E-P-A-U-L-E-M-E-N-T

We're watching the National Spelling Bee on ABC right now and boy is it exciting! "Our" one student from Wisconsin - and the only girl left - is awesome (epaulement is the word she just spelled - I can often guess the Latin and German ones, but I have no clue when it comes to French)! We're having lots of fun here trying to guess how to spell the words and cheering everyone on. I lost track of whether there are any homeschoolers left or not.

Rest in Peace

Please remember in your prayers my sister-in-law's father, Rick Ellis, who died early this morning. He and his wife ran Saint Raphael Press, a Catholic bookstore and small publishing company, for many years as well as running the California office of Seton Home Study.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Chai Frappachinos at home

Now that the ice cream maker is working we had to do a little experimenting. Yum! I imagine this would also work in an electric ice cream maker.

Heat three cups of milk (whole milk would seem to be the best) and steep with two chai tea bags.

Combine with five more cups of milk (cold!), 1 cup of sugar and a little vanilla.

Crank away in an ice cream maker to desired consistency.

Emily the Waitress

This is my cute and oh-so-smart niece again.

Apologetics Materials on DVD

Life has been extra busy lately so it was rather nice to have two teen discussions in a row where we watched some Apologetics materials on DVD and discussed those (next week we return to our more "standard" reading assignments and discussions).

The materials were excellent as well as timely. Last week we watched Alex Jones' conversion story "No Price Too High" and this week we watched two episodes from "What Catholics Really Believe (with Dr. Ray Guarendi). Both are available from Nineveh's Crossing. We watched the episode on "Scripture and Tradition" and the first of two episodes on the Eucharist. I also had a handout overviewing major Church Councils throughout history in order to further clarify where the Bible comes from and further debunk some of the myths about the Church (that come up on the DVD). By the way, the "What Catholics Really Believe" series will be airing on EWTN beginning June 4th. More details at the end of this post on the producer's blog.

Next week we dive into the book of Exodus to prepare to discuss the Introduction to the Holy Father's Jesus of Nazareth. Great stuff!

Now if we can only get our lit readings in for Friday (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for Gus and To Kill a Mockingbird for our teen girls), I'll be feeling pretty good about things.

Please pray...

for our little friend Bernadette who will have major surgery tomorrow (Wednesday, May 30th)to finish correcting the severe cleft palette she was born with. You can see a few photos and details at her Caring Bridge site.

Memorial Day

We joined our hometown for what my kids have always called a "quiet parade" to the local cemetery with speeches, gun salutes and fly-overs. It was simple, but beautiful and a helpful way for the kids to honor those who fought and died for our country.

A young boy fainted during the ceremony - right around the time of the gun salute. The EMTs (who were conveniently nearby) brought him over to the shade right next to our family. Poor Frank was quite confused by this - especially after brief explanations of Memorial Day. "Why did he get killed?" he asked. I reassured him, that no, he didn't get killed, he was just too hot. "Why did he get shot?" Frank persisted.

Our prayers today are especially with the fallen, with those who are still hurting or missing loved ones and all who are impacted by war.

Serving Up the Ice Cream

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Originally uploaded by Chez VH

Yumm!

Hand-cranked Ice Cream

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Originally uploaded by Chez VH

Thanks to an article in the mostly-twaddly National Geographic Kids magazine, my kids got interested in making ice cream last year. They made it in a double ziplock bag (ice and salt in the bigger bag) with just milk, sugar and vanilla and thoroughly enjoyed the process and the results!

Because of this, a real (but used) hand-crank ice cream maker arrived at our house just in time for Christmas last year. It wasn't in the best of shape. The little metal piece that the inside bucket spins upon was rusted beyond belief (and all usefulness) and was out-of-stock at the one online shop we found that sold the parts.

Finally, last week, the needed part arrived and we made our first batch in the beautiful outdoors to celebrate Pentecost yesterday. We made it with whole milk (great price at Trader Joe's!), sugar and vanilla. It came out rather milkshakeish but proved to be a delicious first attempt with our "new" machine. The kids all decided it was much more fun than an electronic one with a button to push.

When the Kids do Most of the Picture-Taking...

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Originally uploaded by Chez VH

you never know what you'll find.

We picked up this dragon and a few knights from Target last year for our Frank who is big on swords and all. I've decided that the dragon must be in league with the dog - all of the poor gallant knights have been chewed to bits, but the dragon remains untouched undefeated. Uh-oh!

Interesting Movie Site

I just came across this interesting page on Stan William's movie site (Stan Williams is a Catholic convert who runs Nineveh's Crossing and produces apologetics DVDs by Dr. Ray Guarendi, Alex Jones and others). These articles, however, are related to mainstream Hollywood movies. Looks like I've got a lot of reading to do!

Watch out, he's ready for anything!

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Originally uploaded by Chez VH

May Crowning and More

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Originally uploaded by Chez VH

I've been too busy to do much blogging lately. (And I make no apologies for that!)

We had our last co-op of the year yesterday (and Margaret's last co-op before she goes off to Wyoming Catholic College in a few months) along with our annual May Crowning. This always brings tears to my eyes. Our musical mom plays the piano (we sang "Bring Flowers of the Fairest" and "Immaculate Mary") while everyone else processed around singing and carrying flowers (following the First Communicants from that year - we've never had more than one girl in this category - who wears her First Communion dress and gets to crown Mary). After Mary is crowned, everyone else places their flowers in the awaiting vases. I love the collections of flowers from everyone's yards - lots of lilacs and wildflowers.

