We Adore You, O Christ...

"Dear Jesus, I adore you. I love you and thank you for dying on the cross for me... Today I want to follow You up the hill of Calvary and to understand a little better at each station all that it cost You to make me God's child. If I had been the only person in the world, You would have been willing to suffer in just the same way... Thank You for loving me so much. Please teach me every day to love You more and more."
   -Stations of the Cross for Children, Preparatory Prayer.

Paul and I have tried to make a commitment this Lent to pray the Stations of the Cross with the boys every Friday. I am overwhelmed by the idea of bringing the kids to St. Joseph's parish Stations of the Cross, because although it doesn't last too long, I feel like the time would be spent more on shushing and juggling wiggly kids than praying and teaching. So instead, we have decided to go to the church by ourselves in the evening and walk the Stations as a family. We found a great children's version of the Stations at a blog called Family Feast and Feria. The link to the printable booklet is here.

This week, we are heading out of town today so we won't be able to make it to the church. Instead Paul came up with the idea of having Max draw each of the stations so that we could pray it in our living room! It turned out to be a great idea for our little artist- he took some creative license (Mary ended up with a pirate's hat, and Simon of Cyrene has a toy pirate ship), but he got the basic idea. The best part was that it gave us a great opportunity to discuss each of the stations as he was drawing them! When he drew Jesus being stripped of His garments, Max's big question was whether Jesus would ever get a new robe. We talked for awhile and decided that in Heaven, Jesus would make a brand new shiny robe for Himself! When he drew Jesus falling the first time, his immediate question was, "Who's going to help Him??" Out of the mouths of babes...

When we were done coloring, we placed the drawings in a line through our living room and up the stairs. Then we walked from station to station as we would at the church, stopping to pray at each picture. It turned out to be a beautiful way to pray the Stations right in our home!

Lent for Little Ones

The season of Lent has officially begun, and we are all in! We began our Lenten journey with Ash Wednesday Mass and some tuna noodle casserole. (of course.) Lent has brought with it an interesting new challenge this year- I have a four year old son who asks questions about everything. I find myself fielding a continuous stream of "Why?" questions from the time he wakes up to the time he closes his eyes. Lots of his questions are easy, many of them are great, some are so silly I just fire them right back at him. Often he comes up with some pretty creative answers to his own questions.

But when it comes to questions of the faith, I try my very best to give straightforward answers that he can digest. NOT an easy task! And in a season that focuses on the suffering and death of our Savior, simple answers are even harder to come by. When he asks me, "Why did the soldiers put a crown of thorns on Jesus' head?" where do I even start? How do I explain sin and evil to a boy who still doesn't think anyone would ever purposely harm anyone?

So I'm putting it in God's hands, and I'm tossing up lots of quick prayers to the Holy Spirit for wisdom in those moments. And instead of focusing only on the pain and suffering that Jesus endured for us, we are focusing on the little things we can do to relieve His pain.

That's where this craft comes in. Together we made a Crown of Thorns, an idea that I first heard from some Catholic friends a few years ago and was reintroduced to just a few days ago. The baking directions I used are found here, and it was a simple project that both boys could be totally involved in. The idea is this: we made a braided crown out of salt dough, covered it in "thorns" (toothpicks), and baked it. Surprisingly (or maybe not...) I was the only one who managed to stab myself with a toothpick!

Throughout Lent, whenever the boys do something kind for someone or make a small sacrifice, they can remove a thorn from the crown. By Easter, we hope the thorns will all be removed, and we plan to paint the crown gold and decorate it with jewels to represent Jesus' triumph! Max is, of course, already stoked about this crown becoming a real King's crown, and every time he sees the crown he asks me for ideas of how to remove another thorn.

It's looking to be a very fruitful Lent!

Sacraments and Ice Cream Shakes

We just returned from a long weekend in Rapid City to celebrate Patrick's Confirmation! We left Friday morning and after a fairly uneventful drive (minus one emergency potty stop at a no-name fireworks shop/convenience store), we arrived in time to share a pizza dinner with the family. The kids were glad to be out of the car and set out exploring Grandma and Grandpa's house right away, but we were so bummed to find Maureen laid up on the couch with a bad back! She is such a trooper; even though she was in incredible pain she made us feel right at home and even got up off of the couch to give us hugs when we came in. We are all praying for a quick recovery!!

