I was tagged a Meme by a friend of mine ... my first one since I opened my blog.
Use the 3rd letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real places, names, things, nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same initial.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME?.....................................Lillian Marie
4 LETTER Word:..................................................Love
VEHICLE:..............................................................Llama (did not say motorized vehicle)
TV SHOW:.............................................................Land of the Lost
CITY:.......................................................................Louisville, KY
SAINT'S NAME (BOY):........................................Luke
SAINT'S NAME (GIRL).........................................Lucy
OCCUPATION:.....................................................Landscape Architect
SOMETHING YOU WEAR:..................................Locket
SOMETHING FOUND IN A CHURCH................Liturgical Music
FOOD:....................................................................Limburger Cheese
SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM...........Lipstick
REASON FOR BEING LATE:.............................Lost
SOMETHING YOU SHOUT:................................Let me at 'em!
SPORT:..................................................................Lacrosse
CURRENCY:.........................................................Lira
ANIMAL:................................................................Lady bug
WORD TO DESCRIBE YOU:..............................Laughing
SOMETHING AT THE LAST SUPPER:.............Lord
CHRISTMAS CAROL:..........................................Little Drummer Boy
PART OF A SNOWMAN:....................................Lincoln-style top hat
HYMN:....................................................................Litany of Saints
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...
In India, a Sister of the Congregation of Jesus walked into the meditation room in the Universal Solidarity Movement (USM).
"I looked all around for the tabernacle in the dim light," the Congregation of Jesus nun admitted to UCA News, "but all I could see was a small ceiling fan, a tube light and a gigantic mirror on a wall." The sari-clad nun, 32, began wondering why the room did not even have a crucifix, but then her eye caught a black, wooden sign above the two-square-meter mirror. Written on it were the English words "God within" and a phrase in Sanskrit, "Aham brahmasmi (I am God)."
Here's the full article.
I hope I am not the only one seeing a problem with this! It's a slap in the face to what we believe - the Most Holy Eucharist, Jesus holy sacrifice for us. If 'I am God' why would I need Jesus? This reeks of New Age and Future Church!
From: The Catholic Church is the Mystical Body of Christ
by Fr. William G. Most
Speaking of full membership in the Church, Pius XII, in his Encyclical on the Mystical Body, said it is the society of those who have been baptized, and who profess the faith of Christ, and who are governed by their bishops under the visible head, the Pope, the Bishop of Rome.
The Church came into being when Christ died on the Cross, but it was formally inaugurated on Pentecost, when He sent the Holy Spirit as He had promised. St. Paul speaks of all Christians as members of Christ, so that with Him, they form one Mystical Body (Cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31; Col 1:18; 2:18-20; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:19; 4:13). St. Paul did not use the word Mystical. It was developed more recently to bring out the fact that this union is unique, there is no parallel to it. It is not the same as the union of a physical body, nor that of a business corporation.
The Church, the Mystical Body, exists on this earth, and is called the Church militant, because its members struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil. The Church suffering means the souls in Purgatory. The Church triumphant is the Church in heaven. The unity and cooperation of the members of the Church on earth, in Purgatory, in Heaven is also called the Communion of Saints. When St. Paul uses the word "Saints" in opening an Epistle, he does not mean they are morally perfect. He has in mind Hebrew qadosh, which means set aside for God, or coming under the covenant. Being such means of course they are called to moral perfection. But of course, not all have reached it in this world.
The word "Saint" in the modern sense means someone who has been canonized by the Church in recent times, or was accepted as such by the Church in earlier times. If a person is shown to have practiced heroic virtue--beyond what people in general do - in all virtues, the title "Venerable" is given; with two miracles by that one's intercession, the title is "Blessed"; two more miracles can lead to canonization and the title of Saint.
Taken from The Basic Catholic CatechismPART FIVE: The Apostles' Creed IX-XIINinth Article: "The Holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints"
By William G. Most. (c) Copyright 1990 by William G. Most
The Catholic Church is called the Mystical Body of Christ because we are all united by mystical bonds with one another and with Christ, our Head. This does not mean that we are God. We are all adopted sons and daughters of God...but we are NOT God. God lives in us because of our faith, through the Most Holy Eucharist. We invite Him into our hearts and souls. Jesus knocks at the door to our hearts, but we have to first open the door to let Him enter.
