A Woman Clothed with the Sun and the Moon Under Her Feet

Today we celebrate Mary's Assumption into heaven, body and soul. For me, today was one of those days when I had a lot to do, but didn't get anything done. I was originally going to go to Mass at noon at my parish, but had to go help my mother do something and didn't want to rush back to change, just to go to Mass. I was then going to go into the office to meet my office mate, have tea and then come home for Mass tonight. But, then Mom told me about the goings on in town and we considered going. Dad then put a hitch in my plans, when he had to go to the doctor and Mom wasn't feeling well, so... I never got to the office. Grr.

However I did make it to Mass. I didn't go to my parish church, but to the Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, with roughly a thousand (maybe more?) people. It was the first time I attended an outdoor Mass. It had all the elements that make Mass wonderful, lovely music, incense, reverence, a strong homily by the archbishop, but there was rain, too many distractions (road side traffic, people talking, confusion during communion) that I am glad it is over. There were probably far too many people to fit in the church today. The Mass was behind the churches (both the old church and the new church) and just underneath the new statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was unveiled just after Mass and she really is beautiful. What a testament to the faith of the people in this community.

There were speeches, presentations, and declarations before she was unveiled, but it was all worth it. Native American dancers performed earlier in the day, as did some local mariachis (I missed them) and I believe there was a reception afterward. As it isn't my parish, I didn't really know what else was happening. I just wanted to make my obligation and see the statue. I've been waiting for weeks.

Once the sun peeked out from the thick, heavy rain clouds, you could see her splendor as she stood there surrounded by the faithful.

See my pictures here. I'm just playing with making slide shows. I suspect that on the official site of the journey, there are much better pictures and a more complete wrap up of the day's events. This post is also rather scattered, so I'll come back and revise it later.

Mooses + Water= Adorable.

Watch. It's ok to tune out the music. it's a bit sappy.

Inside You The Time Moves and She Don't Fade

So... my novel is driving me crazy. I know I don't spend a lot of time rambling on about it in here. How did a fictionalized account about my broken heart end up becoming some epic saga about Isabel and the men in her life, her eventual return to the church and now the possible conversion of her somewhat agnostic boyfriend? It's about more than just that, but if I keep on going at the pace I'm going, it will be a thousand pages long and be so far off from my original idea, I don't know what I'll have.

Speaking of reading, writing and characters, I saw a book at Borders that caught my eye a few months ago. Usually, after Mass I usually go for coffee with a good friend of mine and my mom sometimes comes along. I buy lots and lots of books, mostly in the genre that I write, sometimes historical fiction and I've read a few biblical fiction books. There was one fictionalized story about Mary Magdalen that I really disliked but I read it all-- it was like 800 pages. In lieu of reading fiction, I buy and read non-fiction. Lately, a lot of spiritual stuff. Anyway, on that particular Sunday, I picked up a book with characters that sounded similar to mine. The main character a single woman (younger than Isabel) living with her boyfriend, and a brother who is a priest. I decided not to buy it for those reasons. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I went on a book buying spree and I bought this particular book. It was nicely written, though I thought the characters were a bit flat and the plot wasn't bad or overly original, it was an easy read. I don't think the story will stick with me.

Regarding plots, honestly, there aren't that many overly original plots in fiction-- they're all re-tellings of the same basic plots in fiction. I have an email I should repost with the basic fiction plots. I'll save it for the writing journal, but I digress.

This story was more about characters who happened to be Catholic, than anything really exploring Catholicism in fiction, which apparently mine does. While there was a sister with a brother as a priest relationship, it isn't like mine. Whew. Thank goodness. I don't like what she did with her priest character-- but that was her choice-- my gripe will wait for my post about priests in portrayed in pop culture. It's still in draft mode. The life my character lives in my story will be very different.

Reading this book isn't going to change how I write my story or influence it by any means. I just realized that my approach with similar sorts of characters, relationships and themes are going to be done very differently.

My stories are more character driven than plot driven. Believe me... I don't even know what my plot is. Well... I do... but it doesn't follow a simple path or outline. The working title of my first novel is called "Unmarked Paths" which is quite fitting.