On Saturday morning we attended the Baptism of our newest Goddaughter, Gemma Anastasia Daniel. What a beautiful little girl, and what a beautiful family! We were so honored to be asked to be Godparents- our only disappointment is that we will see her so rarely. If only the Twin Cities and Rapid City weren't 600 miles apart! The baptism was wonderful, and we all went to the Daniels house afterward for a yummy lunch and great conversation. Later in the afternoon, Glenn and Monica arrived from Chicago, so we headed back to the Yantes abode to spend time with them.

Sunday started out with a pancake breakfast at Cathedral, followed by Mass. Maureen's friend Lisa decided to take Lucian back to her house so we could attend Mass with only one kid... and I was amazed that Louie just took her hand, turned around and said, "Bye, bye, Mama!" and proceeded to follow a near-stranger home! Maybe our little introvert is coming out of his shell a bit?

We met up with Al and Bridget after Mass and the whole crew went downtown to check out the new shops, including Dakota Soda, a burger-fry-soda-shake joint. Oh yum. And what an adventure. The four of us, Al and Bridget and their three kids, Monica and Glenn, Paul Sr, Patrick and Liam all crowded into a corner booth and table to enjoy our lunch. I wouldn't say it was relaxing, but it sure was fun! Then while some went to check out the outdoor ice rink, the rest of us had to peek at the new toy store and book store in the same building. Why was this area not built until I moved away? Why?

That evening after dinner, we had a mini Christmas celebration. Max got an awesome dinosaur egg with bones inside that he has to excavate, but the poor kid hasn't been allowed to do it yet even though he has asked me every day. (Mean mom! I'm just afraid of the mess. Tomorrow, I think I'll brave the dino egg dust for his sake...) But the crowning jewel of gift opening was Monica's crocheting. She made hats and scarves for a whole bunch of us, and they looked store-bought! That woman has talent, let me tell you.

Monday was pretty chill until we got ready for Confirmation in the evening. Monica and I even managed to sneak away for some girl time at Dakota Soda in the afternoon for some more of their yummy shakes! The only rule was that we had to bring one back for Paul, Glenn and Maureen. Then Paul's grandparents came into town and we prepared for the Confirmation celebration. I'm really bummed I didn't get a picture of Patrick with the boys that day- he looked awesome, and SO grown up. Yikes, I can't believe he's almost 18!! Quit growing, will you please, Patrick? The boys did great during Mass, and they managed to stay up until almost ten at the reception!

We packed up Tuesday while Patrick ran Max over to school to see the skeleton in his anatomy classroom. Max's latest interest is bones, and he had spent over an hour learning about skeletal anatomy with his uncle earlier in the weekend! His favorite, of course, is the "Maxilla" (one of the bones in your face). So he couldn't pass up the chance to see a life-sized skeleton! Unfortunately the classroom was locked, but he got a look in the window. Now I have a new goal: Find a skeleton for Max to see!

The drive back was pretty quick and painless. We only stopped twice- the kids are such troopers! They both had good long naps, and we arrived home in time for a late dinner before bed. Next trip we make to Rapid will be with three kids, so we'll see how that goes!

Thanks for having us, Paul and Maureen. And congratulations Patrick! St. James, Pray for us!!

Max with Patrick and Joey Trask 

Monica's works of art

New camera for Lucian

Magnetic letter board... this one's a keeper!

Learning about the spine with Uncle Peej

Ordained

I have spent more time on the road than at home this summer, so I apologize for the awful lack of updates here. I am finally home for a decent stretch, welcomed back by my boys at the airport last Thursday, and it feels good to be home! I'll write all about my trip to Austria soon, but I'm going to try to keep things chronological, so that brings me to our mid-July trip to Rapid City for the Ordination of Fr. Nathan Sparks!

Oh my, oh my, as if I needed another reason to miss South Dakota. What a blessing to the Catholics of West River!! Fr. Sparks grew up with Paul- they used to spend their free time camping and fishing together. I got to meet him in college, then we also worked together at Blessed Sacrament for a summer when he was a seminarian and I was sick and pregnant. I spent many an hour eating oatmeal in his office, wasting time because I lacked the energy to be productive. What a humble, holy man. I know this for a fact: If holiness is contagious, it will spread like wildfire with him at the Altar.

The Ordination was beautiful. The church was packed, and I think that every priest in the Diocese attended. Every moment of the ritual was Spirit-filled... I couldn't keep my eyes dry during the Litany of the Saints, and hearing his voice during the Eucharistic Prayer was awesome. Awesome.