It was a beautiful day for classes - which was good because there was a dead mouse in the basement (it stunk!) and the upstairs was fairly dirty, so most of the classes were scattered around the yard.

After co-op many of the teens stayed for some pizza while waiting for our last Latin Club meeting of the year which was held at our house a few hours later. The beautiful day was also beneficial here because the team skits (always a big part of the meetings) were held out-of-doors which seemed quite idyllic. (Look for some photos on the group website in the near future).

I've finished the 3rd chapter of Jesus of Nazareth, but won't get to blog on it until after I get some Love2learn Moments recorded this afternoon.

For those who come here searching Google for information on May Crownings, here are a few links with ideas, pictures, etc. relating to May Crownings:

Pictures and Details about a Homeschool May Crowning from "Under Her Starry Mantle"

History and Traditions of May Crownings

Lots of Information, Prayers, etc. for May Crownings

May Crowning photos at Cottage Blessings

Title-Blending Meme

I got tagged by Nick over at Literary Compass to do his brand-new Title-Blending Meme (what fun!).

Here are the rules: Blend two book titles together by using the last word of one title and the first word of the second title. If you want, you can blend the authors' names too.

The first one is sort of cheating because it's one Ria "accidentally" made up when she was two or three years old (but honestly, I don't think I could come up with anything better myself):

Christopher Robin Hood

Here are mine: (with a little help from Amazon)

The Evidential Power of Beauty and the Beast
The King of Ireland's Son of Charlemagne
String, Straightedge and Shadow of the Bear
In Defense of Philosophy for Dummies
The Dangerous Book for Boys and Girls of Colonial Days
The Boxcar Children of Hurin
The Man Who Knew Too Much Ado About Nothing

Here are some from Gus:

The Everlasting Man Who Was Thursday
The Babe Ruth Story of the Greeks
The Story of the First World War II for Kids (with help from Ria)
Centerburg Tales of the Greek Heroes
Blaze and the Mountain Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
I Am David and Goliath

If you're at all interested, please consider yourself tagged.

The Hobart Shakespeareans

We just watched a fascinating documentary about a 5th grade class in an inner city L.A. public school (with an emphasis, naturally, on their remarkable teacher) who are studying Shakespeare and other great classics and learning lessons of character and the value of hardwork that will last them a lifetime. Available from Netflix. Thanks for the recommendation, Mom! :)

By the way, here's the official website of the Hobart Shakespeareans (whose motto, naturally, is "Will Power!").

Embracing Truth

from Cardinal Ratzinger's Salt of the Earth...

In the course of my intellectual life I experienced very acutely the problem of whether it isn't actually presumptuous to say that we can know the truth - in the face of all our limitations. I also asked myself to what extent it might not be better to suppress this category. In pursuing this question, however, I was able to observe and also to grasp that relinquishing truth doesn't solve anything but, on the contrary, leads to the tyranny of caprice. In that case, the only thing that can remain is really what we decide on and can replace at will. Man is degraded if he can't know truth, if everything, in the final analysis, is just the product of an individual or collective decision.

In this way it became clear to me how important it is that we don't lose the concept of truth, in spite of the menaces and perils that it doubtless carries with it. It has to remain as a central category. As a demand on us that doesn't give us rights but requires, on the contrary, our humility and our obedience and can lead us to the common path.

Since we're rather unconventional bookbuyers...

I was quite surprised that we already own three books currently on Amazon's top 25 bestsellers... The Dangerous Book for Boys, The Children of Hurin and Jesus of Nazareth.

More about the Dangerous Book for Boys

We really enjoyed this little promotional video...

Jesus of Nazareth, chapter 2, "The Temptations of Jesus"

This chapter offers some amazing insights into the three temptations of Jesus in the desert. Instead of trying to overview each of the temptations here (partly because I'm limited on time and partly because I don't want to over-quote), I'm just going to share a few insightful tidbits for your consideration (and hope that you'll consider reading the entire book!)...

The Letter to the Hebrews is particularly eloquent in stressing that Jesus' mission, the solidarity with all of us that he manifested beforehand in his Baptism, includes exposure to the risks and perils of human existence: "Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted" (Heb 2:17-18). "For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15)

There are two other great narratives concerning bread in Jesus' life. The first is the multiplication of loaves for the thousands who followed the Lord when he withdrew to a lonely place. Why does Christ now do the very thing he had rejected as a temptation before? The crowds had left everything in order to come hear God's word. They are people who have opened their heart to God and to one another; they are therefore ready to receive the bread with the proper disposition. This miracle of the loaves has three aspects, then. It is preceded by the search for God, for his word, for the teaching that sets the whole of life on the right path. Furthermore, God is asked to supply the bread. Finally, readiness to share with one another is an essential element of the miracle.

Whenever I watch the movie The Miracle Worker (about Helen Keller) - particularly the old one - one scene especially reminds me of how God uses the things of this world (and particularly our needs) to bring us to him. The scene is when Annie Sullivan convinces the parents to let her taken Helen to a little cabin alone for several weeks so that she will have to learn to rely upon Annie and thus become more receptive to her teaching endeavors.

The whole conversation of the second temptation takes the form of a dispute between two Bible scholars. Remarking on this passage, Joachim Gnilka says that the devil presents himself here as a theologian.

Interesting!

