St. Polycarp

Polycarp is one of my favorite saints because he is such a good example of a complete life in Christ. I love the fact that he was a student of St. John the beloved apostle. This year I have a special reason to love him - Noah has chosen St. Polycarp for his confirmation patron.

Polycarp in Greek comes from two words “poly” meaning many or much, and “carp” meaning fruit. Obviously his Christian parents named him Polycarp along with a prayer that he would bear much fruit for the Kingdom of God — which he did.

It also inspires me that Polycarp was bishop for 70 years, which shows me that faith and bravery isn't something just for the young, but grows with middle age and into the golden years as well.

Today we read about St. Polycarp's life and discussing his bravery. I don't see much honor in killing an old man, and it's ironic that instead of silencing him, his death brought even more to the new Christian faith.

A very readable version of his martyrdom is here.

At 86, Polycarp was led into the crowded Smyrna stadium to be burned alive. The flames did not harm him and he was finally killed by a dagger. The centurion ordered the saint’s body burned. The “Acts” of Polycarp’s martyrdom are the earliest preserved, fully reliable account of a Christian martyr’s death. He died in 156.

“Stand fast, therefore, in this conduct and follow the example of the Lord, ‘firm and unchangeable in faith, lovers of the brotherhood, loving each other, united in truth,’ helping each other with the mildness of the Lord, despising no man” (Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians).

Flee wicked arts; but all the more discourse regarding them. Speak to
my sisters, that they love in our Lord, and that their husbands be
sufficient for them in the flesh and spirit. Then, again, charge my
brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they love their wives,
as our Lord His Church. If any man is able in power to continue in
purity,(1) to the honour of the flesh of our Lord, let him continue so
without boasting; if he boasts, he is undone; if he become known apart from
the bishop, he has destroyed himself.(2) It is becoming, therefore, to men
and women who marry, that they marry with the counsel of the bishop, that
the marriage may be in our Lord, and not in lust. Let everything,
therefore, be [done] for the honour of God.

"I have served Him eighty-six years and in no way has He dealt unjustly with me; so how can I blaspheme my King who saved me?

Patron against earache and dysentery.

My Daily Domestic Clips 02/23/2012 (a.m.)

• Student loan market created a tuition bubble rivaling the housing bubble. When banks and government subsidize markets the average American gets an education in debt serfdom. For profit schools dominate the Pell Grant market. | Finance my Money

  tags: finance college

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My Daily Domestic Clips 02/22/2012 (a.m.)

• 51 year old woman graduates from Army boot camp | Campaign 2012 | Washington Examiner

  
  How cool is this!!?
  
  
  Army Sgt. Sandra Coast graduated from U.S. Army Basic Combat Training at the age of 51, finishing training with one of the highest physical fitness test scores in her company after having to lose 30 pounds just to qualify for basic training.
  
  "I was impressed, because she can do everything the younger soldiers do," Army 1st Sgt. John Byars said of Coast, according to the Armed Forced Press Service (AFPS). "She never expected us to feel sorry for her. She even got one of the highest Army physical fitness test scores in the company. She is a prime example that age is just a number. She ran faster than soldiers young enough to be her kids."

  tags: aging women

• What is Shrove Tuesday?

  tags: lent shrovetuesday fattuesday

• Shrove Tuesday 2012 (Pancake Day)

  The history and background of Shrove Tuesday

  tags: lent shrovetuesday fattuesday

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Lenten Links

Just to get you started - here are my links for Lent and Easter.  I'll be adding more as time permits and they will be placed in my Lent links pages.  Enjoy!




Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras
From Daniel Bean
What is Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday




Lenten Reading
40 Days to a More Organized Home
The Great Lent
Lent
Lent with Children
And Jesus Wept
Happy Catholic Reading List
Falling in Love with Lent Again
The Meat Police
Coffee and my Inner Jesuit
Loveliness of Lent

Lenten Recipes
Hula Pizza
Fasting Bread for Lent
Tasty Tuna Casserole  from the Simple Dollar Blog
What's for Dinner!!

