Hello, Lent

The thought occurred to me as I slumped down the hall on Ash Wednesday evening: I forgot to do my chosen Lenten practice today. But...my baby didn't get down to bed easily, thus presenting me with the perfect opportunity to say my extra prayers. And yesterday, I think I may have forgotten altogether (baby girl recently acquired her first two teeth and is working hard to get more...so I'm drinking at least one cup of coffee every day now and have no memory). Basically, Kelly's post about how "You can do Lent" REALLY resonated with me today. 

We don't have a Lenten calendar, spiral (although I may do one next year, because they look awesome and seem like a great, simple visual for kids), or anything like that. We rang in Ash Wednesday with a cartoon about Lent and livestreamed Mass, because we've been living under piles of snow (praying for all of you in Texas!) and could not safely drive down our street. However, I'm finding that even putting a simple picture on our table has been a huge way to make Lent present in the life of our kids (my two-year-old, in particular, keeps talking about it). 

Yes, our now-withered Christmas poinsettia is still
in the house, because I am SO on top of life right now ;) 

I had been eagerly anticipating Lent, and was excited that this year, we would be able to walk through the whole season with our parish family AT MASS. No livestreams like in Lent 2020! So, starting off the season at home, following along with Mass on the computer, was not my ideal-but I guess it's a good way to jump right into the penitential aspect of the season. 

Lent has begun and spring is here! (I hope)

"And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils."

-William Wordsworth, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"


I find myself drawn to Wordsworth's poem as the glory of God in nature springs forth. It snowed just a few weeks ago, but once that melted, daffodils arrived to our city. I sadly forgot to buy bulbs last year, so we don't have any daffodils, but thankfully many of our neighbors-as well as a nearby park-are all adorned with these cheerful flowers. I love how these flowers appear with the hope and promise of springtime each year! And, since temperatures are supposed to hit in the 60s and 70s today and this weekend, I think Spring might actually be here to stay. I've discovered that Spring and Fall are definitely my favorite seasons at this time, because I love the changes in nature and the weather is usually fabulous.                            

Hello, 2019

It feels like we're finally, finally settled back into our post-holiday routine. As much as I love the excitement of different events and visits, these past two weeks of normalcy have been really rejuvenating! I think that today would be a nice chance for a good old-fashioned update and let y'all know what exactly I've been up to since the year began, what I've been watching on Netflix, and some articles I've enjoyed around the web (a post on what books I've been reading will come later this week).

The Conversion of St. Paul

I know the story; I've both read it myself, heard it at Mass, and even seen it portrayed on that animated VHS tape I watched as a little kid. The story of Saul-turned-Paul; the persecutor-turned-disciple. Yet as I sat in the wooden pew with my kids on Friday morning, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, the words struck me in a new way. 

In Acts 22, Paul recounts the story of his conversion. He was travelling to Damascus to capture Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. But then, on the journey to Damascus, he fell to the ground when Jesus spoke to him and completely turned his life upside-down (Acts 22:6-10). So, the now-blinded Saul went on with his companions to Damascus, where the devout Ananias told him to seek Baptism and become a witness to God's work. We all know the story, and St. Paul is famous and well-loved. Verses from his epistles adorn many a decorative wall hanging or pillow. 

Liturgical Living with a Newborn

As we look at October stretch before us, we can also see the liturgical year begin to wind down. Before we know it, Advent will be here, and with it a new liturgical year. As I sit here with my huge mug of coffee, I'm taking a moment to think about the next couple of months. While I love articles about liturgical living and the huge variety of ideas out there for marking the liturgical year, the fact is that I am currently thriving off of prayer, caffeinated beverages, and bits of sleep snatched between nighttime newborn snuggles...and I just can't keep up with everything (In fact, I originally started writing this post last week, but here we are, a week later, and I'm still typing it out).  

So, as much as I would love to write a bunch about some of the wonderful saints this month and hold fabulous celebrations with treats to commemorate all of the feasts...it just isn't going to happen. Instead, I'm trying to incorporate small steps to stay in  tune with the liturgical year during the chaos that reigns during life with a newborn and a toddler. 