The Christian empire attempted at an early stage to use the faith in order to cement political unity. The Kingdom of Christ was now expected to take the form of a political kingdom and its splendor. The powerlessness of faith, the earthly powerlessness of Jesus Christ, was to be given the helping hand of political and military might. This temptation to use power to secure the faith has arisen again and again in varied forms throughout the centuries, and again and again faith has risked being suffocated in the embrace of power. The struggle for the freedom of the Church, the struggle to avoid identifying Jesus' Kingdom with any political structure, is one that has to be fought century after century. For the fusion of faith and political power always comes at a price: faith becomes the servant of power and must bend to its criteria.

Robbing the Poor...

I generally stay out of politics on this blog, but I wanted to point out this excellent post by Leticia about immigration and economics:

[Fr. Benedict Groeschel] said the following about sin, "we are guilty of robbing the poor in ways that we aren't aware, and this is a sin which the Old Testament says 'cries out to heaven for vengance'. "He continued, "every year, illegal immigrants with fake Social Security cards pay BILLIONS of dollars into the system which they will never collect; they help keep that failing system going".

I got a political survey telephone call the other day. Actually I first got this call on Mother's Day and was pretty annoyed that a telemarketer would have the gall to interrupt that day. They fairly politely conceded to calling back later the same week at which time they told me they had a one question political survey they were taking. Can't remember the exact wording they used, but it was something along the lines of "Do you think illegal criminal fugitive aliens should be deported?" I said, "Well, it depends on what you mean by 'illegal criminal fugitive aliens'." Turns out it was their propagandized term for illegal alien. And I said, "no", I don't think all of them should automatically be deported. (and please take me off your list!)

One thing I don't understand about this whole debate is how Christians can argue, as if from a higher moral ground, that illegal aliens should be deported because they "broke the law and don't deserve to be here". Christians, at the very least, should believe that there's a higher law than the law of the land and that people who are desperately trying to support their families (and of course there are immigrants in particularly dire situations such as the Bakala family, who, thankfully were allowed to stay) should have our love and support rather than hatred and prejudice.

UPDATE: The WSJ has an interesting article on the financial component of the immigration debate. Read here

Marian Meme

Margaret Mary tagged me for the Marian Meme.

Favorite Image of Our Lady: Our Lady of Guadalupe

Favorite Marian Feast: The Queenship of Mary (also our anniversary)

Favorite Marian Hymn: Regina Caeli in its various manifestations. Here are a few online samples: simple chant version (with a nice video) another chant version, there's a four-part version that I absolutely love, but I can't remember the composer and wasn't able to find it in a brief search online and I also like the version sung in the movie The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima.

Favorite Place(s) of Pilgrimage: (that I've actually been to!) - The Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians (Holy Hill) and Our Lady of Peace Shrine

Favorite Devotion: The Memorare

Consider yourself tagged if you're so inclined.

Funnies

They're on a roll this morning (in various conversations throughout the morning)...

- first Ria accidentally called our local baseball stadium Miller Lite Stadium.

- then Bernie called Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Miss Piggly Wiggly.

- then Kate decided, while looking at the pictures in the previous post that "Everyone wore diapers once, except for God and Mary and Joseph and all the saints. Right?"

Happy Birthday Ria!

She's 14 today. :)

Here are a few old favorites in honor of the day...

Ria's first smile

Ria and Bernie

Ria and Kate

News from Katrina... More Prayers Needed

Hi Everyone,

We got back from the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and didn't hear the news we wanted to. I do have a motor neuron disease and it's progressed into my back and arms and will continue to my upper body doing the same thing as it is doing to my legs. So there is no cure and no treatment for this one. They were able to pinpoint the exact disease I have which is great because there are over 80 lower motor neuron diseases. The one they found that I have is Progressive Muscular Atrophy. It's a form of ALS and quite similar to it, it's actually a cousin of ALS but you can live longer with it. It is basically the deterioration of muscles in the body that also kill the nerves.

A progressive neurological disease in which the lower motor nerve cells (motor neurons) deteriorate. PMA is not rapidly progressive.

What is PMA?

PMA affects only the lower motor neurons, causing atrophy and fasciculations.

PMA is noted by an absence of upper motor neuron difficulties such as spasticity, brisk reflexes, or the Babinski sign.

Patients with PMA survive longer than patients with ALS and in some cases symptoms can be restricted to the arms or legs for a long period of time before spreading elsewhere in the body.

So we are glad we went and did all the testing. It was more extensive than my other neurologist and I know I would of always wondered, if I had gone to Mayo they would of found something different, so in that aspect I am glad I went. We really missed the kids and it was a long trip. So in a nut shell this is what we found out. Thank you to everyone for all the love, support, prayers, and help you have given to our family. We really appreciate everything everyone did for us to get us there and help with the drs and tests.

Please continue to pray for us!

XO- Katrina

Previous post on Katrina

First Post on the Pope's New Book

Yes, I love it and I knew I'd love it, though I didn't love it from the very first sentence. I got a little bogged down in the Foreward and so skipped ahead to the Introduction (which was quite important as well as engaging) and am now in the midst of the first chapter. This book covers, in particular the part of Jesus' public life from the Baptism in the Jordan until the Transfiguration. I'm particularly intrigued by the upcoming chapter on the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes have always intrigued me, but also mystified me just a little.

Here's a little taste of what the Holy Father teaches us about the significance of Jesus' baptism by St. John the Baptist...

