What Did Christ Do On Holy Thursday?

(Lots of links on foot washing at the bottom, from Fr. Z, Fr. Longenecker, Fr. Richtsteig, Canon Lawyer, Dr. Ed Peters and Catholic websites)

So what is Holy Thursday?

What are we honoring on this day?

Not what it has become, of late, but what it stands for in our Catholic identity? That's what we have to ask and answer. 



Holy Thursday is the day Christ instituted the Eucharist and the Priesthood, the male priesthood...to the apostles. That's what happened on Holy Thursday. That's what the day is about. That's what is being modeled up there. That's why the Pope (Benedict XVI) doesn't wash women's feet. A Holy Father models to his children, leading them.

As a Catholic, I believe that Christ instituted a male priesthood on Holy Thursday. In priesthood, a priest  on the altar becomes an Alter Christi, "another Christ," and his sacramentaly consecrated hands can turn ordinary bread and wine into His body and blood.

Do you imagine that moment?  Does the Last Supper play in your head like a movie during that Mass? There's Christ - preparing these men for the priesthood! Was what He did then meaningful, purposeful?

Forget what today's priests are doing or not doing...what do YOU believe Christ was doing....modeling....on Holy Thursday? More importantly, what has been Church teaching on what Christ was doing at the Last Supper? (Links provided below)

If you believe what the Baltimore catechism teaches - that Holy Thursday is the vocational institution of the male priesthood - then this is precious to retain, honor and uphold to the faithful!  DEFINITIVE of our beliefs and Catholic essence, it's what sets us apart.

Don't be distracted away from what this day represents...RE  PRESENTS in our faith. So often we note how we need to reclaim our Catholic identity ...how it gets diluted and caught up in a slippery slope of subtle changes that have rolled into a largely weakened faith. Well, Lex Orendi, Lex Credendi = how we pray is how we believe. Reclaiming will be an UPHILL battle and we may step on toes. Strengthening weakened muscles will be hard.

Encourage the men in your parish! Remind the women that this is not exclusivity against them...this is our faith. A faith that has rich appreciation for women and their roles... And, on Holy Thursday...this is what Christ did....what He modeled....He instituted a male priesthood. Amen.

LINK - 2013 - Fr. Z and Canon Lawyer, Dr. Ed Peters 

See Father Z -  "This whole debate has been cleared up more than once by the Holy See, especially in the 1988 document Paschales solemnitatis of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. Moreover, the rubrics of the 2002 Missale Romanum retain the viri selecti. Viri cannot include “females”. Viri is an exclusive term. I don’t believe any Conference of Bishops has ever received explicit approval from the Holy See for a variation, and only the Holy See can do that. Conferences of bishops, individual bishops, and pastors all lack the authority to change this on their own. To do it is wrong." 

See this from Catholics United for the Faith, "The rite itself has always specified that men are to have their feet washed. The word used in Latin is viri which refers specifically to adult males, nothominess, which might have been understood, like the expression "human beings," to include both women and men. Because of ongoing debate on this issue, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS), in a 1988 circular letter entitled Paschales Solemnitatis, affirmed that the tradition of washing the feet of “chosen men” should be maintained. Then in 1996, the U.S. bishops proposed a modification that would allow for the washing of women’s and children’s feet during the Holy Thursday service. This proposal received the necessary support of more than two-thirds of the U.S. bishops, but it still required the formal approval of the Holy See before it could take effect. Such approval has never been given. Meanwhile, the congregation published the latest edition of the Roman Missal in 2002, which still only provides for men to have their feet washed."

From Catholic.org  and more links including a video.

Video of Pope Benedict XVI washing feet last year. Father R. from Orthometer

 Men Only Feet Washing by Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Why not women priests?

And what about ALL THESE DOCUMENTS and Church History? Is it all just changed now....what we once believed? 

A Blog to Recommend ~ The Nesting Bird

Do you like decorating and party planning ideas? Something "pretty" or "clever" to look at always appeals to me!

If you agree, please visit a new blog that "focuses on decorating, party planning, photography, writing, design, home decor, renovations...basically, all things creative," as described by it's author.

The Nesting Bird


This new blogger has a few posts up and there's more, linked across the top bar.

http://pinterest.com/deirdre_quinn1/ - She's on Pinterest, too.

