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It's been a little while since I have posted anything. Life has been so busy. But I wanted to get a quick post in about this fun activity I did with my kids last Lent/Easter. Time to Hide the Alleluia! Blessings, Jen

What are you doing for Lent?  Will you give up chocolate?  Will you give up wine (or whine)?  Will you remember to not eat meat on Fridays?  Will you read that classic Catholic book you've been promising yourself that you would read for years? You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Our daughter wrote about her reflections on the Lenten season last year for me.  She had it as her status on Facebook and I asked her to turn it into a blog post. You can read her reflection at Being Catholic ... Really .

Memorial to the Japanese martyrs of Unzen. (Photo by Connie Rossini.) This is the week for keeping watch with Jesus in a special way. Although God calls us to spend time with Him in prayer daily, we rightly feel that we should spend extra time with Him during Holy Week. But how should we go about it? When I was a teenager, my family started a tradition of an all-night prayer vigil on Holy Thursday. Beginning at 10 p.m., my parents, siblings, and I took turns praying in one or two one-hour slots for the next eight hours. I loved offering this extra sacrifice to Jesus, this extra sign of love. Jesus would not be alone in the Garden of Gethsemane if I could help it. After I graduated from college, I spent two years as a lay missionary in Japan, teaching English to support the evangelization work of an American priest. During spring break of the first year, my roommate Mary Beth and I traveled to the island of Kyushu. We planned to be in Nagasaki for Easter. Read th

Ready to celebrate the rest of Lent as a family? Here are several activities you can do together, whether or not you homeschool. p=suitable for grades 1-3 m=suitable for grades 4-6 j=suitable for grades 7-9 s=suitable for grades 10-12  Books Besides reading the Gospel accounts of Holy Week, try reading and discussing the following books that deal with sacrifice, martyrdom, or resurrection: The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (p). The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt (p+). The Queen and the Cross: The Story of St. Helen by Cornelia Mary Bilinsky (p, m) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (p+ for reading aloud; m+ for independent reading). Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

Blind Pensioner with a Stick , Van Gogh, November 1882 [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings  (New American Bible: Philippines,USA)                                   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  John 9:1-41 [or John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38]  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)    [Shorter form of the Gospel: omit what is in square brackets] As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. [ His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”     Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.   We   must work the works of him who sent me   while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.     As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”]   When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mu

What are you reading for Lent?  Christians who observe Lent know that reading during this time can be a great spiritual exercise ... or not.  I have attempted some books in the past that I eventually abandoned for various reasons. You can see the photo gallery of the books I'm reading for Lent here at Being Catholic ... Really .

You've probably heard the expression, "we all have our own cross to bear."  No matter what denomination of Christianity you belong to, "bearing one's cross," is a significant part of that journey. I've been hearing that expression frequently lately.  I have friends going through some heartbreaking life situations.  Some of them have accepted their situation as their "cross to bear," and others ... well, they are not sure what to make of what life has thrown at them.  One friend literally looks like a deer in the headlights. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

We four returned this afternoon from Pittsburgh, where we toured the University of Pittsburgh campus for an admitted students' day, ate at Primanti Brothers, and attended Mass at the Newman Catholic Center. A few insights: First, Pitt is a wonderful place. I had to stop myself from buying one of these sweatshirts; our oldest still is mulling his options for college and whether he prefers a large university to a small liberal arts college. Keep Reading...

Today's Gospel is probably my favorite story in the Bible and holds a very special place in my heart. You can read my take on this story here at Being Catholic ... Really .

Have you been to "Stations" this Lent? The Stations of the Cross at  St. Thérèse Chinese Catholic Church  can be prayed starting at 7 PM every Friday during Lent.  A fish fry dinner is served at 6 PM if you are coming straight from work.  At 8 PM there are special presentations by guest speakers. If you have not been able to attend Stations, you can do so here at Being Catholic ... Really .

