Notre Dame Scandal

The most aggressively pro-death president ever is scheduled to give the commencement speech at Notre Dame University according the the university's website. What's the problem you say? What's the big deal? How is it a scandal?

Here's the big deal: Notre Dame is supposedly a Catholic university. The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is a grave evil and to participate in it, even indirectly is a mortal sin. By having the current President speak is implicit approval. The current President's agendas are in direct opposition to the Church and her teachings about the sanctity of life.

Scandal, according to the catechism is: any sinful word, deed or omission that disposes others to sin, or lessens their respect for God and holy religion. To give scandal is a serious moral sin. It doesn't just mean doing something shocking or outrageous.

Also, to me, it is supremely ironic that it is Notre Dame proposing this. Notre Dame means Our Lady. Our Lady, who said yes to God which could have meant her death by stoning according to jewish law. Our Lady, who carried the Deliverer of our sins.

Please, contact the university at the link below to sign the petition and let them know of the scandal and outrage they are committing.

http://notredamescandal.com/

Falling Off The Wagon

I have not only fallen off the Lenten wagon, I must have rolled down a big hill because I can no longer even see the wagon! I'm not proud of it but I am not feeling guilty, either.

I had had two weeks of constant headaches and nausea. This is well after any caffeine addiction should have worn off. I tried every remedy possible. I can deal with headaches since I used to get migraines several times a month but I cannot, cannot deal with nausea. So, I drank a Coke, purely for medicinal purposes. It worked. I can't explain why. But, I have had others since.

I will get back on the wagon. I know that I missed an opportunity to offer up that suffering but I think that the Lord will know I did try. At least I hope it will count for something.

I hope your lenten promises are going well.

Almost Perfect

My dear husband is almost perfect. He certainly is perfect for me. No, he doesn't say the romantic things that I dreamed my husband would say. Nor does he do overtly romantic things that my dream husband would do. But, he would wear cologne that he thinks smells like bug spray, just because I like it. And he will run to the store, just to get me something I am craving, or an ingredient I am missing, regardless of the weather or what he was in the middle of doing.

The only thing my husband isn't is irish. The poor man is german and polish. German and polish! When I told my Dad, with some fear and trepidation, that my fiance was not irish there was a
L O N G pause after which he said, "Well. I guess that's ok".

For the rest of you who are not fortunate enough to be irish:

May the good saints protect you
And bless you today
And may troubles ignore you
Each step of the way

Good one for Lent

From Mary, Day by Day:

Run to win. Everyone who competes for a prize abstains in every way. .. I chastise my body and train it lest after having preached to others, I myself shall become a castaway. 1 Cor 9:24-27

Reflection: Those who love Mary must silence within themselves the desires of the senses. They must also silence the disordered longings of the passions. St John Eudes

Prayer: O Mary, you well know all the temptations that exist in the world. Help me to curb my evil desires and practice self-discipline, so that I may safeguard my union with your Divine Son.

Tantrum over

I'm over my lenten tantrum and back to my normal outlook, at least for now. Thank you Charlotte and Entropy for the good advice. I appreciate it and any prayers you sent my way.

For me, I think it would be worse to let lent go by without trying to do something. We're supposed to persevere in the face of difficulty and I worry that if I let go I'd really slide far, far away. First it would be not doing anything for lent and then before I know it I wouldn't want to go to Mass. That's at least how bad I was feeling.

So, no Coke still and my husband and I are doing yoga three times a week together. I bought a dvd for beginners. If you cut through all the mystical filler they put in, it is ok. It is basically stretching, breathing, relaxing your body and focusing on different areas of your body all at the same time. The best thing about the dvd is that if we need to quit five minutes into it, who is to know?

I hope you are having a beneficial lenten season!

I. Don't. WANNA!

Somehow I have regressed to being a snotty, rebellious three year old kid who doesn't want to do what is good for her. I've been whining and mentally stamping my foot with each word: I (stamp) Don't (stamp) Wanna! (stomp, stomp, stomp). In my book a stomp is a bigger and more obnoxious sound than a stamp.

I am having serious trouble with lent this year. I feel angry and rebellious. I don't want to give up anything. I've contemplated doing nothing. I have never in my life done nothing for lent. I've rationalized, is there any merit to it if I just go through the motions? I don't want to give up Coke. It is the real thing, you know. But it isn't really. Christ is the Real Thing. Do I really want to face Him and say, "yeah, You weren't worth giving up pop for forty day, nevermind the sacrifices and suffering you endured for me".

While my brain seems to get the point of lent the irrational part has staged a coup and refuses to cooperate. I haven't broken down yet. My poor guardian angel must be working overtime.

Please offer a couple prayers that I get over it.