We are constantly striving to be holy because God asks us to be holy, like He is holy. This does not mean that we ARE holy - far from it!
"Never forget this truth: the Eternal Father is pleased with us only in so far as we imitate His Son and inasmuch as He sees in us the likeness of His Son, for it is in His image that He has predestined us from all eternity. For us there is no other form of sanctity than that which Christ has shown us. The degree of our perfection is measured by the degree of our imitation of Jesus and of our union with Him." ~Dom Columba Marmion, O.S.B.Abbot of Maredsous
This union is with Jesus on the Cross and in the Tabernacle - not in a mirror.
"I looked all around for the tabernacle in the dim light," the Congregation of Jesus nun admitted to UCA News, "but all I could see was a small ceiling fan, a tube light and a gigantic mirror on a wall." The sari-clad nun, 32, began wondering why the room did not even have a crucifix, but then her eye caught a black, wooden sign above the two-square-meter mirror. Written on it were the English words "God within" and a phrase in Sanskrit, "Aham brahmasmi (I am God)."
Here's the full article.
I hope I am not the only one seeing a problem with this! It's a slap in the face to what we believe - the Most Holy Eucharist, Jesus holy sacrifice for us. If 'I am God' why would I need Jesus? This reeks of New Age and Future Church!
In John 6:53 Jesus said: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you will not have life in you." The Most Holy Eucharist, this divine presence, deserves our worship. Someone who believes in it should be much inclined to come before the tabernacle often. Benediction, Perpetual Adoration, and 40-Hours Devotion should be promoted everywhere!
The Catholic Church has defined the dogma of the Real Presence by stating that Jesus Christ is present, whole and entire, under the appearances of bread and wine following the words of Consecration at the Eucharist. Exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is not only a very old devotion in the Church, but it also highlights the fundamental mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist that our Lord is truly present, body and blood, soul and divinity, in the Blessed Sacrament. It is the same in every Tabernacle of every Catholic Church within the world. We have a unique privelege to be able to visit and be with Jesus, his physical presence, at any time! How awesome is that?
From: The Catholic Church is the Mystical Body of Christ
by Fr. William G. Most
Speaking of full membership in the Church, Pius XII, in his Encyclical on the Mystical Body, said it is the society of those who have been baptized, and who profess the faith of Christ, and who are governed by their bishops under the visible head, the Pope, the Bishop of Rome.
The Church came into being when Christ died on the Cross, but it was formally inaugurated on Pentecost, when He sent the Holy Spirit as He had promised. St. Paul speaks of all Christians as members of Christ, so that with Him, they form one Mystical Body (Cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31; Col 1:18; 2:18-20; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:19; 4:13). St. Paul did not use the word Mystical. It was developed more recently to bring out the fact that this union is unique, there is no parallel to it. It is not the same as the union of a physical body, nor that of a business corporation.
The Church, the Mystical Body, exists on this earth, and is called the Church militant, because its members struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil. The Church suffering means the souls in Purgatory. The Church triumphant is the Church in heaven. The unity and cooperation of the members of the Church on earth, in Purgatory, in Heaven is also called the Communion of Saints. When St. Paul uses the word "Saints" in opening an Epistle, he does not mean they are morally perfect. He has in mind Hebrew qadosh, which means set aside for God, or coming under the covenant. Being such means of course they are called to moral perfection. But of course, not all have reached it in this world.
The word "Saint" in the modern sense means someone who has been canonized by the Church in recent times, or was accepted as such by the Church in earlier times. If a person is shown to have practiced heroic virtue--beyond what people in general do - in all virtues, the title "Venerable" is given; with two miracles by that one's intercession, the title is "Blessed"; two more miracles can lead to canonization and the title of Saint.
Taken from The Basic Catholic CatechismPART FIVE: The Apostles' Creed IX-XIINinth Article: "The Holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints"
By William G. Most. (c) Copyright 1990 by William G. Most
The Catholic Church is called the Mystical Body of Christ because we are all united by mystical bonds with one another and with Christ, our Head. This does not mean that we are God. We are all adopted sons and daughters of God...but we are NOT God. God lives in us because of our faith, through the Most Holy Eucharist. We invite Him into our hearts and souls. Jesus knocks at the door to our hearts, but we have to first open the door to let Him enter.
