Back Again!

The incredibly beautiful Kootenay Lake.


Hello everyone! I haven't disappeared from the blogging world; I have just been taking time off with my family. I know that I very seldom post anything personal or family related on my blog, but the reason I have been absent is that my husband works away from home, spending a lot of time in Eastern Canada. He is always back and forth between Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, so I decided to make the best of our family life these past few weeks and take a break from blogging so we could do things together as a family. (Yes, blogging really does take up that much time!)

I will be posting again this week though, as he returns to his hectic away-from-home schedule. I want to show you a few pictures I took since I posted last - these are pictures of our stay at the lake, which was all too short, in my opinion!


Our two dogs enjoying a boat ride


Enjoying a few moments of peace in Kaslo, the north end of Kootenay Lake where we always vacation.

My turn


Serene and peaceful, isn't it?

Patience

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity [23] Mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity.


Last week, I was using a vacuum cleaner where the cannister kept falling out - over and over. I am used to the convenience of central vac, so I found this rather annoying. After about the fifth time of replacing the cannister, I began to get quite impatient with my task.

Now, I have known for a long time that I was never endowed with the gift of patience. Even as a child I realized that I came up short when patience was required for a given task or a situation. I simply didn't have the ability to ignore frustations that someone with patience would have been able to.

I didn't realize then that patience is a supernatural gift of the Holy Ghost; one that manifests His presence when exercised. I cringe at the thought of all the graces I have wasted over the years by not doing happily what I found to be troublesome, annoying and frustrating. No one around me would say that they were witnessing God's presence by the way I handled life's little (and not so little) annoyances.

Rewind to last week, when I had to keep replacing the cannister on the vaccuum. Just as I wanted to get angry with it, I suddenly said out loud, "Oh, Lord, please accept this frustration and inconvenience in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins and the salvation of my soul."

It was amazing! I immediately found peace and was able to finish the task at hand, even though the cannister kept popping out. Each time it fell on the floor, I just repeated my prayer, "Oh, Lord, please accept this frustration and inconvenience in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins and the salvation of my soul."

It's only been a week, but I have used that prayer several times since; I am trying to make it a habit to remember to say it every time I am faced with an adversity that I would normally find annoying.

Labour, if you can call it that

All of my adult life I wanted to be a paramedic. When I was twenty three, my best friend's mom was a paramedic chief, and I used to be fascinated by her stories, and the way she would make a sudden departure every time she was summoned from home to go attend to someone in distress. I was hooked, and desperately wanted to become a paramedic. It was not to be though. I had to wait many years for the opportunity I considered to be my dream job. I had children to raise; I could not be running off to who knows where every time the pager called. I became a fitness trainer instead, bought a gym, and even got into bodybuilding. (Yes, I know now, it's all vain-glory). That career lasted for ten years; I stopped the bodybuilding much sooner.

One day, on a summer afternoon in 2001, a frantic woman knocked on my door. When I answered it, she told me to call 911, as her friend was drowning in the river close by. I made the call and went down to the river to see if I could help. I searched the riverbanks with my good friend Coleen, calling the man`s name, hoping for a response, but we saw nothing and were unable to save this man's life.

A short time later Search & Rescue pulled up and began to organize their rescue and recovery efforts. I was fascinated when they put the boat in the water with the search dog on board. They paddled a few feet to where the man had been sucked down by an undercurrent. I watched, amazed, as the search dog barked frantically at the whirlpool, leaning over the boat as if to convey the presence of the unfortunate man. When the boat travelled elsewhere, the dog was calm, and sat down in the centre of the boat.

I got the nerve up to ask if I could become a member of their team. To my delight and surprise, they told me to start coming to their weekly training sessions. I took six months of training, and then became one of their initial response members. That was when I started working (as a volunteer) side by side with the Ambulance Service. I had almost forgotten about the career I had put on hold so many years ago, but I still remembered the ten years I spent desperately wanting to be a paramedic. As a SAR volunteer, I would harness up and go over the bank to bring the patient up to the waiting paramedics; I would assist in cutting cars apart with the Jaws of Life so that the ambulance could rush the patient to the hospital. I flew in helicopters, searching for missing people, and tracked the lost in the mountains. I loved it!

