I attended the wonderful and holy Relic Exposition last night at our local church. We were one of only three stops in Nebraska. I am feeling VERY fortunate that we were able to attend!
Ladies, your intentions were brought before the following Saints and Relics:
- St. Anne (Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Anthony of Padua
- The 11 Apostles (excluding Judas) plus St. Paul
- St. Bernadette
- St. Catherine of Siena
- St. Charles Lwanga
- The Crib of our Lord
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
- St. Francis Xavier Cabrini
- St. Gemma Galgani
- St. Gertrude the Great
- The Holy Crown of Thorns (fragment)
- The Holy Lance (fragment)
- St. John Vianney
- St. Josemaria Escriva
- St. Joseph (piece of his clothing - his body has never been found)
- St. Kateri Tekakwitha
- St. Leo the Great (Pope)
- St. Maria Goretti
- A portion of the Veil of Mary the Mother of God
- St. Maximillian Kolbe
- St. Monica
- St. Padre Pio
- St. Philomena
- St. Rita of Cascia
- St. Stanislaus Kostka
- St. Theresa of Avila
- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
- St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower)
- St. Thomas Moore
- Fragments of the True Cross
There were over 164 relics presented for exposition. I know I missed a great deal of Saints, but the above were the highlights.
For more information on the relics that were presented and information about each of the above saints, you can download the information here: www.treasuresofthechurch.com/relics
Friday, July 26, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Prayer Intentions Requested
This Thursday, July 25th, at 7 pm at our parish, we are having an Exposition of Holy Relics.
Here is the excerpt from our bulletin:
Fr. Carlos Martins of the Companions of the Cross will be here with his very special ministry to teach about these holy objects. He will bring with him over 150 relics, some as old as 2000 years.
Among the treasures will be the relics of St. Maria Goretti, St. Therese of Lisieux (the "Little Flower"), St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Thomas Aquinas & St. Faustina Kowalska.
In addition, there will also be present a portion of the veil of Our Lady, as well as one of the largest remaining pieces of the True Cross in the world. Those in attendance will be able to examine and venerate each relic.
In the Church's history, many miracles and healings have been worked in the presence of relics and many have been healed through this ministry.
You are encouraged to bring your articles of devotion (such as rosaries, holy cards, etc.) and pictures of ill friends/family members which you will be able to touch to the reliquaries as a means of intercession.
I am planning to attend this Exposition and would be honored to take your intentions with me. I plan to type your intentions onto a sheet of paper & touch that sheet of paper to each relic (hopefully that's just as good as a picture of you all! :-)
Please let me know your intentions so I can carry them with me. I will pray for everyone regardless of a specific intention request.
Here is the excerpt from our bulletin:
Fr. Carlos Martins of the Companions of the Cross will be here with his very special ministry to teach about these holy objects. He will bring with him over 150 relics, some as old as 2000 years.
Among the treasures will be the relics of St. Maria Goretti, St. Therese of Lisieux (the "Little Flower"), St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Thomas Aquinas & St. Faustina Kowalska.
In addition, there will also be present a portion of the veil of Our Lady, as well as one of the largest remaining pieces of the True Cross in the world. Those in attendance will be able to examine and venerate each relic.
In the Church's history, many miracles and healings have been worked in the presence of relics and many have been healed through this ministry.
You are encouraged to bring your articles of devotion (such as rosaries, holy cards, etc.) and pictures of ill friends/family members which you will be able to touch to the reliquaries as a means of intercession.
I am planning to attend this Exposition and would be honored to take your intentions with me. I plan to type your intentions onto a sheet of paper & touch that sheet of paper to each relic (hopefully that's just as good as a picture of you all! :-)
Please let me know your intentions so I can carry them with me. I will pray for everyone regardless of a specific intention request.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
A Two Year Cycle
My husband surprised me tonight. Nonchalantly, while I was sitting on the floor in front of the tub watching Luke play in the tub, he says, "Luke isn't the youngest grandchild anymore." My stomach knots.
"What?"
"Luke isn't the youngest grandchild anymore."
He really said what I thought he said.
(Deep breath)
I expected this sooner or later (preferably later). I'd thought recently (or rather bet to myself) that DH's brother & sister-in-law would probably get pregnant again soon ... another "oops" baby. Like they don't know where babies come from.
I just sit on the floor beside the tub and breathe in and out. I concentrate on controlling my breathing. My throat constricts. I can't explain the feeling, but I think my chest hurts. Somewhere in the middle I feel a numbing sensation. It gets hard to breathe. My eyes get moist. It's hard to swallow.
I was just here two years ago. Two years exactly today. Experiencing these feelings, only much, much worse.
Two years ago, I'd been blindsided by this same news at my in-laws house by my BIL. I will never forget that day. Ever. The happiness I felt for a new baby, (a gift from God), was eclipsed by anger, bitterness & disappointment. And rage. Lots of rage.
I remembered that day this evening as I sat in front of the tub. There has been so much that has happened the last two years, most importantly the birth of and adoption of Luke. He has filled up most of my brokenness, but that hurt and ache is still there. It ebbs and flows.
