initial grace of faith (initium fidei), and all subsequence graces besides, drawing us to His presence.  It is only by God's grace that we have any family whom we love, any children we cherish, any friends with whom we share our hearts and lives.  It is only by God's grace that we sometimes (and only sometimes) act well--for we are inclined on our own to corrupt good things, to manipulate, warp, reduce and devalue that which is God's gift.
     I have been gripped, without stop for weeks, by an intense, relentless discomfort and sorrow, regarding this realization.  I go from sadness to frustration to relief and back to remorse.  It is like something is dying, and as that process continues, I am in constant discomfort.  I cannot wait to feel relief: one day, this too shall pass.  I look forward to that day!  But until then, I have to bear this anguish.  If I distract myself from it, the death of the false self will not come to pass, and the relief will never come--only a bastard form, an earthly version of "forgetting about it."
     As my light and vision, I keep thinking of Bernadette in The Song of Bernadette: a holy, lovely Catholic girl, she had lined up a job, and a boy was courting her.  There is nothing intrinsically wrong with these things.  But she was called to give up these things, to become "nothing" for God--to live in austerity in a monastery.
     There is nothing wrong, likewise, with my family or community life.  But sometimes, we are called to detach from them as part of our self-image, and see the reality: that anything good is a reflection of God's "self-image," and that we are nothing, we are a vapor, in the eyes of God.
     Given who we really are, only a total self-oblation, an offering up of our very selves, will suffice.