After two years of this, I applied to the ambulance service and was hired! I knew I could not stretch myself thin, and chose the Ambulance Service over the SAR team. It was, after all, what I had always wanted to do. When I first donned my uniform, I couldn't belive I was getting paid to do something I would gladly do for free for the rest of my life. It has been eight years now, and I still love my job as much as I did then. I love helping the patients and putting them at ease. The diagnostic process is so interesting, with each patient exhibiting different symptoms, that no two calls are alike. I feel blessed to be in a career I feel so passionately about. And apparently it shows. One of my co-workers told me yesterday that she absolutely loves working with me because of the passion I have for my job. This wonderful lady told me that she feels energized when she is my partner; that my love of the job has given her a new purpose to learn as much as possible, and be as good at her job as she can possibly be. I must confess, I blushed when she gushed about my apparent on-the job enthusiasm.

The thing that came immediately to my mind, though, was the prayer to Saint Joseph that I have posted on my sidebar. I try to pray it every day, at least every day that I open my blog. I believe that even those who are trapped in a job they hate, will learn to labour with love if they only would pray like this every day before leaving for work. Here is the prayer that I consider to be one of the best aids for the working man or woman:

Glorious St. Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my inclinations; to work with gratitude and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop, by means of labor, the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, without ever recoiling before weariness or difficulties; to work, above all, with purity of intention, and with detachment from self, having always death before my eyes and the account which I must render of time lost, of talents wasted, of good omitted, of vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all after your example, O Patriarch Joseph. Such shall be my watchword in life and in death. Amen.

How things change!

It's been almost three years since I started this blog, and in the two and a half years since I posted a web counter, we have had more than 126,000 visitors to this site from over 165 countries.

The early focus of this blog was on my desire to attend the Latin Mass, and the frustrations of all the liturgical abuses and modernism of the Novus Ordo Mass. Many of my earlier posts reflect this. Most I have left up, but some I have taken down. Now that I have been going to the Latin Mass for two years, I find my focus has changed more towards the traditions of the Church, like showcasing the sacred religious art of centuries past, much of which you can find here. Likewise, the Blessed Virgin spotlights many of my blog entries, as the case should be with the name of Salve Regina.

I find when I visit other blogs where the author is decrying the liturgical abuses they are exposed to, that it seems like a distant memory to me of all I have left behind. After two years of High Masses and great sermons, unlimited availability to the confessional, and the best spiritual advice of my life, I have to sometimes remind myself that there are still places where tradition is stifled. The Latin Mass is a sacred shelter from all that; a refuge that provides much spiritual comfort while dispensing the grace to grow in awareness and understanding of the Catholic faith. It is a blessing to have access to such a sacred, reverent and holy Mass.

No Internet, no news

I have been without Internet at my house for the past three days. Today the fix-it guy came and patched up the outside cable so now it's all up and running again. It's amazing how everything comes to a standstill without the Internet. No news, no blogging, no banking. I sure got a lot done around the house, though!

I'm off to work shortly - I have my second night shift, then I have four glorious days off. This morning, for the last call of my shift, I got to bring around an unconscious diabetic and restore him to a normal functioning level. That's always a good way to end any shift. Everyone is happy and no one is hurt or requires hospitalization. 200 ml of D10W infused through an IV does wonders for the unconscious diabetic. Thank God he had someone there to call 911.

On Saturday I am planning on attending a Legion of Mary retreat put on at my FSSP parish. I have never been to one before, and really haven't met many of the parishioners at my church, even though I have been going there for almost two years now. So I am looking forward to it; I am sure there will be many graces from attending the retreat. I have learned how important it is to recognize these graces that God bestows on us daily, because more often than not, we let them slip away unused. It is good to make a daily prayer that we will recognize and use the graces that God most generously bestows on us every day. If anyone has a favourite prayer for this, please leave it in the combox.

