Happy Easter

This is a rambling post of my tired memories and thoughts from this weekend. God is good!

Holy Thursday

My family and I are blessed to belong to an FSSP parish.

Good Friday

The Triduum Masses and Good Friday service are incredibly rich. 

Good Friday

The Easter Vigil often brings tears to my eyes. Everything about it, from the Easter fire to the "Lumen Christi", to the chanting of creation, to the singing of Sicut Cervus, to the Consecration, to the singing of Jesus Christ is Risen Today makes me so thankful to God. 

Last year, Fr. Skeris visited our parish for the Triduum and my husband recorded  Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. If anyone would like DVDs from last year, please let me know.

This year, Brendan served as an acolyte on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. My two oldest daughters sang with the choir. Patrick served as a torchbearer for the Easter Vigil for the first time and was very excited to do so. I didn't get our usual Easter photo before leaving for Mass because I was preoccupied with Kilian - I wouldn't have it any other way. Hopefully, the children will all wear the same outfits when Finnian receives his First Holy Communion in May and I will succeed in getting a photo then.

We took Holy Thursday and Good Friday off and are taking Easter Week off too. I am so grateful for our Catholic Faith, but more importantly I love God.

Easter Sunday Afternoon

Christus Resurrexit!

Happy Easter!

Lenten Daybook

Outside my window, the sky is blue. "The sun is shining. The tank is clean." "The tank is clean!"" Theresa cleaned Brendan's fish tank for him and I just couldn't help quoting from Finding Nemo. The children want to be outside, especially Kieran.

Mr. Mischief

In the kitchen Theresa keeps asking me when we are going to start making pysanky. I don't know when or if we will do so this year, but I do know that I am thinking about our Easter menu.

3 1/2 weeks old

I am thankful for my husband and children who have been such an enormous help since Kilian was born, making meals, doing laundry, going grocery shopping, and more. I am now able to do these things, but it took me a while.

I love them!

I am hearing Theresa and Brendan quizzing Finnian on his First Holy Communion questions. He is preparing to receive his First Holy Communion in May and is blessed to be participating in a wonderful class in our parish. The teacher, Mrs. Marshall, is very good with the children and Finnian enjoys sharing what he has learned from her. Yesterday, Fr. S. visited the class and talked to the children. Finnian was very excited to tell us about his visit and what he told the class.

I am praying for Kim C., Theresa P., and Sue H. These three mothers are all fighting cancer. Kim has been given a huge cross. After defeating breast cancer, she found she had an inoperable tumor. She received chemotherapy and, a few months ago, her PET scan showed that she was well. Recently, a "baby" brain tumor was found.  She has asked that people pray to St. Joseph for her. I am praying for a miracle for Kim, if it be God's will. Theresa's cancer has gone to her bones and, if it be God's will, she needs a miracle. Sue will be starting chemotherapy soon for breast cancer. I am also praying for another friend and her family.

In the learning rooms Catherine has been doing dissections and some of her siblings have been enjoying observing, encouraging, and helping. One of the things that I like about homeschooling is the shared interest and learning among my children.

Earthworm Dissection

I am pondering how truly blessed my husband and I are. I am so thankful that God has entrusted us with nine children, and I pray that they all become great saints and bring greater glory to God.

We are blessed

My older sister took most of the photos above. She has a heart of gold. My brother-in-law and she brought all of our children, plus their oldest and youngest daughters, to the hospital the day that Kilian was born. They also treated our children to a special lunch and dinner that day.

Extended family

One of my younger sisters visited the day after Kilian was born, bringing her youngest daughter with her. Thankfully, they were in town for a volleyball tournament. My sister's daughters/my nieces take after their mom and are all gifted athletes.

I am reading The 12 Steps to Holiness and Salvation by St. Alphonsus Liguori. The book focuses on a different virtue each month: faith, hope, love of God, etc. Thank you, Gwen, for recommending this great book. I am also reading The School of Jesus Crucified: The Lessons of Calvary in Daily Catholic Life by Fr. Ignatius of the Side of Jesus, Passionist. The book makes for good Lenten reading, but would be beneficial to read anytime of year.  It is broken into thirty-one meditations on Christ's Passion and plenty of suggestions for living a holy life.

This Lent, I also read two books by Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen,  A Brief Life of Christ and The Cross and the Beatitudes. Ven. Sheen wrote the first book two years before he wrote Life of Christ. The Cross and the Beatitudes takes Our Lord's seven last words and juxtaposes them with the seven Beatitudes, showing us how Christ embraced the beatitudes as he was dying on the cross and how we can live them. If you live in the same county as me, our library system has several copies of this book. It is well worth reading. 

I was happy to read Fr. Skeris' The Beloved Beatitudes in Seton Magazine. The article complemented Ven. Sheen's book nicely.

I have been listening to the Lenten Mission linked below that was given by Fr. Isaac Mary Relyea's on the Four Last Things (H/T goes to Tracy for making me aware of this mission).

• Prelude to the Mission
• On Death
• On Judgement
• On Hell
• On Heaven

Father urges his listeners to make a good confession, to love Our Blessed Mother, to desire Heaven, and more. It is a great mission.

picture taken from The Catechism in Pictures

I also listened to the 2008 Lenten Mission, Signs of this Time. This Mission is worth listening to again and again. I was happy to hear one of the priests recommend reading and rereading Uniformity with God's Will. This, in my opinion, is a must read little booklet for all Catholics.

Prior to Lent, I listened to and relistened to this excellent sermon, Growing in Virtue by Small, Sustained Mortifications.

Plans for this week 

• Lessons
• Violin practice for one of my children
• Choir practice and/or classes for my 6 oldest children
• Cleaning
• Stations of the Cross
• Mass

A picture thought

Sleeping like a baby
5 weeks old

Saints for April 2014 Calendar

I apologize for not posting this earlier, but we have been busy. :) I hope that everyone is having a blessed and fruitful Lent.

April 2014 Saint Pieces

As usual, this month's pieces were made using the calendar published by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter as a guide. If I have made any errors, please don't hesitate to let me know.