We are constantly striving to be holy because God asks us to be holy, like He is holy. This does not mean that we ARE holy - far from it!
"Never forget this truth: the Eternal Father is pleased with us only in so far as we imitate His Son and inasmuch as He sees in us the likeness of His Son, for it is in His image that He has predestined us from all eternity. For us there is no other form of sanctity than that which Christ has shown us. The degree of our perfection is measured by the degree of our imitation of Jesus and of our union with Him." ~Dom Columba Marmion, O.S.B.Abbot of Maredsous
This union is with Jesus on the Cross and in the Tabernacle - not in a mirror.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Speak, Lord...
Growing up in a very faith-filled home can be absolutely wonderful, but can also be intimidating. Not so much for the faith - that was the wonderful part. It was beyond the faith that was trepidacious.
My parents taught us how to live God-filled lives. They taught us to love the Lord, our God, to spread that love to others and how to listen to God's voice. The latter of which, I have the most difficulty. It's not so much having the desire to listen, it is more slowing myself down (and my mind down) in order to listen. My mind wanders continuously so trying to remove all thoughts during Adoration or Mass can be quite the challenge.
It was not uncommon to see my parents pray. In fact, they usually prayed about everything ... everything that mattered. They tried not to fret over the little things that attempted to block their view of God's path. It was wonderful to see them praying ... to observe their faith. It was when they instantaneously invited us to join them, and 'no' was not heard - we were included anyway, that became a bit embarrassing. It wasn't that we were praying, it was we were praying as a group. With my prayer, I am more introspective, more private. These are my personal prayers to God. My parents, however, firmly believe that when two or three or more are gathered in His name, the prayer will be answered. Maybe not in the way expected...but yet answered.
It was when we were living in the south that I was introduced to the gift of Tongues. For a girl who was already shy about praying aloud, it was disquieting to be around people who had this gift...especially when they used it! My parents usually used the gift when they needed to step back, out of themselves, during prayer, and ususally during their private prayer time. They needed to focus on God's view rather than the world's view.
When we moved to Ohio, maybe three years after we moved, they joined a charismatic prayer group. Every once in awhile the group would meet at our house and all of the kids would hide. But it was in those brief moments when we HAD to run downstairs that we heard the group speaking in Tongues. It was intriguing, yet intimidating. For a brief second I was straining to hear each of the different words ... then my fear got the better of me and I headed back upstairs to the safety of my own room - where I knew and understood the language spoken.
A little over a year ago, I joined a charismatic prayer group. They had a beginning series to introduce us newcomers to the Holy Spirit and the Most Holy Trinity, although the Holy Spirit and Jesus were the usual topics of discussion. I remember being prayed over to receive any gifts of the Holy Spirit that God wanted to bestow upon me. I also remember telling God, 'anything but the Gift of Tongues!' What a way to halt any endowment of God.
It was after I left the group earlier this year that I actually started opening more to God's word and trying to listen to what He was trying, ever so patiently, to tell me. It was then that I was opening more to God.
Little by little, phrases would come into my thoughts. Actually, they were more like utterances since I did not understand what they were, the language, or if it, in fact, was a language. I continued to pray about it, discern, and accept what I was slowly being revealed. About a month ago, my mom and I went to Adoration. The utterances became stronger. I knew I heard a few of the words before, so I asked my mom to speak in Tongues. The Lord was revealing to me His special gift ... a gift only given to me ... the gift of His Tongue!
I'm not a person who seeks a religious ecstatic experience, you know the kind, the 'allelujia, praise God! Be healed and be saved!' type person. Actually, even the enthusiastic ministers seen on TV send a chill up my spine. I am more reserved, more conservative with prayer. I use this gift during my personal prayer time when I am praying about a specific person or specific situation...not unsimilar to my parents. I ask for God's will to be done, not mine, and use the gift to praise God and His holy Name.
I have also found that I use this gift during Mass - during the epiclesis and consecration. Since the Gift of Tongues is actually a language used to praise God, I want to praise Him during the most sacred time during Holy Mass, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. What I found is that this gift has truly been a blessing. I have used it when I pray with friends, usually those who also have the Gift of Tongues. In my Church, we do not use the sanctus bells, so I pray with the Gift of Tongues, quietly, during the epiclesis and consecration...creating a joyful noise to the Lord.
Little did I understand what a blessing this Gift of God would become. Little did I understand the power of God and that He wants what is best for me. Little did I understand I do not know what is best for me in God's eyes. I need to remember Samuel's words..."Speak, Lord, your servant is listening," and then truly listen...
My parents taught us how to live God-filled lives. They taught us to love the Lord, our God, to spread that love to others and how to listen to God's voice. The latter of which, I have the most difficulty. It's not so much having the desire to listen, it is more slowing myself down (and my mind down) in order to listen. My mind wanders continuously so trying to remove all thoughts during Adoration or Mass can be quite the challenge.
It was not uncommon to see my parents pray. In fact, they usually prayed about everything ... everything that mattered. They tried not to fret over the little things that attempted to block their view of God's path. It was wonderful to see them praying ... to observe their faith. It was when they instantaneously invited us to join them, and 'no' was not heard - we were included anyway, that became a bit embarrassing. It wasn't that we were praying, it was we were praying as a group. With my prayer, I am more introspective, more private. These are my personal prayers to God. My parents, however, firmly believe that when two or three or more are gathered in His name, the prayer will be answered. Maybe not in the way expected...but yet answered.
It was when we were living in the south that I was introduced to the gift of Tongues. For a girl who was already shy about praying aloud, it was disquieting to be around people who had this gift...especially when they used it! My parents usually used the gift when they needed to step back, out of themselves, during prayer, and ususally during their private prayer time. They needed to focus on God's view rather than the world's view.
When we moved to Ohio, maybe three years after we moved, they joined a charismatic prayer group. Every once in awhile the group would meet at our house and all of the kids would hide. But it was in those brief moments when we HAD to run downstairs that we heard the group speaking in Tongues. It was intriguing, yet intimidating. For a brief second I was straining to hear each of the different words ... then my fear got the better of me and I headed back upstairs to the safety of my own room - where I knew and understood the language spoken.
A little over a year ago, I joined a charismatic prayer group. They had a beginning series to introduce us newcomers to the Holy Spirit and the Most Holy Trinity, although the Holy Spirit and Jesus were the usual topics of discussion. I remember being prayed over to receive any gifts of the Holy Spirit that God wanted to bestow upon me. I also remember telling God, 'anything but the Gift of Tongues!' What a way to halt any endowment of God.
It was after I left the group earlier this year that I actually started opening more to God's word and trying to listen to what He was trying, ever so patiently, to tell me. It was then that I was opening more to God.
Little by little, phrases would come into my thoughts. Actually, they were more like utterances since I did not understand what they were, the language, or if it, in fact, was a language. I continued to pray about it, discern, and accept what I was slowly being revealed. About a month ago, my mom and I went to Adoration. The utterances became stronger. I knew I heard a few of the words before, so I asked my mom to speak in Tongues. The Lord was revealing to me His special gift ... a gift only given to me ... the gift of His Tongue!
I'm not a person who seeks a religious ecstatic experience, you know the kind, the 'allelujia, praise God! Be healed and be saved!' type person. Actually, even the enthusiastic ministers seen on TV send a chill up my spine. I am more reserved, more conservative with prayer. I use this gift during my personal prayer time when I am praying about a specific person or specific situation...not unsimilar to my parents. I ask for God's will to be done, not mine, and use the gift to praise God and His holy Name.
I have also found that I use this gift during Mass - during the epiclesis and consecration. Since the Gift of Tongues is actually a language used to praise God, I want to praise Him during the most sacred time during Holy Mass, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. What I found is that this gift has truly been a blessing. I have used it when I pray with friends, usually those who also have the Gift of Tongues. In my Church, we do not use the sanctus bells, so I pray with the Gift of Tongues, quietly, during the epiclesis and consecration...creating a joyful noise to the Lord.
Little did I understand what a blessing this Gift of God would become. Little did I understand the power of God and that He wants what is best for me. Little did I understand I do not know what is best for me in God's eyes. I need to remember Samuel's words..."Speak, Lord, your servant is listening," and then truly listen...
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Thank goodness for family!
There are few things that I splurge on myself. One is good tennis shoes. They must have a high arch, leather, and be made by a reputable company. Levi Jeans - 550 - the others just are not as compfortable nor last as long. Another is Caribou Coffee's double mocha turtle latte. And lastly, although somewhat embarrassing, is VS underwear. It's the comfort - it's all about the comfort! Of course, I don't buy the plain colors - I have to get the funky designs and neon/bright colors.
Family! What to do with them?? LOL At least I know I'll have about 2 years to proudly wear them!
When I made my decision to join a Convent, and then God led me to Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity, I started laughing because their habits are all white. Somehow, the leopard print or 'Love' showing through the habit does not seem most holy nor the impression I really want to make.
How
ever, my sister, being the wonderful instigator that I taught her to be (being the oldest, I had to teach my wisdom to my younger brothers and sister. I taught her well.) She said all I needed was to add "I [heart] God" to the backside. We laughed, then I dismissed the thought.
ever, my sister, being the wonderful instigator that I taught her to be (being the oldest, I had to teach my wisdom to my younger brothers and sister. I taught her well.) She said all I needed was to add "I [heart] God" to the backside. We laughed, then I dismissed the thought.Little did I realize, she was serious! For my birthday, not only did she buy me some of my favorite undies, she also ADDED the spiritual saying, with puffy paint, no less!
Family! What to do with them?? LOL At least I know I'll have about 2 years to proudly wear them!
LOL
Movin' On Up, to the East Side...
The news is finally out!
Wednesday, my department had a surprise breakfast for my birthday. On Thursday, my actual birthday, I had an important meeting scheduled in the afternoon so I blocked out the entire day, which they thought I was not going to be in the office.
The table was decked out with a birthday tablecloth, balloons, and lots of food (muffins, donut holes, bagels, juice, cupcakes). What a great surprise! And yes, cubicle volleyball was played during the day. Unfortunately, I forgot to buy gold coins (chocolates) so we could have an 'olympic cubcile volleyball game.'
So as we were all sitting there, all 10 of us, I had the nudge from the Holy Spirit to tell my story. I had talked with my director on Monday that after my come-and-see week in September, I would tell the rest of the department. The Holy Spirit said now.
An amazing thing happened! They were ALL very supportive! I could not have asked for a better reaction from my colleagues...what a blessing! Although one of the staff nudged another and said, 'I think this means we have to be NICE to her.' lol
So now, I'm waiting to see how fast the news gets through the rest of the company. I'm sure the rumor mill will be in full swing...but so far I have heard nothing. Somewhat thankful, yet somewhat fearful....fearful for what MAY be coming. Then again, it's in God's hands.
Wednesday, my department had a surprise breakfast for my birthday. On Thursday, my actual birthday, I had an important meeting scheduled in the afternoon so I blocked out the entire day, which they thought I was not going to be in the office.
The table was decked out with a birthday tablecloth, balloons, and lots of food (muffins, donut holes, bagels, juice, cupcakes). What a great surprise! And yes, cubicle volleyball was played during the day. Unfortunately, I forgot to buy gold coins (chocolates) so we could have an 'olympic cubcile volleyball game.'
So as we were all sitting there, all 10 of us, I had the nudge from the Holy Spirit to tell my story. I had talked with my director on Monday that after my come-and-see week in September, I would tell the rest of the department. The Holy Spirit said now.
An amazing thing happened! They were ALL very supportive! I could not have asked for a better reaction from my colleagues...what a blessing! Although one of the staff nudged another and said, 'I think this means we have to be NICE to her.' lol
So now, I'm waiting to see how fast the news gets through the rest of the company. I'm sure the rumor mill will be in full swing...but so far I have heard nothing. Somewhat thankful, yet somewhat fearful....fearful for what MAY be coming. Then again, it's in God's hands.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
What's in a Name?
Lillian Marie. My two middle names. My given middle name is Marie, a form of Mary. It is the name of my Grandmother, who was born on the Feast of the Assumption, and Mary, our Heavenly Mother, both of whom I am named after. (I was born on the Eve of the Feast of the Assumption).
Lillian. Well, there's a story behind that name.
(For those of you who know me...of course there's a story! LOL)
I went to public school through most of my elementary/middle school years. I attended CCD (now known as PSR) and Confirmation in our Diocese was celebrated in 8th grade, so we were not studying the Sacrament yet. I made it through a little over half of 7th grade when my family moved to another state. There, I attended a Catholic School. However, Confirmation was celebrated in 11th grade. Great!...I expected to stay in this state & school system through my 12th grade.
Uhm...big problem. We moved again after I finished 9th grade. We finally landed in Ohio, where I finished my high school years. However, here, Confirmation was received in 6th grade...and I was in 10th! Yikes!
Since we attended Catholic Schools, the actual Confirmation instruction was given in the 6th grade religion class. So, little instruction, with the exception of one brief overview session, was given to my brother and I, both of whom were above 6th grade. All I remember was people asking me if I picked a name and who my sponsor was. It seemed every week, 'Did you pick a name yet?' 'Which name did you pick?' 'Who is your sponsor?' 'Have you decided on a name?'
Okay, I should have asked some questions, but I didn't.
(I was a teenager...I thought I knew it all - hah! was I wrong!)
Dad, I think mom just fainted....I admitted I was wrong.
Name, name...which name? I went through old school pictures, looking at kids that I liked back then (maybe not the best choice). I tried to remember friends that I had when I was younger and their names...nothing seemed right. Then I went through names of relatives... somehow I just couldn't see picking the name Gertrude, my grandmother's name. We always used to call her Dirty Gerty and it just didn't have the same effect, especially for a Sacrament. Ethyl May?...nope! Dolly?...I think not. It never occurred to me to look up a Saint's name! (Doh!)
I could not come up with any names that I liked. So I went to the best source I could think of (remember, I was a teenager)...Harlequin Romances!
Yep! Found the name...Fleur! Loved it! (I also like the character, which helped solidify my decision) - okay, again, maybe not the best way to pick a name for Confirmation...but hey, I had a name (waiting for the jolt of lightning to come down from the sky - any minute now).
Now for my sponsor. My grandmother, Mary!
Our birthdays were just one day apart...and, after all, I was named after her.
Well, there you have it....Name: Fleur. Sponsor: my grandmother.
Although, I must confess, I did receive some strange looks when I told people my chosen name. But hey, it was French, what did they know? And...I thought I was cool picking a French name...and only I knew where I got the name (well, until now, that is).
Confirmation: God certainly has a way of revealing HIS plan!
I had proudly handed in my name, on an index card no less, a week before we were to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The day of the Ceremony, the Mass began and I was proud as a peacock...until I looked around at the rest of the class and they were all 2 feet shorter than I was (uhm...feeling just a bit out of place). This sea of 6th graders, then there was me and my brother ... we stuck out like sore thumbs! But then I saw my boyfriend, D., and everything was okay. He came! I was elated!
We slowly filed down the aisle toward The Bishop. Yes, THE Bishop of our Diocese...he actually made it down to our little hick-town, cow-country...lots of corn...and the 'fresh country air'. I remember being impressed that OUR Bishop was there.
As the boy in front of me walked up to the Bishop to receive the Sacrament, the lady beside me was trying desperately to pronounce the name I had written on the card. Fleer? No Fleur. Flur? No, Fleur! Flir? Exasperated, I blurted out 'Lillian!' and probably a bit too loud. (I thought I heard a thud in the back of the Church ... it was the jaws of my family dropping on the floor!)
She announced to the Bishop, 'I present to you Lillian'.
I have NO CLUE where that name came from...it just popped into my head. I did not know of ANY Lillian's...nor do I remember having any friends or reading of any Lillians. But there it was...my Confirmation name...Lillian.
Okay, NOW I have a clue. The Holy Spirit and Mary definitely took care of the heinous mistake I was about to make by having my Confirmation name from a Harlequin Romance book. (My family is still scratching their heads on that one!)
And there you have it... Lillian Marie. (maybe this is why God has not granted me any children!) lol
Lillian. Well, there's a story behind that name.
(For those of you who know me...of course there's a story! LOL)
I went to public school through most of my elementary/middle school years. I attended CCD (now known as PSR) and Confirmation in our Diocese was celebrated in 8th grade, so we were not studying the Sacrament yet. I made it through a little over half of 7th grade when my family moved to another state. There, I attended a Catholic School. However, Confirmation was celebrated in 11th grade. Great!...I expected to stay in this state & school system through my 12th grade.
Uhm...big problem. We moved again after I finished 9th grade. We finally landed in Ohio, where I finished my high school years. However, here, Confirmation was received in 6th grade...and I was in 10th! Yikes!
Since we attended Catholic Schools, the actual Confirmation instruction was given in the 6th grade religion class. So, little instruction, with the exception of one brief overview session, was given to my brother and I, both of whom were above 6th grade. All I remember was people asking me if I picked a name and who my sponsor was. It seemed every week, 'Did you pick a name yet?' 'Which name did you pick?' 'Who is your sponsor?' 'Have you decided on a name?'
Okay, I should have asked some questions, but I didn't.
(I was a teenager...I thought I knew it all - hah! was I wrong!)
Dad, I think mom just fainted....I admitted I was wrong.
Name, name...which name? I went through old school pictures, looking at kids that I liked back then (maybe not the best choice). I tried to remember friends that I had when I was younger and their names...nothing seemed right. Then I went through names of relatives... somehow I just couldn't see picking the name Gertrude, my grandmother's name. We always used to call her Dirty Gerty and it just didn't have the same effect, especially for a Sacrament. Ethyl May?...nope! Dolly?...I think not. It never occurred to me to look up a Saint's name! (Doh!)
I could not come up with any names that I liked. So I went to the best source I could think of (remember, I was a teenager)...Harlequin Romances!
Yep! Found the name...Fleur! Loved it! (I also like the character, which helped solidify my decision) - okay, again, maybe not the best way to pick a name for Confirmation...but hey, I had a name (waiting for the jolt of lightning to come down from the sky - any minute now).
Now for my sponsor. My grandmother, Mary!
Our birthdays were just one day apart...and, after all, I was named after her.
Well, there you have it....Name: Fleur. Sponsor: my grandmother.
Although, I must confess, I did receive some strange looks when I told people my chosen name. But hey, it was French, what did they know? And...I thought I was cool picking a French name...and only I knew where I got the name (well, until now, that is).
Confirmation: God certainly has a way of revealing HIS plan!
I had proudly handed in my name, on an index card no less, a week before we were to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The day of the Ceremony, the Mass began and I was proud as a peacock...until I looked around at the rest of the class and they were all 2 feet shorter than I was (uhm...feeling just a bit out of place). This sea of 6th graders, then there was me and my brother ... we stuck out like sore thumbs! But then I saw my boyfriend, D., and everything was okay. He came! I was elated!
We slowly filed down the aisle toward The Bishop. Yes, THE Bishop of our Diocese...he actually made it down to our little hick-town, cow-country...lots of corn...and the 'fresh country air'. I remember being impressed that OUR Bishop was there.
As the boy in front of me walked up to the Bishop to receive the Sacrament, the lady beside me was trying desperately to pronounce the name I had written on the card. Fleer? No Fleur. Flur? No, Fleur! Flir? Exasperated, I blurted out 'Lillian!' and probably a bit too loud. (I thought I heard a thud in the back of the Church ... it was the jaws of my family dropping on the floor!)
She announced to the Bishop, 'I present to you Lillian'.
I have NO CLUE where that name came from...it just popped into my head. I did not know of ANY Lillian's...nor do I remember having any friends or reading of any Lillians. But there it was...my Confirmation name...Lillian.
Okay, NOW I have a clue. The Holy Spirit and Mary definitely took care of the heinous mistake I was about to make by having my Confirmation name from a Harlequin Romance book. (My family is still scratching their heads on that one!)
And there you have it... Lillian Marie. (maybe this is why God has not granted me any children!) lol
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Day of Reparation
The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy is proposing today (Friday, August 1) as a national day of prayer and fasting in the wake of the desecration of the Eucharist by a Minnesota professor.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
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