Journeys of a Catholic Poster Girl » books

Midway through the journey of Lent…

catholicpostergirl — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:03:41 +0000

I received a new book.

No! No! I did not cheat.

It’s from the Duck’s Cottage Book Club. (My love of Duck’s Cottage, from my first visit to the Outer Banks in August 2008, is very strong). Every other month, Jamie, the cottage’s book buyer, sends us a new selection she’s chosen for us. It can be anything–last year’s selections ranged from Lost on Planet China to a Swedish novel recently translated into English.

In my mailbox today was the March/April selection, Cutting For Stone, by Abraham Verghese.

I opened the bubble wrap envelope carefully and savored the new book. I read the letter Jamie included, telling us a bit about it and why it was her choice for her. I gently paged through the reviews. I might have smelled the pages.

This is what happens when you haven’t had a new book in 21 days. You really, really enjoy new ones.

I think that was also part of my Lenten abstinence–to realize what I have, and how pleasurable it is. God made everything good, Genesis tells us. I love reading. Books, and reading, are not inherently evil. But loving them above all else? That’s a problem.

We’re halfway through Lent, and I haven’t really had the desire to go book shopping (although it has crossed my mind a few times). But today I realized how much I love a new book.

Second Friday of Lent

catholicpostergirl — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:26:24 +0000

A few things, for our second Lenten Friday. First, a poem:

Lenten Illuminations

By Siegfried Sassoon

Not properly Catholic, some might say, to like it best

When no one’s in the cool white church than a few frequent

These sober-skied vocational afternoons in Len.

There’s sanctity in stillness, let is be confessed,

For one addicted much to meditationment–

One who has found this church a place full of replies

Given to what, wordless in him, asked that hearts be learned

A Kempis lessons; toward the invisible, new eyes

In more than mediational consciousness be turned.

This afternoon it seemed unconvert self came in,

Puzzled to perceive one at the altar rails, unminding;

Could this be he–hereafter offered to him to win,

And faith revealed wheretoward he pilgrim’d without finding?

O unforeknowing Ego, visitant in thought,

How were you thus the captive of that banished being?

Was it ordained–the long delayed deliverance brought–

The mercy that made it plain your path?… O unforeseeing

Sad self, let’s be together, now fortunate in freeing.

* A blog friend of mine is having another baby! Will you please pray for her, the baby, and her family during this wonderful time? Thanks much.

*How goes the Lenten book abstinence? It goes. This week was hard–the new Jodi Picoult book came out, and usually I head to the bookstore and devour the book before the sun is down the day it’s released. This year it will be in my Easter basket, so I’ll get it as soon as I can get it, post-Lent. I find that I’m not as drawn to the stores as usual, and a big part of my book buying was when I was feeling down, or wanted a treat, or whatever. I bought books because books make me happy. And they do make me happy, but now I can’t spirit away a lunch hour looking for some new balm. I have to make do with what I have, or (preferrably) go to Church and find True Consolation.

I’m also making a (small) dent in my books-to-read pile, and re-reading some books that I haven’t read in a few years. I want to clean out my library and it’s good to re-read and see it a certain book is still worth keeping. Right now I’m almost halfway through Master and Margarita, which I bought in early February. It’s really good and I want to finish it this weekend. It’s not the sort of book you can dip in and out of at will.

Does it count?

catholicpostergirl — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:42:28 +0000

As we know, I gave up book buying for Lent.

Today I remembered–I’m in a bimonthly book club. Which means that once every other month, a new books comes to my mailbox.

I don’t think I’m breaking my Lenten vow, am I? I mean, it just gets sent. I don’t know when. It magically appears.

I think I’m OK. Thoughts?

Lent and Percy Jackson

catholicpostergirl — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:41:04 +0000

Before Lent began, I had started reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I was a bit late to this book party–they’ve been out for awhile–but the release of the movie piqued my interest, and I love JA lit. So I picked up The Lightening Thief, the first of the five-book series, and read it. It was great. I began looking for the others, but book two was sold out everywhere I looked, and I wasn’t going to buy the rest and just have them hang around.

Then Lent started. And I didn’t have book 2.

Over the past two days I’ve been making trips to Riverside Hospital, near OSU’s campus, for a thryoid scan. On the way, I pass a Barnes and Noble, and the Borders I frequent is a few exits up from the hospital. In any other season, these medical trips would have concluded with book runs. But…I gave up book buying for Lent.

And that includes Percy Jackson.

It’s been harder than I thought. Whenever I pass a bookstore I think, “Oh, I bet they have Sea of Monsters!” And then, “Um, Emily? No books, remember?”

It’s only the second day and I’ve had book buying thoughts at least 10 times.

Apparently I really, really needed to give this up.

Ash Wednesday

catholicpostergirl — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:52:24 +0000

Turn Away From Sin and Be Faithful To The Gospel

So, our Lenten journey begins again. From last year’s Palm Sunday branches, we get ashes–a stark memento mori.

I won’t get to attend Mass today; I had a nuclear medicine scan, so I’m sort of radioactive. While I was waiting for the drugs to take effect (read: sitting at Riverside for four hours), I got a lot of reading done. A lot of time for prayer and reflection.

