Exactly!

Beauty in the Church is essential. I don't want God brought down from the Heavens and made "relatable" to me. I want to be carried up to Christ so I can meet Him there and be awestruck and changed by his beauty, expressed all around.

Read the rest here; you'll be glad you did!

Today's Reading

Go over to Conversion Diary today for a fascinating discussion about the religious climate in different parts of the world. Jen asks seven questions:

1. Where do you live? (Or, if you’re not currently living there, what part of the world is it that you’re familiar with?)
2. What is church attendance like in your area? Are there many churches? Do they seem to have active memberships?
3. At a typical social event, how appropriate would it be if a person were to explicitly acknowledge in casual conversation that he or she is a believing Christian? For example, if someone at a party made a passing comment like, “We’ve been praying about that” or “I was reading the Bible the other day, and…”, would that seem normal or odd?
4. What belief system do the politicians in your area claim to practice? For example, here in Texas almost all politicians at least claim to have some kind of belief in God, regardless of what they may think in private — to openly admit to being an atheist would be political suicide in most parts of the state. Is this the case in your area?
5. How many families do you know who have more than two children? If a family with four children moved to your area, would their family size seem unusual? What about a family with six children?
6. What seems to be the dominant belief system of the people in your area?
7. Do you notice any trends? Do people seem to be becoming more or less religious?

So far she has responses from all over the world. Read comments from people in Denmark, UK, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Croatia, Japan, East Africa, Japan, Spain, Australia, Russia, and so on. It should be quite an interesting sampling by the end of the day!

Portion control

I like to purchase pesto from Costco. It's a great price and really delicious. The down side, not surprisingly, is the size of the package. To get around that, I like to use it like crazy for a few weeks and then freeze the rest in reasonably sized portions. An ice cube tray is perfect for this! Each cube is about a tablespoon and after it freezes I just transfer it to a zip-loc bag or other freezer container. I used to make my own baby food using a similar method. Easy, thrifty, practical. (Like music to my ears!)

I would recommend using a separate tray for this purpose though or your ice cubes may end up with a slight garlic-y taste.

J

Google Art Project

From the same people who brought us Google Street View and Picasa, take a look here for Google Art Project.

... it allows web browsers to wander the halls of 17 museums around the world (New York City's MoMA, Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, and others).

Cloche tip to New Advent who directed me to this article.

Superbowl plans

Go Pack Go!

If you haven't heard, the bishops of Green Bay and Pittsburgh and Green Bay have a bet riding on tomorrow's game. You can also read about the Catholic roots of both teams here. (CLOCHE tip to Faith and Family Live)

The Church Ladies love Epicurious- check out their great game-day recipes. I also vouch for these delicious corn dog muffins.

What are your family's Superbowl traditions?

Image source

Have a Blessed Candlemas!

For today's edifying reading the Church Ladies recommend A Dramatic Moment that Almost Everyone Missed by Msgr. Charles Pope

God had returned to His Temple. He, and the Ark who carried him, were found. Mary the Ark, carrying Jesus in her arms. Jesus, very God, true God from True God. Yes, God and the Ark had been found and God was once again present among His people on the Temple Mount.

Part of giving handknits to kids is detaching from their fate. Do I want it to be used and loved, or do I want it to sit in a drawer? If the former, well then: I have to accept that it won't stay pristine.

I have a sort of mental rule, though, that I want them to wear the gift for at least as many hours as I spent making it before I can consign it to its uncertain future. I can't quite bring myself to think about the ratio of work time to wearing time for this gift. It's not a pretty ratio...

I didn't get to the Office of Readings until after they left for school, and it felt like a nudge from heaven to see that today was the feast of St. John Bosco. (He is best known for his work with orphaned and abandoned boys.) Here's a snippet from today's second reading: They are our sons, and so in correcting their mistakes we must lay aside all anger and restrain it so firmly that it is extinguished entirely. There must be no hostility in our minds, no contempt in our eyes, no insult on our lips. We must use mercy for the present and have hope for the future, as is fitting for true fathers who are eager for real correction and improvement.

My initial reaction was to feel sorry for myself: all that work, and poof! -- it's gone. Then I thought about how many gifts God has given me that I have failed to appreciate or even keep track of. I think I will swing by the school with a little note for my sad boy: "You are more important than the mittens."

[full post at Light and Momentary]

Image source

Good Riddance, January!

Sadly, this really is the view out my window.

Really, I don't know why I watch the weather reports in January. According to yesterday's information, it has snowed here almost every day this month and we're predicted to be back into the "deep freeze" this week. Fortunately, this news was tempered with a side story saying we now have 44 more minutes of daylight than we did at the winter solstice and that inspires me to dream a bit about about gardening.

I'm the first to admit that I'm terrible with plants, and in a weird way that's a bit of a spiritual exercise for me. I put seeds and bedding plants into the ground and anything that actually flourishes does so by pure grace. I have no illusions about the value of my contribution; mostly, I just offer my pathetic cooperation and stay out of God's way so He can work.

If you are a fellow inhabitant of the zone 4 or not, now is a great time to think about your garden for spring! If you'd like to dream a bit with me, start by considering the details of starting a Mary Garden, and order a catalog or two. When I was a kid and we moved from the big city to the middle of nowhere, my sisters and I thought all the mutant vegetables (blue potatoes, giant pumpkins, etc.) in the Guerney's catalog were the coolest thing ever!

Just a reminder ...

While you're out running errands this weekend, don't forget to pick up a few little things to fill your children's shoes on Saint Nicholas Day. I know from sad experience that bedtime on December 5th is not a good time to remember. ;-)

The Holy Father's Prayer Intentions for February, 2011

General Intention: That the family may be respected by all in its identity and that its irreplaceable contribution to all of society be recognized.

Missionary Intention: That in the mission territories where the struggle against disease is most urgent, Christian communities may witness to the presence of Christ to those who suffer.

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

I offer You all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day

for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart,

in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

throughout the world,

in reparation for my sins,

for the intentions of all our associates,

and in particular for the intentions

of the Holy Father for this month.

Amen.