If you lose the supernatural meaning of your life, your charity will be philanthropy; your purity, decency; your mortification, stupidity; your discipline, a lash; and all your works, fruitless. - Saint Josemaría Escrivá ; The Way.

Missing Mass

It's going to be two more weeks before I get to go to Mass at my FSSP parish. One of the downfalls of my job is that I work four Sundays, then I get four off. That means I have to go to evening Mass on the Sundays I work, which only the Novus Ordo Churches offer. One of the benefits of living in a big city is that there are so many Masses to choose from, which means I never have to miss Mass due to my work. The downfall is there are no evening Latin Masses that are offered on Sundays. Still, it is a blessing to be able to work full time without ever missing a Sunday Mass, and for that, I am grateful. If my work caused me to miss Sunday Mass, it would be a simple choice. I would quit my job in a hearbeat.

Home Again

It's good to get away for the weekend, but it's also good to be home again. We went to the lake where there was no computer access - can you imagine that? A whole four days without being able to log onto the web! We caught a couple of nice sized rainbow trouts; one was almost ten pounds and the other was about three.

The trip home took longer than expected - we decided to take the scenic route and went over the Galena Bay ferry where we had to wait three hours for our turn to board. I walked down to the lake, and counted our vehicle as number 100 in the line up, so I knew I had plenty of time to sit on the rocks, watching the waves lap in, and pray the Rosary. It is such a beautiful place to meditate on the mysteries of God.

I read meditations from Saint Alphonsus' book, Attaining Salvation; a book I highly recommend to all Catholics. Saint Alphonsus has been called the "Doctor of Prayer," and I can't think of a more suitable title to describe this great saint and writer. If only I could attain such a perfect love of God as Saint Alphonsus implores us to strive for! The book is full of provocative Scripture quotes that give one pause to think - just consider this one from the book of James: For what is your life? It is a vapor, which appeareth for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away. James 4:15

I know now that our lives are a pathway to God, that our souls were created to love God, and they long to be united with Him, whether we realize it or not. It seems so simple now. But I remember when I was a teenager, I used to wonder what the meaning of life was. I thought there must be some grand reason we were all put here on earth, and I wasted many years trying to find that elusive happiness that was always out of my reach. If I had only known then that my soul was crying for God! How patient He is to wait for us while we keep running away from Him, amassing sin upon sin.

Someone once told me that learning to be Catholic is like learning a whole new language. I haven't finished learning it yet.

To Hell and Back

What was your New Year's Eve like? I was up all night; in fact I spent my night in downtown Vancouver among all the partygoers and revellers who were celebrating the New Year in "style." I wasn't participating in the celebrations, though. My job was to get them to the hospital after they had over-indulged in alcohol and drugs. It was a constant run to and from the hospital. As soon as we cleared, there was another one waiting for us. The emergency department of a downtown hospital can be like walking through the gates of hell. Will people ever learn? Possibly, but as soon as they do, unfortunately there is another one to take their place. It's a vicous cycle.

The bright light of the night came at 6:30 AM, at the end of my shift. I changed out of my uniform, and into the clothes I had brought for Mass. Then I made my way through unploughed streets to attend the Low Mass. I was the first one there. Correction, both priests were already there, kneeling and praying in the sanctuary. There is something about seeing a priest absorbed in prayer. A good priest radiates holiness, and prayer is the path to holiness.

This is something you don't often see in a Novus Ordo Church. In all the years I went to the New Mass, it was more common for the priest to walk in right at the start of Mass than it was to see him kneeling in prayer before the Mass. There was one exception to this. He was an old Franciscan priest, and he was the priest of my return to the Catholic faith. He would kneel on the hard floor in the chapel before every Mass, never taking a padded kneeler. He did hard penance, and would often give away the luscious food gifts that people brought him. He sat in the confessional before every Mass with the door open and the curtain pulled aside, praying his Rosary. It was an open invitation to the Sacrament of Penance. He set a good example of holiness, one that was very beneficial to me at that time. If only there were more priests like him. God rest his soul.

What would you have done?

1 Peter 4:8 But before all things have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity covereth a multitude of sins.

I have always been a sucker for homeless people. If they ask, I give. Not always, but almost always. Last year when our family went to Massachusetts, I brought about twenty American one dollar bills to give away to street people. We were only in Boston for one day, and I managed to give it all away before the day's end. My preference of course, is to give food rather than money, but sometimes it seems right to hand over a little cash.

This afternoon, it seemed right. We were walking in downtown Vancouver, very close to Hastings Street where the homeless people congregate in very large numbers, and it wasn't long before we met our first destitute soul.

He was dressed shabbily, a little unkempt, with bright blue eyes and a friendly but worn-looking face. He put his hands into the wire mesh of the ten foot protective fence and asked if we knew where he could find a job. He had just moved from Ontario, hoping to find work in BC, he said. I asked him what kind of work he did, and he replied that he had worked in the housing industry, and had used up all his cash on a place to stay and was now running short on food. He never once asked for money, instead, he spent about ten minutes trying to get information on how and where he could find work in the city. I told him that Saint Joseph was the patron saint of workers, and asked him to pray to Saint Joseph. Then I gave him five dollars and his face lit up. "That's enough for bread and peanut butter," he said, and thanked us for the kindness as he hurried away.

A few blocks later, a man with a plaid jacket and a beard approached us with drool on his lips and a rather bouncy step that was reminiscent of drug use, most likely crack or crystal meth. He was having a hard time trying to raise the fifteen dollars he needed for a night at the YMCA. He apologized for not being able to play the guitar as some street people do to make a living. He said most people had refused to help him, and pleaded with us to give him fifteen dollars. We gave him four. As he turned away, he said, "God bless you." Did he spend it on drugs? I have no idea, but that is between him and God.

It was cold outside and we decided to take refuge in Starbucks. A woman who had just crossed the street ran up to me as we walked towards the entrance. She was probably in her thirties, but looked ten years older. She reached out, but stopped just short of grabbing my arm. "I'm not homeless," she said. "I'm hungry. Can you give me any money for food?" I asked her when was the last time she had eaten. She said, "Yesterday."

I said, "Come with me. I will buy you something to eat." There was no grocery store around, so we went into Starbucks and she chose a strawberry Frappucino and an oat bar. Together, we waited at the counter while her order was prepared. She told me she had run out of food and was hoping to get some money for groceries. She kept a smile on her face as we waited, and thanked me before she rushed back out into the street with her drink and her oat bar. I hope she found someone else to buy her some bread and peanut butter.

I don't know if these three people were telling me the truth about their situations, but it doesn't matter. They were clearly dysfunctional and destitute, and I was happy to give them what little bit of help I could.

The old cliche

Long ago I learned something important about myself. It has to do with honesty. Some may call it bluntness, but being honest often means being perfectly blunt. I admit I have difficulty sugar-coating my responses to personal questions, and there is nothing I take more personal than my faith.

Today I went to Mass at a Novus Ordo Church on the Sunshine Coast while visiting one of my sisters. This particular sister is not a Catholic, but she is a Christian. After Mass when we were having lunch together, she asked me if I liked the "service." I told her it was all right, and when she pressed me to tell her why I said it was just "all right" I told her I wasn't very fond of two of the songs the choir had sung. Of course, that piqued her curiosity and she wanted to know what I didn't like about the songs. I told her it was the words; that sometimes hymns end up praising the people instead of God, and I explained horizontal and vertical worship to her. One of the songs, I told her, was Bread of Life, and the objectionable words go like this:

I myself am the bread of life
you and I are the bread of life
taken and blessed, broken and shared
by Christ
that the world may live.

I told her I found the song heretical, (we are not the Bread of Life) and told her that the song celebrates ourselves rather than God as we reach out horizontally and praise our neighbour. It is a travesty to sing this song at Holy Communion; it totally misrepresents the meaning of the true Bread of Life. The other song whose words I objected to was Sing a New Church, and the example I used was this:

Let us bring the gifts that differ
And, in splendid, varied ways,
Sing a new Church into being,
One in faith and love and praise

I told her these songs do not accurately reflect proper worship of God, but sing the praises of the congregation instead of God. (What is wrong with the old Church that Jesus established? I asked. Why do we need to sing a new church into being?) To which she responded:

"Catholics are so judgmental. They go to church on Sunday, then sin all week and go back to be saved again the next Sunday. They don't live their faith the other six days out of the week."

I'm not sure what made me cringe more - the accusation of being judgmental (maybe she sings those songs at her church and really likes them!) or the old cliche about Catholics going to Church on Sunday and sinning all week until the next Sunday.

I told her that she must know some marginal Catholics, the ones who have a really poor grasp on their faith to give her that impression of the Catholic faith. I didn't carry on the conversation past this point, but chose to change the subject. There were other people at the table, and we had a ferry to catch. It would have taken me quite a while to explain, first of all, that Catholics are not "saved" rather, we are sinners who work out our salvation in fear and trembling in hope that if we endure to the end we will be saved, and secondly, that Catholics do try to live the Ten Commandments, and when we fail in that regard, we avail ourselves of the Sacrament of Confession. Now that last one would have really been a hot topic. I love my sister dearly, but religion is not something that makes for easy conversation.

Suffering and sanctity

It always surprises me how many of my co-workers say, "Shoot me if I ever get like that," referring, of course, to being elderly, ill, incapacitated and in need of care. I always question them on their statement, asking if they really mean it. The invariable answer is, "Yes. I want my spouse to do me in if I ever get like that. If my quality of life ever gets so poor that I have to wear diapers and be in a care home then life would not be worth living."

This usually leads to a whole conversation about the sanctity of life and how God has the ultimate authority over when life ends. I remind them they will probably change their mind when they actually reach an advanced age where their days are numbered, and I often tell them to have lots of kids in the meantime so there will always be a family member to look after them. It is rare though, that I find agreement with my opinions; just about as rare as finding a pro-life paramedic to work or share a conversation with. So far I have stopped short of telling them about the spiritual value of suffering - I think a person needs to have faith to understand it.

Tomorrow, however, will be different. I will be attending a pro life seminar featuring Dr John M. Haas STL MDiv, and Fr Tadeusz Pacholczyk PhD, of the National Catholic Bioethics Center of Philadephia. This will be a rare opportunity for me to hear pro-life medical viewpoints about the sanctity of life, from life's conception to its natural end. I just may come away with some new ammunition to sway the opinions of those who think ending a life of suffering is a personal choice to be made by the individual who is doing the suffering.

It is often said that paramedics become jaded with time, being exposed as we are to so much trauma, suffering, psychosis, violence, drug abuse, etc.

I will never become jaded. How can I make such a bold statement when the burn-out rate is so high for people in my profession? The answer is faith. Illness and suffering take on a whole new perspective when one one looks at it as the will of God. If only people who were ill realized the value of this trial that God has sent them! I have been exposed to much pain, suffering, illness and sadness through the trials of other people, and I view this as a gift from God. It will strengthen me to face my own trials with faith. Being a paramedic is a position God has put me in to help me on the path to salvation. If, by chance or the grace of God, I can help others along the same path, I have done my job well.

No thanks, you can keep them

Catholic Fire has a video post that encourages all the Obama supporters in the US to move to Canada. That would really empty out America of all its problem people, wouldn't it? I realize that Americans are very patriotic, often more so than Canadians, and I have noticed that Canada often gets criticized by Americans for its lax moral standards.

