Day of Dust: Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

 It's the beginning of a 40-day "retreat" in the desert with Jesus...a period of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving to help us prepare for the joyous Resurrection of Easter Sunday. Though it was instituted and is widely celebrated by the Catholic Church, many of our Christian brothers and sisters also observe this time of penance.

I wrote about Lent on A Catholic Young Woman:

"To many of us Lent can symbolize a depressing time of restraint and gloom just as the earth around us is preparing to burst forth with new life and beauty. However, Lent - with its encouragement to practice prayer, fasting, and almsgiving - is actually a blessing in disguise. Just as young men in the medieval times underwent periods of fasting, training, and vigils to become a knight, we too prepare for the Holiest of Holy Days – Easter Sunday. By  fasting, practicing penance, and rooting our lives in prayer, we imitate our Lord when he went into the desert: “And he fasted forty days and forty nights and afterward he was hungry...Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.” (Matt. 4:2, 11)"

 Today, my family and I will attend Mass and be marked with ashes in the Sign of the Cross. The ashes remind us of several things: that life is fleeting and we will soon die ("Dust to dust"); God made man from dirt or dust, and when we die we will be buried in the earth. Ashes symbolize repentance and mourning. There are over 40 examples in the Bible, one being Daniel 9:3: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes."


 Job also illustrated the symbolism of ashes with an expression of penitence when he said to God: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. The other eye wandereth of its own accord. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:3-6).

Ash Wednesday is deeply rooted in Biblical tradition. One of my favorite things about it is that is serves as an outward sign of the penance we take on during Lent...it's a turning away from the distracting, murmuring lure of the internet, magazines, secular radio, etc. and a turning towards God. During Mass, when we receive the ashes, the priest marks our forehead, saying either, "Remember that thou art dust and to dust thou shalt return" (Genesis 3:19) or "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel" (Mark 1:15).

It's a humbling moment to realize the center of the universe actually doesn't revolve around you...and that our lives should be expressions of God's glory. He wants to know us; He wants to be foremost in our hearts, but that requires work and effort on our part. Lent helps us to be Christ-like and to journey with Him into the dessert. 

"Through the traditional practices of fasting, almsgiving and prayer, which are an expression of our commitment to conversion, Lent teaches us how to live the love of Christ in an ever more radical way."

                                                      -Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

 40 days to deepen my prayer life...quiet the noise and voices of the world...

40 days to "Be still and know that I am God..."

40 days to offer up sacrifices in honor of His great Sacrifice...

40 days to hit the spiritual gym and strengthen my spirit through going without something, fasting, and abstaining on Fridays.

 Today is a day of fast and abstinence from meat, so dinner is going to be my main meal today. However, since I already eat very little meat (another post for another time), I'm going to be abstaining from something else.

Some Lenten links with great resources:

Life Teen has some excellent responses for you when asked, "Um, did you know you have dirt on your head?"

Jennifer at Shower of Roses has some great crafts, spiritual book suggestions, and Lenten activities.

Charlotte, also known as 'Waltzing Matilda' put together a lovely post of Lenten activities and recipes her family has done over the years.

Catholic Cuisine is my go-to site for liturgical recipes - check out this post chock-full of recipes and meals for Lent.

 May your Lent be a blessed one.

Once "This" Ends, I'lI Be Able to Relax!

Goodness. Life is busy.

I think - well, actually, I know - that life never stops being busy; as soon as one thing ends, another activity, commitment, class, or To-Do slips into that now nice-and-empty-space in your calendar and takes its place. You'd think after directing 4 plays, participating in Shakespeare + Poetry competitions, studying for ACTs and SATs, as well as being a homeschool girl, that I'd have figured that out by now.
 But no...each busy season finds me trotting through a jam-packed week, thinking to myself as I dash from school at home to rehearsals to church to the gym, "Oh, I can't wait until this-and-this or such-and-such ends...it'll be so nice...I'll be able to RELAX!"

 I must make God chuckle. ;)

 There's always something, and this particular season (now well after the holidays and into the new year) is no different. Of course, many of the new things keeping me busy are wonderful and certainly blessings. However, things are quite interestingly crazy 'round here.

 But such is Life. It's a "quick successions of busy nothings," as Jane Austen, one of my favorite authors, says. I have some thoughts on my mind amidst this business and flurry of life that I hope to share in the next few weeks... I'm seeking calm, peace, and order, so I hope to be doing some pondering and resting this week.

 That being said, I'm off to drift into the world of sleep and dreams. One needs quite a bit of the former when one's in college!


 What's the busiest part of your life right now? Church, school, work? How do you quiet your soul and relax? Coffeeshops, reading, and chocolate usually soothe + nourish my soul.

