Springtime - New Life Arises from Death

This year, Lent started off cold and snowy, with bare trees and everyone feeling like winter just wouldn't come to an end.  As Lent continued, the snow began to give way, the earth began to thaw, and little green sprouts pushed their heads up through the piles of dead plant life from the fall and dirt piled up from the winter snow.

Around the middle of Lent, our family planted some sunflower seeds inside - one of the clearest reminders that new life rises out of death; a plant, having dried up and died, leaves a dry seed as a reminder of its death.  We buried the seeds, seemingly dead, in the ground in hope that new life would come.

In the Roman tradition of the Church, there has existed a strong idea that the Feast of the Resurrection is closely tied to the arrival of spring and the new life that it brings out the death seen in winter.  In fact, many great theologians, from St. Ambrose to Pope Benedict XVI, have believed and given great strength to the idea that Christ did in fact rise from the dead on March 25, the same day he was conceived, and the same day that God created the world - all great signs of hope and new life.

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Now, only 3 days for the celebration, even the 10-foot piles of snow have receded, green grass has pushed up through the matted brown grass of the fall, and tulips and daffodils are just about ready to bloom and celebrate the greatest event of all history with the world.

Just about all the sunflower seeds we planted have sprouted and many have grown a few inches tall.

The world (or at least the part of it where we live) is just about to burst with new life, proclaiming the new life that Christ brought us in his death and resurrection.

Here are some more pictures of our sunflower plants:

 These are the egg carts we planted them in just until they germinated:

The transplanting process:

The wagon I use to take them outside to get some direct sunshine on warm days:

Strict Lent - How to Make it Work!

Today, Taylor Marshall (whose blog I recommend) shared a story of how he ruined his Easter one year by trying to go too hard on himself at Lent -How My Strict Lent Once Ruined Easter – A Lesson on Lenten Crash and Burn.  Excellent post - go and read it!

I wrote the following as a response on how I moderate my Lenten penance.

1. Talk to Your Priest


I tend to "go hard" (this year, for example, I'm giving up meat, coffee and Facebook) but I moderate this in several ways. One is I take the advice of my priest; if he says something is too much, I believe him. Dr. Marshall mentions this point and it's very important; most priests have seen enough crash and burn stories that they can see it coming if you're being too hung up on going all out. I have done this since I first joined the Catholic Church (this is only my 3rd Lent) and priests are very helpful in giving direction like this.
 

2. No Penance on Sunday!

 

We must remember that Sundays are not days of penance; it's not that penance is "optional" but, from what I understand, it is actually incorrect, since every Sunday is like a mini Paschal feast, we are to celebrate on Sundays. Every Sunday I will be enjoying my meat and coffee (I'll stay off FB, though, since that could lead to a habit, and it's not really "festive" to go on FB in any way); this way it's only 6 days at a time, and these urges don't build up so much. I enjoy it thoroughly and in moderation. We're usually at my parents' house for lunch on Sundays, and they inevitably make a nice roast. My mom has coffee with the desert, and I wait till it's served (rather than gorging into the coffee the minute Mass ends), enjoy two cups with cake, maybe one more later in the day and leave it at that. (Basically, what I would do on a normal Sunday.)

 

Make sure the festiveness of Sundays is a celebrating Christ, not just gorging in the things you abstained from; we eat meat and cake, drink wine and coffee and spend our Sundays with family to celebrate the Resurrection. If you find yourself going crazy for meat (or whatever you gave up) on Sundays, it's probably a good early indication that you may need to make adjustments and you should talk to your priest to guide you through those adjustments, especially if you haven't yet!

3. Rededicate Penance to Christ

Even with the 6 day waits, it can be disastrous to start thinking about our penance day in and day out, and even more disastrous to become frustrated that you can't stop thinking about it. Meat isn't really an issue for me (my family eats meat only 2 or 3 times a week as it is), and I usually feel the break from FB is a relief; coffee could be a killer for me. But if I find myself thinking about coffee, instead of fighting it (which just turns into a frustrating battle with yourself over something silly), I let myself enjoy looking to forward to coffee, and then I pray a decade of the rosary or something like that, thanking the Lord for the coffee I'm going to enjoy on Sunday and rededicating what I have given up to Him.

4. Make the Penance a Gift

When I want coffee in the morning, I make a cup for my wife instead, who doesn't give it up. This seems like it would be counter-productive, bringing the temptation too close, but for me it works. I feel a certain satisfaction that someone else has enjoyed it and that I have made my sacrifice a gift. If you give up meat, buy a roast for the old widow next door (who in all likelihood hasn't given up meat.) We did that last year. If the temptation is too much, then find another kind of gift to give instead.

5. Don't Isolate Yourself

Try penances that other people around you are doing. Support helps. In the old days, besides being holier (as Dr. Marshall pointed out), people had the support of EVERYONE around them doing the same penance. Some Catholic and especially Eastern Christian communities still have that. We as North American Christians don't. Meat isn't hard at home for us, but my parents (who we visit often) rarely have a meal without meat. My wife and I support each other, and my parents are very understanding, so we get by. As for coffee, my wife doesn't give it up, but she also never makes coffee for herself at home (that's my job!) So, I don't have to smell coffee brewing from the kitchen, unless I'm the one who did it as a gift for my wife.