Does the Liturgical Year Overwhelm You? Approach it like NFP.

The liturgical year-the rhythm of seasons that draw our focus onto the life and mystery of Christ-is profoundly beautiful. Rich with celebrations, traditions and stories, the liturgical year is pretty amazing...and also overwhelming at times. When people start intentionally observing the liturgical year-or decide to dive deeper into it-all of the practices and traditions can seem like a lot. There's tons of depth, a massive amount of saints, a lot of traditions (both mainstream and obscure), and it can be daunting. The Catholic Church has been around for nearly 2000 years, so it should be no surprise that there is such a rich heritage to draw from! Tyler Blanski ponders the significance of the liturgical year in his stellar book on Christianity, When Donkeys Talk: 

"I wondered, If we are going to reorder our lives around Jesus, perhaps one of the most practical ways we could start would be to do what the medieval Christians did as they went about the serious living of the faith. They reordered their calendars differently. In Christendom we celebrate the feast days of the saints, the holidays that retell the biblical narrative. Good Friday is our Memorial Day. Pentecost is our Independence Day. When we believe that Christ is the unity of knowledge and the coherency of creation, we keep our stories in God's story. We begin to enter God's time zone. We become so much more than observers. We become participants." 

I've been thinking that I'd like to dig my hands deeper into the liturgical year and start revolving my life even more around this continual meditation on Christ's life. As I've deliberated on how to even begin integrating more traditions, prayers, and celebrations into each year, I realized that I should just approach the liturgical year like Natural Family Planning, or NFP.

NFP is, quite simply, fertility awareness. It takes an in-depth look at a woman's fertility cycle and how that affects her whole person. NFP is important for single women to learn so that they can know their bodies and take care of their reproductive health, and NFP is important for married women to learn so that they-in addition to knowing themselves-can utilize this information as they prayerfully discern whether or not God wants them to try to conceive children.

If you love NFP but are scared to dip your toes into the liturgical year, if you love the liturgical year but are hesitant to attempt NFP, OR if both NFP and the liturgical year seem out of reach-well, let's talk about all this, shall we? 

A Year in Review: 2017

Merry Christmas! I usually don't blog about the happenings in my life as much as I intend to, so inspired by Michelle's delightful post, I thought it would be fun to jump on here and give a recap of this past year's adventures.

Celebrating the Christmas Season

I love Christmas! It's such a fun, joyful, cozy time of the year. After the quiet and stillness of Advent, it's amazing to break out into exuberant Christmas celebrations. We celebrate the birth of Our Lord and Savior, the King of Kings being born in humble circumstances. This is huge! Hence, Christmas is not simply one day on the liturgical calendar, but it consists of a whole season. There are several days in which we can celebrate and contemplate the great, beautiful reality of the Word becoming flesh. As Bishop Barron states, "certain mysteries are so profound they need a lot of time to process." 

Christmas is an amazing season full of traditions, prayers, and feasts. I figured that it would be fun to make a list of ways to celebrate Christmastime, keeping in mind the feasts and flow of this liturgical season. 

5 Fun ways to finish off the Liturgical Year

I know that the stores are already blasting Christmas music and Hallmark has a big lineup of holiday movies they've been showing (have you seen this Hallmark Christmas movie drinking game? It looks awesome), but Christmas has yet to make its appearance on the Liturgical Calendar. 

Sugar cookies with sprinkles to celebrate
the Solemnity of Christ the King! 

We just celebrated the Solemnity of Christ the King on Sunday, and now we have a few more days until Advent begins. I already wrote about some things we can do to prepare for the new liturgical year, but what should we do to end the current year? 

If you need any help finishing off this liturgical year on a fun note, here are some ideas to get you started:

Preparing for the New Year & Learning about Hipsters

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm guessing that most of you are, like me, in the throes of last-minute preparations for Thanksgiving. I'm a big believer in "get as many Thanksgiving things done as early as possible," but even then, I find myself scrambling to wash and dry that last load of diapers before we hit the road. Right now, the sound of the washing machine is blending with the sounds of The Punisher (I'm forever grateful that Netflix released it just before I started all of my Thanksgiving food preparations-because peeling potatoes and watching Frank Castle fight go hand in hand, yes?) and my house smells like dinner rolls. 