Fly on over and subscribe...follow. Tell her a little birdie told you. BIRDS of a feather stick together.

Picturing God at Ignatian Spirituality

My Photo, from my header, Girl Gone Adoring of my daughter caught in conversation with God is featured today on picturinggod.ignatianspirituality.com

I hope you'll visit!

The Church Militant - Bringing Catholic Back

An Update From OLVS - Our Lady of Victory Catholic Curriculum

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a letter from Our Lady of Victory Catholic Curriculum. If you have read my 2 part series on our Catholic Curriculum finds, you'll know that in our 2nd year of homeschooling we used and liked OLVS.

I received permission to reprint the letter here as OLVS has some news!

Dear Allison,

I recently found your blog and was very impressed with the overall content. As an employee of Our Lady of Victory School (as well as an OLVS graduate!), I was also very thankful to find your positive review of our curriculum. The school director asked that I email you regarding some changes to our curriculum that might interest you and your followers.

For the 2012-2013 school year, we have reduced the school year by two weeks, resulting in a more manageable 36 week program. We are also revamping the overall lesson plan assignments, focusing on making sure that the students actually understand the material, not that they can simply rewrite what they have just read. Additionally, quarter exam study guides will be available for the high school students. There will also be further tutor interaction with the students. The 2012-2013 catalog is going to print this week and the information will be posted on our website shortly.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this message. If you are interested, I can certainly keep you informed on any further developments to our curriculum.

May God bless you for your hard work on the Catholic homeschooling front!

Tina Perez

OLV Office

421 S. Lochsa

Post Falls, ID 83854

Phone 208-773-7265

Fax 208-773-1951

"OLV is unique in that any family, whether or not enrolled, can purchase all materials from the school's inventory. This includes the complete program at any grade level, or individual texts, and/or an entire grade level's lesson plans (elementary years). At the high school level, individual course plans are also available," writes Keeping It Catholic.


Check out their bookstore, too, for wonderful, CATHOLIC offerings and their standardized testing is BY FAR the least expensive out there.

Easter Decorating with Peeps

Not much for eating Peeps.  Peeps make me laugh.  For me, they are a humorous part of my college graduation memories....

But for Easter decorating, well these Peeps take the cake! This is an Easter cake I made a few years back.

On Pinterest,  I have seen Peeps in wreaths

Source: spatulascorkscrews.typepad.com via Julie on Pinterest

and Peeps on skewers!

Source: ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

It all has me imagining Peeps on swags like garlands and Peeps on sticks in flower bouquets... and a college door...old, hardened Peeps on it and a night of revelry with my sistas!

Yeah, Peeps make me laugh....

The Devil is Achieving his Goals

As a local priest wrote on his Facebook page, "Broadcast 47 years ago; incredibly prescient." 

According to this, the Devil exists and has been nearly 100% successful in achieving his goals.
 

He Held Jesus in His Arms ~ St. Joseph

...our role model for authentic masculinity....

What God promised patriarchs and prophets, St. Joseph held in his arms.

Devoted to St. Joseph, whom GOD CHOSE to be the man closest to Christ, this is my daily prayer to him asking for his intercession before The Face of God.

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful

protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I

have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all

my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and

will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and

commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to

your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to

abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a

pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will.

Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as

you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to

you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart

of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare,

particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now

implore:

For the health, safety and faith of this family and our homeschool and for all those who have asked for my prayers...especially in regards to homes, jobs and fatherhood.

 

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my

behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint

Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your

aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come

before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father

of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

I pray that my sons follow the role model of St. Joseph. He was devoted to the Blessed Mother. He was a protector of the unborn.  Scripture calls him a "just" man who trusted and followed where God led him. May they have that courage and discernment, I pray.

For more, see Erika at Raising Little Saints

Because St. Patrick is Pro-Life

His prayer, St. Patrick's Breastplate is for protection in battle....such as this.....

I arise today 
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

Sunday Silence ~ Mother & Son In Prayer

Evening Prayers by Eugene-Ernest Hillemacher

French painter & printmaker, born 1818- died 1887

Catholic Pinterest Article on CatholicMom.com!