I read the Hours–the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer.

I read My JPII book of reflections and my Magnificat Lenten Companion.

I finished Signs of Life, Scott Hahn’s newest book (that’s been on the ‘to read’ pile forever).

And I read the Mass readings from my Magnificat.

In short, there was a lot of reading,a nd a lot of time for it. A lot of time for prayer. And in a hospital setting, prayer is pretty important.

The lounge where I was waiting was near the surgical waiting room. A few pre-op patients were wandering about, in their gowns and toting IV poles. It can be a long wait back in pre-op. (I had my CI implanted at this hospital, so the surgery areas were familiar to me.) All of those people needed extra prayers today.

A friend of mine was having a biopsy today. I prayed for her.

If I hadn’t been “waiting around for four hours” , would I have had time for all this? Probably not. One cannot be really meditative at work. At least not my work.

It was a very fruitful waiting period. I enjoyed it.

And the day’s not over yet.

Lenten Reading

catholicpostergirl — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:41:04 +0000

(Part of Lent ‘10 Extravaganza here at CPG)

First– BXVI’s Lenten Message for this year. It focuses on Justice–how is it defined in the Bible? How can we approach it here on Earth? His answer–love and humility.

Now, some other Lenten reading. Actually, some of this is “Good-all-the-year-round” Catholic reading.

Death on a Friday Afternoon
On Being Catholic
Crossing the Threshold of Hope
God and the World (BXVI before he was BXVI)
Lent and Easter Wisdom from John Paul II
Magnificat Lenten Companion (do try to find one in the real world if you can’t online. This is a fantastic resource.)
The Rosary: Chain of Hope
The Rosary: Keeping Company with Jesus and Mary (and read her blog, too!)
BXVI’s Stations of the Cross
Jesus, Teach Us to Pray

Lenten Music:

Renee Fleming, Sacred Songs
Part II of the Messiah. Some of this music is just glorious, and so overlooked, compared with parts I (Christmas) and III (”Worthy Is The Lamb” And “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.”
L’Angelus, Sacred Hymns
The Passion of the Christ soundtrack

Which leads to–Lenten movies:

The Passion of the Christ (You can buy it here)
And other other saint movies: Therese, Bernadette,
And Clare and Francis–very very good.
Jesus of Nazareth, the 1970s TV series. This was Required Lenten (and Christmas) watching in my house growing up, and it still has tremendous power.

So…whew. Is that enough media for ya?

I’m back!

catholicpostergirl — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:29:04 +0000

No, I didn’t get buried under the snow and abandon you. Sorry for the lag in posting…

Over at the Bucket, I was trying to do 30 posts in 30 days, so that’s where my energy went. I managed to accomplish my goal, so head over there if you want to see what I wrote about.

Now, though, CPG takes center stage as we’re about to hit Lent.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve liked Lent more. Is this your experience? Or do you dislike it more, as you get older?

It seems to have more resonance. As a kid, Lent meant fish sticks in the cafeteria and pizza at home on Fridays, confession before Easter, no “Alleluia” at Mass, things like that. I’ve always loved the Triduum, especially Holy Thursday and Good Friday (I was born on Good Friday, so I really do like that day. And I was born at 2:47 p.m.). But Lent seemed long and sort of boring. I didn’t have to fast until after my transplant, since I was required to eat 3000+ calories a day. Fasting wasn’t really in the cards for me.

Now, I do try to fast, and I try to abstain from meat on all Fridays, not just Lenten ones. Fasting on Good Friday is fairly easy for me; I take the day off, and with Mass in the middle of the day, it cuts into “eating” time. Ash Wednesday this year will be easy, too–I’ve got the day off (I have a medical thing to do), and probably won’t be eating a whole lot. But I will miss Mass, which makes me a bit sad.

As I’m at a new parish this year, I’m excited to see how Lent is “done” there. Advent and Christmas were beautiful, and I can’t imagine that Lent will be any less reverent. There are fish fries every week (hopefully I can make a few), and the friars offer confession every day after the 11:45 Mass, as well as before the Saturday and Sunday Masses.

I will spend the weekend thinking about my Lenten goals. Do you know what yours are? I’ve already started reading my favorite Lenten book, Death on a Friday Afternoon, a meditation on the last seven words of Christ. It is beautiful–a must read.

