Strawberries and the Sacred Heart

June, the month of strawberries and rhubarb, is also the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I've written many times about it-- Vijaya Bodach: June is the Month of the Sacred Heart and Vijaya Bodach: Feast of Corpus Christi and Vijaya Bodach: Feast Days --because I'm still trying to fathom the depths of our Savior's love for us poor sinners. I think I'll never know because my own heart is so poor. And I'm about to exhibit my poverty. I'm finding it very difficult to love the sinner but hate the sin. In the past few years the culture is hell-bent on celebrating sin, especially the deadliest--pride. And the more you look at pride month, the more you see demon. Let us remember that it is pride that changed angels into demons. This server would not let me upload a picture showing it. Funny how that works. Not really. But here's something that's truly funny: Eccles is saved: It's WRATH Pride! (ecclesandbosco.blogspot.com) 

Speaking of demons, we saw Nefarious. Talk about truth bombs coming from a demon. Really well done; only two scenes were really difficult to watch but not at all gratuitous. It's really a conversation between the demon and the psychiatrist who's an atheist, more along the lines of My Dinner with Andre or Sunset Limited. What struck me was the progression of evil; the starting point is often parents not baptizing their children and well-meaning people inadvertently opening the door to the demonic by giving children toys like Ouija boards. Michael remembers getting one as a kid. They played only a few times but it didn't hold their interest. Thanks be to God. Still he was completely unprotected until his conversion, when he was baptized. I wish he would write his testimony. It would give parents much hope for their adult children who are far from the Lord, because truly, nothing is impossible for Him. Indeed, with God's grace, even middle-aged people can change, choose virtue over vice. Deo gratias! 

Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi; we had a beautiful High Mass followed by a procession and benediction. Deacon Ludlam gave an outstanding homily on both marriage and the Eucharist. Marriage is the closest analogy for what is occurring in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Our Lord instituted the Eucharist because He loves us so much, He wanted to give us Himself--His most Holy Body and Blood--in a real, physical, tangible way.

It's only in the last year that I began praying this beautiful prayer regularly. I first saw it in a Padre Pio prayer book; it was his favorite way to pray for all the people who asked him to pray for them. There's a new movie about him! But I digress. This is a wonderful novena to begin tonight and end of the Feast of the Sacred Heart next Friday. 

BOUND is Heavily Discounted

I don't know what Amazon's doing but BOUND is heavily discounted ($6.22 is well below the cost of printing+shipping). So if you've always wanted to read a paperback of BOUND, now's your chance to get a copy or multiple copies--for a friend or perhaps even a book club? 

Over the last two months, I've bought two heavily discounted books and they're only a year old, so I don't know what's going on but I would appreciate it very much if you all could spread the word because I don't know how long this will last. 

Of all the books I've written, BOUND remains the one I'm the one most proud of. It is my best work. Thank you for keeping it in print! 

Celebrations

Ascension
from the Egmont Breviary
Dutch (Utrecht), 1435-1445

Happy Feast of the Ascension!!! Forty days after our Lord's Resurrection, He ascends to heaven and He will return in the same manner! I was looking for pictures and stumbled across Ad Imaginem Dei: Iconography of the Ascension, Part III of IV -- The Disappearing Feet. Can you see the footprints left behind? I don't have a foot fetish (except for babies' feet that I love to nibble on), but what delight to seeing His Feet. We follow in His footsteps and where He is, there I will go! And I want to bring as many people with me as possible :) We begin our novena to the Holy Ghost in preparation for Pentecost!

 

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth. O God, who have taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

I simply cannot get over all the graces that have been pouring down upon us this Easter season. God is so good to us. We have much to celebrate--Dagny's graduation (magna cum laude) from Ave Maria University, reunions, birthdays, feast days. The Baccalaureate Mass was so lovely. The bishop reminded us the purpose of Catholic education, which is to declare the Lordship of Christ. Our lives are to be Christ-centered, to let Him reign in our homes, our work, our communities, but especially in our hearts, minds, souls. We are to be light and salt. The world today rejects Christ, thinking Him as a myth. They challenge the Resurrection. But it really happened. The Apostles were startled, but they couldn't deny the truth. They knew Him, they loved Him, and they died for Him, following Him, in imitation of Him. The bishop exhorted us to continue developing our gifts from God, using them in all the spheres of our lives, and to sanctify the world. May God be praised.  

I was too far from the Altar but my attention alternated between the Crucifix and and the Tenth Station of the Cross, where Jesus is stripped of His garments. And in the quiet, I remembered St. Alphonsus Ligouri's prayer: My innocent Jesus, / by the torment You suffered in being stripped of Your garments, / help me to strip myself of all attachment for the things of earth / that I may place all my love in You who are so worthy of my love. / I love You, O Jesus, with all my heart; / I am sorry for ever having offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will. Amen.

Tom Monaghan, the founder of Ave Maria University, gave the closing remark to the kids: Hear Mass as often as you can; pray the rosary daily; go to confession monthly. And if you don't know why, you've wasted four years here. His story is so inspiring.