Looking at the events in light of the Cross and Resurrection, the Christian people realized what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind's guilt upon his shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners. His inaugural gesture is an anticipation of the Cross. He is, as it were, the true Jonah who said to the crew of the ship, "Take me and throw me into the sea" (Jon. 1:12). The whole significance of Jesus' Baptism, the fact that he bears "all righteousness," first comes to light on the Cross: The Baptism is an acceptance of death for the sins of humanity, and the voice that calls out "This is my beloved Son" over the baptismal waters is an anticipatory reference to the Resurrection. This also explains why, in his own discourses, Jesus uses the word baptism to refer to his death (cf. Mk 10:38; Lk 12:50).

The Pope goes on to explain how "the Eastern Church has further developed and deepened this understanding of Jesus' Baptism in her liturgy and in her theology of icons." Interesting and beautiful concepts to stew on!

Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI

Well Whaddya Know About That?

Target had copies of the Pope's Jesus of Nazareth today! I'm all ready to dig in. :)

Birthday Bookstore Browsing and Garage Sale Hopping

I had a limited budget yesterday and Barnes and Noble was all sold out of Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth, but things worked out quite nicely anyway. I hit one church rummage sale in the morning (my favorite kind - usually lots of goodies and very reasonable prices) which was very worthwhile even if it ate into the bookstore budget a tad.

I found a really nice little (only slightly dinged-up) buffet for our dining room for $25! We don't actually *eat* in our dining room - it's more of a computer room and study (with a fireplace), but it could use a little bit of beauty in the furniture department (even if we have to put our two printers on top of it!) and we could use some storage space for things like tablecloths (even if they are rather frequently used for costumes!).

The books at the rummage sale were rather scrumptious (and super-cheap) too. I picked up L.M. Montgomery's Emily books, several copies of Mere Christianity (for future teen discussions), Cafi Cohen's And What About College?, books on the Opera and Great Composers by Milton Cross and a few books about British Culture.

The used bookstore netted - I was pretty much looking for major bargains last night - there was lots of other good stuff there:

We're on a Mission from God by Mary Beth Bonacci
The Young People's Book of Saints by Hugh Ross Williamson
The Man Who Knew Too Much by G.K. Chesterton
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (not Tolkien's translation unfortunately)
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (I'm really ready for a re-read of this, but our old copy was simply unreadable)
The World's Great Catholic Literature edited by George N. Shuster (Roman Catholic Books)

It was fun running into a Catholic homeschool family we knew at the used bookstore and swapping notes and titles in the Religion section.

And from Barnes and Noble:

a slice of vanilla bean cheesecake
The Mislabeled Child by the Eides (this looks terrific so far and I'm very grateful to Willa for introducing me to their blog - very helpful and interesting!)

8 Random Facts Meme

Following the rules of the Random Eight Things Meme and tagged by Maureen at Trinity Prep School. I'll try to avoid previous bits of information in other similar memes (these things are starting to get harder!).

1. I've been on Willa's Catholic Classical Education list with Maureen since Andrea started it in 1998. (at least I'm pretty sure Maureen was there from the beginning!). I can't always keep up with it, though.

2. I've lived in three states (Washington, California and Wisconsin) at 13 different addresses.

3. I really like trains - and movies involving trains - and hope to a long trip cross-country on one some day.

4. Though we lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, my oldest brother was married during a YMI retreat in Chicago when I was 13. My husband and his sister were there from Wisconsin, but I didn't meet him until 5 years later at Thomas Aquinas College. Sometime during my first weeks at TAC, I mentioned the wedding at dinner in the commons. TWO people who happened to be sitting at my table were at the wedding (one, of course was John). Isn't that weird?!

5. There are certain tasks that seem to majorly hit my procrastination buttons. I can get my taxes out as soon as all the paperwork is here, but I'm always behind on "official" school paperwork for the kids (even though I leave a very thorough paper trail to polish up later) and I hate making dentist appointments and sending receipts in to our medical savinsg account.

6. I'm an office supplies and organizational tools freak afficionado.

7. It's my birthday today! I'm planning on heading off to the bookstore later for some cheesecake and to look for Pope Benedict XVI's new book. Probably drop by the used bookstore afterwards to replace completely destroyed copies of the Iliad and Brideshead Revisited and see if I can find a few Chesterton selections we don't yet own (despite having about a foot and a half of shelf space devoted to Chesterton - yes I just measured it), especially The Poet and the Lunatics.

8. I discovered a few days ago, that I have a very cute little "birthday twin" elsewhere in the blogosphere.

Please tag yourself if you're interested!

Novena to the Holy Spirit Begins Tomorrow...

Dr. Thursday very kindly reminded me...

Since tomorrow (5/17) is Ascension Thursday, it will then be just nine
days until Pentecost - so it is again time for the Great Novena.

Let us join in prayer, preferably daily Mass if we can do it, and beg
for a renewal of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit in our own life,
our
family, our country, our world.... we need His light, His strength,
His
love so desperately!

You can find the prayers here

He flies!

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Originally uploaded by Chez VH.

Gymnastics has been the perfect challenge for Gus over the past five years or so. He's always struggled with fine and gross motor skills (as I've mentioned previously) and his very patient teacher (also a homeschool mom, by the way!) has been a tremendous help in building up his confidence, ability, strength, perseverance, (and I think perhaps some brain connections too). It's been a long, slow road, but he's come SO far!

Here he's practicing his floor routine that he'll be showing off to the whole family at the end of the school year. Photo by Ria.

A question for all you Penderwicks fans...

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Originally uploaded by Chez VH.

Do you suppose we might have a Batty on our hands?

What I brought home for Gus a few days ago...

It's a big hit so far!