After Mass, we stuck close to Susan, knowing that being near her would give us the greatest chance of receiving one of Fr. Sparks' first blessings. We were right. We waited around during photo after photo after photo, and as soon as the professional photo shoot was done she cornered him. "Blessings, Father?" He had us follow him downstairs to the reception hall, where Susan knelt to receive his blessing. Our family was right behind... and then throngs of people poured into line behind us! Wow, he stood giving blessings for HOURS. And I know that even the hundredth blessing was as personal and meaningful as the one he gave to us.

Alleluia, there is a new Father among us!!

Open House

I don't much like making beds.

But this?



I love this. Clean, white sheets on the guest room bed can mean only one thing: Visitors.

Around 3:00 on Wednesday, I got a call from Paul. "Guess what? Father Tyler and Michael are staying with us tonight!" On their way home from a fishing trip in the BWCA, they decided to shave off part of the drive and stop over in the Twin Cities before leaving for Rapid this morning. Good choice, I say.

They got in late and the men immediately commenced poring over maps and comparing routes, discussing fishing techniques and gear selection. It got me wishing I was in on Paul's big upcoming trip! We stayed up late, finally turning in after midnight. But like I've said before, why waste precious time sleeping when we have visitors??

In the morning before they departed, Father Tyler celebrated Mass for us at our dining room table, and oh, it was so beautiful! There is no more precious gift that a visiting priest could have given us than to bring such a glorious Guest into our humble space. I can't say it strongly enough; our home has been forever changed.

I have often told my mother-in-law that I hope to have the gift of hospitality like she does. Their home is always open, her own convenience is a non-issue. They joyfully accept visitors in the spirit of St. Benedict, and I know for a fact that no one has ever gone away hungry or wanting for company.

I am starting to believe that part of our family's vocation may be to keep open a space for visitors (especially of the Rapid City variety) who need a place to rest mid-journey. Part of it is a selfish hope on my part; I love the last-minute flurry of preparations before guests arrive, I love the late-night conversations, I love the chance to get to know people better than I would in other situations. But I really do feel that we can be of service, and there's no harm in enjoying the work that God has given us.

So if you are ever traveling through the Twin Cities, I hope you won't hesitate to call us. Our door is always open to you.

Beatification Bash

JP2, We love you!

For many of my friends and myself, Pope John Paul II was a life-changing figure in our spiritual development as young Catholics. First, he was the only Pope we ever knew, having been chosen before we were born. But second and more importantly, he lived his faith fearlessly and absolutely, calling every one of us to do the same. He was famous for exhorting the Catholic youth of the world to "Be not afraid!"

So it was with enormous joy and excitement that we gathered yesterday to celebrate the beatification of Pope John Paul II. Beatification is the second of three steps in the process of being named a saint in the Catholic church, and we can now refer to our late Holy Father as Blessed John Paul II!

In honor of the occasion, we invited our friends over for a party to celebrate the formal recognition of the man we already knew was a saint. We feasted on brunch food, sweets, and an amazing Pope John Paul cake courtesy of the Cahill family.




Then while the kids ran wild around the house, the adults engaged in an intense game of Pontifical Pursuit! (hat tip to John for the game title...) Men were pitted against women in this Papal version of Jeopardy to answer trivia questions about the newly Blessed pope. I went into the game expecting a civil, respectful test of knowledge, but boy was I in for it! These people are crazy competitive! It was a blast.



As I was the host of the game, I can say completely impartially that the women TOTALLY CREAMED the men! Well, in all honesty, it was pretty close until Final Jeopardy: the men wagered it all, the women were more conservative... and they both got the question wrong. Not exactly a stand-up-and-cheer ending, but a win for the women nonetheless. Go Team Vaticana!

Since it was Divine Mercy Sunday, and Blessed JPII had a special devotion to Jesus' Divine Mercy, we ended the party by praying together the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I think it was the perfect way to end a celebration of the holy, humble, Blessed John Paul II. (Pray for us!)





And now, here's your chance to play a round of Pontifical Pursuit! I've picked out a few of my favorite questions, and you'll have the chance to win... um... my undying love and affection? Leave a comment with your answers, and you CAN'T PLAY if you were at the party!

1. This Italian doctor and mother, beatified by Pope John Paul II, chose to save the life of her unborn child at the risk of her own life.

2. To the closest whole number, how many trips to the moon and back could Pope John Paul have taken with the number of miles he traveled as Pope?

3. How many saints did Pope John Paul beatify: 200, 700, 1300, 2100?

4. What Latin phrase did Pope John Paul use to describe his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary?

5. Name six languages Pope John Paul II could speak fluently?

6. What was Pope John Paul’s favorite movie?

7. Which one of these four items does Vatican City make on its own for the Vatican household: Beer, Honey, Perfume, Butter?