  

 

At the dinner afterwards, there were awards and one of the recipients from the previous year, Begonia Avila, spoke so honestly about the challenges of living in a world that's opposed to Christ. She said to embrace the discomfort and uncertainty, to trust in God. When He is the center of one's life, everything else falls into place. There is power and peace that comes from an ordered life. I loved that she spoke about pursuing Him and allowing Him to pursue you--indeed Christian life is a love affair. She closed with the sentiment that her time at Ave as a foretaste of heaven (truly it is, even the short time we were there).

Dr. Maria Fedoryka, chosen by the graduates to represent them, closed the celebration with a lecture: Against Modern Secularism. It was so beautiful to partake in her joy and hope, which are supernatural gifts from heaven; however, she focused her lecture on natural joy that modern secularism strives to rob us of. She encouraged us to exercise our imaginations with poetry and art, to allow ourselves to be enchanted with beauty, even in our humdrum, ordinary lives. She's such a marvelous teacher--Dagny's favorite--and how I wish I could've been a student in Maria's class. By the way, her husband, Roy Schoeman, wrote the brilliant book: Salvation is from the Jews: the Role of Judaism in Salvation History from Abraham to the Second Coming. I had a chance to personally thank him because this book was, and continues to be, instrumental in our ongoing conversion and he said he was compelled to write it. If he put it aside, he'd fall into darkness and depression. Deo gratias!

We stayed at a farmhouse and what a blessing to be outdoors with the animals, esp. the kittens--just 2 wks old. Mama cat was very relaxed and enjoyed being petted while she nursed her kittens. I especially enjoyed giving the runts extra time with their mama. Michael and the kids enjoyed the fresh eggs. I had a taste of my childhood when our host offered us fresh sugarcane. So without any apology, numerous kitten pictures follow, and who knows, I just might have to post a random kitten picture on my blog for no reason except for the joy it brings. Enjoy! I was also delighted by some of the artwork and a working record player. Remember those?

Graduation day was HOT! A breeze kept us comfortable during commencement exercises. The new President, Mark Middendorf, opened with the exhortation to spend time in Adoration. This is what friends do; they spend time together. Jesus asked for this, on the night before He died. He didn't ask us to fast for 40 days or pray all night like He did. He asked us, "Could you not spend an hour with Me?"

Patrick Lencioni gave the keynote address and he exhorted the students to be afraid. Be very afraid! Because of how easy it is to get choked by the pleasures and cares of the world (remember the Parable of the Sower). Even good things can keep us away from Christ. How well he knows it. We might assume that he was invited to speak because of his worldly success, but it is in spite of it. He led a lukewarm life, chasing the next thing, but he wasn't happy. The day he chose God changed his life. The strings that had turned into chains were broken. He was free. So he encouraged us to all to stand firm in Truth. Ask for the grace to want only God. To do His will. Amen! How I will miss visiting Ave Maria--from that first time when I smelled the orange blossoms during spring break to the chant workshop, Max's graduation and now Dagny's graduation, may our Lord see it fit for me to return again to Ave Maria. What a gift to see our children grow in their studies and their faith at a time when they still had doubts. Our Lady took them under her wing--they belong to her and she always leads them to her Son. Deo gratias. Alleluia!

Sunday was Dagny's birthday and we heard Mass at St. Agnes. And who should be celebrating the beautiful High Mass but Ave Maria's own recent graduate--Fr. Joseph Lugalambi--who received his Ph.D. in Theology. I remembered how all the kids and faculty gave him a standing ovation when he was hooded the day before. It's clear he's made a huge impact at Ave Maria. Today is our sweet old dog's birthday--she's 15 years old.   

 

Mass of Dedication

I confess--I've been singing more than I've been writing. But it's all so wonderful. Last week we've been practicing for the Mass of Dedication of St. Clare of Assisi in the church building itself. These past three years we've been watching it take shape on our walks but to be inside this magnificent space set apart to worship our Lord Jesus... oh my! I've not come down from heaven from the Dedication Mass. The entire liturgy is packed with meaning. Truly, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a meeting of heaven and earth. Everything we have is a gift from Above and given that we're made in His Image we can exercise our creative gifts and offer the best to Him. Here I offer just a few pictures.

The narthex has this gorgeous piece showing the important events in the life of St. Clare of Assisi and a mosaic (made locally) of her motto. The Altar, stained glass windows, Stations of the Cross, and many more items like statues come from the Sisters of St. Francis in Pittsburg. I loved practicing (and it is all a prayer) in this space--great acoustics--and so proud of Michael chanting with the small group of professionals. To God, all the glory! 

We didn't want to leave the church after Mass but there was a lovely reception afterwards at Bishop England High School, across the street. The bells were ringing! Just imagine how beautiful it is going to be for the kids to pray here, instead of the gym. All this beauty points to our Almighty God. The liturgy itself teaches the tenets of our faith. It was a beautiful night walking home. Deo gratias!!! 

    

So fun to see St. Clare of Assisi in this journal here: New Gothic Revival Church in the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina ~ Liturgical Arts Journal