Seven Quick Takes Friday ~ Hanging With God For An Hour

 

~1~
Our parish has a small Adoration Chapel in a back room of the church.  It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and requires lots of parishioners to spend one hour a week to keep it open and prayers going.  My husband currently takes the Wednesday 8:00-9:00 PM hour.  Sometimes I join him.  I always feel good when I do.

~2~
Once we were a little bit late and apologized to Mr. W. - the man who had the hour before.  He's a gentle 80-year-old man.  He assured us that it was no problem, that he "could spend the rest of his life there" - and it was clear that he meant it!  Mr. W's comment made me think of anchorites of the medieval ages - people who lived in a room adjacent to a church in order to pray as much as possible and sometimes counsel visitors. 

 

~3~                

I love the intricate detail on the base of the monstrance; each of the four corners has a symbol of the four Gospel writers:  a man for Matthew, a lion for Mark, an ox for Luke, and an eagle for John.

~4~
It's amazing how quickly an hour goes by.  There's a nice variety of spiritual/prayer books to read, or you can just sit and hang out with God.

 

~5~

I am astonished at the many people who take on the late-at-night or very-early-in-the-morning hours!  I wish I could be so sacrificing to help keep the chapel open, but I am CRABBY if my sleep is interrupted!  But, maybe I should give it a chance ...    

 

~6~

A Prayer Journal is kept in the Adoration Chapel.  Sometimes it's interesting to read over the intentions.  So much hurt and difficulty out there! 

~7~

My Lord and my God!

- St. Thomas

(John 20:28)

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

View Others' 7 Quick Takes Here!

Saint Matthias Trivia

In The Upper Room
Courtesy of Stained Glass, Inc.

Today is the feast of St. Matthias ... a saint from the Bible.  See how many of these trivia questions you can answer about St. Matthias:

1)  Is he a New Testament or Old Testament Saint?

2) What was his title in the Bible?

3) What was his relationship to St. Joseph of Barsabbas?

4) St. Matthias received his calling just before what feast?

5) What book in the Bible tells of St. Matthias?

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Answers:

1) New Testament
2) Apostle (he replaced Judas Iscariot)
3) Joseph of Barsabbas was also a contender to replace Judas Iscariot, but it was Matthias who was chosen using the system of lots.
4) Pentecost
5) Acts (Chapter 1, verses 15-26)

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

 

More About St. Matthias

Swinging Sisters: Book Review

A Fun And Inspiring Catholic Biography

Swinging Sisters by Madonna Dries Christensen is one of my favorite books.  It shares an inspiring story (based on factual events, but with some fiction woven in to fill it out) of a devoutly Catholic Minnesota family with four musically-inclined daughters.  The The Martin and Mary Jones family moved to San Antonio in 1926 when the girls were teens.  

 

From The Texas Rangerettes To The Convent

When Evelyn, the youngest, was 18 the four daughters, along with two friends created a band, calling themselves the Texas Rangerettes.  They hit the road (in an old hearse!) and played in gigs all over the country ... never missing Sunday mass along the way.  After some years, Mr. Jones died, and these four girls, tired of their years of glitz, glamour, and constant travel, one by one decided to enter a convent.  And, their widowed mother chose to become a religious sister as well!  So, the four Jones girls and their mother gave away the bulk of their worldly goods and in 1938 entered the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament Convent in San Antonio. 

 

Proceeds To The Incarnate Word Convent 

Swinging Sisters was written by Madonna Dries Christensen who generously gives the proceeds of her wonderful and easy-to-read book to the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament Convent in Victoria, where the Jones sisters and their mother are all buried (the last of the Jones sisters died in 1999).

 

Take A Look

Swinging Sisters can be previewed or purchased at:  amazon.com or iUniverse.com.

 

 

May 3, 2013 issue of Today's Catholic



An empty lot now stands at the plausible site 
of where the Jones family once lived:
 421 Marshall St. in San Antonio, TX.
 

 

After theSwinging Sisters: The Rest of the Story

A Shower Of Roses

 

It's rose season at the Nelson house (thanks to my husband's patient green thumb!).  Each year, it seems that all the bushes orchestrate their first buds to bloom at the same time.  After that, it's sporadic blossoming for the rest of the season.  But for now, we can enjoy seeing our rose garden in full concert!  The cross on the cabin is on loan to us from a dear friend.  It comes from a French vineyard.