Throughotu all of these preparations, I've been thinking about the new  year. On December 3, 2017, we will start a new liturgical year with the season of Advent. I don't know about y'all, but a lot of times, Advent/the New Year jumps out at me and I'm unprepared. To help keep myself accountable, and to help any of you who might need inspiration, I recently wrote an article for CatholicMom.com about this: 3 Ways to Prepare for the New Year.

I've also been reading up a storm over here (what else is new?), and I was thrilled to read The Catholic Hipster Handbook, by Tommy Tighe. I've listened to Tighe's podcast off-and-on for the past several months, and couldn't wait to read his book. It was a delight to read. You can read my review here.

I hope that you all have a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving! Make sure to spend time in prayer and offer thanks to God!

A Saintly Celebration!

I love my family. 

Yes, I love my husband, child, parents and siblings, and my in-laws and other relatives. I love the fellowship, love, and relationships that we share. 

I also love my family in the Communion of Saints. 

The unity and fellowship of the faithful in the Church who are living in dead, praying and interceding for each other continually blows my mind. The Communion of Saints:

"...refers first to the "holy things" (sancta), above all the Eucharist, by which "the unity of believers, who form one body in Christ, is both represented and brought about. The term "communion of saints" refers also to the communion of "holy persons" (sancti) in Christ who "died for all," so that what each one does or suffers in and for Christ bears fruit for all." ~Catechism of the Catholic Church #960-961

There's the Church Triumphant: those in Heaven, praying and rejoicing in the gaze of God. There's the Church Suffering: those in Purgatory, who are being purified so that they may join God and the angels and saints in Heaven. There's the Church Militant: those of us on Earth who are seeking to bring the love of God to all people. 

On November 1, we celebrated All Saints Day. This glorious feast is an amazing day to honor and celebrate those men and women who are intimately united with God in Heaven. These people have lived lives of sanctity, and looking at how they served God in their lives helps us, because we can learn from them and ask them to intercede for us. 

Public domain. 

All Saints Day is a time for parties and fun, and this year, I decided that we needed to host a gathering. Throughout my childhood, I went to many All Saints Day parties. Some were small, and some were large. Some were extremely elaborate, involving a carnival in a church hall with several religious-themed games. Some were quite simple, consisting of "soul cakes" and bobbing for apples and a saint story. As much as I love the idea of elaborate All Saints Day parties, I decided that I couldn't handle anything too grand this year. So, we stuck with the "super-simple" route. 

(More) Non-Fluffy Ways to Celebrate the Feast of St. Francis

Happy Feast of St. Francis of Assisi! Last year, I wrote about "non-fluffy" ways to celebrate the feast of St. Francis. I thought this was a worthwhile topic to discuss, since most events that I see on or near to the feast day of this friar revolve around animals. While St. Francis loved the animals, he was much more than the dancing hippie that many people envision. So, in honor of St. Francis, I decided to compile a list of even more ways that we can celebrate his feast day that don't simply further the "dancing hippie" image. 

[Not that there's anything wrong with a dancing Catholic hippie-it's just that St. Francis has many other characteristics to learn about and celebrate!] 

7 Quick Takes: Moving Edition!

Happy Friday, everyone! God-willing (because, you know, there could always be a random tornado that changes plans), we're closing on our first house later today, and moving in tomorrow, so here are some really quick takes as I process my thoughts on life recently! Head on over to Kelly's place to read more quick takes across the blogosphere! 

Deviled Eggs for Pentecost

Happy Monday, everyone! 

Yesterday, we celebrated the great Solemnity of Pentecost-the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, the birthday of the Church. In honor of this beautiful feast, one of our friends hosted a brunch at her apartment. Because they somewhat (if you use your imagination!) look like flames of fire, I brought deviled eggs. We played Mad Gab, which seems very Pentecost-appropriate, since it involves speaking and deciphering phrases. We enjoyed lovely leisure as we all soaked in the beauty of our Faith and the joy of our friendship. 