The Word in History

The word revealed in history is definitive, but it is inexhaustible, and it unceasingly discloses new depths. In this sense, the Holy Spirit, as the interpreter of Christ, speaks with his word to every age and shows it that this word always has something new to say.

from Salt of the Earth by Cardinal Ratzinger

Finished Helena by Evelyn Waugh

Hope to get a review written soon. Sometimes I have to stew over them for awhile, though. It was interesting and easier than I expected but sort of - sparse, definitely understated.

A few highlights from the end of Sacramentum Caritatis

Here it is important to consider what the Synod Fathers described as eucharistic consistency, a quality which our lives are objectively called to embody. Worship pleasing to God can never be a purely private matter, without consequences for our relationships with others: it demands a public witness to our faith. Evidently, this is true for all the baptized, yet it is especially incumbent upon those who, by virtue of their social or political position, must make decisions regarding fundamental values, such as respect for human life, its defence from conception to natural death, the family built upon marriage between a man and a woman, the freedom to educate one's children and the promotion of the common good in all its forms. Those values are not negotiable. Consequently, Catholic politicians and legislators, conscious of their grave responsibility before society, must feel particularly bound, on the basis of a properly formed conscience, to introduce and support laws inspired by values grounded in human nature. There is an objective connection here with the Eucharist. Bishops are bound to reaffirm constantly these values as part of their responsibility to the flock entrusted to them.

The first and fundamental mission that we receive from the sacred mysteries we celebrate is that of bearing witness by our lives. The wonder we experience at the gift God has made to us in Christ gives new impulse to our lives and commits us to becoming witnesses of his love. We become witnesses when, through our actions, words and way of being, Another makes himself present.

In the memorial of his sacrifice, the Lord strengthens our fraternal communion and, in a particular way, urges those in conflict to hasten their reconciliation by opening themselves to dialogue and a commitment to justice. Certainly, the restoration of justice, reconciliation and forgiveness are the conditions for true peace. The recognition of this fact leads to the determination to transform unjust structures and to restore respect for the dignity of all men and women, created in God's image and likeness. Through the concrete fulfilment of this responsibility, the Eucharist becomes in life what is signifies in its celebration. As I have had occasion to say, it is not the proper task of the Church to engage in the political work of bringing about the most just society possible; nonetheless she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the struggle for justice. The Church "has to play her part through rational argument and she has to reawaken the spiritual energy without which justice, which always demands sacrifice, cannot prevail and prosper."

We must denounce those who squander the earth's riches, provoking inequalities that cry out to heaven. For example, it is impossible to remain silent before the "distressing images of huge camps throughout the world of displaced persons and refugees, who are living in makeshift conditions in order to escape a worse fate, yet are still in dire need. Are these human beings not our brothers and sisters? Do their children not come into the world with the same legitimate expectations of happiness as other children?" The Lord Jesus, the bread of eternal life, spurs us to be mindful of the situations of extreme poverty in which a great part of humanity still lives: these are situations for which human beings bear a clear and disquieting responsibility. Indeed, "on the basis of available statistical data, it can be said that less than half of the huge sums spent worldwide on armaments would be more than sufficient to liberate the immense masses of the poor from destitution. This challenges humanity's conscience.

Finally, to develop a profound eucharistic spirituality that is also capable of significantly affecting the fabric of society, the Christian people, in giving thanks to God through the Eucharist, should be conscious that they do so in the name of all creation, aspiring to the sanctification of the world and working intensely to that end. The Eucharist itself powerfully illuminates human history and the whole cosmos. In this sacramental perspective we learn, day by day, that ever ecclesial event is a kind of sign by which God makes himself known and challenges us. The eucharistic form of life can thus help foster a real change in the way we approach history and the world.

Teen Discussion: Finished Sacramentum Caritatis

We had our discussion tonight on the last part of Sacramentum Caritatis. It was worth slowly savoring over the last six weeks or so (though we met over Holy Week and Easter Week we had a couple of breaks later because of logistical complications).

We spent a lot of time discussing the concept of "Eucharistic consistency" that came up in the text. What a beautiful and appropriate term!

Right now I am feeling so grateful for the friends God has brought into our lives who are eager and enthusiastic to read and discuss such beautiful things with us - eager and enthusiastic enough to want to continue in the summer and work out the details of future readings in a way that will be most helpful to all those in the group.

It's exciting and inspiring and humbling to be supported in our faith by such a group of friends and it is a wonderful thing to be able to learn and grow together.

Next year we're planning on diving into the New Testament, some Church Fathers and Early Church/Medieval History. We didn't set a specific ending point, though we certainly won't get as far as the Renaissance. Some key texts under consideration for study include: The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina, Pope Fiction by Patrick Madrid, and Ten Dates Every Catholic Should Know by Diane Moczar (even though certain aspects of the book drive me crazy, I think it's quite worthwhile and will work nicely within our group). Literature texts (for our monthly discussions) to coordinate will likely include Beowulf, The Song of Roland and Sir Gawain. Some saint stories and historical fiction will probably add to the mix.

Dog Magic

If you happen to live in our neighborhood, or drive by it frequently, I'm happy to report that you'll no longer see a crazy lady running around after a medium-size black dog, attempting to coax it back home with a juicy can of dog food (usually trailed by a handful of kids attempting to be o-so-helpful). Many thanks to the kind driver who stopped his car and got out to try to help me a few weeks back. Can't say the same for the driver who squealed his tires while zooming around the stopped car without having any idea what was on the other side (it could have been a child!).