One of my fears is that it's far too Catholic for a mainstream audience. That's actually trumping my fear that it is too Hispanic. And then on top of that... all the other characters are talking to me and I have a whole future story churning around in my head. I wish I knew how to shut it all down at night.

Eeek. I spotted a mouse. At least I think it was a mouse. It might have been a big, black spider that ran really fast. Ohh... a centipede perhaps. Ewww. I hate those more than mice. You'd think after spending an afternoon washing floors, no vermin would want to come into my house-- no crumbs, no mess, nothing to find on the floors. I guess not. Anyway, I'm now in my bedroom, hopefully far, far away from any unwelcome creatures.

Falling Over You Is The News of the Day

Not that I know anything about what's going on in Missouri, though two of my dearest friends do live there, but I've heard the about the conflicts between the former Archbishop Burke and the St. Stanislaus Parish and it's pastor. I hadn't really paid too much attention, well... because it's news that is happening in another Archdiocese. Anyway, over at The Deacon's Bench, another blog I've been reading lately, there was this post-- follow the link at the end to read the whole article and then read the comments from the natives.

My neighbor, a Methodist, who was once a Catholic, says in her church they have a board who appoints the pastor and whom she must answer to. I just can't imagine it happening like that in the Catholic Church, but does it happen?I don't now how it works in my Archdiocese but I don't think there is a board that appoints pastors. I have always thought that the pastor of a parish is appointed by the (Arch)Bishop and that's pretty much that. Sure, we have had fights between parishioners and their pastors. In some small towns, the people in the pews think (sometimes accurately) that they have all the power and manage to drive out the priests despite how they got there in the first place.

Anyway, just something interesting I thought I'd share. I may come back and add more tidbits from the news later.

Office Reading...

	James 4:11 - 12 ©
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who slanders a brother, or condemns him, is speaking against the Law and condemning the Law. But if you condemn the Law, you have stopped keeping it and become a judge over it. There is only one lawgiver and he is the only judge and has the power to acquit or to sentence. Who are you to give a verdict on your neighbour?

This was the Office reading from today. It hit me over the head that day as I had been gossiping and speaking badly of another with my neighbor and it was making me feel pretty bad. I didn't like the situation I was in and I summed up the courage to actually tell her and we no longer discuss the situation or the other party.

I realize I was the sounding board for her to vent and work things through that was going on in her own faith community. I didn't know people involved, but I was getting uncomfortable.

I often allow myself to get caught up in the middle of drama and other people's gossip or mitote as we say around here and most of the time it's wrong, it can be sinful and it can come back to bite you on the ass, so I try not to get caught up in gossip, spreading slander but as I'm human, it happens. Anyway, I told my friend that I didn't want to have to seek out a priest for Confession, so we better stop talking about the drama. ;-)

Went to the Movies...

I guess I really haven't turned in my Fangirl Card because I snuck away to see the new X-Files movie, "I Want To Believe". First off, I didn't expect a huge, blow-em-up kind of movie. I had hoped for some resolve with what happened when the show ended, and yes there was some of that and I knew going into it had gotten mixed reviews. Secondly, as a fan of the show and a former fangirl, I had to see the movie. I knew nothing of the plot, but I had heard it was an exploration of faith.

Wasn't overly happy to find out the priest character played by Billy Connolly was a defrocked, pedophile priest who was living in a half-way, self-policed rehab type house. He was seeing visions. Scully was a doctor at a Catholic hospital with a dying kid and Mulder was Mulder, alebit a bit less idealistic and a bit jaded.

So, the plot was about missing women, evil scientists, trading in body parts and other typical X-files drama, intrigue and weirdities. We see Skinner and by the end, all is well with the world, at least for a little while. But, there was an underlying questioning of faith, and exactly just how far one should go to save another human being. What is ethical and right and just where does science cross the line and how much does faith, God and religion figure into the equation.

Memorial of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

I'm finally going to start praying the Liturgy of the Hours. I think I'm going to muddle my way through them for a while and maybe I will be able to find a community which prays them, just so I can experience praying them in common once or twice. I'll probably write more about this, and how I got to the point where I've come to praying the Psalms.


