Whew! What a busy week! I can’t believe I haven’t gotten around to blogging until today! I had Dominican Lay Fraternity and the Knights of Columbus Clergy Appreciation Dinner on Sunday, Bible Study on Monday, a presentation on the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary on Wednesday, Light Weigh and choir practice last night. Tuesday was Valentine’s Day, so I ate steak, went to Mass, and watched Slap Shot with my dear husband. What a week. I have been very busy at work, too, so I’m ready for the weekend. I hope it will be a relaxing one!
A message from Pray More Novenas:
Novena for Religious Freedom!
Starting on Ash Wednesday, I am joining nearly 10,000 Catholics to pray a Novena for Religious Freedom!
With so many faithful Catholics around the world praying this novena, I thought you’d like to join too!
This is a special novena because of all that has been going on in the US. But, it is also special because it is focused specifically on praying to Saints who were persecuted or martyred.
You can sign up for handy email reminders to get the novena prayers here: http://www.praymorenovenas.com/novena-for-religious-freedom
Let’s all join together in praying for our freedom to worship, adore and serve God!
And thanks to John Paul for helping us remember to pray!
I’m reading Ellen Gable’s book Stealing Jenny, but unfortunately because of my busy week, it’s been kind of slow going. I’m hoping to read a lot this weekend. So far I can tell you I love how Ellen incorporates faith in her writing. It’s also kind of cool because without Seven Quick Takes Fridays, I wouldn’t even know that Ellen and her lovely writing exist. Praise God for the nice people you meet on the Internet.
Oh noes! I found my Spin Pins in the washing machine this week… mangled. The only hairdos I can do without them are ponytails, braids, or down hair (which now that I think of it, is a lot). But anyway, I miss them so much. I have to buy new ones. My hair is getting pretty near waist length, so both to protect it and to keep it from driving me crazy, I wear it up most days. This week, it has been fuzzy braids and bumpy ponytails all week. I will probably take the new Spin Pins out of the package in the parking lot and put my hair up before we get home.
It’s surprising when someone you don’t know very well knows about your life. Wednesday after the Dominican Lay Fraternity event (which was at my parish and Brett and I set up), another parishioner, Alice, said to me “Wow, I can’t believe you’re here tonight! You are so busy! Don’t you have choir practice, too?” I explained that choir is on Thursdays, but I’m sure that Alice also saw me on Monday night as we have Bible study in the open room that everyone walks through to get to the church, and Alice was cleaning the church with the Altar society. She probably saw me at Mass on Tuesday, too, because although I didn’t see her there this week, I usually do. Funny, Alice was just as busy as I am, and yet she was surprised at my busyness.
Because of my busy week, I ended up making spaghetti and meatballs on Wednesday because it’s quick. Of course, we had leftovers last night. Now we don’t know what we’re going to have tonight because I had planned spaghetti alfredo. Fridays are meatless days for us, and I don’t have much around the house—no plain beans (we do have baked beans, but that doesn’t really make a meal), no fish, only one can of clam chowder (which says two servings on the label, but really?). We do have eggs, cheese, and bread, but I’m pretty sure that is what Brett will be having for lunch. We also have stuff for salad, but without meat, fish, or beans, that hardly seems like a meal. Any meatless meal ideas? I know that many of you a preparing for Lent, so maybe you have a plan already. I have a plan, too: except Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, we’ll be serving and eating at the Knights of Columbus fish fry!
UPDATE: At 1:20 my dad called and invited us out to dinner. Yay! Now I don’t have to cook or figure out what to cook.
We will be renewing our Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding on Annunciation Day (March 25). We do it with a group as an apostolate of the Dominican Lay Fraternity, inviting parishioners from area parishes. We meet once a week and pray and read together. On the other days, everyone completes the prayers and readings either individually or as a family. It is a very rewarding experience, since you learn about yourself, Mary, and Jesus; you get to know the other people who participate in the group and you feel the grace God is giving to you as you progress. Do you live in the Central Ohio area and want to participate? We’ll be at St. Patrick Parish in downtown Columbus after the 6pm Mass on Ash Wednesday and at 7pm for the next four Wednesdays. The book which you need for the Consecration is only $6 and will be available to purchase at the meeting. The edition we use is pretty hard to find on the Internet, although other editions are available for those of you who don’t live around here or can’t join the group.
May God bless you and give you a terrific weekend!
For more Quick Takes, visit Betty Beguiles where Hallie has graciously hosted this party in February to help Jen at Conversion Diary finish her book.
Knowledge Hungry 
Aren’t spin pins amazing? I wish I’d invented those little suckers!
I LOVE them! I can’t even remember how to make a bun without them.
You make me tired just reading about your busy week!
I’m going to try to take it easy this weekend.
The seminary my husband and I attended (Trinity Lutheran in Bexley) is part of a library consortium with the Josephinum so all three schools get together one day a year so the librarians can bond and the seminarians can eye each other warily and hear various speakers. (My Church History II professor and I took great delight in being the token women in our groups.) It’s been the only occasion when the women have been drowned out by the men in chapel!
I can see how the PCJ seminarians would have drowned out the women in chapel. I have been amazed by their singing when I have visited up there. Even though the choir is small, the other guys sing too.
#3 I put all her books on my Amazon list before Christmas but didn’t get any. Now I’m holding out hope for my birthday lol. I will probably drop hints soon.
#6 Lol at the soup thing. We think the same way. I actually did make a can into 2 servings and when I looked at the leftovers in the fridge, I realized just how pathetic one serving is!
I’m sure that a can of soup would make two servings as part of a meal… like as an appetizer, for example. However, if you are eating just soup (or soup and crackers like Brett), you have to have a pretty darn small stomach to feel full after only half a can. I was lucky my Dad read my blog and called to invite us out to dinner.