In the Moment: Easter Monday

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

It's early April. The tulips are already spent. The bluebells have bloomed and gone. Patrick has readied the rose garden for its moment of glory. Thankfully, the rose's season will last a long, long time. 

And the boys have built a raised bed garden. It's just waiting. Isn't that a happy, hopeful thing? A brand new garden, filled with soil and ready for seedlings. What a gift!

::listening to 

birds. So many birds under the pear tree in my front yard. They sound just lovely.

::clothing myself in 

His infinite mercy.

::giving thanks for

 a very fruitful Lent--the grace of a silent retreat and some time away alone with my husband. I'm so grateful to the people who made it happen.

::pondering prayerfully

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. … O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You. (Diary of St. Faustina, 84, 1319)

  

::turning the pages of this book

I spent Holy Week reading Consoling the Heart of Jesus. There are a small handful of books in my life where I remember exactly where and when I read them because those times and places are turning points. This book is one of those. It is easily at the top of that list. This incredibly readable volume makes some of the most beautiful truths and devotions of the Catholic faith understandable (at last)  and accessible (even to busy mothers of large families).  Fr. Gaitley brings together fine threads of several spiritual traditions and weaves them into a beautiful and exceedingly useful tapestry of a do-it-yourself retreat. It is Ignatian spirituality made accessible. It is the Little Way of St. Therese for all of us. It is consecration to Mary and devotion to Divine Mercy explained in plain language and made clear to little souls. Mostly, it is a rich volume of Merciful Words that brings Merciful Love to its readers. You don't have to have a weekend to make the retreat. You can just read a little each day until you are finished. If it's your heart's desire to get to know and understand Jesus better, tell Him. He'll help you find the time. I heartily recommend that you hurry and get yourself a copy of this book--what a beautiful way to spend the Easter sason.

::creating by hand

I think this is the week I will attempt to sew a garment for myself. More on that on Thursday. (A quick St. Anne prayer would be appreciated though;-)

  

::learning lessons in

re-entry. I was away last week. Now I'm back. You'd think after making every re-entry mistake in the book when I came back in January, I would have learned. But I'm still learning. 

::encouraging learning 

We have a few little Easter week happy things planned, but we also have some lessons to do this week. 

::carefully cultivating rhythm

I'm back in step with the rhythm of prayer. Lent is so good for that. I've resolved to keep all my Lenten resolutions. I made quite a few and they've born great fruit. I looked at every single one and decided that there was no better way than to celebrate the Easter season than to just keep doing what I've been doing.

One thing, though. I found, about half way through Lent, that I didn't really have time to write. I'd like to have time to write. I spent a good chunk of time alone last week and I had an opportunity to get some posts for this week written. Beyond that, I'm praying I figure out the writing time piece of the puzzle. 

::begging prayers

for my friend, Leslie who carries a heavy cross into the Easter season and for her children:  I pray that the joy of the Resurrection will be theirs even as the grieve. And for the repose of the soul of her husband: 

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

::keeping house

Yeah. That. I'm doing it, I promise;-).

::crafting in the kitchen 

this early spring has me befuddled in the kitchen, too. What local vegetable season is it, anyway? Farmer's Market is supposed to open in April. Any locals know which weekend?

I'm also planning meals to bring to my mother- and father-in-law. I need to think of things which are easily re-heated and provide some variety over the course of a few days. Any ideas?

::loving the moments

::I took lots of long walks in Coral Gables while Mike was at work. While the sights and sounds were wonderful, it was the feel of warm sun that especially blessed me. Oh, how that sun felt good!

::I had lots of uninterrupted time alone with Mike at te end of his work day.

:: After the feast and the Easter egg hunt yesterday, Karoline, who is five, organized all the cousins and siblings to put on an Easter play. From the Last Supper to the Resurrection, she scripted and directed the whole thing. It was a child who reminded us at the end of the long day exactly what the day was meant to celebrate. How happy she must have made Jesus! How He must have smiled at Nicholas carrying the seven foot cross and then curling up in the soccer-goal-turned-tomb. And Karoline, insisting it all happen and then bringing it life. Oh, to have the unabashed faith of a little child...

::living the liturgy

I'm determined that my family know that we are living the Easter season, just as surely as they knew that we were living Lent. What does that mean, exactly? How best to make it fifty days of bright hope and joyful prayer?

For us, Easter has always meant an abundance of time out door in the sunshine.  Our beloved bluebells have come and gone, so this year, we will spend April getting to know some of the later blooming flowers (which are also blooming early--we'll get to know traditional may flowers this April). 

