speechless

I found this video on youtube today. It made me cry. I do caution you to view at your own discretion. 

It contains extremely graphic scenes fromThe Passion of the Christ.

Purge...

I finally decided that I should purge a large portion of my book collection.  I am attempting to sell them on amazon.com.  I figure it could be a good way to minimize my book collection an make a few extra dollars at the same time. I am not sure how many of them will sell (if any), but there is no harm in trying.

Back home...

I am back in Massachusetts after an extended holiday in Delaware and an unexpected road trip.    I would tell you all about it, but there is far too much to say.

Litany of the Saints

I thought this was really beautiful and I felt the need to share.  

Hmm...

I just finished reading Finding Angela Shelton.  According to Angela Shelton's website and amazon.com the book doesn't come out until April 1st 2008.  I wonder if Borders made a mistake and put it on the shelves early.  Regardless, if you get a chance to read this book, I wholeheartedly recommend it.  It sheds light on the problem of abuse, and encourages people to tell their stories.  For all the Angela Shelton's out there, please read this book.  

Weekend

I had quite the weekend.  I spent most of Saturday at the Paulist Center (my church).  As it was the  Palm Sunday liturgy, the liturgical dancers were asked to dance (we only dance at certain liturgies).  I know that many Catholic's object to liturgical dance during liturgies.  I hate to knock liturgical dance ministries, but I think we often get a bad name because some ministries do very unliturgical things during the mass.  I have yet to hear a single negative thing about liturgical dance from people at the Paulist Center, and although I am sure that it bothers some people, I believe that the director of the liturgical dance ministry at the Paulist Center is very liturgically conscious.  She is constantly reminding us that liturgical dance should help people focus on the liturgy and not detract from it.  This is why during the liturgy, we processed in, presented the gifts, and processed out--no interpretive dance during the music at communion and no abducting the Bible during the Gospel.  The response I have heard from many in the congregation was that the dance added to the liturgy.

Something else happened this weekend at mass.  Every year the Paulist Center gives out the Isaac Hecker Award to a Catholic American who is working to promote social justice in the world (Isaac Hecker was the founder of the Paulist Fathers) .  In 2006 the award went to Martin Sheen, but he was unable to visit to receive the award until this Saturday.  If you were unaware, Martin Sheen is extremely involved in social justice and has gotten himself arrested because of it (apparently on more than one occasion).    Normally when the award is presented, the recipient of the award reflects on that days readings and Gospel , but because of the sacred importance of Palm Sunday, this  was not the case.   He did talk to us after communion about his connection to the Church, and his connection to the Catholic Worker (which started when he was receiving food from their breadline in NYC in 1959).  I was inspired that a man with Hollywood fame uses it to do what is good and right in the world.  Oh and just so you know Martin Sheen is his chosen not his given name.   I asked a priest if Martin Sheen was related to Fulton Sheen; I was not surprised when he said "no", but I was very happy to hear that he named himself after Fulton Sheen.  Oh, and for the record,  Martin Sheen apparently enjoys liturgical dance; at least, that is what he told me.

After mass, Meg and I went to Zoe's for turkey burgers.  They are the best turkey burgers I have ever had, and so it has become one of the two restaurants Meg and I frequent when together.  I am always glad for a chance to hang out with Meghan, and having turkey burgers surely didn't hurt the situation.

I pretty much spent my entire Sunday with Genevieve.  It was a wonderful break from my generally mundane social life.  We went and got crepes in Harvard Square, and then decided on our destinations for the rest of the day on whims and fancies.  Clearly, a bookstore was involved.   

  Now that the weekend is over, the next two days are focused on me getting ready to spend 8 days in DE.  I can't even start to express my excitement for this trip.

Please Pray for this pilot and his family

Yesterday an F16 crashed at Luke AFB in Arizona where my brother is stationed.  The pilot of the plane died.  Please pray for the  pilot and his family during this time.

Attention All Catholics! Attention All Catholics!

I am yet again posting a Saturday Morning Catechesis  from Rosary Army.  It is about Catholics and how we always claim not to know scripture.  I actually think the first time I quoted the bible in conversation with friends Andie asked me if I was protestant.  Read it.  You will realize just how much scripture you actually know.  Protestants should read this too--just because it is interesting.

Wedding Song

The title of this song is actually inscribed on the inside of my engagement ring.

Bad Journalism Award of the Day

National Public Radio is something that I usually enjoy a lot, but their current article and radio piece about the release of Horton Hears a Who calls pro-life advocates "Abortion foes".  It makes it sound like being pro-life is some condemnable evil.  I hate to break it to them but pro-lifers aren't the ones killing innocent babies.  My bad journalism award of the day goes to NPR.  

Irish Step in the Bronx

My sister sent me this article and it was way too amazing not to post.  Read it, and watch the video. 

With all of the political animosity in the air these days, I thought I might provide some comic (and musical) relief. Enjoy!