Tomorrow is the memorial of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Virgin, Martyr, known more commonly as Edith Stein. A Jewish convert to Catholicism, a Carmelite nun, a scholar and a victim of the Nazi Holocaust. She apparently converted to Catholicism sometime after reading about the life of St. Teresa of Avila. I don't know much about her, but I find the lives of saints intriguing, most especially saints of the modern era.

As Catholics, we're taught, once a Catholic always a Catholic. I believe that's also a common belief in Judaism. Both faiths have much to say about the consequences of apostasy, and throughout history there have people converting from one faith to the other many times. Some, very likely were forced and some were by choice. This is an interesting opinion about St. Edith Stein and her connection to her Jewishness. It was written just after her Canonization to Sainthood by Pope John Paul II in 1998.

Some thoughts taken from the article.

A convert is "born again," which also means that from God’s perspective he or she has retroactively always been in the community. An apostate, conversely, does not quit the community existentially; he or she is only absent without leave.Excommunication bars a sinful Catholic from receiving the sacraments, not from the Church herself, just as herem, the ban of ostracism, does not mean that a Jew is no longer a Jew. So Jews regard Edith Stein as a Jewish apostate, but always a Jew nonetheless. And she agreed with us about her Jewish identity; it is about her apostasy that she obviously had a different opinion. We cannot avoid the question of apostasy because it brings us face to face with the rival truth claims our two communities make—to ourselves, to each other, and to the world.

I must digest it again before I even attempt to make any commentary, but I thought it was an interesting reflection for the day.

picture of St. Edith Stein via wikipedia.

Quickie update. A couple of posts ago I linked to the news about Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish's new statue of the Blessed Mother and its journey to Santa Fe. A couple of Sundays ago the New Mexican ran a news story about it and put up a slide show. These are photos taken by the photographer from the blog I linked to, but they're complied in a nice show so I thought I'd add a link to it.

A couple of weekends ago, my mom and I went to the Spanish Market. I had hoped to get a picture of the statue to put up in the blog, but it was covered, as it's not going to be official unveiled for another week, I think on the Feast of the Assumption, which is also the birthday of a former best friend of mine, but I won't go into why she's a former friend, but if I wanted to forget her birthday I couldn't. I'll say an extra prayer just for her at Mass next week anyway. So... no pictures of my own till then.

Back to the Spanish Market, some years I've found some lovely artwork that calls me to buy it. Some years, I haven't. Sometimes a retablo of a special saint just calls out to me, some years, I'm looking for a specific saint, and those years I usually don't find the one I'l seeking out. Last year I saw a lovely La Conquistadora-- but it was at least $800 over my budget. I'd also stumbled upon an Infant Jesus of Prague, but that was a bit pricey, so last year I went away without spending any money. This year, I stopped by the booth of an artist whose work I like. I have a St. Therese of Lisieux he painted from about four years ago. He had a lovely Infant Jesus of Prague and I ended up bringing him home. The artist's name is Arturo Olivas and his work can be found here. So, check it out for a lovely example of New Mexico Spanish Colonial Art.

Save Me From Myself.

Blogging has been a bit slow. Funny thing was over at the LJ I posted that I was thinking of taking a hiatus from LJ-land. There are a few communities which I read and participate in, plus there are many real life people that the days I only connect with online via LJ. I thought I'd probably move most of my blogging here, but haven't done that yet either. I go in spurts.

I have some definite thoughts I want to share about writing, religion and women's ordinations- not- ordinations. I've been thinking about prayer lately.

Last week I was down for the count with Stomach Flu. Not the SFFH,(Stomach Flu From Hell) which I had last fall, where I threw up a lot. This wasn't a bad stomach flu where I was throwing up all the time, but it was bad enough that it kept me from doing much. I had a lower backache from hell for about five days. Finally, I think I've gotten over it. I had a so-so workout at the gym and it helped. While I'm of the mentality that exercise is good-- yet my back aches--then I don't exercise and it still aches. I hate that. Anyway, that's where I've been lately.

Holy Virgin, Called Blessed By All Generations

During the novena last month, the pastor from Our Lady of Guadalupe parish announced that the parish was organizing a journey to Mexico City to pick up the new statue of The Virgin of Guadalupe that would be placed in front of the old Santuario.