This Lent I’m doing some different things. Or maybe I should say I’m doing things differently. Regardless of my intentions, I’ve noticed that the last few Lenten Seasons (and Advent, too) have started out as gangbusters but then have really petered out. I’m reminded of the saying “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Talking with some friends, I’ve found that it is a far more common occurrence then most of us are willing to admit. We purchase the Lenten book, we buy all the pieces for the Advent wreath, we envision the holy and anointed times that will take place in our homes and in our hearts during these sacred seasons. Of course, the more we plan, the more likely we are to fail. After all, 40 days is a long time to stay committed. It is test of endurance and we unwittingly set ourselves up for failure because we aren’t always realistic in what we set out to do. So this Lent, I’m doing something different: I'm setting myself up for success. continue readin

Transfiguration of Christ Paolo Veronese, 1555-56 [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)                               Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 17:1-9  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)   Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.   And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.   Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.   Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I   will make three dwellings   here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”   While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the

Sometimes I think we complicate Lent.  At least I do. I over think it, over plan for it and take on way too many things that I never seem to accomplish. This year, I'm keeping it much simpler.  I dug deep into my resolve and eliminated all sweets.  I've been using yogurt, fresh fruit and granola to make sundaes to kind of take the edge off.  So far it's worked.  The added bonus?  I lost three pounds that first week!  Who knew that Lent would be the successful way to diet? To read the rest and see a short video by Fr. Robert Barron, go to Being Catholic ... Really .

Sunday afternoon I took a brisk half hour walk in the late winter air to watch our son coach basketball. Along the way to Lucky's final game coaching a team of 9 and 10 year old girls, I heard water dripping. Snow is melting and findings its way to water drains. Keep Reading...

Who is your  John the Baptist ?  Who called you out of the desert and into faith?  Even if you are a cradle Catholic, was there someone in your life that influenced you so much, you were called to a deeper understanding of what being Catholic is? Image from Catholic.org For me, the answer is my  husband  and lately my  daughter  has inspired me with her faith.  I am also blessed to have some great  friends . You can read more at Being Catholic ... Really .

In these first days of Lent, the Church shows us exactly how God wants us to pray. fast and serve both His people and worship Him. The words of the first reading from Isaiah 58:1-9 are like brilliant beams of light, cutting through any false notions we might have about this season of repentance that we call Lent.  Often we tend to think of Lent as a time to share in the suffering of Christ yet when we do so, we become morose and end up centering more on our own sacrificial devotions than on God. Lent  is  a time to get rid of the flub in our lives but only so we are able to connect more to the Heart of our Beloved, more on the people around us who are in need. Lent is not an excuse for dramatic acts of fasting  by wearing sack cloth and ashes, figuratively or literally. As Isaiah says: Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of penance: That a man bow his head like a reed and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable

Call me crazy, but I'm excited and pumped up about  LENT! It didn't start out very well.  Ash Wednesday morning, I got to work early.  One of my coworkers had purchased some candy.  He's diabetic so he only wanted to taste it.  He hands me the rest, so  OF COURSE   I immediately pop one in my mouth!  ... the hell is that? Sorry, but swearing was not one of the things I promised to give up, though I probably should have. This year I feel differently.  I usually make my plan, screw it up, get back to my plan and by the time Lent is over ... well, it didn't go very well. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Yes, dear friends, we’re all about the  Shrove Tuesday  today. Now, when I began to research, I thought Shrove…hmmm Totes not a shrove... Then I thought it could mean this… Classy, but still not shrove. So what exactly is Shrove Tuesday? Quite simply, it’s the day before Ash Wednesday. That’s it. No royalty, no mushrooms, nothing crazy. Or is there more?   Click for more shenanigans and factoids at Filling my Prayer Closet.

Love thy neighbor as thyself. We've all heard it before.  It's  in the Bible as one of the  greatest commandments. "One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. "- Mark 12:28-31 But dang, it's just not that easy! Read more of Love Thy (fill in the blank) Neighbor