The craziness is over as we invested in one of these and it is SO nice! The dog happily runs around the yard with the kids and no longer darts off for a jaunt around the neighborhood (and pestering the poor Unitarian Universalists congregation nearby). The timing was sort of accidental, but it turned out to be a fabulous mother's day present. John set up the system on Saturday morning and by Sunday, Charlotte was happily enjoying the freedom of being outside without a tie-down or a leash.

My actual Mother's Day present was one of these. I am so looking forward to some night-time reading in bed. :)

One more quick dog story, though some of you have already heard this. We went to Easter Vigil Mass and were preparing for an Easter gathering at our house later in the day. The dog escaped from the house and ran over to the parking lot of the Unitarian Univeralists where she began barking at the attendees, who were just leaving their service. John was trying to coax the dog back, but overheard one of the UU's proclaim to another "That's a Catholic dog!" John was too shocked to ask for an explanation. :)

Movie Meme

I just found this fun meme at No Fighting, No Biting.

Go to imdb.com and look up your favorite 10 movies, noting 5 key words for each. These are ten of my favorites - couldn't possibly consider this a final list. Guess which movies these are...

1. Norwegian-American, writer, mother, cat, San Francisco (updated to make it a little easier)

2. marriage, courtship, fistfight, Ireland, cottage

3. sea battle, healing, chariot, leprosy, slavery (come on - this one's easy!)

4. small town, alarm clock, Deja vu, piano lesson, television

5. gourmet, Paris France, refugee, feast, period piece (updated to make it a little easier)

6. secretary, harmonica, banker, grandfather, fireworks

7. Washington D.C., housing shortage, World War II, farce, lodger (updated to make it a little easier)

8. Los Angeles, translator, chef, private school, Mexico

9. New York, photographer, science experiment, agility, teenage boy

10. French Resistance, love triangle, nightclub, piano, airplane

Correct Guesses So Far:

1. I Remember Mama

2. The Quiet Man

3. Ben Hur

4. Groundhog Day

5. Babette's Feast

6. You Can't Take it With You

7. The More the Merrier

8. Spanglish

9. Spiderman

10. Casablanca


Let me know if you decide to share the fun. Way to go anonymous! :)

Happy Mother's Day!

Spiderman 3

Ria, Gus and I saw this yesterday. It was very entertaining (over-the-top is probably an understatement); filled with action and violence, but with some rather moving themes regarding revenge and forgiveness. My favorite aspect of this movie (in contrast with the earlier two) was the deeper character development of the villains.

Get all the details from my favorite movie review site.

Prayer Requests

Please remember my friend Katrina (a soldier's wife with three young children and a mysterious degenerative disease - formerly diagnosed and then undiagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease) who will be visiting the Mayo Clinic next week and hopes to find some answers! She specifically asked for prayers for the doctors she will be seeing that they will be able to help her.

For this beautiful little girl, the daughter of Bernie's godparents, who will be having major facial reconstruction surgery later this month. She was born with a very severe cleft palette and with parts of her facial structure missing.

For John's aunt who has alzheimer's is recovering from a stroke and a heart attack.

"In the Best Sense", of course...

You scored as Col. Brandon. Your husband is most like Col. Brandon of Sense & Sensibility! He is very attuned to your tastes and enjoys sharing them with you. While he resists being flashy, he is very generous, though he will never be overbearing, even if he is correct. The two of you engage in many pursuits together and enjoy a romantic, steady relationship. Col. Brandon 90% Tilney 80% Edward Ferrars 70% Edmund Bertram 65% Knightley 65% Darcy 65% Captain Wentworth 55% Who is Your Jane Austen Boyfriend/Husband? created with QuizFarm.com

hat-tip Shameless Plagiarism

The Quick Book Meme

Grab the nearest book.
Open it to page 161.
Find the fifth full sentence.
Post the text of the sentence along with these instructions.
Don't search around looking for the coolest book you can find. Do what's actually next to you.

Mine is The Aeneid for Boys and Girls by A.J. Church which I just bought at a homeschool get-together yesterday (one mom brought a couple of boxes of used books to peruse).

"Nevertheless there is still something which I can do."

Courtesy of the Cabbage Patch

Long Overdue Movie Post

Some brief impressions and in no particular order...

Night at the Museum was a LOT of fun - laugh-out-loud fun and I very much enjoyed watching it with the kiddos while recovering from the cold-thing I had this week and last (um, despite the awkward phraseology, we only watched it once - which is quite restrained for us). Ria and Gus were pointing out the plot-holes later that day, but enjoyed it anyway. It wasn't a movie you had to take that seriously and it was amazingly family-friendly.

Stranger than Fiction is one John and I saw quite a few weeks (or perhaps months) back. An unusual story with lots of interesting concepts floating around in the background and some very clever writing. Dustin Hoffman doing the literary interview with Will Ferrell was fantastic. Not a movie for the kiddos.

The Holiday was funny, quirky and full of surprises (not all of them good!). Overall we enjoyed it (particularly the couple in Hollywood). Again, not for the kiddos.

The new Yours, Mine and Ours was unexpectedly enjoyable. I didn't let the littler ones watch it because of the bad kid behavior, but I thought it was nevertheless an interesting example of how good can come from places we never intended. John didn't care for it.

Ikiru (thanks Ana!) was incredible. This is an old Japanese movie (Akira Kurosawa) with subtitles. If that makes you think of Godzilla, you're definitely on the wrong track. A man who has mindlessly slaved away in a government office for thirty years discovers that he has stomach cancer and perhaps six months to live. I don't want to share more of the plot than that, but wanted to mention that the faces, the expressions the camera angles and even the simplicity of the story are beautifully artistic - in a kind of primitive (as far as movies go) kind of way. A really wonderful movie - add it to your Netflix list!

