bless us, our lord

•••

In snoburbia, you just never know what will occasion a mention of how impressive your child is.

During the weekly announcements at Mass,* while talking about an upcoming holy event, the announcer casually let it slip that her daughter had received a [amount] scholarship to [name] university.

•••

* I used to be a C and E Catholic, but now have downgraded to a when-my-mom-is-in-town Catholic.

Comments

[Mike]

Awesome! And stealing your line about being a former C&E Catholic but downgraded to when-mom-visits line!

[Queen of the Weezils]

It's okay. God loves even the kids that don't measure up too.

[Doris]

At St. Patrick's in Rockville, Outer Snoburbia, the priest reads the announcements at Mass. That is how it's done at other churches I've visited. So we don't hear things like that. Where do you attend (when mom visits!)?

[mistah charley, ph.d.]

At the Catholic church missus charley and I attend (well beyond the Beltway), we go to a weekly contemplative prayer small group meeting, as well as to Mass. One of the members recently died in a fire which destroyed her home, and her husband, who was injured, first came back to the group this past Sunday. The priest distributed the text of the following prayer, and we prayed it as a group. The author is the 20th century monk and author Thomas Merton.

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this You will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.
- Thomas Merton, “Thoughts in Solitude”

[Mary's dream]

Joseph, I had a dream. I don't understand it, not really, but I think it was about a birthday celebration for our Son. I think that is what is was all about. The people had been preparing for it for six weeks. They had decorated the house and bought new clothes. they'd gone shopping many times and bought elaborate gifts. It was peculiar, though, because the presents weren't for our Son. They wrapped them in beautiful paper and tied them with lovely bows and stacked them under atree. Yes, a tree, Joseph, right in the house. I had the strangest feeling that if our own Son had gone to this celebration, he would have been intruding. How sad for Jesus - not to be wanted at HIS own birthday party. I'm glad it was only a dream. How terrible, Joseph, if it had been real.

[Thrift Store Mama]

Mistah Charley, thank you for sharing.

I'm (now) an "every Sunday" Catholic. A "I may not agree with every single thing this church professes, but I believe in the most important ones" Catholic. A "I'm raising my children to be critical thinking Catholics who love the Lord and love the Catholic church." And most importantly a "I will be an active, participating member of this church until I die, because if I leave then who will speak out for the things I believe in" Catholic.

[Doris]

Mary, you woke up too soon. You didn't see the millions of people around the world flocking to churches to celebrate your Son's birth. You didn't see the hundreds of thousands donating clothes, money, and their time to the poor in your Son's name. You didn't see the people participating in living nativity scenes in front of their churches or the children in religious schools having Christmas programs (they aren't allowed to in public schools!). You didn't hear the songs of joy sung everywhere about His birth. Mary, you woke up too soon.

[Joseph wants to know]

Would the Son of a Carpenter be welcome at your Christmas clebration?

[Doris]

Jesus is always at our Christmas celebration and always has been. And we go to Christmas Mass also!

[Silent Night]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y5GtaTrPHM

Merry Christmas!