Childhood Heroes

Being the bookworm that I was (and very much still am),  my childhood heroes were not very often real people.  I settled for characters in fiction books.  I wanted to be Harriet the Spy or Matilda. Matilda was the reason that I tried to read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens as a 5th grader.  I remember proudly buying a notebook at the corner store in emulation of Harriet the Spy.    As I got older my book bound heroes changed.  In middle school I wanted to be Meg Murry. I suppose that is what being a bookworm does to a child.  I am not so sure fictional role models are a bad thing.  It is a heck of a lot better than having kids want to be like Britney Spears.

Let kids be kids...

I found this article on the importance of imaginative play for children.  It caused me to think about a lot of things, but what it really lent me to thinking about was how controlled children's play has become.  Children do not need things to engage in productive play.  They really only need the capability and the permission to imagine.  The article also reminded me of something we have talked about in my Developmental Stages course--we were entertaining the idea that parents spend too much time structuring their child's play.  No wonder kids these days have no self-control; nobody allows them the time to develop it.  It is far past time that parents, schools, teachers, and toy companies give kids the opportunity to just be kids.

Cure--A good dose of chastity education

I was browsing CNN's website and found this atrociously disturbing article.  There was a study done that found that 1 in 4 teenage girls (in the US?) has and STD.  I know there are some ways to contract STDs other than sexual behavior, but that does not explain the findings of this study.  The teenage population, male and female alike, need a good dose of chastity education.  Pope John Paul II devoted a lot of time to defining chastity and sexuality through his Theology of the Body.  Although it explains chastity and sexuality through a Catholic lens, much of it can be applied in a secular way.  For an easier to understand version of the Theology of the Body, check out publications by Christopher West.  

Interesting article

I was scanning through headlines and found this.  I never realized parents actually agonized over their role as tooth fairy.  It led me to question how kids even find out about the tooth fairy.  Santa and the Easter Bunny are commercially perpetuated all the time--  the tooth fairy really isn't.  Any ideas? 

To veil or not to veil that is the question

I have been in this constant debate with my pride as to whether or not I should cover my head at mass.  When I say constant, I mean that I have been debating this since my reversion to the Catholic faith.  My ideas about modesty have been a long time in the development, and they are finally starting to unveil themselves.  I have had this notion since summer of 2005 that I am supposed to cover my head.  For a while I covered it every day.  That lasted for summer of 2005.  I gave up my uncovered ways for Lent in 2006 and 2007.  Both of these periods of time in my life were so fruitful spiritually, but I do not any longer feel called to cover my head at all times in public; I do, however, seem to like to ignore God's call to me to at least submit and humble myself during mass.  I stumbled across this article today that really put a lot of how I feel into words.  If you think of it, pray for me that I may have the strength of conviction to do what I know I am being called to do.

Always a bridesmaid?

I am going to be a bridesmaid in my sisters wedding.  I am both pleased and excited.  Feel free to call me crazy for trying to plan a wedding and be in someone else's wedding at the same time.  Being engaged concurrently with my sister has been really nice.  We are constantly sending each other "Check this out" e-mails, and giving each other ideas.  It is a beautiful thing.  

Really interesting article.

Rosary Army is a wonderful apostolate that dedicates itself to making, praying, and giving away rosaries.  Their website also features lots of theological food for thought.  My favorite part of the website is the Saturday Morning Catechesis.  This Saturday the article was very interesting and something I thought that was worth sharing.  

Clarification

My last post was the worksheet I created for my Boston Teacher Residency interview.  It is the application part of a lesson on syllables.  

Haiku worksheet

    Haikus

A haiku is a kind of Japanese poem that can help you to practice counting syllables. This type of poem has 3 lines and follows a very special syllable pattern

• The first line of a haiku has 5 syllables.

• The second line has 7 syllables.

• The last line has 5 syllables.

Traditionally haikus are written about nature. Here are some examples. Can you count the syllables in each line? Try to clap them out.

Rain

Rain is falling down--

Pitter patter on the ground.

The whole world gets wet.

Windy Day

The wind is blowing,

Whistling through the branches

A blustery day.

Now it is time to write your own haiku. Remember to follow the syllable pattern at the top of the page. Don’t forget to give your haiku a title.

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Haiku

I love syllables 

Breaking words into pieces

Clapping out the beats

INTERVIEW TOMORROW

I have my interview for the Boston Teacher Residency tomorrow.  Please pray for me.  

Wedding Drabble

Ahhh! I am going to try on some wedding dresses tonight with Meghan.  I have no intention of choosing a dress yet, but I also have come to the conclusion that since I am 5 feet tall and the models in bridal magazines are closer to 6 feet tall, it is rather hard for me to figure out what I would like my gown to look like (or what would even be flattering).  This appointment is strictly to figure out likes and dislikes.  I am, however, super excited.  I am a real girly-girl sometimes, and when it comes to wedding stuff, I am super girly.