Happy Thanksgiving

Reposting a picture from our pilgrimage to St. Augustine, FL where the first Thanksgiving was celebrated Sept. 8, 1565 with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Our pastor wrote, "The Catholic origins of Thanksgiving don't stop there. Squanto, the beloved hero of Thanksgiving, was the Native American man who mediated between the Puritan pilgrims and the Native Americans. Squanto had been enslaved by the English, but he was freed by the Spanish Franciscans. Squanto thus received baptism, and became a Catholic. So, it was a baptized Catholic Native American who orchestrated what became known as Thanksgiving." 

I am so thankful to God for all He has done, all He is doing, and all He will do. I especially grateful for my family, friends, and the road to better health. This is the last year it will just be the Bodachs four...I'll post a picture tomorrow. Right now I have the house to myself because the menfolk have gone for bourbon and cigars and Dagny is out with Ian and their friends. Introvert heaven! The kitties are enjoying the quiet too.

Michael has done such an outstanding job in the garden. New this year: sweet potatoes, kohlrabi, turnips, ginger and turmeric. We have an abundance of greens so we eat a lot of salad. I've also taken to making vegetable broth as well from all the stems; might as well extract every ounce of goodness from them before putting them into the compost. We also harvested honey from the top bar--life is sweet! I pray you all have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving. 

Happy Thanksgiving

A happy and blessed Thanksgiving to all. I keep in prayer all who are lonely at this time. Know that God is with you. Here's a favorite poem by Joyce Kilmer:

Thanksgiving
 

The roar of the world is in my ears.

Thank God for the roar of the world!

Thank God for the mighty tide of fears

Against me always hurled!

Thank God for the bitter and ceaseless strife,

And the sting of His chastening rod!

Thank God for the stress and the pain of life,

And Oh, thank God for God!

Happy Thanksgiving and Advent

What joy for us to have our kids home for Thanksgiving. There was much revelry, tasting of the last of the garden goodies, Michael's home brews, trying to pet scaredy cats, and of course, giving thanks to God for all our blessings. Hard to believe it's Advent already: To You I lift up my soul: in You, O my God, I trust... (Ps. 24:1)  Come Lord Jesus!

 

Happy Thanksgiving

My kids are home for the holidays. So grateful for faith, family, friends, food, fun, and felines. This is the first Thanksgiving in four years that we'll all be home. And lucky for me, I get to sit like a maharani and read a book while the family cooks and cleans. There's a first time for everything. I am grateful for all of you who read my words and I pray for all of you to have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving. 

And those ghost peppers are so wicked hot, Michael has taken to treating them like CoViD. 

Thanksgiving and Advent

Where to even begin? So many blessings! We went down to Ave Maria, FL to visit our children for Thanksgiving since they only get Thu and Fri off. So fun to see them in their dorm rooms but we whisked them away to Key West and to Hemingway's house because they were in desperate need of some kitty cuddles. At least half the cats are polydactyls--with extra toes so they look like they have thumbs. Below I share some beautiful moments together. I definitely want to return for a longer time to explore the other little islands that make up the Florida Keys. Now, I wait to have the children home for Christmas!

Upon our return home, Michael had a glass of his home-brewed beer to relax. And the next day we began the nitty-gritty work of correcting the trouble spots in both the chant and Mozart Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It was a wonderful celebration and I'm still filled with a tremendous joy. 

I came upon a very interesting article about Mozart and Gregorian chant as I was researching a quote in Father's homily about Mozart's desire to compose a chant in favor of all his work. He did say at the end of his life that he would have gladly renounced his entire work for the joy of composing the Introit of the Mass of the Dead. This confession is extraordinarily humble, but it would have been a great loss for humanity if it had been carried out. What this shows is that Mozart discovered in Gregorian chant the language of plenitude of the adult man, which is fully reached in the heavens.   All I can say is that there is definitely something transcendent in the Gregorian chant. It is very meditative, allowing one to cast aside the cares of the world and instead place ourselves in the very presence of God. I give you the Introit for the Feast of St. Nicholas. It's as if all barriers to time and space are broken. A most blessed Advent to all as we prepare for the coming of the Infant Jesus into our hearts in silent wonder.