 

St. Therese & A Shower Of Roses

By the way ... have you ever heard the quote of St. Therese: "I will let fall from heaven a shower of roses."?  Well, that quote is paraphrased a bit.  Here's what St. Therese said on June 9, 1897, just a few months before her death ...

 

Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart (Therese's older sister, Marie):

What sorrow we'll experience when you leave us!

 

Sr. Therese:

Oh, no, you will see; it will be like a shower of roses.

 

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

See: St. Therese of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations (page 62)

 

 

 

Novena to St. Therese

St. Therese

 

One Last Confirmation



Noah Chad Andrew Nelson 
with Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller
April 21, 2013
 

Well, our youngest was Confirmed this past weekend!  It was a beautiful mass - we are blessed with an Archbishop who is a wonderful shepherd.  By the way, the Confirmation happened to be on Good Shepherd Sunday!  I think Noah got the gist of what it is all about and was happy to receive this special sacrament.

What Exactly Is The Sacrament Of Confirmation?
I bet if you asked ten different Catholics what Confirmation means, you'd probably get ten varying answers.  In a nutshell, Confirmation completes the grace of Baptism.  Those being Confirmed become "... more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit." (CCC 1285)  "... the term Confirmation suggests that this sacrament both confirms baptism and strengthens baptismal grace."  (CCC 1289)

The Byzantine Way - Chrismation
My daughter-in-law was born into a Byzantine Rite Church and was confirmed (Byzantine Catholics call Confirmation Chrismation [CCC 1289] - from the "Chrism Oil" used for the sacrament) right after her baptism ... as a baby.  I guess they want that enriching with a special strength of the Holy Spirit right away!  

 

A More Comprehensive Definition Of Confirmation

1) put the number: 1285 in the Search Box
2) Click on the title link
3) Click on the "continue to read more" link
 

Some Confirmation-ish References In The Bible

Mark 1:8 – John the Baptist's promise that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit

Luke 12:11-12 - Jesus' promise of assistance to come from the Holy Spirit

John 14:26 – Jesus' promise of the coming of and help of the Holy Spirit (Advocate)

John 20:22 – The Resurrected Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit on the Apostles

Acts 2:1-14 – The Coming of the Holy Spirit after Jesus' Ascension

Acts 2:38 - Peter's encouragement to repent, be baptized and then receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:14-17 – Samaritans baptized, but not yet having received the Holy Spirit

Acts 10:44-48 – The Holy Spirit falling upon the household of Cornelius who were then baptized also.

Acts 19:2-6 – Some Ephesians who had been baptized, but had not yet received the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 11:2 - Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Joel 3:1 - Prediction of the Lord's Spirit to be poured out upon all mankind.

Seamus's Confirmation in 2003
Seamus Robert Francis Nelson

Can't believe this is the only shot I took!  He was giving a 
Thank You speech to the bishop at the end of the mass.

Ian's Confirmation in 2005
Ian Gregory Philip Neri Nelson

We have a lot more pics of Ian's Confirmation, but I think this is my favorite. 
He probably had some extra duty too (we're a small parish) ...
just can't remember and unfortunately didn't capture it on film.

 

I REALLY need to ......

 

Gosh!  I really need to put this writing stuff away for the day and ...

Do the breakfast dishes

Make the bed

Rotate the laundrry

Walk the dog

Get some Split Pea Soup going

Fold the laundry
Touch base with my kids

Call my parents
Check my e-mail
Clean a bathroom

Run to the store
Serve supper
Clean up
Go to a Track Meet
Make lunches

etc ....

Saints Anne, Martha, Monica, and Zita ... please pray for me!

Sometimes Life Can Grow Even In Rocky Soil

I love this time of year in the Texas Hill Country ... we always get a nice bouquet of wildflowers nearly every time we turn around.  The more trodden-upon areas, however, are quite barren and don't bring as many flowers.  Amazingly, however, some do bloom in these rugged areas.  This always amazes me.  They often make me think of how great the power of God is ... as I see these pretty wildflowers growing out of such rocky terrain.  A quiet reminder each year, that nothing is impossible with God!

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."

 

~ Luke 17:5