If you know that people bring cookies to work every day and you love them, or there's a bakery you walk by every morning, it could be torture to give up sweets. Don't choose penances to torture yourself. I give things up that are important, but not things that will be wafting in my face all the time.

6. Leave Yourself Some Pleasures

I love beer and wine. Having given up coffee, I can still sit down in the evening and enjoy a glass of wine with other people. I also enjoy my pipe. If I tried to give up alcohol and tobacco too, it would be torture since I wouldn't have that little pleasure to fall back on - and I can enjoy the pipe even on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday when I'm otherwise fasting as per the rule! Don't try to eliminate every one of the most pleasurable items, but rather specifically choose a couple that you WON'T give up.

7. Build Up Little by Little

In my three Lents I've progressed from giving up one thing to three. I don't expect to increase this by one item every year, but I hope that in 20 years I can handle more than I can now. Disciplines are developed with time, not over night. I will also not feel bad if one year I have to go easier on myself for some reason or another.

So, it's possible to go hard for Lent, but it's not by any means necessary or even helpful to torture yourself.  I think these little guidelines I've created for myself have been a big help.

A Mexican Christmas Celebration in Ontario's Countryside: Year 2

Last year, I wrote about the Posada - a Mexican pre-Christmas celebration - which was celebrated in the village of Linwood, hosted by St. Mary's Catholic Church. This year, my wife and I (especially my wife) organized the a Posada at St. Mary's for the second time.

A special thanks to my parents who prepared the delicious Mexican food!

We celebrated the Posada on Dec. 15, so it's almost old news by now!  In the next few days I'll share pictures of features of the Mexican Christmas celebration which we're importing to our new home, Ontario.


Here are some pictures.

Making pinatas:

The dialogue with the Innkeeper.

This is the central part of the Posada, which means "Inn." The story of Joseph and Mary looking for an inn in Bethlehem is reenacted.

As you can see, the turnout was lower than last year due to inclement weather conditions.  Yet, including those who went inside and skipped the carols and dialogue, I think we had about 60 - 70 people:

 Mary and Joseph.

Like last year, we one-upped Mexico by having a real girl on a real horse with a real Joseph leading her through town. (In Mexico, they usually just carry figurines:)

 Enjoying dinner:

 The band.

This is a new addition, thanks to my godfather. (Here, we would usually say "sponsor" but I think the Mexican term "padrino" which translates as "godfather" has more meaning:)

Breaking the pinatas:

 

Kids collecting the candies:

And last but not least, grandpa with a baby:

Up next, Christmas Eve dinner and/or Epiphany.

Viva Mexico!

Happy Independence Day Mexico, my second homeland!

Happy Mother's Day - in Mexico!

Today, May 10, is Mother's Day in Mexico!  (It is always celebrated May 10, regardless of what day of the week that is.)

So, to celebrate and wish all mothers a Happy Mother's Day in true Mexican fashion, here's a beautiful song especially for mothers (especially for my wife and my mother-in-law, and, of course, my mother):

The Ascension of Christ

Today, 40 days after Easter, is Ascension Day, the day on which Christ ascended into heaven.

Dosso Dossi "Ascensione di Cristo" (from Wikipedia)

O God, whose Son today ascended to the heavens as the Apostles looked on, grant, we pray, that, in accordance with his promise, we may be worthy for him to live with us always on earth, and we with him in heaven. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

The Celebration

The day is the celebration of one of the most glorious events of Christianity, with important theological significance; Christ, as a human, is now at the right hand of God the Father.  We will be having an extend family/neighbors/friends dinner this afternoon to celebrate.

Unfortunately, the Catholic Church in Canada (Latin Rite) has transferred the liturgical celebration of Ascension to day to the following Sunday (with the result that it becomes "just another Sunday" and most Catholics have joined the rest of Anglophone Canadians in not knowing that it exists.)

Mennonites

Traditional Mennonites celebrate this day and take the days between now and the weekend off.  They also have a church service in the morning.  I joined my mother at her Old Colony Mennonite service.  Ascension Day, for them, marks the beginning of the services for the preparation of baptismal candidates.  They begin preparation earlier, but this is the beginning of the official "handing down" of the faith in the context of the church service.  It is in the form of questions and answers, all taken from their short catechism booklet, similar to the Roman Catholic baptismal symbol (i.e. the Apostle's Creed in Q & A format) but much longer.  There were 11 candidates - 9 young men, 2 young women.

The sermon is also directed to these candidates.  The minister said some good things about baptism as our spiritual rebirth, our entry into the Church, the beginning of the Christian life and our obligation to be the light of faith to those around us.

Prophet Isaiah


Today also happens to be the feast day of the Prophet Isaiah.