God and Dog

One of my blogger friends posted this video to her parish blog and I thought I'd share this here, because it seems like we all love our animal companions, most especially our dogs. It touched me because this is exactly how I felt about Barkley. I always thought he was the perfect companion. I knew that God was also good and loving because he gave us such special creatures to share our lives with, to love them and have them love us. I will miss that dog every day of the rest of my life. I feel a little big guilty for already loving Ignatius as much as I do. He's a charming little puppy (all except for his puppy farts) and I know he's going to be a great, loving dog. He won't be Barkley but he'll be special.

Anyway, watch the video, and if your parish is blessing the animals this weekend, try to take them. I'm going to try to take mine.

Laughing with the Saints: Part One

Father Martin talked about humor and religious life on NPR yesterday. (Ignore the comments.) And today he posted a bit more, just about the time of the release of My Life With the Saints in paperback.

As I was reading the America Magazine blog, I saw he posted a clip of this video and it was funny so I had to share.

Part Two is posted here

And lastly Part Three is here.

U2 - Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of

First thing I heard this morning on the radio was "Stuck in A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" by U2. Lyrics here. It probably means something but I'll figure it all out later. I can't live without music in my life. It was on the All That You Can't Leave Behind Album, which I have. I pretty much own everything U2 has done with the exception of this last album, which I think really sucks. I think Zooropa was kinda of the sucketh but there were a few songs there that I liked. Anyway, so here is the video. I'll come back after and finish my thoughts from this morning.

I managed to pray this morning's Hours. I'm trying... I mean trying to find my way back to prayer. It's always the same battle with me. If I pray daily, it amazes me how much better things seem. Same with exercise. Good things that I can't seem to do enough.

Today, is also the 30-day anniversary of my cousin, Lindsey's death, so I'm going to try to go to the Mass at my parish. Her mom paid for a Mass for today. So I'll leave the office early to go.

Better go now.

Edited to correct album title. I had Zooropa in the car and realized this song isn't on it. I forgot about the All That You Can't Leave Behind album. I have that too. I might go pull it out and see what else is on it.

Call Me Amused!

Ok I need some humor. I was doing my nightly blog-surfing and found myself amused watching this horribly Anti-Catholic video at You Tube because Carolina Cannonball, authoress of the blog The Crescat, posted it. Apparently her home altar was the first image featured in the video, as it talks about how Catholics worship idols. I don't have a home altar, but I do have various retablos of the Saints scattered around my house, a couple of them have been blessed. Anyway, as I'm passively watching, I spot this image in the video. It's an old Spanish Crucifix that is in the chapel of La Conquistadora in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe.

Growing up in Santa Fe, I never really experienced or witnessed anything that I would call Anti-Catholic. This is a historically Catholic city, but now as an adult, I've encountered it, but not on the grand scale as in other communities in the country.

I think the first time I ever saw a Chick Tract was a couple of years ago and that was online. I had never heard of Jack Chick before in my life. Hard to believe he's been in the anti-Catholic business all these years and I'd never heard of him.

I think I'll go back and finish my reflections on the recent Novena to Our Lady and post more pictures of a statue all dressed up pretty now.

Watch This!

This video really sucked me in. I thought it was great. H/T to the Deacon's Bench.

I might have found an answer to my last post, which left me a bit down all week. I don't know really know why. Maybe I won't. I often neglect praying the rosary, even though I find it to be one of the best forms and easiest ways for me to pray. Ultimately, I'd like to get settled into a good daily routine of waking early, praying and studying for about a half-hour to an hour, taking the dogs for a short walk and then getting my day started. It all sounds so wonderful, doesn't it?

In Honor of St. Joseph, the Worker.

Saint Joseph: A Hidden Life from "Who Cares About The Saints?" with Fr. James Martin, S.J.

Father Martin really said some things in this video clip that hit close to home. It's really a lovely video. I'll have to order the DVD when I have some spending money.

Simply Beautiful

Jumping in late on the Susan Boyle excitement. I had no idea just how lovely her voice was.

Article here at America by Fr. Jim Martin. It links to the video at You Tube, which can't be embedded for some reason. And then here at the Daily Record UK is a nice story about her and a link to the first song she ever recorded.

Thanks to Michael for the heads up.

Angels Never Sounded So Pretty

Over at The Deacon's Bench there are a couple of clips from the priests from Ireland who sing a little bit and landed a record deal because of it. This video is a bit of a history about them. They do have incredible voices and are very humble. They recognize they are priests in service to God first and foremost but I think are also enjoying sharing the talents He gave to them as singers.




Here is a performance of Ave Maria.

Did You Know?

Holy Cow. This is really thought provoking. First seen at America Magazine.

Nike Priest Running Ad

Heh! I think this is just as cute as the Coke Light commercial.

Also, feeling better on the Me scheme of things.

h/t to Clerical Whispers for the original link.

Nothing 'round here

Yet. I have some blogging to do, but no time right now to do it. I've discovered my love for the Counting Crows though. Hence my title.

Dorothy Day video clip to watch later.

State of Maria

Oh jeez you know the world is falling apart when you see reference to "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen referred to by someone on you tube as the "Shrek Song". Oy...

Deacon Greg Kandra at the Deacon's bench posted this version of the song, which is lovely. It beats the Rufus Wainwright version (aka, the Shrek Song) of the song any day. But I still prefer Jeff Buckley's rendition.



In other news, I'm bored to no end. Yesterday it snowed between 5-7 inches. The roads were passable but it took a while for the cleanup to get done. Today there were slushy. The ground is warm so nothing is really sticking. The black ice path in front of my house has been pretty much prevented with this go round as I swept it and scattered ice melt.

In the morning I promised that I'd help organize all the gifts we collected at my parish for the needy for Christmas. This year we collected over 300 gifts, but apparently, in year's past we've collected gifts stacked up through out the gathering space in the church. It really touched my heart to see the generosity of the people in my parish. When my neighbor complains about how Catholics don't do anything to help the needy in the community, I'll add this to my list of things to show her otherwise. I helped deliver them to two agencies and then pretty much came home and watched it snow. Today, between my stomach feeling so-so and the weather I pretty much stayed in my casita. I glanced at some pretty scary blogs out there and I think I understand the whole idle time is the devil's workshop or whatever the saying is. Tomrorow, I'll start my work week. I have a meeting in the morning and Thursday is a board meeting and breakfast. I need to write a report for that.

Meanwhile, fictionwise, I'm going to try to write something pretty, but so far I've come to a dry spell with my writing. The NANO challenge was uninspiring as I didn't come up with anything worthwhile or useable. I should have written the vampire spoof I was thinking about. I mean, how much fun would it be to make fun off all the vampire mythos out there? Maybe it's been done, but it was what I should written instead of taking two characters on my fictional family tree to try to write their story.

I've almost finished watching the 2nd season of "Supernatural" and am loving it.

I also have to start thinking about baking. Bischochitos, wedding/crumb cookies, maybe even some chocolate truffles.

Silence Has Never Sounded So Great (Updated)

I was watching a video clip of the Cathusian Monks from the movie "Into the Great Silence" doing their chant (posted here) and then I followed some links after the clip and got sucked into another group of monks and their life in an Italian monastery.



Interesting way of life. I haven't watched the other parts following this clip but I will. And no I still have not watched the movie I recorded off EWTN a few weeks back. I'm a little more obsessed with watching Supernatural these days. It's kinda fun to like something on TV again.

I've been watching the movie. It really is beautifully made and engaging. I truly can't imagine living the life of either the monks or the brothers (the nuns for that matter) but it's marvelous to get a glimpse into something I can't imagine or will never know. I think this is the "official" website for the order.

Unsuffer Me...Updated

Giving up on finding love. Again. I don't think he's the one, at least not in the way Shakira sings about the one. Still, I liked him. I really liked him too. But I guess as the Iguanas say, I moved too slow. He can date someone else and I'm not going to wait around for him. I'm not going to be his second choice. I'm also not looking for a friend, so I will move on. Another lesson learned. Maybe in time, True Love will find me in the end, but right now, I'm not going to worry about it, nor listen to sappy pop music. I'll stick with sad, Lucinda Williams, (though her latest song is happy.) I usually over-think things and don't want to rehash this over and over in my head. It's not worth it.

(Update) Well, I'm still here and I'm feeling a bit better. I can see why so many of the saints realized that Jesus was all they needed. It used to seem so hard for me to imagine that, but maybe I wasn't quite sure what it meant to really love Jesus and let Him be all that I need especially right now. At least I don't think He'll break my heart. Unfortunately, it's not First Friday, because I really wish I hadn't missed it two weeks ago. There is a parish in town with 24 hour a day Adoration, but I've never been there and am not comfortable going all the way across town in the middle of the night even if it is just to go sit and be with Jesus for a while.

Speaking of Adoration-- I was looking for a segue to talk about this. I've only really discovered the amazing experience of spending an hour or two in presence of Jesus. As I'm still trying to work out what kind of prayer works best for me and I'm not quite sure what I should do while I'm in Adoration half the time, I just sit there quietly. I try to keep my thoughts on our Lord and what he did for us by dying on the Cross. I try to think about His life, his teachings and his words while I sit there. Sometimes, other thoughts creep in and I ask him to help me work through those things. Even so, by just being there, with the Blessed Sacrament is a comfort. Knowing that Jesus is present is soothing.

I know it's a devotion that Non-Catholic Christians don't necessarily understand, but it's a way that I think if they could experience it, even for just a moment, they too would probably feel the overwhelming sense of God present in our lives.

Watch Fr. Jim Martin's video, he's much better at talking about this than I am. This is another in his prayer series posted over at In All Things, the America Magazine blog.

Oh man... Dara O'Briain says it all...

My Catholic Funny of the day. Though, I must admit I saw it on another Catholic Community and didn't discover it on my own. The part about the "Our Father" cracks me up.