THE DAILY GROTTO

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EASTER BLESSINGS!

He is Risen!

I hope all of you dear readers had a very Blessed Easter. Thank you to all who make a point of dropping in from time to time. I am very grateful for your friendship.

On Saturday our family attended the Easter Vigil at my Dad's church. It was very exciting to see the newly baptized, and brand new converts experience the joy of the sacraments for the first time in their lives. A fresh new life in Christ.

On Sunday, our family hosted Easter dinner. My parents, two sisters, niece, brother-in-law, brother and his family, godson and his girlfriend joined us.  We served ham, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, coleslaw and rolls. For dessert there was an orange dreamsicle cake, chocolate chip cookies and lots of candy!!!!

Our tables were set with colorful table linen, our finest china and fresh flowers. There were roses, tulips, easter lillies, and a beautifully fragrant mixed bouquet. Pastel Easter eggs,  adorable bunnies and baby chicks were tastefully decorated to celebrate the beauty of Spring.

There was plenty of  family sharing, laughter, an Easter egg hunt,  and goodies for the kids. A day to savor and remember always. I hope that all of you had a wonderful Easter as well.

 

God Bless!

Holy Week

May the Lord bless you with a newfound understanding of His Passion. May you always know how much HE loves you, and how much HE wants you to go to him with all of your worries, cares, anxieties etc..

 Let us all learn to love the Lord better this week. Let us be there in the garden with him, and at the foot of the cross. Let us not be like Judas- busying ourselves with the the distractions of the world. Let's not sell the Lord out that way. Let's remember HIM, love HIM. Let's take the time to offer Him up the little inconviences or big problems that may come our way.

 Let's PRAY.......alot.

Of ice cream cones and a broken thumb......

Well it is official. My nine year old has joined the ranks of her mother, father, and sister- we all have  broken a bone in our life time. Not a great accomplishment to speak of- just a sort of physical toughness that our bodies have endured. On Tuesday I pulled into my driveway to find my youngest daughter sobbing her eyes out. My poor mother tried to console her, but Hannah was much too hysterical. They quickly disappeared into the house before I could  even bat an eye.

 I walked into the kitchen to find my third grader bleeding profusely from the thumb. Her hand was being held under running cold water, finger nail hanging off, and she WAS desperate for a doctor.  In fact she was PLEADING for a doctor. I want all of you to know that my Hannah NEVER wants a doctor.  Boy, I knew this was serious.

 I was really not liking the  look of this injury. In fact I was getting a bit queasy, and I wasn't even the one in pain. I really wanted a  professional to assess it immediately. I am glad that I am not a nurse- the world would be in trouble if I were a nurse. I would make a horrible nurse.  However, I did get her hand wrapped up with paper towel, quickly grabbed an ice pack, and headed out of my driveway- lickety-split.

Through Hannah's hysterical-pain-engulfed sobs- I learned that when she got out of her Grandmother's car after school- she shut the car door on her own fingers. The thumb was hit the hardest. It  shocked her system.  In her secure world, she was used to falling and getting right up again. No sweat. But this one threw her for a loop.

I decided to drive her to the pediatrician's office- which is about 15 minutes away. On the way, I spoke to the nurse informing her of my decision.  To my chagrin,  she really tried to downplay the injury. "Just hold it under cold water and put ice on it". In the mean time, Hannah is yelling from the back seat- help me, help me.. Hyperventaling... wanting her inhaler. The nurse was not getting it. I was trying to tell this woman that she really needs to be seen- she  disagrees with me. " It's good that it is bleeding." I knew I needed to end this conversation fast so-  I then curtly asked  for the appointment desk.

 THEN... The scheduling lady gets on the phone and says........ THE NURSE HAS INDICATED THAT YOU WOULD LIKE AN APPOINTMENT TOMMOROW MORNING..... Hello, are you people listening?????????? Hannah needs to be seen now. I just lost it. I know it is Lent, and I should thinking and acting like a Christian at all times- but boy there is nothing worse then professional incompentence when you are trying to get help  for an injured child- especially your ownl.

After hanging up on a place where I have taken my kids faithfully for 16 years..... I drove to the ER.