For the last couple of days, after seeing an article in The New Mexican, I wanted to post a blog entry of the history of it, as no one has hired me yet. ;-) However, as the local papers have covered it quite well, I'll just post the links to the articles. Also, Joshua Trujillo, a photographer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, created a beautiful blog with pictures telling the whole story of the statue and its journey to Santa Fe. I spent the last hour reading through all the entries and looking at all the pictures. As I'm not a parishioner at Our Lady of Guadalupe, I don't feel as emotionally invested in the arrival of this statue, however, as a resident of this old city of faith, I do feel a bit emotional after perusing this blog. It truly seemed like an amazing experience and I'm sure all the Santa Feans who made this journey will not forget it.

Until yesterday, I hadn't seen a picture of the statue and so I didn't know what she looked like or what to expect. I must say she's incredibly beautiful. I can only imagine what an honor it will be to have her here. I think her presence in front of the old Santuario will be a comfort and a blessing, especially for the members of that parish. Many of them are immigrants from Mexico, and many have found a home there. I'll have to go see her this weekend, as it's also the annual Spanish Market and I think I'll venture downtown to browse the market. Not sure if I'm going or buying anything this year.

Here are the links to the articles about the pilgrimage and journey to pick up The Virgin.
From the New Mexican, Our Lady, Almost Home and Parishioners Welcome Marian Statue After Safe Arrival From Mexico. Two stories from the Journal North. Our Lady's Statue Delayed and finally, Missing Icon Located in El Paso Warehouse. On the Journal site, there is a video clip from its stop in Rio Rancho at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish.

Finallly...

I wanted to read the comments to this post later as I was going to try to go to bed, but I lost the original post so I could book mark it. It probably took me as long to find it as it would have to read the comments. I need to shut the computer down for the night.

The stupid crisis is over. I still have to change careers and start earning a better living. I have a commission check to pick up tomorrow. I'm going to spend some time with my little sister and then have a meeting at church.

I'm wide awake and probably should go to bed. I'm wired.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Not very. It's not even funny how stupid I am. And because of my stupidity, I can't follow through with my plans. None the less, I'm not happy. I can't do anything to fix it till Monday and it's not unfixable, but what I planned to do with my commission check I can't do.

This is intentionally cryptic I know. Someday maybe I'll talk about why I'm stupid. I think I'm going to go to bed. It's starting to rain, which is good.

I want to write but my characters aren't talking to me. I actually am on the verge of just scrapping it all.I hate feeling the urge to delete everything.

I think I'm going to read something, maybe "Thoughts on Solitude" or pray a rosary before I go to sleep.

Monks and Metal

Don't have much to say today. I thought this article from the BBC about the Capuchin Monk who plays in a heavy metal band was interesting. It's a bit different from the Cistercian Monks in Austria who have a Chant CD out.

Lord Help Us from Narrators.

I have it on EWTN am watching the Liturgy of the Word service from the Pope's arrival at World Youth Day. Now, it's lovely, however, there is a narrator explaining what is going on-- this is a Catholic Channel, my bet the majority of people that are watching are Catholic, and I suspect know what is happening.

Skimming the News...

Soccer player retires to enter seminary.

Being a girl this was not a consideration for me, but being a writer, I had to think about it in terms of why my young, male character wanted to be a priest. In the last year or so, I've read about young priests or seminarians just to help me flesh out my character. But as a Catholic, I've also thought about this as well.

Honestly, as bad as things have been for the Church lately, I think it will get better. I am glad to see young men wanting to pursue the priesthood. Having recently met one of the newly ordained priests in my archdiocese, I know and feel the Church is going to be all right. It will just take a long time to heal and recover.

Still, I cringe every time I see allegations of sex abuse and want to jump on the defensive about how it happens more often in other religions, schools and homes, but it's more fun to pick on the Catholics. But what happened-- the abuse, the aftermath, the moving of priests and the cover-ups were inexcusable. It never should have happened. Having to live with that as a Catholic is disheartening.

As Andrew, the priest character in my story, told his sister, the Church will weather this as it has weathered other things in the past. I think it's true. Hopefully, in the near futures seminaries in the US will fill up and one day parishes without priests will have at least one or two.

Sigh. Yes, I'm still a bit idealistic, but sometimes, cynicism only makes me feel worse.