Lenten Resources

   I should have made this list in the beginning of Lent.  But here it is, at least ready for Holy Week, and maybe for next year, right?  One advantage of doing this now is that I’ve had all of Lent to remember and discover and use these, so they are fresh in my mind.

   MYSTERIUM FIDEI - This source has been a soul saver for me this year.  As you may or may not know, I came down with whooping cough a couple of weeks before Lent.  Tomorrow will be my first Sunday Mass in about two months (I was able to get to Mass and Confession this morning, too.  Yay!)  One of the things I tried to do every Sunday to keep it holy was to listen to Msgr. Cook’s homily from the corresponding Sunday from last year and the year before.  I would also get this year’s homily usually later in the week when it was posted. There are many, many excellent sermons on here - I haven’t listened to any without feeling I learned something.  (A note: I usually attend the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, and I know many of my readers do the same, so I want to point out that these are from Msgr. Cook’s Ordinary Form Sunday Masses and the corresponding readings. Sadly, he doesn’t do a homily at his beautiful Extraordinary Form Saturday morning Masses.) THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS BY ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI 
 
There are many meditations on the Stations of the Cross, but my favorite are the ones written by St. Alphonsus Liguori. There is such beautiful prose and repetition in it.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to use these meditations, I encourage you to do so.  Especially an older translation with the “Thee”s intact.  Did you know that Thees and Thous were terms for loved ones, not formal?  There is also a recording of these meditations produced by David Phillips, featuring Robert Kochis and Seraphim.  The music added is so lovely - I only wish it was possibly to listen to the hymns without the meditations. 
BENJAMIN’S BOX:
I love this book.  Yes, it is a children’s book, and yes, there is one page that needs to be edited a bit (on page eleven, when telling about the last supper it says the wine was “like” His blood, and the bread “like” His body. A bit of marker fixes that easily.) I think this copy has a little "parents guide" that is geared toward the "saved" thinking, too. But what better way to bring children closer to the story of Christ’s Death and Resurrection than through the eyes of a child? If you have children, I recommend reading this book with them during Holy Week.  You can buy the eggs that go with it, but my brothers enjoyed putting together their own boxes and improvising. 

That's all for now, folks!  Oh, and you can check out my YouTube Playlist for Lent.  It's a little short, but maybe I'll add a few more songs.

May God Bless and Keep You this Holy Week!

Sursum Corda 2013

I am so excited!!!  They announced the dates for the 2013 Sursum Corda!!!  And it will be in Chicago!!!!
If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have realized that Sursum Corda is one of the highlights of my year.  If you haven't been reading my blog, I refer you to the following posts:
Sursum Corda Camp 2011
Sursum Corda 2012
And another note

If you are a Catholic Young Adult between the ages of 18 and 35 (or so,) especially one with a love for Tradition, please come and join us!  This year it will be held June 21-24, at Mundelein Seminary. Cost has not yet been announced, but it will probably be between $200 and $250. Stay tuned for more details!

My 100th Post... On Perfectionism, Procrastination, and Perseverance

"The world must keep one great amateur, lest we all become artists and perish." 

   When I started this blog, three years ago three days ago, I chose the above quote by G.K. Chesterton as my tagline because I knew that my work here would not be perfection.  A month ago, it was pointed out to me that I had “parish” instead of “perish” up there.  Good thing I’m not a perfectionist.  Except maybe I am. 

   You see, it took me almost a month to write this post.  Assuming, of course, that I actually finish this post. I’ve started it so many times in my head, and even on paper, so perhaps I shouldn’t assume anything!  But, being my hundredth published post, I wanted it to be something special.  Alas, my perfection led to procrastination.  

   Isn’t that the way it goes, though?  We are afraid to do things, because we are afraid we can’t do them well.  Sometimes, it is because of fear of ridicule from others.  Other times, we don’t want to “waste our time.”  Or perhaps it is the money we don’t want to waste.  And there are times when we are right to hesitate.  For example, sewing your own wedding dress when you have never sewn a stitch is a very, very, very bad idea.  And I suppose there are those who would argue that those who have no literary degree should not be writing.  Or those who have not been trained to sing, should not sing.  

   Well, if you are one of those miserable naysayers, I suggest you go find something else to do, and leave me to my fun.  Because that’s all this blog is - a bit of fun.  Hopefully now and then I hit on something truly edifying, but that isn’t really why I started it.  I started it, if I recall correctly, because I felt that sharing recipes and patterns and ideas was a very good idea.  This was before pinterest, mind you.  I had lots of ideas on what I could share.  And really, it’s just because I like to do lots and lots of different things. I do them because I enjoy them.  Not always because I’m especially good at them (playing the piano comes to mind.  And the guitar.  And the violin.  And the recorder.)

   What WOULD happen if there were no amateurs, only artists?  Well, I think we would lose many special things.  Like creativity and innovation.  But not just that.  We would also lose mothers singing lullabies, and fathers building doll houses.  We would lose grandma’s crocheted scarves (a little too long) and grandpa’s paper airplanes (a little too heavy.) Would Joe dare to write a letter?  Would Judy dare to bake a pie? 

   Another favorite quote from Mr. Chesterton: “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.”  Perhaps our defense is not eloquent enough (or graceful enough,) but still the defense must be made.  Or the profession of faith.  Or of love! Attempting something new can be challenging.  For example starting a blog.  It looks easy at the outset, and is great fun.  But pretty soon it is a week, or two weeks, or three months between posts.  Why bother?  It’s not like I have many readers, anyhow.  If I had any sense at all, I’d just give up.  

   But you know what?  I don’t want to.  I like blogging.  I like having somewhere to share my ideas and my perfect Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.  I don’t care if it’s not perfect.  Well, I do, but I know that if I allow my perfectionism to kick in, it will drag along procrastination, and do it’s best to bump off perseverance.  So begone, perfectionist! You don’t belong HERE.  This is a blog strictly for amateurs.  And if it takes me another three years to make it to 200 posts, so be it.  I’m going to hang on and enjoy the ride...and the scenery.