The Catholic Church Has Two New Saints

The Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II

As a Catholic and, having seen Pope John Paul II in person 

in Chicago in October of 1979, 

I was excited to experience 

the canonization of him and Pope John XXIII, 

albeit via TV.

My 19 year-old daughter, 

a close teacher friend from St. Lawrence Elementary School 

and I rode the train to Chicago 

to be part of the sea of people congregated in Grant Park. 

Pope John Paul II greeted 

the worshipers in several different languages. 

There upon he celebrated the Mass 

with more than 350 bishops from North America.  

I think that I surely was not the only person there 

who felt the sensation of goose bumps developing on one’s skin. 

I felt the same phenomenon 

when Pope Francis declared the canonization 

of these two beloved popes.

Pope Francis greeting
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

one of three petitions
for the canonization
of Popes John XXIII
and John Paul II

relics of the new saints

The majority of the photos I am sharing here

 are the result of my snapping pictures 

from the live feed from St. Peter’s Square.  

Two were scanned from my Commemorative Album.

The banner photo is my own taken in our parish rectory entrance.

Mondays with Mary: Easter Vigil

The dark prior to

the Light of our risen Christ,

Mary’s faithful Son.

Hallelujah,

He is risen! 

sharing

with Hettienne's

Mondays with Mary

Good Friday 2014

Good Friday
Passion of our Lord
for our sins

1. the Passion of our Lord...
(The Liturgy Readings can be found here.)
our Lord stripped of His clothes,
the altar stripped of its cloths

Solemn Intercessory Prayers

2. Veneration of the Cross:
"Behold the wood of the Cross,
on which hung the salvation of the world."
R "Come, let us adore."

3. no Mass celebrated
 Holy Communion received
from that left from Holy Thursday
now...the tabernacle- empty 

shared with Rebecca's
Haiku My Heart

Holy Thursday 2014

Holy Thursday Post

April 17, 2014

Holy Mary, I beg of you to assist me 

in avoiding the act of adding 

to the wounds of your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  

Guide my hands to do God’s work.  

Direct my thoughts to bring glory 

to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.   

Help me to see Christ in the faces of whomever I meet, 

whether at my own door, at church, 

or in the check-out lines or in traffic.  

Keep my mind ever aware of the gifts 

for which God has provided me 

and to give thanks at all times.  

Help me to enter into this Triduum- 

Mass of the Last Supper,

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion 

and Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord-  

with sincerity and deep love in my heart, 

true piety and faithful attention 

to all that occurs at your Son’s altar.  

I ask all of this by your intercession 

to Your Son, Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Shadow Shot Sunday 2: In Church

Holy Week preview

statues covered in purple

the waiting color

feast of Palm Sunday

Christ's triumphant entering

 into Jerusalem

sharing with

hostess Rose

at

Shadow Shot Sunday 2

and with Gattina
at 
Lunch Break

My Random 5: April 11

1. My 3-year-old great-granddaughter is taking ballet lessons.  

God bless the young women who teach dance to children who are this young.

Myah's momma took this picture.

2. Two of my granddaughters called me this week to tell me they miss me.  

What heart-warming sounds for this grandmother’s ears.

 Granddaughter's sister took this picture.

I snapped this photo 

while granddaughter was working 

in the pharmacy.

3. Thursday, my soul was bolstered when I went to confession face-to-face. 

I had concerns that needed being addressed and our pastor, 

like all good priests I presume, is an exceptional listener.  

He also gave me suggestions to help me improve my prayer time.

4. What a pleasure it was to be outside yesterday 

without having to don a coat!

5. I look forward to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. 

 Holy Thursday at St. Francis helps me feel a oneness 

with Christ and His Apostles by having my feet washed by another.  

In turn, each person washes another person’s feet after theirs are washed. 

It’s both humbling and fulfilling. 

In addition, each person brings a towel 

to be used for wiping one's feet and then left 

to be given to a charity.

sharing with

Nancy Claeys'

Random 5 Friday

Streams 'N Stirrings: Lenten Poetry

Streams 'N Stirrings: Lenten Poetry: Poem: "For Lent" by Monica Lavia What are you giving up for Lent? Adam asked of Eve. Well, Eve said. I am thinking I should give...

My Random 5 for April 4

1. I was privileged to have been in a jam-packed Emens Auditorium

 yesterday afternoon to listen to the compelling story of Eva Mozes Kor.  

She is not only a Holocaust survivor, 

but she and her twin sister Miriam survived 

the inhuman experiments done on twins by Josef Mengele, 

known as “The Angel of Death.”  

When my two friends and I arrived at the lecture hall, 

there were curtains drawn across the half closest to the stage, 

and the balcony was closed.  

As the time drew nearer to our viewing

the documentary film "Forgiving Dr. Mengele", 

we noticed that the curtains were drawn back esposing the back half, 

and the balcony seats were being filled.  

Ball State University’s Jewish Studies Program and Emen’s staff 

were not prepared for so many of us 

wanting to hear Eva’s story.  

The film documents time and again that the Holocaust did happen. 

And this story should be told again and again 

so that those who dare to revise this part of our history 

will have no audience.  

Thanks are owed to the innumerable people and organizations 

who funded this program.   

We Muncie citizens are fortunate to have Ball State 

and all the town’s people who make events like this one happen.  

Eva Mozes Kor has her own Holocaust museum in Terre Haute, Indiana.  

Detailed information can be found at this link.

2. Our Bible Study facilitator and her husband 

traveled to Rome this past week.  

She brought back for each of us ladies 

a choice of religious medals.  

How generous of her and her husband!  

I chose a John Paul II medal.   

3. Spring in Muncie, Indiana, 

seems to have taken its own spring break…

away from here.  

However, April Showers are in full swing.  

We have had so much rain that there are flood warnings.

4. My book club friends and I are now reading an oldie, but goodie- 

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.  

I am having a good time rereading it

because it has been many years since I first read it. 

5. Our parish has a new and faster way 

of connecting with us parishioners via www.flocknote.com  

It came in handy early this evening- 

I received a text reminding me of The Stations of the Cross.  

The booklet our parish is currently using 

is from our Mother Mary’s point of view.  

One of our women parishioners read Mary's words,

increasing the heartfelt meaning of the words,

penetrating my soul.

Even though Nancy 

is taking a well-needed

spring break,

I am still posting

my random 5.

Streams 'N Stirrings: A Lenten Poem

Streams 'N Stirrings: A Lenten Poem:     A Clean Heart Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.  – Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean ...

Happy Birthday, Momma

Happy Birthday, Momma

April 1, 2014

Happy Birthday, Momma!

I am sending you a Spiritual Bouquet

to celebrate your everlasting love that 

you showed Charlie and me

throughout our childhood years 

and into our adulthood.

You were always there 

for whatever tribulations 

we encountered, 

and you were certainly there 

for all our milestones.

No matter how many years have passed, 

there are times I wish that 

just one more time I could hear your laughter,

like when you blitzed Charles playing gin!

Are the two of you now playing cards?

I hope so.

Momma,
here are your birthday cards:
Our Blessed Mother is
holding the rosary made with the roses
from Father Keane's funeral.

Happy birthday from all of us!

I love you,

Norma Ruth



sharing with Hettienne's
Mondays with Mary