Three hours later, we walked to the parking lot very tired.  Hannah came out of this experience- one tough little cookie. I will spare you the horrid details.  Like the supersize needle that was used to numb the pain in her thumb, or how my daughter's thumb nail was sitting in a dish waiting to be sewn back on, or about the stitches that were sewn on her nail bed........ I will save you from all of this.

I will say that it will be a bit of a bump in the road for us for awhile. We will need to keep the wound clean from infection, the fracture in her thumb protected, and she will needed extra help dressing etc. Not a major interuption in daily life- just some mere sacrificing. Our Christian duty.

After school today, Hannah had an ice cream cone. I don't think that one ever tasted so good as today. She really savored it. I think that she deserved to have a cone today, don't you?

This Lent, Hannah will truly have something to offer Christ. She can offer up her pain. She can offer it up for the needs of family, friends, sick loved ones, and it will feel real to her. She will understand better how Jesus suffered for us on the cross- through her own suffering. She will feel this in her heart and soul. Hannah will be trying hard to carry her cross- how about you?

God Bless,

Kathy

 

ASH WEDNESDAY

Are you ready for Lent? For a great spiritual jumpstart go here.  

Have a Blessed Christmas!

 
  Christmas Bells

  The time draws near the birth of Christ: The moon is hid, the night is still; The Christmas bells from hill to hill Answer each other in the mist.

Four voices of four hamlets round, From far and near, on mead and moor, Swell out and fail, as if a door Were shut between me and the sound;

Each voice four changes on the wind, That now dilate, and now decrease; Peace and good will, good will and peace; Peace and good will, to all mankind
-Alfred, Lord Tennyson

A HOLY AND HUMBLE SOUL

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Prayer to St. Juan Diego( By Fr. John Giuliani)

You who were chosen by Our Lady of Guadalupe as an instrument to show your people and the world that the way of Christianity is one of love, compassion, understanding, values, sacrifices, repentance of our sins, appreciation and respect for God’s creation, and most of all one of humility and obedience;You whom we know is now in the Kingdom of the Lord and close to our Mother; Be our angel and protect us, stay with us as we struggle in this modern life often not knowing where to set our priorities;

Help us to pray to our God to obtain the gifts of the Holy Spirit and use them for the good of humanity and the good of our Church, through the Heart of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Heart of Jesus. Amen.
 

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

 

Dear Readers,

I hope that you are all experiencing a Blessed Advent. Our home is starting to look a bit like Christmas. I must admit that I love the coziness of colorful lights, candles flickering in the night, vintage decorations, and our beautiful 8 foot Frazier fir beautifully adorning our living room. 

As we light our second candle this week, let us remember to thank our Lord that we still have the resources to make our Christmas merry and bright. So many people are hurt by a tough economy, and won't be able to afford much in the way of Christmas decorations or even presents. Let us all be charitable and share some of our things with those that don't have much.

How many ornaments do we really need anyway? Let us all make it a goal to pack up a box or two of Christmas things, and take it to our local resale shop or Homeless shelter. Then things will be merry and bright for others too. Let us always remember that Jesus is the reason for the season!!!!!

God Bless,

Kathy

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Week 1: First Sunday of Advent  Prayer for the Advent Wreath Lord, our God, we praise You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, for He is Emmanuel, the Hope of all people. He is the Wisdom that teaches and guides us. He is the Savior of us all. O Lord, let your blessing come upon us as we light the first (purple) candle of this wreath. May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christ’s promise of salvation. May He come quickly and not delay. We ask this in His holy name. Amen. Waiting  We light a candle today, a small dim light against a world that often seems forbidding and dark. But we light it because we are a people of hope, a people whose faith is marked by an expectation that we should always be ready for the coming of the Master. The joy and anticipation of this season is captured beautifully in the antiphons of hope from the monastic liturgies: See! The ruler of the earth shall come,  the Lord who will take from us the heavy burden of our exile The Lord will come soon, will not delay. The Lord will make the darkest places bright. We must capture that urgency today in the small flame of our candle. We light the candle because we know that the coming of Christ is tied to our building of the kingdom. Lighting the flame, feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, reconciling the divided, praying for the repentant, greeting the lonely and forgotten – doing all these works hastens His coming. HT/EWTN

HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING