He is Risen!

Well another fruitful season of Lent has passed us. Sometimes I feel old...

Anyway, out of my six students in RCIC five of them were at the Vigil and all but one finished the sacraments of initiation. The one poor girl was sick and after throwing up twice her parents took her home before communion. We'll have to do something special for her, she was so looking forward to this experience! The sixth student is going to receive her sacraments later due to a family reunion.

Yet we are not done, there is catechesis to be taught and First Reconciliation to be made. I do love teaching the kids about the Church. Tomorrow we are going to pray the rosary in the prayer garden! One of my favorite experiences with the kids and they seem to enjoy it as well.

Holy Saturday was quite full of things to do as we had rehearsal with Father Larry in the morning, a nice lunch of vegetable soup and a retreat where the children received letters from family and friends telling them how much they love them. It is always a great experience to see the kids read their letters. We discussed what would happen at the Vigil and then they wrote their own letter to Jesus telling Him anything in their hearts and why they were becoming Catholic. These letters were carried up to the altar during the presentation of the gifts. The reception after Mass was quite lovely with lots of food and flowers. I took a dozen roses home to love on.

On Sunday I got up to make bunny shaped biscuits which were a total failure when they came out of the oven (they lost their bunny shape) but tasted excellent so I was happy about that. Matthew and I shared an Easter meal with his (soon-to-be-"our") parents and three friends were there to share it with us. It was the first time we have been able to spend time with an engaged couple from RCIA, Stephanie and Michael, and I think they had a wonderful time. A dear friend of ours, Mark, was present as well and he brought some food to share. We love spending time with Mark, it is hard to find such a wonderful friend who loves to talk about books and spirituality and almost anything! We played a game of dominoes after dinner and then we had to go feed and take Chewy on a walk. We returned to Dick and Karol's to pray the rosary together and watch the Discovery Channel's Life series. Overall a fun-filled day.

I missed my own families holiday filled with chatter and children hunting for Easter eggs and baskets full of candy. My wonderful sister, Melissa, did bring me these amazing Easter eggs called opera creams which my mother will store for me until I come home. These eggs are hand made and are such a treat!

I gave up playing on the internet for Lent and alloted myself one hour each day to check my email and look at blogs and things. So far I think I did a good job and even had days in there where I didn't get on a computer at all! I am happy to be able to read lots of Catholic blogs again. But that is for another post.

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Blessed be God.

Blessed be His Holy Name.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.

Blessed be the name of Jesus.

Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.

Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the paraclete.

Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.

Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.

Blessed be her glorious Assumption.

Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.

May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with great affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.

Marriage Prep 4: Adjustments

So the fourth session of marriage prep was about adjustments and it was quite fun! I haven't written about it for a few reasons and none that I feel I can go into publicly.

Anyway, some of the highlights are:

- We met another family that goes to our parish and learned about their lives, marriage and children.

- We played the "Nearly Wed" game and every couple did quite well making the 8 couples' engagements look sound.

- The winners (not us) were rewarded with a cake-cutting ceremony and pictures of the event. It was quite cute.

- The topic asked us to discuss how we see our lives changing and what we will expect from each other on a daily basis from who does what to help out around the house to how we'd like to see holidays planned.

It is surprising to realize that we are halfway through and only have three more sessions left. We still have to take the FOCCUS test but I'm not really worried about running out of time. So, I'll update on what goes on this evening for #5.

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O, Most gracious heavenly Father, thank You, for being present in our lives in every way possible. Thank You, for the restlessness that reminds us to desire to be with You at all times. Thank You, for St. Louis and the wonderful family of friends we have there. Thank You, for Father Larry, Father Oliver and Father Paul. Please, bless them and keep them close to You. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

Texas Rally for Life January 23, 2010

Last year I went to the prayer vigil outside of an abortion clinic on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. I went with some friends and it was very very cold that morning. We then went to a pro-life Mass said by Bishop Aymond. I did not go to the March or the Rally last year.

This year I had obligations in the morning so Matthew and I went to the Rally to hear the speeches. It was a beautiful day and we saw many friends there. The prayer vigil last year was hard and there were many abortion supporters there to harass those in prayer. Next year I will make the effort to go again as we all need to suffer for Christ.

Here are some pictures:

Matthew , Adam, Sharon and some of their clan

Planned Parenthood: A Deadly Choice!

Heather, Allison, Kristi and me

Joe Pojman the Director of Texas Alliance for Life

The happy engaged couple!

At no point in time is abortion a happy time. But being amongst loving people who understand and appreciate life certainly brings joy to any occasion.

Travel

I hope we can travel around the world. Not with a lot of money or to buy and do expensive things. But to visit other people and see where Christianity first started. So see where Mary is honored and to pray at famous places.

Anyway, I just found a quote by Saint Augustine which makes me think of this.

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.

Considering how much both Matthew and I read it would be devastating to never travel--almost insulting, really!

I should keep a list of places we hope to visit, I'll start now.

Rome

The Vatican

Lourdes

Paris

Calcutta

(Don't worry, I'll be back to update!)

Marriage Prep Day 2: Intimacy

Last night was day two of marriage prep class. The topic was intimacy. It went smoothly, we didn't really learn anything new. Just a reminder to think things through about each other since we are so different.

The couple leading the discussion, Martha and Javier, were really great! I enjoyed hearing about their marriage and they worked well together on the presentation. I found it interesting that they were married at ages 18 and 19 and that a priest wouldn't marry them because he didn't believe they would make it. So they were civilly married for a few years before having their marriage blessed. They discussed how hard it was to go to Mass and not receive communion. I was very impressed. They have been married for 32 years! It is a shame that someone in authority did not trust that they heard His Voice and listened to it.

We have a homework assignment for next week but I haven't had a chance to look at it yet. I hope this weekend we can get a lot of wedding plans accomplished. Although most of Saturday is taken for a Young Adult Advisory Board meeting and the Rally for Life at the capital. Today is the day in history that Roe vs Wade was passed. I keep praying for the respect for Life in our nation and around the world.

It fills me with sorrow the way our world is today. Those of us who are devoted to God have trouble understanding because it seems so simple. To me, the answer is that we trust God completely and when we don't trust Him that is when we suffer the most. Realizing this and focusing our trust in Him strengthens our relationship with Him. I don't remember my first grasp of my trust in Him because I was a child and that doesn't mean I didn't continue to sin. Every time I sin it is because I stop trusting Him. I can imagine that for someone who has no trust in Him at all that it would be hard to take that first step because God doesn't want just a little bit of your soul, he wants all of it. It seems that to some people that He is asking too much. They are missing out on much joy.

Anyway, I have been suffering from allergies because I don't always take my medication (I don't want to be pumped full of drugs if it isn't necessary and the doctor told me that was fine). I have been trying to check on the allergen counts and it wasn't very accurate about this past weekend so I am coping as best as I can. I had to leave during part of Mass this morning so I could cough without disturbing everyone else. It looks like most of January, February and March have high expectations of mold and pollen so I guess I will be taking my pill every day.

So today I pray for abortionists, those who are thinking about having one, and those that have had one. May they find God and comfort in Him. And I pray for the other couples in our marriage prep class. I hope that they are getting as much out of it as we are.

Abstaining

Matthew and I have decided to abstain from meat on Fridays and so far it has worked out okay. I tend to eat a lot of tuna. :)

One problem I have been having is what to do as a penance on the Fridays that we do eat meat. Our friends, Sharon and Adam, pray all the decades of the Rosary as penance. I think this is beautiful and a wonderful penance but it doesn't seem like the right fit for us. So I will continue to pray for guidance and to discern what our best option will be. Any suggestions would be welcome!

So it is Friday and my lunch box has tuna in it. Yum! My preferred method is to mix in a few tablespoons of Miracle Whip and eat it on Pringles. Put on toasted bread is good as well but not as yummy as chips.

Marriage Prep

Last night was our first marriage prep class and it was about communication and our love languages. I think we had already covered much of that material on our own, which is good and we gained some new insights into understanding our backgrounds.

One major point that I felt was stressed was that we are taught how to communicate at a very young age by our families. Keeping this in mind we then analyzed how we communicate with others and predicting how our fiance then must primarily communicate. It was very informative since Matthew and I were obviously raised differently. A Catholic household does not identical make.

Also the topic of the Sacrament of Marriage was covered. I wish more time could have been spent on this but, alas, no. I'm sure some more information will be covered down the road. The more interesting topics broached was why are we getting married in an age where 48% of people get divorced? And that the sacrament of marriage is a covenant of three vows: permanence, fidelity and procreation.

I believe there are 8 couples in our program, which is cool! Last night everyone stood up and said how they met, what their occupation is and their wedding date. We have two friends with us, J. C. and Rebecca so it is fun to talk to them and share this experience with them. I do hope to get to know the other couples a bit better. It would be neat to know that they are there for the same reasons we are and not just to fill a requirement or make their families happy.

Happy New Year! (Belated)

Just spent three weeks in Kentucky for wedding planning, Christmas, and Rachel's wedding. When I am at my parents home, I tend to not want to get on the internet or respond to emails nor answer the phone. It is strange because in my other life that is not like me at all.

My 2009 Year in Review:

I started dating Matthew!

Mom and Dad came to Austin for a visit.

Lost a roommate and moved into a one-bedroom.

My first catechumens went through Easter Vigil and received the sacraments of initiation.

Went to D. C. and to Colonial Williamsburg.

My cousin was married and Matthew met my family.

I got engaged to Matthew!

I dedicated time to meaningful friendships and maintained the past ones from grade school.

I deepened my faith and educated myself on what it is to be truly Catholic. (that will be a never ending process)

I started seeing strands of gray hair appear in my hair. *sigh*

We start our marriage prep tomorrow and I am looking forward to that. I don't think every time will be fun but it will help us relate better. I'm not always easy to get along with.

I have a wedding dress, cakes are picked out, music is selected for ceremony, we think we have our readings decided on. We met with the photographer, caterer, DJ and make some preliminary decisions. So far so good.

What's happening

I've been very busy lately, as well has been Matthew. Thanksgiving was great and relaxing here in Austin. We had dinner with Dick and Karol and our friends, Seyma and Tayfun, came over to eat and play dominoes with us. Food was great, company was great! God is good!

On black Friday we did go shopping but not until the afternoon. We went to Macy's. Matthew needs to throw away some clothing that he has had for too long and replace some things! So we've been slowly updating his clothes with things more comfortable, better quality and fashionable. I'm very excited about his new clothes. We had to leave our items there because we purchased them on a sale price that wasn't going to happen on that day. I am going to stop by Macy's tonight to pick them up. I bought three pretty dresses and I might take one back but it was worth it to buy it at the discount price and decide later to return.

We have been busy thinking about our Christmas plans and I have been working on my Christmas gift-list. I am happy that I have something in mind for all who I am shopping for and I will be able to stay within my budget.

Our engagement party is just around the corner so I am making my checklist for that! We are very excited to be engaged and are happy that so many friends and loved ones want to celebrate with us. I have the cutest dress to wear!

We are going to be gone for awhile over Christmas. We are leaving Monday, December 21st and won't return until Saturday, January 9th. A lot of wedding planning will be done while we are at home. We need to meet with Msgr. Neuhaus, Father Ed, Fred the photographer, Marylin the baker, the caterer, musicians, and a host of other things. I'm looking forward to visiting with family and friends. I look forward to the cold weather but I hope travel is easy.

We watched Therese, Fulton and Gianna last night and had a fabulous time. The kids love to be read to and play games. Putting them to bed is always the end of the fun, children never like to brush their teeth or say goodnight but we managed without too much difficulty. I can't imagine what it would be like to watch other children who don't have the charitable hearts and innocence that the Gretencord clan have. The worst we get when a child is angry is, "I don't like you," "I wish you weren't here," or "No, I won't put my pajamas on." I would be horrified to hear them say anything harsh. Sharon and Adam are marvelous mentors on raising children. We have learned so much.

Matthew has decided on his game plan for graduate school and it coincides pretty nicely with my education. I'm really happy that he is happy and that it so far seems like a challenge but within reach. The more we learn about homeschooling the more desirable it is to us. Since I will be the one in charge of the education then it is important for Matthew's career goals to take precedence. My own goals include working for us to have the extra income to save for the future and buy a house. We might decide later that some schooling outside the home is a better idea than us doing all of it so it is important that I complete my degree so that I can return to work later and be qualified.

Anyway, that's what's been going on with us lately. I hope to have some time to write more later.

I've added the daily readings to the blog more for my benefit than for others. We have been going to daily Mass together every day and it would be nice if I read the readings the day before. Sometimes I have trouble following by just listening. I know we are supposed to "listen" to the Word of the Lord and I try but following along helps me focus and retain. If I was asked what I just heard I would, more often than not, not have an answer. I know that I am a bad listener, I have spent years working on it and I do care about what people say.

Anyway, Peace in Christ be with you all!

I pinch...

When Matthew and I first started dating he showed me the Honda crab commercial and ever since then we've had a long standing joke. Whenever I feel like scaring or annoying him, I lean towards him and creepily say, "I pinch" and he shudders and cries, "Nooooo!"

It's cute. Maybe you have to have been there from the beginning to understand.

So........

I pinch.

Happenings

So what has been going on lately:

1. Matthew and I looked at wedding bands and have narrowed down to two choices for each of us. Mine is going to be simple (yay!) and his is more ornate. We are thinking of getting him a tungsten carbide band that has a Catholic cross design on it. I think it is exquisite!

2. We bought his suit for the wedding, it is very stylish!

3. Greg has a girlfriend.

4. School has been frustrating.

5. Church has had loads of activities going on.

6. We switched our Adoration day and time to Friday at 7pm. I was struggling so much with the Tuesday 11pm time. If anyone is interested... I'm sure that spot will be hard to fill. We gave it our best shot.

7. We've had some fiascos that we can only thank God for His humor.

8. I finished Life of Christ and now I am reading The World's First Love. I can't get enough of Bishop Sheen's writings!

9. The economy is in bad shape.

10. America is trying to institute health care reform. But the USCCB is not endorsing anything that would imply funding abortions.

11. The Church is opening Its doors to conservative Anglicans.

Too Far Behind

I am so far behind on posting and I have had so many things happen that I don't even know where to begin!

I am engaged! Hooray! I am determined that despite the best efforts of my mother that I am going to have a happy engagement and wedding. We are getting married at St. Mary's Cathedral in Covington, KY on August 7th, 2010. It isn't that far away! Father Ed Brodnick is going to marry us and I have known him since I was nine. I have always dreamed of him being the celebrant at my wedding. Most girls dream about what dress they will wear and who they will have as bridesmaids but me? I dream about who's going to be the priest! Hahaha.

I am really happy with the ring that Matthew gave to me. I have always wanted something different and a sapphire really does it for me. Even the cut is spectacular. A fun part has been in having the stones shipped from around the world for us to look at and decide which color blue we liked the best and which had the best brilliance. It is exciting to have it on my finger and probably and hour doesn't go by that I don't stop to look at it and smile.

Anyway, now that I have that posted I will get more on here ASAP with pictures and videos. We took Makayla to the circus and I have some great footage which I'd like to post.

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Thank you, Lord, for this day and for the blessings you have bestowed upon us. Please continue to help us get through each day with praise and honor to You. Please help us keep Your love in the center of our hearts when we are facing difficult interactions with our friends and family. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Padre Pio, Pray for us!

Today is the feast day of Padre Pio

I love to read about Padre Pio since he is such an amazing modern day saint. I am very intrigued by the idea of stigmata and I love and admire those who have suffered as Christ has suffered with the same wounds. This is one of the rare forms of miracles that we visually see and he was living his miracle day after day! He truly loves God's people and new how to shepherd his flock.

I found the following written by Padre Pio in my Magnificat today:

Proclaiming the Kingdom

I beseech you, then, by the meekness of Jesus and by the bowels of mercy of the heavenly Father, never to slacken on the path of virtue. Keep on running and don't ever make up your mind to stop, for you know that to stand still on this path is equivalent to retracing one's steps. Don't ever disregard my suggestion and, for pity's sake, don't render fruitless and don't neglect the grace which was bestowed on you at baptism and has been increased in great measure by means of the other sacraments.

Be watchful, I tell you, and never place too much trust in yourself or count excessively on your own strength. Try to advance more and more on the way to perfection and practice charity more and more, for charity is the bond of Christian perfection. Throw yourself confidently into the arms of the heavenly Father with childlike trust and open wide your heart to the charism of the Holy Spirit who is only waiting for a sign from you in order to enrich you.

Yes, let us do good. Now is the time for sowing, and if we want to reap an abundant harvest it is not so necessary to sow a lot of seed as to scatter it in good ground. We have already sown a lot of seed, bit counts for very little if we want to be gladdened at harvest time. Let us sow now and continue to sow, my dear, and let nothing grieve us on this account. Let us make sure that this seed falls in good soil and when the heat arrives to burst it open and bring forth a plant, we must still be on the watch and take good care that the weeds do not smother the young plants.

Wow, to me this is a very powerful meditation. It makes me wonder if I am following the right path. I hope so because this path has brought me closer to the Truth and to better relationships with family. It has spawned fruitful and spiritually fulfilling relationships with new friends. The friendships I have made these past three years have shown me that there are more people out there who dedicate their lives to their faith and will pray for me unceasingly when I ask. These friends are very dear to my heart and in my prayers for them daily I realize that I never have prayed so fervently in my life before.

I also would never have found Matthew if I hadn't decided to uproot myself at Yale and move to Austin to pursue my degree in a different university. I came here for my faith and for my career. Now I realize more and more I came here for my faith. Which makes me scared about my career as it has lost some of its importance to me. I am going to continue sowing seeds and I pray that I am working towards God's will, not my own.

Many blessings to you all on this special day!