Padre Pio was beautiful, but very intense. Italian with subtitles (and quite long). Ria and I watched it and both enjoyed it. It was really my first encounter with anything about Padre Pio. I knew hardly anything about him to begin with. We were tickled to find out that the actor who plays Padre Pio will be in the Prince Caspian movie.

Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School was rather interesting, but mostly weird and never quite made sense to me. I wasn't sorry I watched it, but probably wouldn't see it again. John didn't bother.

Some Rather Challenging Thoughts from Dubay

(still reading through Authenticity)

I know of no saint who lived a personally elegant life-style. Their genuineness shone through their selfless lives, their selfless frugality.

He works a transformation only in those who are transformable. He fills only the empty.

People, he says, are choked with the cares, the wealth and the pleasures of life, and they fail to come to fullness.

Lovers of pleasure may be always learning but they cannot reach the truth and so falsify the faith.

Chesterton, Montessori and Hilda Van Stockum

I just got a copy of the newly reprinted A Day on Skates by Hilda Van Stockum and it is beautiful! Yes, you do want a copy and don't bother with an old one from eBay. We did that while this lovely book was out-of-print and found the pages quite brittle and hard to manage. Worth it if you have to, but not when you have other options.

Anyway, this new edition has a brief biography of the author written by Jean Ann Sharpe of Bethlehem Books. This paragraph particularly struck me:

It was on this return to Holland that Hilda first read the works of G.K. Chesterton, which led to an intellectual and spiritual conversion. His brisk intellect and spiritual acuity came at a crucial time for the young artist raised in an agnostic environment; it fanned to flame the spark of spiritual perception already alight within her. A short time later, when once again back in Ireland, Hilda immersed herself in the Montessori teaching method. This training gave form to her intuitive sense of justice, a justice that sees and treats each child as a person in his own right. These two influences greatly contributed to the quietly developing spiritual framework upon which her future life and work would hang.

Bernie's Bunny

Bernie's Bunny
Originally uploaded by Chez VH.

Bernie caught a baby bunny (I think she rescued him from the cat) yesterday and everyone took turns holding him before letting him go.

What is Necessary and What is Possible

I've shared the quote from St. Francis a number of times here: "Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible." I use this quote as a motto rather often and it helps me to prioritize things because, as much as I'd like to, I can't do everything and I'm hit by this sometimes more than others.

I've been sick with a bad cold since just after the homeschool conference (a week and a half ago) and was still feeling pretty crummy on Sunday for Bernie's First Communion.

Now, I'm a perfectionist type. I LOVE to have everything just perfect when company comes over (and would prefer to have things perfect all the time!) and I have to deliberately push myself away from that. Sometimes circumstances - like illness - force me into that (and the reminders are good for me!).

I decided that getting down to the "necessary" and the "possible" for our First Communion Day celebration centered around making it a special and beautiful for Bernie. Other aspects were more flexible and impressing relatives with a perfect house was pretty low on the list. And so I did go with Bernie to five different stores on Saturday night to find some pretty white shoes (amazing that we didn't have white shoes for girl #3 in the family - but girl #2 has a way of making clothing somewhat...ahem...less suitable for future special occasions). We had to reach a bit of a compromise with some very pretty white sandals that she wore with lacy socks and she was very happy (the other four stores had nothing that would work - good thing the fifth store had something because those 5 stores within reasonable range of our house and close proximity to each other were my absolute limit - otherwise black dress shoes would have to do). So new shoes turned out to be "possible" though not strictly "necessary".

Getting ready for Mass was more challenging than usual with low energy and last-minute details and the other kids filled in more than usual on helping the little ones get dressed while I helped Bernie with her hair. I got to Mass, looked down and saw that Frank had grass stains all over his pants. I spent a lot of Mass standing in back with Frank so I wouldn't cough on the poor people in front of us (our neighbors, by a neat coincidence) and came back from communion to discover that one little girl who will go unnamed (though I should mention that it was definitely not the first communion girl) went up to communion barefoot because she was having trouble with her shoes (never would have gotten past me if I was in the pew, sigh).

But you know, those little things really didn't matter. Bernie received Our Lord lovingly (and in fact wanted to go to Mass every day this week, which sickness unfortunately overruled), rules about shoes at Church were clarified with a certain little girl, and we had a lovely party and visit with the relatives afterwards. I was remembering, during all of this time, little Gabriel and his family, who also had a First Communion this weekend and had to cancel their party. A healthy dose of perspective and a little "letting go" are just what the doctor ordered.

How Can We Change the World?

The answer is shockingly simple. It is to strive to live lives of holiness and charity. Pope Benedict provides us, in Sacramentum Caritatis with beautiful expositions of why the Eucharist is the key to this:

Christianity's new worship includes and transfigures every aspect of life: "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31). Christians, in all their actions, are called to offer true worship to God. Here the intrinsically eucharistic nature of Christian life begins to take shape. The Eucharist, since it embraces the concrete, everyday existence of the believer, makes possible, day by day, the progressive transfiguration of all those called by grace to reflect the image of the Son of God (cf. Rom 8:29ff.). There is nothing authentically human – our thoughts and affections, our words and deeds – that does not find in the sacrament of the Eucharist the form it needs to be lived to the full. Here we can see the full human import of the radical newness brought by Christ in the Eucharist: the worship of God in our lives cannot be relegated to something private and individual, but tends by its nature to permeate every aspect of our existence. Worship pleasing to God thus becomes a new way of living our whole life, each particular moment of which is lifted up, since it is lived as part of a relationship with Christ and as an offering to God. The glory of God is the living man (cf. 1 Cor 10:31). And the life of man is the vision of God.