DH tells me to be happy. "You'll love the new baby," he says. "Luke will have fun playing with his new niece or nephew." I ask him if he's really happy or if he feels a little hurt or sad. He admits that he feels a little sad. He didn't know the announcement was coming either. His admission reassures me to know that I'm not blowing things out of proportion ... that we share the same feelings, the same pain, the same desire to easily grow our family biologically.
I am mad at myself. If my husband would have married anyone else, he would reproduce like jackrabbits. That's how DH's family is ... super fertile. Not me. I am the broken one.
I shouldn't feel sorry for myself. I've got a blessed life. I truly do. If my body wasn't broken, I wouldn't have my Lukie, and I wouldn't trade him for all the fertility in the world. But it is so gosh darn hard sometimes to shove the hurt, sadness & disappointment of just wanting to be "normal" and being able to grow your family "easily" back down and swallow it again.
It's hard to think about seeing a pregnant belly in the house again at holiday time (SIL is due in Dec). My nephew just turned 1 in Feb & by March they are pregnant again. (I really need to quit doing the math. It doesn't help.)
I guess I just wish it were that easy. To just have sex and know that you actually have a chance to have a baby. To actually co-create a baby with God. I, personally, don't equate sex with babies. At all. They are two unrelated events. That part of my life isn't the norm.
I suppose if I had one leg, I wouldn't have a normal life either. But I think I'd still be a little upset at how easy the people with two legs have it. I'd miss my leg.
I guess what I want to say is that I'm feeling hurt and sadness. I want to have that option of surprising grandparents and my husband. The grass is always greener, eh?
I need to quit whining & get my big girl pants back on ... but I wanted to write my feelings down too. There are so many of you who still long to be moms for the first time or moms to babies here on earth. I've got nothing to complain about compared to that.
"What?"
"Luke isn't the youngest grandchild anymore."
He really said what I thought he said.
(Deep breath)
I expected this sooner or later (preferably later). I'd thought recently (or rather bet to myself) that DH's brother & sister-in-law would probably get pregnant again soon ... another "oops" baby. Like they don't know where babies come from.
I just sit on the floor beside the tub and breathe in and out. I concentrate on controlling my breathing. My throat constricts. I can't explain the feeling, but I think my chest hurts. Somewhere in the middle I feel a numbing sensation. It gets hard to breathe. My eyes get moist. It's hard to swallow.
I was just here two years ago. Two years exactly today. Experiencing these feelings, only much, much worse.
Two years ago, I'd been blindsided by this same news at my in-laws house by my BIL. I will never forget that day. Ever. The happiness I felt for a new baby, (a gift from God), was eclipsed by anger, bitterness & disappointment. And rage. Lots of rage.
I remembered that day this evening as I sat in front of the tub. There has been so much that has happened the last two years, most importantly the birth of and adoption of Luke. He has filled up most of my brokenness, but that hurt and ache is still there. It ebbs and flows.
DH tells me to be happy. "You'll love the new baby," he says. "Luke will have fun playing with his new niece or nephew." I ask him if he's really happy or if he feels a little hurt or sad. He admits that he feels a little sad. He didn't know the announcement was coming either. His admission reassures me to know that I'm not blowing things out of proportion ... that we share the same feelings, the same pain, the same desire to easily grow our family biologically.
I am mad at myself. If my husband would have married anyone else, he would reproduce like jackrabbits. That's how DH's family is ... super fertile. Not me. I am the broken one.
I shouldn't feel sorry for myself. I've got a blessed life. I truly do. If my body wasn't broken, I wouldn't have my Lukie, and I wouldn't trade him for all the fertility in the world. But it is so gosh darn hard sometimes to shove the hurt, sadness & disappointment of just wanting to be "normal" and being able to grow your family "easily" back down and swallow it again.
It's hard to think about seeing a pregnant belly in the house again at holiday time (SIL is due in Dec). My nephew just turned 1 in Feb & by March they are pregnant again. (I really need to quit doing the math. It doesn't help.)
I guess I just wish it were that easy. To just have sex and know that you actually have a chance to have a baby. To actually co-create a baby with God. I, personally, don't equate sex with babies. At all. They are two unrelated events. That part of my life isn't the norm.
I suppose if I had one leg, I wouldn't have a normal life either. But I think I'd still be a little upset at how easy the people with two legs have it. I'd miss my leg.
I guess what I want to say is that I'm feeling hurt and sadness. I want to have that option of surprising grandparents and my husband. The grass is always greener, eh?
I need to quit whining & get my big girl pants back on ... but I wanted to write my feelings down too. There are so many of you who still long to be moms for the first time or moms to babies here on earth. I've got nothing to complain about compared to that.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Looking to Buy
It has been a gorgeous week here in Nebraska .... lovely weather for outdoor walks, playing in the park & looking at houses!
About a month ago, we decided to get on r.e.a.l.t.o.r.com's website to look at what was offered in town so we could get an idea on pricing. We watched houses come and go for about a month and decided there were a few on there that hadn't been sold ... they were probably a good deal ... we can get them cheap.
