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In the old calendar, the feasts of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Gregory the Great, and St. Benedict fell on March 7th, 12th and 21st respectively. Now they fall on January 28th, September 3rd and July 11th.
I know some people who bear hard feelings against the Church because of the changes in the old versus new calendars. While there are some changes in the calendar that I don't like that much, in my opinion these changes are for the better, given the Church's logic behind moving them.
The reason given for moving them was that these three men are some of the greatest and/or most influential saints in the church, making them worthy of a celebration on their feast day. However, celebrating during Lent is contrary to Lent's penitential nature. Hence, the Church moved the feasts of St. Thomas and St. Benedict to the days of the translation of their relics, and the feast of St. Gregory to the day he was elected pope in order that these men may be properly acknowledged.
The only way their feasts could legitimately be celebrated during Lent is if the feasts were raised to the status of a Solemnity, which is a day important enough that the Lenten obligation is remitted (such as the Feasts of St. Joseph and the Annunciation). In fact, my brother-in-law who is a Benedictine said that the Feast of St. Benedict is a solemnity for members of the Benedictine order, so they are able to celebrate during Lent. Since the Church wanted the laity to be able to celebrate as well, they moved the feast day (so now members of the Benedictine order have two days to celebrate).
Some purists might not think that any reason is valid for moving the feast of a saint, but from how I understand it, it was a wise and beautiful thing to do.
Create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.
Our beautiful country is so big there is no way one can see all of its wonders in a lifetime. Many of the states I have been to is because we moved halfway across the country three times before we had been married fourteen months. We missed out on a lot of sights and wonders because we were on the freeway. Maybe someday we will be able to see more of our countries natural (and man-made) treasures.
Lent is half over. For some reason, I can't help thinking of Lent being over when the baby comes, instead of on Easter Sunday. I guess when the time comes, I will just have to tell myself that childbirth good to endure during a penitential season and that I will have a mini-Easter when the baby comes. I am sure that the sleepless nights that come with the baby will be an appropriate Lenten trial. I doubt Our Lord slept much on the night of Holy Thursday.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation
St. Patrick (ca. 377)
Happy Boy: Cow!
Me (or my husband): Cow?
Happy Boy: Honk! (What he calls "milk".)
Me: Milk?
Happy Boy: Yummy!
Me: Yes, milk is yummy.
This conversation happens several times a day. We aren't sure when or how Happy Boy learned that milk came from cows. Nor do we know why he thinks milk is "yummy" because we very rarely give it to him outside of oatmeal or some other type of cereal.
My son likes the book The Happy Man and His Dump Truck. Not knowing this, some friends of ours happened to give him a dump truck for his birthday. He loves it. Now I call him "The Happy Boy and His Dump Truck."
This is a picture of him enjoying his truck and some rain boots he also got as a birthday present. The hat he just wanted to wear because he likes hats, and especially that one.
A few of the writers of the blogs I frequent use cutesy names for their children instead of their real names. I like that practice as it protects their privacy somewhat. I have decided to call my son "Happy Boy" from now on. It seems a much better alternative than calling him just "my son". It also prevents the problem of possible confusion if I end up with another son in a couple weeks.
I first heard about the documentary Into Great Silence more than a year ago. Since then I have been anxiously awaiting its release in the US. Apparently, the reason it took two years to be release here was because the director had a hard time finding a company to distribute it. That is amazing that since has done so well in Europe, winning several awards and critical acclaim from several noted film critics.
Steven Greydanus, a Catholic film critic who started the Decent Films Guide, has a great review of it. The movie is now having a limited release here. Go see if you are lucky enough to have it in a theater near you.
My husband came home from work today with stomach pains. He was feeling well enough to joke that maybe they are sympathy contractions. Then he said, "Actually, I'm sure that real contractions feel worse than this." Whatever it is that he has, I hope he gets well soon. I hate seeing him sick and not knowing what to do for him.
Since I am now at the 37 week mark for my pregnancy (at least according to the ultrasound), technically the baby can come any day now. The chiropractor I have been seeing assures me that the baby will come soon, since it dropped at least three weeks ago. If that is true, then I am very glad that my midwife can now legally deliver me.
Not that I want to go this early. I have been told by multiple midwives that it is every pregnant woman's desire to have the baby two or three weeks early, but that has never been my desire. Why not? Well, this pregnancy it is because I haven't gotten everything ready yet, I am expecting a package that I want for the first week postpartum but it isn't supposed to arrive for a couple more weeks, and I am hoping the baby chooses to make an appearance on one of a couple specific days. I know it is unrealistic, but I will even go so far to say that I wouldn't mind the baby coming very late if I knew it would come on Easter Sunday. However, I doubt that will happen, and I wouldn't want to go that late otherwise.
This is such an exciting time. Part of me thinks, "I can't wait!" while another part of me says, "My life is going to change drastically!" [Insert scream here.] Who knows what is just around the corner?
I read on Amy's blog this morning that we are getting a new bishop in May. May God give him the wisdom he needs to guard us and guide us all.
I have seen this floating around and since I love books and literary movies, I thought I would give this a shot. I guess I still have quite a bit of reading left to do.
The instructions are to bold the books you've read and put an *asterisk* next to those whose movies you have seen.
1. Heidi (Johanna Spyri)*
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)*
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) *
4. Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)*
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)*
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)*
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)*
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)*
9. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)*
10. Anne of Avonlea (L.M. Montgomery)*
11.The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
12. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)*
13. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
14. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)*
15. Chariots of Fire (Clarence E. MacArtney)*
16. 1984 (Orwell)
17. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
18. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
19. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
20. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
21. Quo Vadis (Sienkiewicz)
22. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Victor Hugo)*
23. The Robe (Douglas)
24. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
25. The Story of A Soul (St. Therese)* (If you count the movie Therese.)
Since I know that Flannery reads this blog, I will tag her to do this. :)
That is what I have been suffering from recently. It is the cause of my being post-less the last couple of weeks. Although I would like to say that my excuse is Lent, that is only partly true. Even though I have greatly cut down on my Internet time, I still am on enough that I should be able to post on a somewhat regular basis. I can't post tomorrow, but I hope to on Thursday.
