I realized after posting on a cousins blog that I have not written in about a year. So maybe I should write something. Hmmmm what to write. I guess I will mention a few things about Advent, the schools and thoughts in general. Today is the feast Day of Juan Diego and My oldest( a long time ago) painted a picture of the Blessed Mother that appeared to Juan Diego. I encouraged her to take it to school and show her Spanish teacher. She did and what a response. I figured she would get detention, the teacher instead showcased it in the hall. Kinda cool. However in just a few short years I don't know if that would be the same response. Tully schools now observe a "day of silence", which I kept my high schoolers home that day and the year before last we didn't know about it and one teacher actually came in with duct tape on her mouth. My girls were outspoken that day and one even mentioned the fact that many have died due to their belief in Christ why don't the schools observe a day of silence for them? Well needless to say the schools are again doing their best to observe Santa and not the real meaning of this Advent or the coming Christmas season. I had almost 30 families show up to make Advent wreaths on the 29th of Nov, just to have one of our priests say "no" he would not bless them. That's right "No". I was busy cutting greens so I did not hear him, I am so sad when this rich tradition of our faith is dismissed. My Mother asks anyone with a collar on to bless something. Any way one wonderful thing is that as parents we still have the God given right to teach our kids our beliefs and this beautiful faith and I wonder sometimes if they hear me going on and on and on about it and I am encouraged because my son Leo was secretly making something in the garage. All I kept saying was "don't make a mess, I need to get the van in there when it snows", it snowed van is still outside. Well what my boy was making was a manger out of mud, sticks and black tape. I love it. When I read todays readings, I was amazed that the Responsorial Psalm was Psalm 103, my absolute favorite:
Psalm 103 vs 1-2,3-4,8,10
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
Merciful and gracious is the Lord,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
I love the message of hope and of course the Gospel today was just as comforting. My soul always finds rest in Christs yoke, if I just stay still enough to take his instead of mine. If anyone does read this(ha ha ha) cause I doubt it that whole exercise post well lets just say that I move just not for the sake of exercise, but for the sake of the family. As for those of you who are getting sucked up in the whole "holiday" spending thing, I leave you with this:
We well remember that He Himself came among us as one who was lowly, humble, poor and weary with toil. At the same time He was the Messiah who redeemed us from every moral misery as well as the prophet of hope of the Kingdom of heaven.
Pope Paul VI December 1, 1968
After twenty years my boots finally gave out. I went for a wonderful ski the other day and thought it odd that my left foot kept slipping and feeling like a bunch of snow had built up underneath. So after ignoring it, which is what I like to do when something goes wrong, I stopped and started to whack at it with my pole, another one of my techniques when something doesn't work...hit it. Well needless to say the boot had finally come detached from the sole.(interesting note here when we are disconnected from our soul/sole what becomes of us?) So with great sadness I must put all the mountains and hills and snowy paths in my memory. You see these skiis/boots etc were a part of my youth. That precious time before husband and children and it seemed I became youthful when I put them on. Sorta like that comfy sweater or place or whatever takes you back ...for me it was my skiis. Now I will keep them they will not go in the 4o trash bag challenge but I will replace them ever so frugally with my daughters skiis since she has taken up snowboarding. Just need to document my love for my skiis as they gave me a way into the woods where I found so much solice.