Wrong! Oh-my-goodness, there are definitely reasons that those houses didn't sell!!!
Hideous wallpaper floor to ceiling (spend the next year removing it ... no thank you!).
S.u.p.e.r. tight bathrooms (crawl over the toilet to get inside).
Narrow, steep stairways with sewer pipes protruding into them & no head room to even stand up when you get to the top.
Rooms that lead to rooms ... that lead to rooms ... that lead to rooms ... that lead to outdoor balconies & some rough looking steps that lead to the ground floor, but you're not sure you want to even try the steps ...
The question I want to know is: How did people EVER live in these houses before they were sold?
Makes NO sense to me!
After looking at quite a few houses (about 20 ... most with a wiggling, screaming toddler wanting to run everywhere), we found our "final four." After touring them all back-to-back last Friday evening, we discussed on the drive home which one we liked the best and worked for us. We called our realtor and decided to meet again to view the property we liked the best on Sunday night, and invited our entire families to visit the property with us.
Ummm ... it was organized chaos. Luke was running everywhere (thankfully everyone was really good about watching (I mean catching) him. We had comments, questions & conversations galore. It was really good to have everyone there to look things over & help us decide whether this house was the one we wanted.
At the end of our visit, DH & I decided to go for it. We put in an offer, got a counter-offer back, renegotiated & upped our price ... and they went for it! We've bought ourselves a house! We are signing paperwork tonight and have a projected closing date of August 12th. Hopefully things will go smoothly and it will pass with flying colors (or at least give us a heads up on some issues). It is an older home, moved to it's new site 11 years ago, so there is a new foundation (hooray!).
What I loved about it (and kept to myself when we found the house online) was the street name. Our new address is on ST. JOSEPH Avenue! This fits in with our Luke Ethan JOSEPH and my love of St. Joseph to ask for his intercession for Luke's adoption. Also, I work at the dead-end intersection of 1st and ST. JOSEPH streets (yes, I will now work down the road (and across the train tracks) from home). I've considered St. Joseph to be our family's patron saint during Luke's adoption, but there is no clearer visibility of his patronage than now.
St. Joseph, thank you for your intercession in our lives & fulfilling the desires of our hearts!
Here is a picture of our new home:
About a month ago, we decided to get on r.e.a.l.t.o.r.com's website to look at what was offered in town so we could get an idea on pricing. We watched houses come and go for about a month and decided there were a few on there that hadn't been sold ... they were probably a good deal ... we can get them cheap.
Wrong! Oh-my-goodness, there are definitely reasons that those houses didn't sell!!!
Hideous wallpaper floor to ceiling (spend the next year removing it ... no thank you!).
S.u.p.e.r. tight bathrooms (crawl over the toilet to get inside).
Narrow, steep stairways with sewer pipes protruding into them & no head room to even stand up when you get to the top.
Rooms that lead to rooms ... that lead to rooms ... that lead to rooms ... that lead to outdoor balconies & some rough looking steps that lead to the ground floor, but you're not sure you want to even try the steps ...
The question I want to know is: How did people EVER live in these houses before they were sold?
Makes NO sense to me!
After looking at quite a few houses (about 20 ... most with a wiggling, screaming toddler wanting to run everywhere), we found our "final four." After touring them all back-to-back last Friday evening, we discussed on the drive home which one we liked the best and worked for us. We called our realtor and decided to meet again to view the property we liked the best on Sunday night, and invited our entire families to visit the property with us.
Ummm ... it was organized chaos. Luke was running everywhere (thankfully everyone was really good about watching (I mean catching) him. We had comments, questions & conversations galore. It was really good to have everyone there to look things over & help us decide whether this house was the one we wanted.
At the end of our visit, DH & I decided to go for it. We put in an offer, got a counter-offer back, renegotiated & upped our price ... and they went for it! We've bought ourselves a house! We are signing paperwork tonight and have a projected closing date of August 12th. Hopefully things will go smoothly and it will pass with flying colors (or at least give us a heads up on some issues). It is an older home, moved to it's new site 11 years ago, so there is a new foundation (hooray!).
What I loved about it (and kept to myself when we found the house online) was the street name. Our new address is on ST. JOSEPH Avenue! This fits in with our Luke Ethan JOSEPH and my love of St. Joseph to ask for his intercession for Luke's adoption. Also, I work at the dead-end intersection of 1st and ST. JOSEPH streets (yes, I will now work down the road (and across the train tracks) from home). I've considered St. Joseph to be our family's patron saint during Luke's adoption, but there is no clearer visibility of his patronage than now.
St. Joseph, thank you for your intercession in our lives & fulfilling the desires of our hearts!
Here is a picture of our new home:
More pictures to come as we move in & make the house our own.
I'm excited as this new chapter in our lives unfolds ... but gosh, I hate moving! Several other ladies are also feeling the hatred of excitement of moving as well ... here's to you Kat, Perfect Power in Weakness & Barbie! I will be thinking of you as I pack & move. We can do this!
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