He Is Risen!

"Just as the sun’s rays in springtime cause the buds on the branches of the trees to sprout and open up, so the radiance that streams forth from Christ’s resurrection gives strength and meaning to every human hope, to every expectation, wish and plan." -Pope Benedict XVI Easter Message

What a beautiful Easter celebration we had this year! If only we had the ability to be in many places at once so we could have spent the holiday with everyone we love, it would have been the perfect day. (Liam, we were thinking of you!! But we'll see you really soon!) I know I'm a week late on posting these pictures, but time just got away from me. I hope they were worth the wait!

The kids woke up and got dressed as soon as they scarfed down breakfast- then outside we all tumbled for an Easter basket hunt! Louie was a sight to see when he discovered the contents of his Easter eggs; I don't think we could have pried them from his hands as he opened one after another, stuffing his face with jelly beans and M&M's.

Max quickly located his basket in the top of his jungle gym. I think we could have left the two of them alone with their spoils for the rest of the day and they would have been perfectly happy. But the fun was just beginning!

After the hunt, we made our way down to Grandma and Grandpa's house, where the kids were greeted by Grandparents, Great Grandparents, more sweets and an Easter Egg hunt! They had a great time hunting down their eggs in the backyard while we basked in the sun on a gorgeous April day.

Then the rest of the family began to show up and we feasted until we were absolutely stuffed. Do you want the menu? I thought so.

Roast Turkey
Glazed Ham
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Scalloped Corn
Green Beans
Walnut Craisin Salad
Dinner Rolls
(did I forget anything?)

And for dessert: Strawberry Cheesecake and Apple Pie! (I didn't even get to the apple pie, I was so over-full... but nothing can keep me away from a cheesecake!)

While we digested, we played various games- Buck Euchre for some, Telephone Pictionary for others, Couch Basketball for the rest (ever played that one? It involves sitting on the couch and watching basketball on TV. Very strenuous.)

As the food/sugar comas began to set in, people started to clear out and head home to nap. The kids were wired and going strong, but I could barely keep my eyes open. We were the last to leave, and thankfully the boys' sugar buzz wore off by the time we got home so we could all crash for the night.

Happy Easter to all! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Max at Mass, Lenten Edition

The triduum liturgies are the most solemn of the Church year, and they all have plenty of long stretches of silence. Very prayerful and beautiful, unless you have two children under four who don't yet have the word "silence" in their list of vocabulary words. Then these solemn liturgies become one long exercise in patience and humility (at least, they can be... not sure I succeeded)

Max had some major volume issues at the Holy Thursday Mass. Thankfully, most of his outbursts were not severely embarrassing, but of course he chose the best (i.e. quietest) times of Mass to express himself... But I'll get to those details later.

Lucian was just one big squirm ball. I ended up taking him out of church during the Gospel, and he spent the rest of the Liturgy of the Word literally running from end to end of the gathering space. "Yeah, Mom," he seemed to be saying to me, "You bring me to a two-hour Mass that doesn't even start until 7:00, and you expected things to be different?" No, no... I just hoped...

In the middle of the homily, I suddenly saw Paul carrying a very unhappy Max out of the chuch for a timeout. He hauled him around the corner to a bench, then came back to try to hear part of Fr. Creagan's message. Suddenly, the hallway lights started flicking on and off. Hmm, wonder who that could be? So Max got moved to a bench even farther down the hallway, out of reach of all light switches.

But pretty soon, a little girl went walking down the hallway (probably to the bathroom or something else harmless) and Paul saw Max start to talk to her. As he got closer, he could hear our poor, tortured son saying, "Help me. Help..me. Help...me." Oh. my. goodness.

After awhile, we all ended up back in the church- Lucian had settled down, and Max was ready to give it another shot. Still a little unclear about the meaning of "Whisper", Max set about making friends with the people in the pews surrounding us. "Are you sort of nice?" he asked to the man directly behind him. Thankfully, the man answered in the affirmative. We don't want any sort of mean people around us during church, now do we?

Then during the Sign of Peace, Max took it upon himself to shake hands with everyone in his reach and proclaim a loud "Peace be WITH YOU!" to each of them, followed at the end by a resounding "Peace, PEACE to EVERYONE!!" That one drew some chuckles.

At this point, we were nearing the end of the Mass, when everything is quiet and there is a procession to carry the Eucharist to the chapel. Paul preempted some possible Lucian issues during the silent moments and decided to bring him out until the end of Mass, so I stayed with Max and did the best I could...