Lenten Resources
The Anchoress -Lots of Links
Saving the Rest of Lent
Pick Me Ups for the Homeschooling Mom
40 Ways to Improve your Lent
40 Ways to Get More out of Lent
Holy Heroes!
More resources for Kids

Examination of Conscience
Mother's Examination of Conscience
Children's Examination of Conscience
Examination of Conscience for School Children
Father Hardon Examination of Conscience
Father Alberione Examination of Conscience

Lenten Arts and Crafts
http://www.mydomesticchurch.com/2009/03/some-of-our-favorite-things-to-do-for.html
http://www.mydomesticchurch.com/2008/02/grace-under-pressure.html
Crown of Thorns Recipe
Good Deed Bracelet
The Last Supper




Lent In My Domestic Church
http://www.mydomesticchurch.com/search/label/Lent
http://www.mydomesticchurch.com/2012/02/simple-woman_20.html
http://www.mydomesticchurch.com/2009/03/another-lenten-practice-for-domestic.html
http://www.mydomesticchurch.com/2009/03/simple-woman.html
http://www.mydomesticchurch.com/2009/02/simple-woman_23.html



Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Way of the Cross for Holy Souls in Purgatory
Cukierski Family Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross Reflections
St.Francis Stations of the Cross

The Triduum
Holy Thursday
The Learning Experience of Holy Week


Easter
When is Easter

Simple Woman

Outside my window...



Really cool picture by Tim Fitzwater via the Ohio Group on Flickr. This is about what it looks like here in this unusual February winter - the plants and everything are still lifeless, brown and gray and yet we have no snow and the temperatures are more or less pretty mild!


I am thinking...
that I am going to bite the bullet and give up Diet Coke for Lent.

There I said it.

If Mr. Pete gives up Mountain Dew too we are going to be a grouchy household going through caffeine withdrawal!  Nonetheless I don't want to keep spending money for pop and I think I'm finally ready.  If you are supposed to give up something that will truly be a sacrifice - this will be a good one for me!

I am thankful for...
for the season of Lent. I love how we get to have this experience of 40 days of meditation, introspection and penance and I can't for the life of me figure out why other Christian Denominations ever thought it was a good idea to give it up!

I am also grateful for my two nieces, Natalie and Mallory. I spent four hours working the Chinese Food booth at the International Festival slinging rice and egg rolls and just generally having a good time.  They were fun when they were little kids, but they are a blast as beautiful, intelligent and fun young women. How lucky am I to be their aunt?


From the learning rooms...
 Gabe and Noah

• Theology of the Body Course from Homeschool Connections .
• Rosetta Stone Latin 2
• Moby Dick - literature/English
• Gabe finish Unit 7 in Apologia Physical Science and Noah Chapter 2 General Science. (I should mention that Noah already did the last 8 chapters in General Science so he really is just going back to do the chapters he skipped the first time. 
• Saxon Math - Algebra I for Gabe, Pre-Algebra for Noah

Gabe Izzy and Noah - Finish French and Indian War and move on to the Revolution.

Izzy:

• Daily reading exercises and curriculum via Diane Craft
• Saxon 6/7
• Anatomy and Physiology Creation Science

Rosie:

• Pathway Reader and workbook
• MCP Phonics
• Saxon math 1

From the kitchen...

I still have quite a bit of General Tsao Chicken from the parish Sanctuary Society International Festival! Chili and Cheese potatoes tonight with a big dinner planned for tomorrow! and then Lenten meals for Wednesday and Friday - to be determined!

I am wearing...
Gray sweat pants, green shirt and hoodie.

I am creating...
pieces to perform - Irish flute on March 10, Lenten performances of flute with vocal music in March.  Also giving my talk to the confirmation candidate girls on Saturday!

I am going...
to get five workouts in this week if it kills me. Got in five in last week and was so thrilled!
Last week I did:





Monday- Wednesday


Friday



with
on Saturday!