Self Portrait on First Communion Day

Self Portrait on First Communion Day
Originally uploaded by Chez VH.

I just love this picture that Bernie took of her reflection in a window yesterday!

By the way, we (Ria and I - the two main Bean readers in the family) were delighted to see that Juliette Bean, whose pictures always remind us of Bernie (including the missing two front teeth), also received her First Communion yesterday.

Constructive Criticism

I've had a sense of the importance of the right attitude towards critique and reform, but never seen it articulated as beautifully as this passage from Fr. Dubay's Authenticity. (I just shared this with my love2learn board too)...

It has been rightly noted that the sometimes necessary criticism in the Church heals no wounds unless it consists in an example of greater love:

The critic without love resembles rather a man who scratches himself all the more furiously, the more fiercely he itches, a process which of course can only result in exacerbating and spreading the inflammation. The great saints were reformers of the Church but they were edifying reformers. Not all great reformers were saints, that is to say those who truly loved; many of them destroyed more than they built up...

One can picture Catherine of Siena disapproving of the papal presence in Avignon and yet at the same time profoundly loving the pope as her "Christ on earth". Her criticism had all the marks of the Spirit: made with reluctance, moderation, gentleness, accuracy and love. One need only compare this approach with its opposite: eagerness, exaggeration, harshness, bitterness. When one reads of theological disputes through the centuries (including our own), he sees clear examples of the two types of criticism. One has the marks of proceeding from God; it builds up in love. The other bears the brand of human pride; it cuts and erodes.

Terri's Banner

terrisbanner
Originally uploaded by Chez VH.

Since I started blogging about a week after Terri's First Communion, we decided to post hers today too. We made the banner in the days after Pope John Paul II's death and she decided to include his motto and coat of arms on her banner. She received her First Communion the same week our new Holy Father became pope!

First Communion Banner

berniesbanner
Originally uploaded by Chez VH.

Bernie was very involved and excited about the whole process even though I did the cutting and gluing (and John did the sewing!). She drew three or four possible designs, consulted with everyone on the possibilities and gave careful consideration to the placement of everything - especially the flowers.

I love seeing all the banners in the vestibule of Church during Easter Season (a different batch each week).

And while we're on the subject of First Communion, please remember in your prayers Bernie and all who are receiving their First Communion this weekend.

It is a uniquely May sort of thing...

to pick up a First Communion dress from the dry cleaners and six bags of top soil from the hardware store... on the same trip.

Please Pray for Heather Today

Read more here

and here

and here

and here

Heather is one inspiring lady! She has her own blog here.

Manifestation of God's Love - A Great Literary Example

In our teen catechism group, we've been discussing how people can be manifestation of God's love to others. This was a significant topic in Pope Benedict XVI's Deus Caritas Est and Sacramentum Caritatis. I came across a lovely example of this in Uncle Tom's Cabin. George is a runaway slave who has been welcomed into a Quaker farmhouse...

It was the first time that ever George had sat down on equal terms at any white man's table; and he sat down, at first, with some constraint, and awkwardness; but they all exhaled and went off like fog, in the genial morning rays of this simple overflowing kindness.

This indeed, was a home, - home, -a word that George had never yet known a meaning for; and a belief in God, and trust in His providence, began to encircle his heart, as, with a golden cloud of protection and confidence, dark, misanthropic, pining, atheistic doubts, and fierce despair, melted away before the light of a living Gospel, breathed in living faces, preached by a thousand unconscious acts of love and good-will, which, like the cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple, shall never lose their reward.

The Moms Who Blog Blog

Melissa Wiley has just started a blog made especially for mom bloggers - to share tips on blogging. I'll be contributing a few things I've learned about blogger and we'll see what happens after that. :)

Thanks for the great idea Lissa. Check out the blog here.

We Get to Sing Again

The kids and I are singing for a Mass on Mother's Day weekend. It's still the Easter Season, the month of Mary and First Communion. Here's the music we selected:

Alleluia, Alleluia, Let the Holy Anthem Rise
God is Love
Jesus My Lord, My God My All
Ave Maria (Communion Meditation)
Immaculate Mary
Just after the closing hymn, we'll sing the "Jubilate Deo" round that we all love so much.

This coming Sunday is Bernie's First Communion. Prayers appreciated, especially as we have a nasty cold going around. Just finished her banner today and I may get a picture up yet. And, Nutmeg, I had to have my husband sew the banner as I am not yet able to wield a sewing machine. The glue and puffy paint I can handle. :)

Uncle Tom's Cabin

I'm reading Uncle Tom's Cabin for our teen lit discussion on Friday. I found this paragraph in the preface particularly interesting:

In the northern states, these representations may, perhaps, be thought caricatures; in the southern states are witnesses who know their fidelity. What personal knowledge the author has had, of the truth of incidents such as here are related, will appear in its time.

It is a comfort to hope, as so many of the world's sorrows and wrongs have, from age to age, been lived down, so a time shall come when sketches similar to these shall be valuable only as memorials of what has long ceased to be.

It's interesting to see the historical perspective the author provides us with by considering the future of the slavery issue. She might not have guessed, though, how long this history would haunt us.