A Moment to Breathe Amidst the Busyness

Oof.
It's been one of those days.
"One of those crazy days..." (Any Sinatra fans out there? ;)

Classes at my local college. Practicing for a Shakespeare competition (it's amazing how summing 'charming spells and pariapts' and reciting a sonnet can drain you). Teaching a class of 8th graders. Being sore from an intense workout yesterday.
...all to say, I'm physically + mentally weary.

The kicker? Tomorrow's an even longer day, with a mile-long to-do list.
So first, before the craziness starts and I hit the ground to start running, I plan to...

Breathe.

Take a juicy, restorative yoga class.

Drink in the sunlight and scent of coffee.

Make a mug of my favorite hot tea.

Eat a gorgeous salad.

And some dark chocolate with sea salt.

Read Sally's blog.

Retreat to a coffeeshop even if only for a few minutes...

One brief morning of my favorite things, of ministering to my soul with beauty and peace will help me through the rest of the day. It will leave me renewed and ready to ninja-kick everything I need to do.

And then I'll go home and do my favorite - and most needed - pastime.

Sleep. :)

Joining A Catholic Young Woman

Exciting news! After many months (ok, probably a year) of prodding and gentle reminding on Clare's part, I finally joined the contributors to her beautiful blog, A Catholic Young Woman.

I love Clare dearly - she's my adopted older sister - and I'm tickled pink to have such an honor. She and ACYW are wonderful inspirations to grow closer to God, live a life of holiness, and be an old-fashioned girl.

 So....here's my first post on one of my favorite blogs. I've been a reader for 3-4 years, back when she had just started it, so it's surreal to see one of my posts on there! I'll be blogging about living my Faith as a young woman, courtship, marriage, and the loveliness of home and beauty. Come say hello!

 Oh, and there's a few new posts up on my food blog, Graceful Eats. I wrote today about my goals for 2012 and the Inspiration Board I made to help me visual them.

 Enjoy! :)

Helllo, friends!

I'm still here...I haven't been holed up in my house, weeping buckets of tears, which my last post may have insinuated. Nope, I'm cheery and busy as ever. My last post was merely some thoughts I wrote down during a rather daunting week. I'm quite eager for Christmas (!!!) and all the holiday loveliness. :)

(Edit: I started this post the week of Christmas, so I'm a tad late but I'm finishing it.)


In other exciting news, Christmas is literally just around the corner! I can't believe Advent went by so quickly...I'm looking forward to Christmas Eve Mass on Saturday and Christmas Day on Saturday
 ---------------------
(skip to present day [Dec. 30th])
My anticipation was mingled with sorrow though...a dear family we know was stricken with tragedy two weeks ago. Two friends ( both young boys, 15 and 13, I believe) lost their father a week before Christmas. Please keep their father and the family in your prayers. Their father was a hilarious, hard-working, compassionate, devout man who was dedicated to God and his family. His death was a startling reminder of a well-known, but oft-ignored truth: 'we know not the day or the hour.' (Matt. 24:36.) Life is so precious....
I was reminded of this even more at the end of Christmas Day when I watched the beautiful classic "It's a Wonderful Life."

 

It is the story of a man who, after continiously sacrificing his own hopes and dreams in order to do the right thing for his loved ones, hits rock bottom on Christmas Eve. Surrounded on every end by hopelessness, facing finiancal and business ruin, George Bailey (play by James Stewart in the performance of a lifetime) wishes he had never been born. His wish is granted. He has the chance to see what the lives of his family and friends would have been like without him.

 The ending quote, by the angel Clarance who accompinies George in the second half of the movie, moved me to tears. I posted on Facebook:

"Just finished watching It's A Wonderful Life and bawling my eyes out. 'No man is ever a failure who has friends.' If that's the case, then I'm as rich as I'll ever want to be. So very, very blessed. Thank you, dear friends for your friendship. It's the best gift I could ever receive." 

So, to conclude, it was a very lovely Christmas. Not quite how I'd imagined it...but then, that's Life. Spontanious. Our Christmas started bright and early with presents, so I muched on a scone and some egnogg to tide me over.

                  Among the gifts I received, this one was one of my favorites!!

 I lovelovelove Lord of the Rings and the complete soundtrack and recording has been on my wish list for a few years. It is the perfect music to listen to when I have a severe case of writer's block. :) Needless to say, I was one very happy (albeit sleepy [and that's what I look like when I wake up]) girl.

Then it was off to Christmas Day Mass, dressed in my best. Despite attending the Vigil Mass the night before, I still wanted to go on Christmas Day since it fell on a Sunday this year. I dithered back and forth for a bit, but decided to go, and ended up being so glad I went. Mass was beautiful, Father gave a lovely, simple homily (i.e. sermon for any non-Catholic readers), and the CHristmas spirit was overflowing in the church. One of my favorite things - Christmas cheer! :) 

I came home starving and did what any normal Catholic girl who wakes up early for presents and then fasts before Mass does.

