Lenten Music

One of the staples of our school at home is to have classical music playing throughout the school day. The boys enjoy having music in the school room, and they even have a couple of favorite composers and pieces.

With Lent upon us, I recently downloaded some works of Palestrina, specifically, Palestrina: Lamentations and Allegri: Miserere; Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli. Both collections are absolutely beautiful and befit the present season perfectly. On first hearing it my eldest son asked me if it was the choir at St. Francis deSales Oratory singing! Well, no, I told him, but the deSales choir does sound a lot like this recording. (How blessed we are at the Oratory to have such heavenly choral music, under the direction of Mr. Nick Botkins, accompanying the Liturgy!)

If you are looking for music to uplift you heart and accompany your Lenten days and meditations, Palestrina is an excellent choice.

God bless you!

An Extraordinary Sunday

HSMom is taking a break, so HSDad gets permission to feature a post!

Sunday, 1:30pm. And so it was that on the first Sunday in Lent we found ourselves, along with another 120 or so faithful, assisting Father Lockwood at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Extraordinary form at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish - the first time the ancient Liturgy has been celebrated there on a Sunday in more than forty years.

Forty. The number forty rings in our hearts, a number found in the Holy Bible denoting a time of transition, but especially this first Sunday in Lent. From today's Gospel of Matthew we read of Jesus fasting for forty days and nights in the desert: His temptation, His strengthening, His example for us to persevere.

How rich this Liturgy, rediscovered time and again in the hearts of the faithful where it is offered. How blessed we Catholics are to have this treasure, as we praise God in gratitude giving him thanks for working through shepherds of His Church to once again provide and allow this sacred Rite to be freely offered where it is requested.

Our two boys were among the four candle bearers and ten or so boys and young men assisting Father at the Altar. The young men instructing the boys of the seriousness of this duty, teaching them by example and instruction, the good practice of serving.

Thank you Father Lockwood and thank you, Your Excellency Archbishop Carlson, for providing Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Parish this eternal jewel.

Litany of Humility

Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930),
Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

Hearts, Mr. Collins!

On this Saint Valentine's Day (and Quinquagesima) Sunday cards and flowers, chocolates, hugs and kisses have been shared in abundance. Our family has spent the morning playing, appropriately, Hearts. It's a fun card game, the basics of which are easily understood by the boys, while the adults can strategize to improve their scores. Still, my one gallant effort to 'shoot the moon' was foiled by my 8 year old, so we were all on a pretty level playing field! And more than once we quoted Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (in our best British accents, of course!) when the suit changed to hearts.

We have a fresh blanket of snow on the ground, but it has not been falling all day as was predicted. We will head out to the 3:00 pm Mass this afternoon and it would appear, at least right now, that we won't have any trouble on the roads.

Happy Saint Valentine's Day to all my dear readers!

Saint Valentine, Pray for Us!

Happy Birthday, Honey!!

Yes, it's a big one.... today is my dear husband's 50th birthday!!

We began celebrating two days ago when we had his favorite dinner: a prime rib roast, cooked medium rare, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts and salad, followed by his favorite dessert, Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake, pictured above (find the recipe here).

The boys made 'Happy 50th' signs and hung them about the house, and we have the usual birthday streamers, balloons and banner that we hang whenever it is someone's special day. It is festive, indeed! And this evening the boys and I will take Dad out for dinner.

Where does time go?! We've been married for almost 11 years. Ten years ago on his 40th birthday, my husband was too busy with his 8-day old firstborn to think about turning 40. It seems like we blink and 10 years pass by. But without a doubt it has been the best 10 years of our lives. God has blessed us richly and in too many ways to count in this space.

And so, as I raised my glass to my hubby at his birthday dinner on Sunday, I raise it again here: Happy Birthday, Honey... Here's to another 50 years!!