As I explained to him that the procession was to bring Jesus to the chapel, Max thought for a moment and asked, "Is Fr. Creagan Jesus?" Well, no, not exactly... I attempted to explain that Jesus was in the "Holy Bread" (Max's term for the consecrated Hosts) that we receive at Communion. "No, Fr. Creagan IS Jesus!" he argued, to the amusement of the poor souls trying to pray around us. I left it at that and decided we would discuss more later.


As the procession left the church, Max started to get very wiggly. He tried to escape a few times, and I barely got my hands on him to keep him in the pew. He took a break from wiggling long enough to tell me emphatically, "I want to go to the dance party!" Then there was no stopping him, so I gathered all of our jackets, Mass bag, purse, baby bottle, blankie, and hightailed it after him before he could get too far away. He beelined it directly to the chapel and I managed to catch him just before he ran in and began his own dance party right in front of Jesus, three priests, a deacon, the entire choir, and half of the congregation.

Whew.

The rest of the Triduum liturgies were much, MUCH easier than Holy Thursday, and Easter was absolutely wonderful. But I'll have to save those stories for another day. For now, I'll leave you giggling and sighing about how glad you are that it wasn't YOU at Holy Thursday Mass with my sons.

Lord Have Mercy

My friend Angela at Cahill Chaos took this beautiful photo on Palm Sunday, and I just had to share it with everyone. Today is Good Friday, the day that we remember the death of our Lord... and I don't really have any profound words to share that couldn't be summmed up with one look at this picture.

On Palm Sunday, we celebrated the return of Jesus into Jerusalem. He was greeted by crowds of cheering people who lay palm branches on his path. He was treated like a king. Less than a week later, that same crowd was calling for His execution.

I know that when we got home from Palm Sunday Mass, I stuck our palms behind the crucifix in our bedroom like I do every year. But it wasn't until seeing this picture that I was struck by the juxtaposition of these two symbols. In one glance, I can see the entirety of Holy Week: how quick we are to throw down our palms and take up the cry, "Crucify Him!"

But the Lord knows our weakness and loves us just the same. Our God is merciful.

I am so thankful.

Today begins the Divine Mercy Novena; if anyone would like to join me in praying it, the daily prayers can be found many places including here. It concludes on Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1... also the day of Pope John Paul II's beatification!

Have a blessed, prayerful Good Friday.

Spring Cleaning

Lent: a time to clean up my interior mess...

Holy Week is here, and I look back and wonder... where has Lent gone? Usually I feel as though the season of Lent drags on and on, and I spend my time waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel. Don't get me wrong, I really do love Lent- it's a time to reflect on God's work in my life, and how well (or poorly) I've been responding to Him. It's a time to join our tiny little sacrifices to Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross in hopes that we can understand even in the smallest way what a great Gift our Savior is.

But to be honest, I generally spend less time meditating on the Cross and more time meditating on how many days are left until I can eat my chocolate again. I think that's what was different about this year. In addition to the usual "giving something up", I decided to make it a point to take some serious steps to kick my prayer life into gear. And through these whirlwind forty days, I've been getting hit over the head with three different themes again and again and again and again.

The first is humility. Book club women, you can probably guess where this one came from! There is not a page in St. Teresa's Interior Castle that doesn't deal with the virtue of humility. Literally everything hinges on the understanding that without God, we can do nothing. Really, nothing. St. Teresa doesn't mince words when it comes to this one, and as hard as it is to hear, it's true that nothing good I've ever done has come from my own power.

The second is penance. I have been reminded that even though everything is in God's hands, He still welcomes my small gifts, my small sacrifices, whatever I am able to offer Him. Every time I take a hard situation and offer the hardship as a gift to Him, He takes it and multiplies it a trillion-fold and pours it right back out onto us. I should be welcoming every little injustice, every sideways glance, every papercut as an opportunity to suffer with Christ Crucified for the sake of the world.

The third, and my favorite to think about, is mercy. I said before that I am learning that without God I can do nothing. But the important counterpoint is that with God I can do EVERYTHING! Not just some things or most things, but EVERYTHING. Because of His great mercy, we have become His daughters and sons- all we have to do is say "yes" every day to the gift He offers us.

So this week is Holy Week already, but instead of thinking about Lent coming to an end- back to the daily grind- I have decided to take my Lenten resolutions into the Easter season and beyond. I don't know if the clarity I have right now will last, but I'm planning to keep the windows of my soul squeaky-clean as long as I can!