Yes, Canada has legalized gay marriage and our school boards are pushing the gay agenda on children right from the kindergarten level. Canada currently has no restrictions in place on limiting abortion. We have become so politically correct that it sickens me. Our Human Rights Commissions should be abolished. Their focus is advancing the rights of any minority group at the expense of fair play.

What about America? Is it any different? Are not these same things happening there as well? I read yesterday that the state of Massachussettes is forming up to fourteen schools for gay, lesbian and transgendered students. Oregon kills their sick and elderly, and they do it legally, protected by their euthanasia law. Now their neighbour, Washington State, is gearing up to pass their own "death with dignity" law this November. Earlier this year, a California appeals court ruled that home schooling is illegal. Planned Parenthood is on a killing spree in Kansas.

Is there really any moral difference between our two countries?

The video is intended to be funny, but I actually find it offensive. I guess that means I'm a patriotic Canadian, eh?

Sanctifying your Sunday

The third commandment tells us to keep holy the Lord's day by going to Mass, engaging in other spiritual exercises or reading, and by not engaging in servile work, other than what is necessary for our family, or required for the good of our neighbour or the honour of God.

That means no shopping, other than necessities like food or gas, according to my priest. I recently asked him if it's alright to stop at a certain store that I only pass by on my way to Mass every Sunday, to pick up a few (unnecessary but convenient) items. He said no, that it would be breaking the third commandment.

I have come to terms with the no shopping except food and gas rule, but I still struggle with how much work around the house I can get away with on Sunday. My hobby is gardening and landscaping. (Yes, I really do have a hobby outside of blogging!) Yesterday, after Mass, I did some spiritual reading (The Glories of Mary and Imitation of Christ), prayed the rosary and the chaplet, My God I love Thee, - so far so good- then I headed out to the yard and started planting a new garden for ornamental grasses. I ran short of plants, so I headed to the nursery for more. Not only did I engage in servile work, which really could have waited until today, but I went shopping for plants.

How much work is too much? If it's your hobby do you allow yourself to "work" on Sunday? I'd be interested to hear readers opinions on what is proper for keeping the Lord's day holy.

Things You Never Knew About Dr. Bombay

First, a happy Thanksgiving to all Americans and a happy belated Thanksgiving to all Canadians. For the rest of you, a happy whatever holiday allows you a four day weekend and the opportunity to induce a gluttonous stupor.

A few days ago, I was directed by another blog to yet another blog where I read an essay about how many Catholic bloggers are always focusing on the negative and is that really a Christian attitude? I'd link it, but I can't find it and I'm too lazy to google it. Besides, there's something vaguely unsettling about google, is there not? Just how do those people know so much about so many other people and their various activities and what not, hmmmm? No sir, don't like it.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. This essay. Which made me realize that every time I post something it's negative. So today, on this day set aside by our masonic overlords influenced by Enlightenment thinking to give thanks to our non-denominational great Architect in the sky, I thought I would post things that I really like. Specifically, church songs. I maintain it would be too much to call them hymns, but they are music of a sort. These aren't the only songs I like. Just the ones you might not suspect. And I can't be held responsible for their theological dubiousness. Or the poor You Tube performances.

Enjoy.















Finally, a really nice one. Though, I must say, this version is troubling. It sounds too....what's the word I'm looking for....traditional. Yes, that's it. It would sound much better on a guitar.



Stop your internal dialog. We can't have Palestrina at every Mass, now can we? See, I really am just a harmless little teddy bear. With flowers in my hair...

Humility

"True humility isn't in thinking less of our selves, but in thinking of ourselves less."

Humility is elusive. As soon as you think you have it, you have lost it by the vice of pride. Pride is my stumbling block to humility, so if I can overcome pride, then I can be humble. Right? I wish it were that simple. According to St. Augustine, there are three virtues that are indispensable for one to be moved by the Holy Spirit, to be filled with His power, and to be enkindled with the fire of His love. These three virtues are humility, humility, and humility.