Advent bits and pieces

catholicpostergirl — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:45:45 +0000

So, we’re about to hit the halfway point of Advent. I thought some blurbs on what I’ve been up to, and what my parish has been up to, would be fun and/or instructive. (I”m really thinking more fun than anything else. )

So, without adieu…

My parish, during Advent, uses Latin chant for the entrance hymn and the psalm. At first, this took a bit of adjusting, because I can’t read chant music that well. I’m getting better. But it sounds so wonderful, so…advent-y. It reminds us that advent is, like Lent, a penitential season. We have no gloria, and no grand opening hymn or psalm setting. It’s chant, with organ chords. Very nice.
I now own a complete Liturgy of the Hours (LOH), or a breviary. Why do I have one? And (probably more important), how the heck do you pray that thing? Well…
Why I have a breviary is sort of a long story. I have been using the wonderful Magnificat, which follows a simplified LOH format: Morning prayer, Mass readings and prayers, evening prayer, essays and reflections, and night prayer. It’s a wonderful resource that I love.
So why did I start using the whole LOH? Because I want to become a Lay Dominican and they say the LOH. The real LOH. From the books. Every day, morning and evening prayer (night, too, if one chooses). I attended my first Lay Dominican meeting (formerly called Third Order of Preachers, or TOP–Dominicans are formerly know as the Order of Preachers–OP) at my parish last Sunday. And boy, was it a grace-filled day!
We began after the noon Mass, with rosary. Then followed a short business meeting, lunch, and fellowship. Afterwards, we were split up into groups to receive appropriate instruction–professed members with a parish priest, postulants with the formation mistress, and inquires/novices with the chapter president (who is so nice. Actually, everyone at this parish is nice. It’s like something in the water. Or…maybe they’re just serious Catholics? Which they are. Anyway.). Here, we learned how to pray the LOH, and to mark the books.
Marking the books is where it gets confusing, right? I mean, there’s five little ribbons and all these pages! But Arvin (the president) walked us through it, and it’s really not that hard. Since I didn’t have a breviary, I looked off of a girl who did have one, and shared with me.
After our class (which I think was about an hour?), we went to the sanctuary for holy hour and evening prayer. The Blessed Sacrament was exposed in a beautiful monstrance, and before it we all said the evening prayer of the LOH. Then we had benediction. It was wonderful, private and prayerful.
So, since I want to become an LD, I need the LOH, and I need to learn to say it. And today, my set of four books came (they’re divided into Advent/Christmas; Lent/Easter; Ordinary Time I, and Ordinary Time II). I have marked it, and will be praying Evening Prayer with it shortly.

So that’s what I’ve been doing this Advent. How about you?
And my patron saint for 2010 is, appropriately, St. Catherine of Siena. I was reading a great book about her back in November (still reading it, actually), and when I decided to become an LD, I figured she was a perfect choice for my patron saint this year. (Last year, it was St. Francis of Assisi, since I was praying to be accepted to Franciscan University.)

Happy All Saints’ Day!

catholicpostergirl — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:56:33 +0000

Happy All Saints’ Day, friends. Don’t you love this feast?
I do–as a kid I always thought it was weird to be juxtaposed with halloween (sacred and profane, and all that), but as I grew older and realized how important the saints are to us, and how close they are, I’ve really grown to love this feast.

Here are the three saints I’m celebrating this year:

St. Therese of the Child Jesus, as always. She was the saint I chose at my confirmation, and the more I learn about here, the more I fall in love with her. She’s the most popular saint of modern times for a reason. If you’re looking for a good book on her, I recommend this one. And there’s the movie!

St. Francis is the saint I have been studying this year. I got the idea from “Around the Year With the Von Trapp Family” to pick a saint every first Sunday of Advent that you will study during the year. I chose St. Francis since, at that time, I was applying to Franciscan University and wanted to learn more about St. Francis and the order he founded. This book is a good introduction, and this movie (also featuring St. Clare) is fantastic. (Also, in my family, my grandfather’s name is Francis, and it is my brother’s middle name.)

And finally, St. Dominic, whom, as we know from here, I have been studying. Right now I don’t have any books or movies to recomment, except–say the rosary! This great gift was given by Mary to St. Dominic, and is such a powerful prayer.

In addition to these, there is also St. Emily and St. Michael the Archangel, who are my name saints (Michele is my mom’s name, and my middle name.)

What about you? Who are your special saints?

Lenten Quick Takes

catholicpostergirl — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:55:37 +0000

My Lent has been pretty…uneventful. With the show it’s hard to fit in time for everything. I’m wondering if I can do like some super-charged Lent after the show closes this weekend? I could go to Stations of the Cross this Wednesday, so I think I may do that.
For awhile I’ve been feeling a lot of aridity–no desire to pray, no real desire to “be holy”. Not that I’ve become a bad person or anything, but the things of the Spiritual Realm seem to be reduced to sporadic Bible Reading and nighttime prayers. Need to work on this.
I really do LIKE Lent. This year just seems–off. But then again, there is a great story about St. Teresa of Avila, who had many great plans for a certain Lent. But she was bedridden for the entire season. I suppose God knows how we can best serve Him, and will use any means to get our attention!
Catholic news: This, in Connecticut, is really appalling. S0rry, but lay people don’t get to have this much say in a diocese. Deal with it. And I believe something called the First Amendment makes this totally unconstitutional.
Good Lenten reading (when I actually do it): Lent and Easter with JPII and Death on a Friday Afternoon, by Richard John Neuhaus.
I did buy, as part of the St. Francis Project, the prayer book “Praying with St. Francis.” I do like it alot and am thinking about using it for evening prayer, instead of my Magnificat. It has morning and evening prayer, plus short articles on St. Francis, prayer in his time, and the role of prayer books. It’s published by Paraclete Press.