I am reading...




I am hoping...
Noah and Gabe get Moby Dick done by next week.  They are indeed reading along with Libra Vox.

I am hearing...
The math tutor working with Gabe!

Around the house...
I have had a piece of drywall on my front porch for six months.  Mr. Pete bought it and put it there.  I  told him that one way or another, it's out of there this week!  Same goes for the old car in the driveway by the garage - move em or lose em!!

Picture I am Sharing

My nice nieces and me working the Chinese Booth!

My Daily Domestic Clips 02/20/2012 (a.m.)

• When is Easter 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2010, 2011?

  tags: Lent Easter Catholic

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Lent and Easter Links

The penitential season of Lent is the period of forty week-days beginning on Ash Wednesday. It is a season of the Church year that commemorates the forty days Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness before He began His public ministry of preaching for repentance. Six Sundays are within the season; the last, Passion Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week. Holy Thursday begins the Triduum (three days) before Easter day, which includes Good Friday and Holy Saturday.



The Church has devoted a period of time to prayer and fasting as a preparation for the liturgical commemoration of the Passion of Christ and the celebrations of the feast of the Resurrection, Easter Day, since very early times. In 604 Pope Gregory I defined Lent as "The spiritual tithing of the year", a time of solemn spiritual and physical preparation for our own acceptance of salvation through Christ's sacrifice. (Ordinary tithing meant to give a tenth part ­ a tithe ­ of one's goods to God. Lent's forty days represents about a tenth of the year.)



The word "Lent" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word "lencten", referring to the lengthening of days in the Spring. Lent, of course, is an English word. In Latin, still the official language of the the Catholic Church, the entire season is known as Quadrigesima, or "forty".



The season of Lent calls Christians to imitate the forty days of prayer and fasting of Jesus. The period of forty days is significant. When God punished the sinfulness of mankind by the Flood, the rain lasted forty days and forty nights. Moses led the Hebrew people out of bondage in Egypt, but they wandered forty years in the desert before reaching the promised land. Elijah fasted and sought God's will on Mount Horeb for forty days. Jonah prophesied the destruction of Nineveh in forty days.



The Code of Canon Law states that Fridays throughout the year and in the time of Lent are penitential days for the entire Church. Although fasting usually refers to any practice of restricting food, there is a distinction, in the Church, between fast (limiting food to one full meal a day, with two smaller meals allowed) and abstinence (abstaining from eating meat.) Abstinence from meat on Fridays as the universal form of penance on all Fridays is no longer mandatory. We may choose another way of observing the Church's requirement for acts of penance on Fridays, but we are not to neglect it, either.



Since the change in the abstinence rules, some people have become confused about the requirement to observe penitential days. As a result, the discipline of fasting (or abstaining from meat) or any form of regular penance has all but disappeared. Confession, or the Sacrament of Penance (or Reconciliation) has sharply declined, as well.



Both fast and abstinence are required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. For the record, rules of the Church in the United States about fasting and abstinence in effect since 1966 state that:



"Catholics in the United States are obliged to abstain from the eating of meat on Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays during the season of Lent. They are also obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday. Self-imposed observance of fasting on all weekdays of Lent is strongly recommended. Abstinence from flesh meat on all Fridays of the year [excluding solemnities like Christmas which may fall on Friday] is especially recommended to individuals and to the Catholic community as a whole." (ref. Canons 1249-1253, Code of Canon Law)

(See also Fast and Abstinence page for more information on the practice.)



Fasting and abstinence, which foster self-discipline and self-denial and other beneficial spiritual exercises, are strongly encouraged as voluntary practices at any time of the year. But it will be the responsibility of families, as the "domestic Church", to foster this spiritually energizing practice, not only during the required Lenten days, but at other times as well. To fast willingly, in reparation for our own sins and for others, can transform not only our own lives, but the life and vitality of the larger community.