I ate breakfast at 10:50: a smoothie covered in cookie crumbs that was inhaled in less than 15 minutes. 

Mind. Blown.

Eggnog gingerbread smoothie with gingerbread cookie pieces, chocolate-orange scones (Joy the Baker recipe), dried cranberries, pomagranant arials, minced candied ginger, and chocolate chips. :D That's how I roll...

                                                            Speaking of chocolate...

It's pretty safe to say I hit the chocolate motherload this year...between stocking stuffers from my mom, my amazing best friends who know I'm a dark-chocolate-all-the-way-girl, and some I picked out for myself...I'm set for next few months. Or anytime the beast strikes. ;)

Hope y'all had (and still are - Christmas season ends 2nd week of Jan.) a blessed Christmas! Did it go how you thought it would? What was your favorite part?

Mine was definitely making whipped cream in 5 minutes with my new Kitchen Aid <------- LURVE. (Been drooling over one for years!)

Isn't It (Not Really) Funny?

Funny when laughs turn into tears...and suddenly it's not funny any more.

 Funny how you can never cry just one tear...

 Funny when crying makes you feel better...even when the reason you're crying isn't so funny.

 ...how tears are salty, as bitter as the reasons that cause them.

 ...that just when you think you're done, a fresh flood surges.

 ...despite being a rational creature of intelligence and logic, emotions can move you so.

 Isn't it funny?

 Not really...but with a good sniff, a few shakes of the head, and some soothing Irish music, you're all right, having weathered yet another storm.

And you hope you find an umbrella with pink polka dots before the next one. :)

Are You There, God? It's Me.

I've never read the children's book, "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret." but oh, how apropos the title is. This past week, I've found myself whispering those words more than once....it finally feels like Fall here and with the cooler breezes, twirling leaves, and shortening of the day-lit hours of Fall, comes the heavy, unexpected surprises dropped on one's shoulders, moments of discouragement, even despair, and sharp, cold reminders.

 Not everything is roses and sunshine. Throughout the seasons of life there are always changes, many unwelcomed and unlooked for. Medical bills, emotional revelations, a disagreement with a friend, etc....the list is endless and seeming with possibilities. A family member suggested I make a list of 15 things that stress me and I wanted to laugh because I could write 1,000 reasons! I did not, choosing instead to make a list of 15 things that make me happy. When I fall, when the world's too much and I am too tired, I never hestitate to ask the only One who can carry me to do so.

Are you there, Lord? It's me. I've fallen again. It's all those darn roots. For some reason, there's so many in the path that leads towards You. I tripped; I couldn't help it...and I'm so tired, Lord. I can't do this right now - I'm too weak. Won't you carry me? I need Your strength, for mine is nothing without You. And Jesus, our good Shepard, tenderly bends and enfolds us within his arms. What a sweet joy to lift one's head and say simply, "I can't. Won't you carry me, please?" Like the small, innocent lambs who see the world with fresh eyes and minds, the wise, experienced sheep in their prime, or the elderly ewes who cannot continue on their own, He gently carries each one of us according to our need.

What is difficult for many is to let Him. And it is hard to let go, to surrender all the impending deadlines, hopeless seanarios, and dead ends...however, I usually don't have a problem informing God I need Him to carry me, probably because I know my limits when I hit them and I know when He needs to take over. I have no problem calling in reinforcements. :) (Now, mind you, I'm not so great at letting go and letting Him take charge from the start - something I need to work on.)
  No one is meant to walk and struggle forever without any respite. During these moments of discouragement, Our Lord invites us to rest in Him, to soothe our spirit. It is a humble reminder we are not the Creator of the universe. Everyone stumbles. Everyone falls. Even Our Lord did when He carried the Cross to Calvery. Because of this, He sympathizes with us even more deeply. During His short life on earth, He also felt pain,  despair, grief, weariness, abandonment, and loneliness...He understands better than anyone else what we feel, and how desperately we need to be carried sometimes.

For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too (2 Cor. I:5)

 It's what helps me keep going....as do the words of a small yet indescribably wise Hobbit, when I too ask, "Why? Why should I keep on?" When evils darkens the door, when the last straw that breaks the entire camel (not just his back!) falls, when I have no answers, no comforting words of advice, when absolutely nothing goes right, when I wonder what I'm holding onto...I am reminded of the simple, profound truth.

 "Because there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo - and it's worth fighting for." ~Samwise Gamgee, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.


There is always good, therefore, we need to be joyful in hope, persevere in hardship; keep praying regularly (Romans 12:12).

 No matter how bleak things may seem, there is always hope.  For when the world says "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."