Grateful...

I am very grateful to Jesus for the wonderful opportunity I was recently blessed with. A few weeks ago I received an email from Tom Bengston, the editor of Family Foundations the magazine for the Couple to Couple League. He wanted to know if I would be interested in writing an article about the challenges of parenting a large family as well as what advice we would give to new couples about how to discern what is the right sized family for themselves.

I was so very happy to oblige Tom! Before the weeks end of his request, I had my article written and emailed to him. This month the article was published in the July/August edition of Family Foundations together with our family picture that was taken by photographer Paul Tomas of Cary, NC on Mother's Day this May.

At a later time I will publish the article here on the blog, but for now I wish to leave it as fresh reading for the readers of Family Foundations, a few of whom who may pass by here on occasion. This week as well as receiving my first cheque for a published article I also received a complimentary copy of the magazine. I enjoyed reading it very much and I especially enjoyed the article "Dad's Not Perfect by James L. Johnson. It is a wonderful essay about the challenges of being a dad to a large brood. Even as a mum I was able to identify with much of what he said. If you have a chance, take a peek at this magazine - it is filled with wonderful articles and columns. It's so good I am considering subscribing to it again as it has been a few years since my first subscription to it ran out. Read more!

Awesome News!

Our Catholic culture has much to offer and I think it just got better. While I have, on occasion, enjoyed participating at Life Teen Masses complete with guitars and drums, I have always lamented that it has not been so easy to also expose my children to the older Latin Mass complete with its reverence, beauty and tradition.

The first Mass that I ever attended in small town Saint Andrews, N.B. Canada was still being celebrated in Latin in the early 70's. While I had not a clue what was being said, the incense mixed with the chanted Latin replies spoke to my inner soul of something deep, mysterious and well beyond myself and my human limitations.

Many years passed before I actually converted to the Catholic faith, but I do attribute that first Mass, in no small part, as being responsible for my first hearing Christ's call to me to come home to the Catholic Church. And this was despite my not being able to understand a single word of that Mass.

So imagine my delight when I discovered this on a 'new to me" blogspot: I have to Sit down by SIMCHA.

What exciting news. While I do not have a problem, per say, with Vatican II or the Novus Ordo (circa 1970) Liturgy of the Mass, I have certainly found the sung High Mass to be without comparison in the Post Vatican II Mass that has almost entirely replaced the Tridentine Mass. That this rich Mass credited with stimulating "the spiritual life (of) very many saints in every century of the Christian age"as well as stregthening "the virture of religion of so many peoples" is to be freely offered again, I find wonderful news indeed.

(quotes are from the unofficial translation of Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Letter.)

(Be sure to click on the bold red links to be taken to other blogs, articles as well as towns!) Read more!