Lenten check up

So, how's lent going for you?  Have you kept up with your promises you made?  The things you gave up?  The "extras" you promised yourself you would do?

If you haven't, it's not too late!  Even if you have kept up with what you intended to do, but perhaps feel that maybe it "isn't enough" -- there's still time!  Add something else into the mix!

These forty days were meant to strengthen us as Catholics.  We give up in order to receive, we do extra in order to please God, and hopefully ourselves.  We want to do what is pleasing to God, even though sometimes it is hard!

I had the pleasure of attending "Cast Your Nets" last night in McCartyville.  This is an annual gathering of the youth from the northern part of our diocese, in an effort to foster vocations.  It's always fun to go to -- to see old friends and to see my kids make new ones.  There was prayer, and song, reconciliation, and, of course pizza.  Fun night.  My favorite part came last.  Mass.  Honestly, I'm not really a night time mass person -- I find I pay much better attention first thing in the morning, but I usually go to this mass because of the energy.  This year, Bishop Binzer was the presider.  I've really come to like this man.  He's fairly new to his position as Bishop (I think right at a year), but has come to fill the shoes perfectly.

His homily was spot on.  Firstly, his homilies are straight and to the point.  I like that!  He was discussing a couple of items with everyone in the congregation, but the one that struck me most was his talk about giving up and doing extra.  He mentioned that he gave up March Madness this year (hearing his schedule, I'm not sure he had a choice :) -- but I thought that was a fun thing to give up.  He also said he enjoys doing "extra things".  He didn't really say what he likes to do extra, but did mention taking time each day to write down (either on paper or electronically!) something that you are thankful for.  A word, a reading, a person, a song....whatever.  Big or small.  You may be thankful for the daffodil you saw when leaving your house in the morning.  Or that red light that you had to stop at, for it prevented you from being in an accident.  Whatever it is, write it down and be thankful for it.

And then, in two weeks on Easter Sunday, you will have a list of 14 things you are thankful for.  You can look back on them and review them.  Then start again!  But keep the old list.  Think of all the things you could come up with in a year.

I've been reading a lot about thankfulness lately.  It's an interesting thing.  If we center ourselves more on what we are thankful for, our lives as a whole begin to improve.  It's a fact.  When we dwell on the negative, it makes our lives way more negative.

So let's try this.  Can you do it for two weeks?  I can.  I've started my list on my iPhone.  (See?  I'm thankful I know how to make lists there!  LOL)

Have a great week everyone!

Pam

Dissecting the Our Father......

Loved loved loved Wednesday night's religion class (what am I supposed to call them now -- it isn't CCD any more -- religious ed?  Who knows??  :)

We are currently on a section called "Prayer".  There was an extremely large sign up, so I am team teaching this time with my friend, Scott Frey.  I've never taught with him but have found we complement each other really well.  As much as I love my faith, I am not really into history (especially the historical facts of the church) so I find that team teaching with someone who knows these things really puts a new spark into class!

Up last night:  dissecting the Our Father.  We took it line by line and discussed what it is we are really saying when we say that prayer.  I love the Our Father -- firstly because it is a prayer prayed by most faiths -- so we have that in common.  I also love its simplicity -- just asking for a few things and a little guidance!!!

I can't ever really tell when I/we are gettting through to a class.  We have some interaction, and a little discussion -- I'm not silly enough to think that everyone loves the classes all the time -- but last night seemed to go extra well.  We were looking for "things" in the Our Father -- the petitions -- and they were really thinking about it.  We talked about the prayer line by line and discussed what the prayer really means.

There are so many prayers that we just say and don't take the time to think about, or realize, what we are really saying.  In this case, the Our Father has seven petitions.  Did you know that?  There are three petitions that are out of reverence for Jesus.  There are four that are for us.  Seven petitions.  Often the number seven means perfection (not luck!) -- so sometimes the Our Father is called the perfect prayer.

Did you know all of that?  I didn't really until I started diving into my info for the class.  This is exactly why I teach -- I learn something each and every week!  Then I turn around and teach it and hope the kids learn so they, too, can pass it on!

We had previously decided to take the last 15 minutes of class and have the entire high school together for an assembly of sorts to discuss the rice bowl activity that is going to be taking place.  I have to say that there are some nights when I am watching my clock waiting for class to be over -- last night was not one of them.  I was sad when we were not able to get through all of the information!

I promised them next week's class is going to be memorable.  I can't wait.  I have never done a class like this, about this before......so it should be great!  (I hope!).

Have a great day!!!