Saturday, September 29, 2012

Texas Friends of the Dominican Sisters of Mary

This is a new group of lay persons and religious formed with the sole purpose of helping the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist here in Texas.  The community is building a motherhouse right here in our great state!  They want to get the word out that they are here to contribute to the Catholic church parishes and schools in our area.  As of right now there are only 10 sisters, but they plan to bring 100!  Their main apostolate is teaching, and boy, do our children need to learn about their Faith!  I have observed that students do extremely well academically in all their subjects when they are taught by the Sisters.  Our children need them, and so do we.  Please visit their Facebook group and join today!




The Sisters on their property, hoping to build soon!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Children's Mass



VEE:  At my parish they have an elementary school.  Once a month, the kids attend morning Mass.  On Sundays we also have what they call the "children's liturgy" where the kids go out before the Gospel, so they miss hearing it along with their families as they are whisked away into another room.  I suppose a church "leader" takes the time to read the Gospel to them and then gives the children an entertaining project to do, like color pictures.  In the meantime, the children are missing the Mass with their parents and families.  In my opinion, this seems to fracture, not strengthen the community aspect of the Holy Mass.  Why should we endure this interruption?  Each priest on Sunday invites the children up and dismisses them in his own way:    some will  talk to the children, some just give a quick blessing and dismiss.  One priest tends to go overboard with trying to be a buddy and a comedian.  There seems to be this philosophy that if we do not make the Mass something like a children's show, the children are at a loss and bored.  Today my mom attended the school's Mass and told me, "he really had the children going!"  I cringed.

Children need to learn reverence and respect for the Mass, what the Mass truly is, the Holy Sacrifice of Calvary, who the priest stands for, Who we receive, etc. and that we do not go to Mass to be entertained like a corny kids show.  Such over the top antics serve to distract from the Mass, not help the faithful assist at it spiritually.

The movie "Dogma" poked fun at the Church.  Yet, after watching this clip, I see more truth in it than humour.  When we mistreat the Mass we treat Him no better than the heretics do.   



Monday, September 24, 2012

My gift for ds

Since "someone"  is already starting her Christmas wish list I will save her the time of rattling off things she thinks I should buy for her and just spoil it now with what Im actually getting her.



You're welcome!! :D

yes, it is real and can be found here click

Christmas is only three months away

Are you an early bird shopper for Christmas gifts?  I am.  But most importantly, I am an early bird at dropping hints on what is on my Christmas wish list. ;)

Here is my first hint:



It is called the "ostrich pillow" and it creates an ideal environment for power naps.  This picture pretty much sealed the deal for me.  I definitely need this for the office!

It is created by a company called, "Studio Banana Things".  Neat-o.  Perhaps you will find something for that hard to buy person on your Christmas list!



Vee are you paying attention?  

Happy Birthday

to my mom!!!!

It is interesting how, no matter what, each of us has only one mom and one dad.  Whether or not we know them, whether or not we like them, etc we only have one of each.  It can be a mystery as to why we get the parents we do but we only get one of each for better or worse.

Happy birthday to my mom and sorry if this doesnt make sense, its early!!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

opcarm on facebook

We now have our own face book page.  This allows us to interact with face book as team opcarm, and allows us photo albums etc that arent available on blogger.  As I write this there isnt much on there yet but we have a lot of work planned.  http://www.facebook.com/TeamOpCarm
.

Start Your Novena!!!

To St Therese.

O Little Therese of the Child Jesus
Please pick for me a rose
from the heavenly gardens
and send it to me
as a message of love.

O Little Flower of Jesus,
ask God to grant the favors
I now place with confidence
in you hands
( mention your special prayer request here )

St. Therese, help to always believe
as you did
in God's great love for me,
so that I may imitate
your "Little Way" each day.
 

Amen

Friday, September 14, 2012

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Happy Feast!!



The finest garments Jesus ever wore are the crown of thorns and the purple cape of His Passion.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Patriot Day 2012


DS:  The silence was calm.  Except for the sound of rosaries clinking and habits rustling, you could hear a pin drop in the chapel that morning.  I was deep in prayer.  I was just a few days short of one month since my entrance into the convent.  I didn't have any college classes that Tuesday, so I decided to join the Novices in their extra hour of Adoration.  The time was 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time ...

I left earlier than the 9:30 schedule change.  As I opened up the chapel door, I was met by a Sister in the stairwell.  "Sister," she whispered, "America is under attack!  The Twin Towers are gone!"   She led me to the community room, where superiors and other Sisters were gathered around the television set watching the horror unfold.  That day instilled in me the determination to reach out to as many people as possible and teach them about Jesus Christ ...

VEE:  It was Tuesday night in Japan and I was washing up getting ready for bed.  I finished and went into the living room and saw the news on TV, thinking at first it was some old footage of the car bomb attack on the World Trade Center in the 90s.  Then the second plane hit.

DS was in some Dominican convent but I was far from it.  If I had died that day I may have very well gone to hell.  I wonder how many of those who died that day were ready for their particular judgement??  



DS:   Are we forgetting?  Are we again lulled into the schedules of our daily lives?  Is the shock of this day a distant memory?  Do we ever think of our own end?  Jesus tells us to be prepared.  We do not know the day nor the hour.  




May all those who perished rest in peace ...

losing it

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

When we lose our lives to Jesus there is a tearing apart of self, of our prideful sinful anture, of doing waht we want and having our own way.  You say yes Lord I will give you all that I have but there is a purification still because we may even have to let go of our idea of how we will give up our lives for Christ.

We may think that Jesus is calling us to religious life, priesthood, marriage but we have to let go of even those ideas because in one way or another the Good Shepherd will guide, or drag us, to where He wants us.  He will call us to give more than we are comfortable giving.  We will be asked to give up all that is near and dear until all that is left is Him.