I think I overdid the paprika haha. 

Today, we embark into the journey of Ordinary Time. How will we go forth in this Ordinary Time? That's the question that I'm discussing over here. I need to go make sushi now and reevaluate the packing situation (because it's moving week!!!). Have a blessed beginning of this liturgical season!

We're Halfway There!

Rejoice! Today is Gaudete Sunday (as well as Bambinelli Sunday). The priests wore pink-I mean, rose-at Mass, and a jubilant mood filled the church. The Lord is coming, and we rejoice. 

At Mass on Saturday morning, the priest mentioned that we are at the halfway point of Advent. This fact hadn't occurred to me, and I'm glad that he brought it up. There are only two weeks of Advent left-this is both exciting (Christmas will soon be here!) and intimidating (are we ready?). So, since Father mentioned the whole "we're halfway through Advent" reality, I've been thinking about how this Advent has been going over here. 

Monday Musings about Thanksgiving, Anne of Green Gables, & Running

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm currently avoiding my housework, my bullet journal's To Do list, and savoring the peace and quiet of naptime, so I decided that I'd pop in for a moment about the random thoughts swirling around in my mind.

Fabulous Ways to Celebrate Advent

It's almost the new liturgical year, because Advent is just around the corner! The season of Advent (from Latin, it means "coming") has existed for several centuries. St. Gregory of Tours, who lived in the 6th century, wrote about this practice in the Church, which had been going on for several years-there just wasn't one standardized length for this time of preparation before Christmas. Over time, things got standardized in the West and now we celebrate Advent beginning "with evening prayer I of the Sunday falling on or closest to 30 November." 

Advent is an amazing season in which we can prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas and at the end of time. As the Congregation for Divine Worship states,

"Advent has a twofold character: as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ's first coming to us is remembered; as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ's Second Coming at the end of time. Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation." 

There are so many rich, epic traditions and practices which we can celebrate during Advent, so let's talk about a few of them! 

Simple Ways to Celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King

When I was little, I always thought it sounded so neat that different Asian cultures celebrated their own special year-long cycles: "Year of the Snake," "Year of the Rooster," or "Year of the Monkey." I would look over pictures of lavish celebrations, amazing food, and colorful displays in awe. I don't do anything that cool, I would think with a dramatic sigh (I was quite dramatic as an eight-year-old, and I still am, to an extent).

As I grew older, I learned about the liturgical year that we celebrate as Catholics-and I discovered how amazing it is. In America, we unfortunately don't throw the lavish, public celebrations that they do in other countries, but the feasts are still pretty fabulous-and I want to get better at celebrating them with fun and splendor.

This Sunday, we celebrate the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Not only that, but it's the Solemnity of Christ the King. Hence, there is every reason to celebrate with joy! However, each year, I am so focused on preparing for Advent (or being oblivious of the calendar altogether) that I neglect to really celebrate this solemnity in style. So, I decided to put together some simple ways in which we can all celebrate this glorious feast.

The Liturgical Year is Epic

As the liturgical year winds down, I thought it'd be appropriate to briefly talk about it. After all, the liturgical year is epic. In trying to live the liturgical year, I recognize that Christianity isn't just something to be practiced once or twice a week in a church building. Rather, we are supposed to be modeling our whole lives to Christ, working towards being fully united with God for all eternity.

Non-Fluffy Ways to Celebrate St. Francis of Assisi!

St. Francis of Assisi is commonly thought of as an animal-loving, tree-hugging hippie of sorts. Many churches offer a "Blessing of Animals" on or around the feast of St. Francis, and quite often, "suggested activities" for the feast revolve around animals or nature.

St. Francis of Assisi birdbath, anyone?

While doing these types of activities is great, and I'm all about dancing barefoot in fields of flowers amid singing birds, these aren't the only ways to celebrate St. Francis' awesome feast day. In fact, there are plenty of other fantastic things we can do to commemorate St. Francis-that don't revolve around fluffy animals. Since I am a mega-huge fan of St. Francis, and today is his epic feast day, I'd like to share a couple ideas about how we can celebrate!