Lisa Hendey of CatholicMom.com wrote an article mentioning Catholic Pinterest! In following weeks she intends to showcase other boards of Catholic pins.

At the time of this post, the 4 week old board  Catholic Pinterest  is now a community of 757...and growing!

And if you have a board of Catholic PINSpiration and want to be a contributor, write to my email address on the sidebar.

We Made A Lorax Tree Craft!

From this website , found on Pinterest, we found inspiration to make a Lorax craft.

Make sure to open the link above to see instructions I did not include here.

First, my daughter and my mother collected craft supplies. A piece of cardboard for the base...green construction paper...paper for a path....foam shapes....clay....popsicle sticks...pipe cleaner....yarn....glitter glue.

After wrapping the cardboard in green paper and cutting a winding trail out of black construction paper, my mother helped my daughter glue foam pieces onto the trail to look like a cobblestone path.

This wasn't in the movie, but any chance to use more glue was fun for my daughter!

To make the tree trunks, we used popsicle sticks . Pipe cleaners created the look of the stripes and helped to grab the "Truffula Tufts."

Here, we have sunk the sticks into mounds of clay that she then painted with green glitter glue.

We realized she even had tiny bears that she could include to replicate the movie, now all we need is a little Lorax.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better. It's not.

-The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

"Liturgy Rich in Moments of Silence"

Holy Father went on, "...for our liturgies which, to facilitate authentic listening, must also be rich in moments of silence and of non verbal acceptance. ... Silence has the capacity to open a space in our inner being, a space in which God can dwell, which can ensure that His Word remains within us, and that love for Him is rooted in our minds and hearts, and animates our lives". - Vatican City, 7 March 2012 (VIS)

The Latin Mass is a "liturgy rich in moments of silence." It is ONE of the many reasons I love the Mass of the Saints....

...silence is allowed, ingrained, cherished....like adoration.

So often, when there is a moment to quiet the soul it is filled up with music at Mass. Music can certainly be lovely and have it's place. But we NEED silence to hear the voice of God.

Beyond silence in the liturgy of the Mass, these words from the Pope lead me to look up more on silence. He's mentioned it before recently and Jesus was likely silent in the dessert during these 40 days...

"If you wish to make great progress in virtue, if you wish to arrive at perfection, then observe [holy] silence"(Rodriguez, ibid., II,6). How incredibly important silence is! Innumerable saints attest to this by the witness of their lives. Notwithstanding, there is something in us that makes us wish it really wasn’t true, or at least, that silence were really not so indispensable. Silence, you see, has very much the specter of death about it (don’t people speak of ‘dead silence’?), and what we want is life! Ah, the saints tell us, silence is like the very salt of life, both conserving it and giving it genuine savor. His life is certainly insipid, who does not know how to keep silence.

Thank you, Holy Father, for reminding me...calling me....to grow in virtue through silence. Convicting.

Homeschoolers Can See Monumental for Free

As a fellow homeschool parent, Kirk is giving away 1000 movie passes to homeschool parents for his March 27 live, one-night MONUMENTAL event.


http://monumentalmovie.com/ticketgiveaway.php


Kirk Cameron will take audiences on a journey through conversations with special guests, live music from top artists, and his new documentary MONUMENTAL. Trace the heroic and harrowing travels of the early Pilgrims. Encounter the unlikely men and women who risked everything for liberty. Experience the stories of faith that guided education, government, and civic life. Hear from inspiring leaders on simple and practical ways to keep America's ideals alive, beginning at home. A high-energy patriotic event, MONUMENTAL will unite audiences in a celebration of America's unique story of faith and freedom.

Poetry Recitation - Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening - My 7 year old daughter

Haven't done one of these since this Kindergarten video of her MODG Robert Louis Stevenson poems and the comparison shows my baby is growing up!

(Oh, wait... I do have something from her in 1st grade....her 1st conference lecture at IHM)

Sunday Silence ~ Jesus & Mary

Here Comes the Catholic Church & Fr. John Hollowell

Thank you, Father John Hollowell of On This Rock blog. Your video is going viral and we need more priests like you who courageously speak the Truth and engage in new media!

Have you noticed these signs on Facebook? It is time to stand up for our Faith. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.