As Pope Leo I stressed in the 5th century, the purpose of fasting is to foster pure, holy, and spiritual activity. It is an act of solidarity that joins us to Christ ­ an act of self-donation in imitation of His total self-sacrifice. Fasting can heighten our understanding of Christ's Mystical Body, the Church, and of our total dependence on His love and mercy.

Post posts on My Domestic Church on Lent

Mega Links in my Diigo Library - new links added daily!

7-Quick Takes

Join Jen and the other Quicktakers over at the Conversion Diary.>

1.  Mr. Pete has been gone since Wednesday - hobnobbing with his fellow music store colleagues and band directors.  He was able to sell all but 5 of Izzy's earrings and got some ideas from customers for more things that they can make. But so far, Izzy has earned $70 - not bad for her first time out!




 2. One of my favorite things to do with kids is watch movies with them that they have never seen before. Last night, Izzy and Noah and I watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers from 1954. My kids are so observant when it comes to movies - they know if they see the credits first with full orchestration - that it's an old movie. If they hear a lot of saxaphones, probably a movie from the 1980s (which to them is still old). The plot is based loosely around the abduction of the Sabine Woman, with humor, music, singing and dancing thrown in. Izzy in particular truly enjoyed it!

3.
A definite highlight of the movie!
 

4.  The lovely winter scene in my new header is  from some property my sister and I inherited in Michigan. It's been in my family for a very long time but the property taxes are about $2000 a year.  We figured we could be better stewards of our money and probably of the property if we let it go.  So if you're interested - it's for sale! More on that next week.

5.  Izzy, Noah and I are going to be working a booth at the International Festival today - it's a fund raiser for our Sanctuary Society and we got involved because my sister is the president this year.  Funny story- a few years back, Sis decided that she wanted to become more involved with the parish, so she saw a notice in the bulletin that the Sanctuary Society was having a meeting, and she decided to attend. Keep in mind she was new to the parish, didn't know anyone and this was her first meeting.  The next day she called me to tell me that she was going to be the new vice president!  That first year I helped her to call bereaved families to tell them that they were entitled to two frozen lasagnas courtesy of the parish.  We also ran all of the games for the International Festival that year.  This year, because she is the president, we have gotten stuck with been promoted to running one of the food booths.

6.  Just got the news that I have been asked NOT TO PLAY the flute during the Lenten season.  My first reaction is GREAT!! No rehearsals and I can go to whichever mass I want to go to at whichever parish I want to.  It will also be easier to get my kids off to Sunday school without having to worry about getting my music and everything ready as well.

My second reaction though is... what did I do wrong?  Don't they like my playing?

and my third reaction is I rue the day when I was 4 years old and I gave my mom such a hard time that she quit giving me piano lessons!  I wish we could have re-visited that at age 8 or so.

7.  Got two bombshell revelations from my sons this week.  Calvin tells me that he is thinking of going into the military as a paramedic private contractor when he is done with his training. He will have to do basic training and all of that, but when he is done he will be on the medical unit and most likely get sent close to where the action is. Some friends of his did it and made quite a nice chunk of change when they were done with their contract. Of course I am worried about him going into harms way, but at the same time I totally think Calvin is suited for this type of work and I think this could be very good for him.

My second son tells me he wants to be a luthier. When I asked him where on earth you go to learn that craft, he pulled up a link to a school that is very close to the property we are selling! Small world.  I think we finally decided that since he will need at least $18,000 to attend this program he might as well finish up his College Plus work while he is working. A business degree with a craftsman's skill could be a winning combination.     And then I told Mr. Pete he might want to consider expanding his shop!

When Big Time Columnists Don't "Get" Catholicism - Gail Collins' Kitchen Table

Last week our little local paper published this article from the New York TimesTales From the Kitchen Table - by Gail Collins. This particular column took issue with the Catholic Church and its teaching against artificial birth control. It starts:

When I was first married, my mother-in-law sat down at her kitchen table and told me about the day she went to confession and told the priest that she and her husband were using birth control. She had several young children, times were difficult — really, she could have produced a list of reasons longer than your arm. “You’re no better than a whore on the street,” said the priest.

Ms. Collins was born in 1945.  I think it's a safe assumption that her Mother-in-law would have been young in 1930 when Casti Connubii came out explaining the church's position against artificial contraception.

No one was in the confessional with her, so it's hard to know what exactly was said, but I think the gist of what the priest was saying (albeit perhaps not as pastorally as he could have) was that to use birth control has no place in the marital act.   Casti Connubii put it this way:

Therefore the sacred partnership of true marriage is constituted both by the will of God and the will of man. From God comes the very institution of marriage, the ends for which it was instituted, the laws that govern it, the blessings that flow from it; while man, through generous surrender of his own person made to another for the whole span of life, becomes, with the help and cooperation of God, the author of each particular marriage, with the duties and blessings annexed thereto from divine institution...

11. Thus amongst the blessings of marriage, the child holds the first place. And indeed the Creator of the human race Himself, Who in His goodness wishes to use men as His helpers in the propagation of life, taught this when, instituting marriage in Paradise, He said to our first parents, and through them to all future spouses: "Increase and multiply, and fill the earth.

Ms. Collins goes on:

These days, parish priests tend to be much less judgmental about parishioners who are on the pill — the military was not the first institution in this country to make use of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” system. “In most parishes in the United States, we don’t find them preaching about contraception,” said Jon O’Brien of Catholics for Choice. “And it’s not as though in the Mass you have a question-and-answer period.”

So her expert for what "most parishes in the United States" are preaching is Jon O'Brien of the dissident group Catholics for Choice, who apparently is unaware that the time for "question and answer" isn't at mass, but rather in the confessional. And of course to make a true confession and receive absolution, one must make a full and complete confession.  Funny Mr. O'Brien left that out.


More from Ms. Collins:

Catholic doctrine prohibits women from using pills, condoms or any other form of artificial contraception. A much-quoted study by the Guttmacher Institute found that virtually all sexually active Catholic women of childbearing age have violated the rule at one point or another, and that more than two-thirds do so consistently.

Guttmacher - the  left wing "fact finder" support for Planned Parenthood.  Of course the stats used by Guttmacher et al were later debunked.   Also, Collins is committing an Ad Populum fallacy.  She even concedes that point in the next paragraph.

But as Collins continues she starts to re-write history:

The church is not a democracy and majority opinion really doesn’t matter. Catholic dogma holds that artificial contraception is against the law of God. The bishops have the right — a right guaranteed under the First Amendment — to preach that doctrine to the faithful. They have a right to preach it to everybody. Take out ads. Pass out leaflets. Put up billboards in the front yard.The problem here is that they’re trying to get the government to do their work for them. They’ve lost the war at home, and they’re now demanding help from the outside.And they don’t seem in the mood to compromise. Church leaders told The National Catholic Register that they regarded any deal that would allow them to avoid paying for contraceptives while directing their employees to other places where they could find the coverage as a nonstarter.

The church didn't start this imbroglio - the Obama administration did, by mandating that Catholic institutions MUST provide coverage for medications and procedures it finds immoral.

Secondly, I'm not sure that they church has lost the war at home.  While Europe may be a lost cost, the faith in Africa is growing. I find in the US, there are many young Catholic families who are on fire for their faith, using NFP and being open to welcoming babies into their families. Come to Ohio Ms. Collins- I'd be happy to introduce you.

And lastly, the Catholic Church teaches that it holds the fullness of the faith to preserve and pass on to each generation.  We aren't the Universalist Unitarians or the Anglicans - the faith is what it is; you don't compromise on God's truth.

She goes on:

We are arguing about whether women who do not agree with the church position, or who are often not even Catholic, should be denied health care coverage that everyone else gets because their employer has a religious objection to it. If so, what happens if an employer belongs to a religion that forbids certain types of blood transfusions? Or disapproves of any medical intervention to interfere with the working of God on the human body?

Well here's a thought - if you don't agree with the Catholic Church on this issue- don't work at a Catholic institution.  It's not that tough.  Why would you want to work for an organization that doesn't share your core beliefs anyway?

In this paragraph I felt that Ms. Collins was deliberately being dishonest in framing the confrontation:

Organized religion thrives in this country, so the system we’ve worked out seems to be serving it pretty well. Religions don’t get to force their particular dogma on the larger public. The government, in return, protects the right of every religion to make its case heard.

Catholics don't force people to work for the church. Catholics don't force people to come to their hospitals or attend and work in their schools. People have free will to do those things. It is Obama's government that seems to be brushing aside the separation of church and state in order to mandate religious institutions to do things against their faith.

And shame on Gail Collins for framing it any other way.

Works for Me Wednesday - jewelry from musical instrument parts

I have had two kids that have been behind grade level in their reading because of small learning disabilities. One of the most frustrating things about having an older child who is struggling with reading is finding them good reading material that isn't too babyish. For example, my 12-year-old daughter who is a struggling reader chose a book at the library to read called Pinky and Rex and the Spelling Bee (Pinky and Rex Ready-To-Read).

Mr. Pete is a band instrument repair technician - he fixes musical instruments. But he also has an artistic flare and interests outside of repairing instruments.

 As he was preparing to go to an upcoming band director convention, he got it into his head that jewelry items made from instrument parts, particularly flutes, could be good sales items. But he didn't have the time to get these prepared.

 Enter our little artist Izzy!

 On Saturday, Mr. Pete took Izzy to his shop. He bought her some safety glasses, work gloves and taught her how to solder. Then he gave her a box of old flute keys and had her go at it.

When she was done he polished the jewelry and the results are spectacular! (In my humble opinion of course!) See for your self.

 Earings
 

 and some pins

 

If these go well, this might be a nice little part-time job for Izzy.


Works for me!

 

Dog And Baby Cuddle

A confirmation letter to my son Noah

Dear Noah,

 In a few weeks you will be confirmed as a full member of the Catholic Church. Congratulations! I know that you have really worked hard to understand and learn as much about your Catholic faith as you could before receiving this sacrament. On your retreat there are a few things your Dad and I would like you to remember -

 You were our fourth son in a row but you have always been a unique little boy. I love your bright blue eyes, all of those freckles and dimples.  I guess God really wanted you to tap into your Celtic Heritage!

  I love how you are always ready with a quick smile for everyone.
 

I loved how even when you were a baby you would cry when a baby on t.v. was crying, or if a kid outside was crying or basically when you saw anyone crying - you didn't even have to know why  - you just did.  That's great empathy and you still have that today.  Don't lose that.  It's a great gift to be able to   relate to people even when they are at their lowest.

¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.Romans 12:15

I loved how you were the baby/kid that always wanted to snuggle.  I never had to chase you down for a hug!  Thank you for that.


You were also an Irish twin with your sister Izzy.


Not an easy spot to be in I would imagine; nonetheless,  you were always best friends with your sister and I always felt that she could count on you for companionship, love, support and protection -




and you were always good natured about it - even if you guys did carry on like siblings sometimes.

It's been a joy to watch you grow up.



I love how you are willing to try new things and I admire your determination  -






and joy!




in everything you do!!




Thank you for working so hard in your studies.  Keep at it Noah.  Never lose your love of learning.  Embrace the riches of your Catholic faith - with a 2000+ year history, there is always more to learn.

Maybe this year we should even start reading some of the works of this guy!?



I am happy that you are open to discerning a vocation in the priesthood and your Dad and I will do everything that we can to help with your studies.

Dare to dream!



but you know what Noah?  Whatever you decide to do with your life, do it with the gifts God has given you and follow His call - you'll be alright.




 Take delight in the LORD, 
   and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4


Love, Mom and Dad