It's also a season of blessed candles, holy water, and light. That means that candles will be lit on the mantel where the golden Alleluia letters shine, all the holy water fonts will be filled, and windows will be washed inside and out to let in the light. 

The Eastertide hymn will be rung (or sung  lustily as it may) and my children will be belting out Alleluias at random times for the foreseeable future, just because they can...

And we are looking joyfully forward to the Feast of Divine Mercy.

  

::planning for the week ahead

I plan to spend lots of time hugging on these sweet children! I missed them when I was away from them and I'm looking very forward to launching into this new season with them.

Many thanks to Emily DeHority for taking my camera in her hands thorughout the weekend. Some of these photos are hers. I'm not really sure who clicked what:-) 

Celebrating 6 Years of Heartfelt Sharing

My friendship with Elizabeth began three years ago. We were both in a place that wasn’t exactly pleasant-- lots of upheaval on both ends. Like soldiers in the trenches, we were knit together by that dark time. We walked through some serious health issues together; we watched as the economy crashed. Our communities were changing around us, too- it was a lot to absorb and deal with.

It’s hard to explain what her friendship has meant to me over the years. She’d call me in that awful hospital room, me stir crazy and anxious for my children, and make me laugh, and then murmur and think aloud about all manner of things to me, and interpret my rough, medicine-addled, raspy response, completely distracting me, as she had fully intended to do. Later on, we kept company on many a Sunday morning, when both one of her children and I couldn’t handle the loving germs that would transmit along with the passing of the peace. We talked long those Sundays, fellowshipping in spirit, parsing out the changes that had come, the challenges. She has ever encouraged me in my homeschool adventures. First, long before I had met her, through Real Learning, and then, practically on tap whenever I was facing a ‘what would Charlotte Mason do?’ moment. She’s never been one to be didactic- her whole life is lived- and she teaches me by how she lives and breathes a Real Education.

I could say that about practically every aspect of Elizabeth: her faith. Her marriage. How she parents. How she loves. How she encourages. How she engages in relationship. She lives her faith out. It’s a beautiful thing to behold. With her, you are at peace; with her, the world seems bite-size and doable. I’ve learned how to be a better mama, friend, wife, and teacher because of her.

It seems such a small gift, then, to share the fruits of creative work during this Lenten season. Bless her, but all the blogs were really starting to look like a lady whose dress had shrunk in the wash, leaving the petticoats and slips and broken links and leggy sidebars and all manner of things sticking out underneath. We’ve sewn some new dresses for each of them; I hope you’ll enjoy.

Let me take you on a tour?

Here at the main blog, we really straightened out all the various destinations you all love to visit. Everything should be easier to find; most of the destinations you all visit regularly have been incorporated into a one-touch button in the side bar. Don’t forget her lovely stack of links she likes to share; you’ll find them just below the sponsors and before the buttons. (And don’t forget to visit all the kind sponsors that help In the Heart of my Home be the best it can be!) I’ve also linked the other communities that Elizabeth blogs for, so you can find them quickly, just above the sponsors.

The Store  and the Real Learning Booklists have been given fresh dresses, with some new goodies there…

Our work still in progress is Serendipity; while she’s got a fresh dress, it still has a few pins in it while we get the pockets right, but we hope that you will find it much more usable and easy to access. Keep checking back as more becomes available, and definitely go visit it now and see all the amazing resources available there!

And Elizabeth has some new features planned too, which we will introduce throughout this week.

It is with great delight that I unveil a blogiversary gift to Elizabeth, one long in the works. It seems such a small thing, but I hope she knows my heart!

Grace and Peace,

Joy

I might have had a meltdown today...

...and just maybe a boy who has been hugely helpful all week and not at all the source of my frustration turned back as he was leaving to run another errand.

"Hey Mom, you need to listen Scott McCreery sing Dirty Dishes. I'll be back in a bit."

Just in case you need to hear this today, too:

~Holy Saturday~

From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday (source: divineoffice.org)
The Lord descends into hell

Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

RESPONSORY

Our shepherd, the source of the water of life, has died. The sun was darkened when he passed away. But now man’s captor is made captive.
– This is the day when our Savior broke through the gates of death.

He has destroyed the barricades of hell, overthrown the sovereignty of the devil.
– This is the day when our Savior broke through the gates of death.

~ Good Friday~

"So they took Jesus and carrying the cross himself, he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle."

John 19:17-18

Be with Christ today. Stand beside the cross and unite your suffering with his. Compare your wounds with his and see that they are small, but give them to him anyway. Compare your strength to his and see that you are weak, but give yourself to him anyway. Walk with him, bleed with him, die with him today.