This Day Was Made by the Lord, Let us Rejoice and be Glad

I suppose it is due to my weak human nature that it is so much easier to utter those words on a day when the sun is shining. Perhaps I can be forgiven for that, considering how little we've seen of the sun in the past week. Yesterday it rained all day. I'm not complaining, as it could have been snow, but for those struggling with the blues or even depression in winter, the precipitation and clouds are no help at all. Well, the sun is out full-force today, and I give thanks to Almighty God for that!

The Bishop is visiting the parish where my son is an altar server (he's not a server at our parish, which is a long story I'll save for some snowy night in front of the fire). Matt was put on the schedule today for the Mass that will be celebrated by the Bishop and he's a little nervous about it. He was up much earlier than he usually is and soon will be off to St. Rita's to make sure he knows his responsibilities and has the altar prepared as expected. I was practicing with him last night how to hand the cruets to the priest because he hasn't served in nearly a month and felt rusty. I think it's pretty amusing that I, his mother, is "training" him when his father, who grew up serving the Latin Mass in the 60s, should be doing it instead. My husband's picture is in the dictionary next to the definition of laid back, so I do what I have to do sometimes, regardless.

Later today we'll be heading over to the folks'house for dinner. It seems like we haven't been there in ages, again due to the weather. My new job is only about 5 minutes from my parents' house, and one of the advantages of that is that I can drop in and check up on them with ease. I have an ulterior motive for choosing Fridays to do this, as it means having a slice or two of my mother's homemade pizza. When I stand on their doorstep waiting to be let in, the scent of her pizza sauce is there to greet me. Who could resist crossing the threshold after that? I have noticed that with my more frequent presence, my dad seems to be more with it than usual. Perhaps because he feels as though he has a purpose because he goes out to my car, checks the oil and the tires, and rearranges it so that I don't have to back out of the driveway.

None of the teams I favor are playing in the Super Bowl (Cowboys or Bears), so I really could not care less about it. Truth be told, I'm pretty indifferent to the Packers and I detest the Steelers, although their coach seems like the epitome of cool on the sidelines. In just about a week, pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater, and I will get to see the lovely and talented Mr.Cliff Lee in a Phillies uniform again. Hearing that he would be returning to the lineup was an early Christmas present for the City of Philadelphia.

Except on the days when I have a 7am meeting at work, I've decided I will continue to go to the parish closer to home that has been my weekday parish for the past 3 years. Last week was the first time since I started the job that I was able to get to Mass all 5 weekdays. I had to piecemeal it together a tad because of the ice and snow, with 2 of those Masses happening after work, but that's ok. I noticed on the days when I got to Mass in the morning that I was calmer and accepted the normal trials we face in the OR every day with more ease and confidence. I don't know if it is appropriate to put it in these terms, but I am addicted to receiving the Eucharist. When I don't get to Mass and can't make it to Adoration either, I'm uptight, antsy and restless. I think, in a way, that it's a good thing to need the Lord that much that we will find any way we can to get to Him each day. No professional or personal responsibilities were compromised in the process, either. I don't know that it would be a good thing if I neglected my family so I could spend more time in church, so I do recognize the need for balance.

I was listening to Father Corapi last night, and while his talk was filmed some years ago, he expressed his opinion that we are closer to the end of the world than we think. This always leads me to reflect, with much gratitude, on having undergone conversion. Then a thought popped into my head. As Father was talking, there was a statue of Mary standing behind him, and her hands were open, as they are often depicted, with graces pouring forth from them to us. I suddenly had the thought that the person most responsible for my conversion was her. There was a time when I prayed the Rosary before going to bed at night. I was a pretty lukewarm Catholic then, but as I recall, I was pregnant with my first child and I prayed often to my Heavenly Mother and to St. Ann for a happy and healthy delivery. Remember the promises that Mary makes to those who recite the Rosary? If she would do this for me, who abandoned the practice and the faith, imagine what she will do you, who have been faithful all along?

Anyway, with all of the natural disasters we're having, it's my feeling that we are now in a time of punishment that will gradually worsen. I did not know this. Perhaps you did. On September 11, 2001, not a single abortion took place in the city of New York. Not one. We received our wake-up call. When will others hear it?