In the Bible, only three persons are named as to possessing the virtue of humility: Moses, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus. Of all the virtues, humility must be the most difficult to achieve, but by being in possession of this one virtue, the rest must naturally follow. How can one become humble when pride makes us think so highly of ourselves and our own achievements? God wants the most perfect people to do His work, but until He can find them, he uses us. I need to remember that quote to help me overcome my stumbling block to humility.

LITANY OF HUMILITY

(accustomed to be said after celebration of Mass,
by Merry Cardinal del Val, secretary of state to
Pope Saint Pius X)

(for private use only)

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honored,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

My Traditional Catholic Wish List

1. Full access to the Tridentine Mass
2. Traditional priests who know their Latin, and give good spiritual advice
3. Gregorian Chant back in all our Churches
4. For all Catholics to have, and be taught, a strong and deep knowledge of the catechism.
5. Homosexual men/pedophiles to not be admitted to the seminary
6. Traditional bishops who uphold the teachings of the Church
7. Restoration of our seminaries to include good orthodox, traditional instruction. Out with the dissenters and heretics!
8. Away with active participation in the Liturgy
9. No more altar girls
10. A gradual replacing of the Novus Ordo Mass with the Tridentine Latin Mass
11. Homilies that teach about faith and morals
12. Less focus on ecumenism and more on conversions

Add your own wishes in the comments box below!

Prayer Request

I would be very grateful if everyone who reads this would say a prayer for a special intention of mine for Wednesday, April 4th. Thank you!

Back to the Grind

Vacation is over, and it's been great to have 10 days off work. I want to thank everyone who kept us in their prayers while we were traveling. God bless!

I know I titled this "Back to the Grind," but my job is anything but. It's full of excitement & drama, and it's lots of fun. I can't wait to go back to work.

Next vacation is Nantucket and New England in late August. If anyone has any familiarity with Nantucket, could you please email me or leave a comment? I'm really hoping there is a Tridentine Mass there, but somehow, I kind of doubt it. Nantucket is the focal point of the trip, but I'm also hoping to go to Assumption Grotto in Detroit on the same trip. I've heard so much about it that I don't want to miss the opportunity to visit there.

Fun Day

Today was a really fun day. I spent the day taking work-related courses in self-defense and scene safety. I learned how to protect myself against violent patients, and had a lot of fun in the process. It's always lots of fun to get eight or ten paramedics together in the same room, especially since we all share a rather warped sense of humour. Kinda goes with the job, I think.

It's amazing how easy it is to escape from someone who has a good hold on you, just by proper body positioning and a few release techniques that don't hurt the person who is trying to hurt you. All the same, I hope I never have to use it, but if my stalker guy comes back, at least I'll know what to do.

It was a long drive today, and since I was traveling alone, I played the Father Corapi CD's that I picked up in Seattle at his Lenten retreat last month. One story from the CD that I really enjoyed was the one of the desert fathers, who was asked by a young monk about the devil. The monk inquired if people in later times would be able to persevere in the fasting and all night prayer vigils that the desert monks subjected themselves to. The desert father said, "No. People in later times will be weak and they will barely be able to fast a day without feeling faint. They will not be able to stay awake and pray all night, for they will be too weak."

When the young monk asked why they would be so weak, the desert father replied,"It is easy for us to do these things. We are fighting Satan chained. In later times, people will fight him unchained."

Conversation Killer

Something that has always chilled me is the memory of discussing the sanctity of life with a coworker who was a dear friend of mine at the time. We were talking about abortion, and me, being the outspoken person I am, told her that abortion was nothing short of murder, and that helpless babies who couldn't defend themselves were being killed at the hands of their mothers who should instead be loving and protecting them.

She was silent for a moment before she said to me, "What if the person you are talking to has had an abortion?"

I've often wondered.