Monday, June 22, 2015

Lots of summer busyness, parish changes, and the joy of Ordinary Time...

This is kind of a crazy, all-over-the-place title, but I think it's apropos given how things are going for me this month. It's all good, truly, but SO BUSY. I took Friday off from both work and blogging for this very reason. There were plenty of things I could have gotten done, but...sometimes you just need to step back from all that, you know? Recharge and refresh. And so here I am, all refreshed and ready to chat with you. ;-)

On Friday, Mike and I took the kids strawberry picking. We live in Western New York, so as you can imagine, there are some pretty rural areas not far from us. Thus, on Friday off we frolicked to a farm to pick strawberries:

"Henry, DON'T DO THAT!!"

"Anne's STARING at me!!"

Right. A pretty painful experience. Well, the car ride was. The strawberry fetching in and of itself was actually very lovely. It was overcast and cool and Friday, as well as being uncrowded, so it was ideal picking conditions. We filled three quarts full of strawberries to take home with us. That is to say, Mike and I did. The kids mostly chased each other, but a good time was had by all. I didn't even have to threaten the children again until we got back in the car to drive home.

Saturday and Sunday were much more humid, but we persevered. I started officially working on my festival dance solo, more to come on that later this week. And yesterday, we spent some happy time after Mass chatting with our young friend Kendra and Fr. Joe. I just adore both of them. AND, big changes coming in the parish.

*ominous musical score starts up*

I mean, parish change is fine with me, but it most certainly is not with other people in the congregation. Coming in the new liturgical year are changes to the religious education schedule to accommodate a downsizing in space from the selling of our old school building, plus most crucially, a change in the Mass schedule. We're going to be moving from a vigil and three Sunday Masses down to a vigil and two Sunday Masses. Given the attendance at these Masses, I'm not surprised.  Instead of 8 am, 10 am, and noon, there will be Masses on Sunday at 8 am and 11 am, with religious education classes in-between. I'm not certain how this is going to go over, but it is certainly a needed change. I will miss the 10 am time slot, I really love it, but an hour difference isn't going to kill us. So we'll see how this goes.

But as we sat chatting with Fr. Joe following Mass, he in his bright green vestments for Ordinary Time, I got to thinking about the summer liturgical calendar. Although July is usually my least favorite month of the year weather-wise (this year though, I am embracing all non-snowy months, so July and I have a new understanding...), it is one of my favorites in terms of saint feast days.

Although it is not a special liturgical season, the summer of Ordinary Time has it's own charm. In July, we have the feasts of Bl. Juniperro Serra (soon to be canonized during Pope Francis's fall trip to America!), St. Maria Goretti, St. Benedict, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. July also houses the feasts for both of my children's patrons, St. Henry and St. Anne. I'd like to plan something special for each this year, although I have zero ideas, so if you have any, please do write in. :)

It's a quiet time of year, as it's still a long way off to Advent and there is this lull in the Church calendar, but I love enjoying each of these feast days. I try to remember and pick up my Magnificat each day to read that saint's synopsis in the daily Mass section, and my Divine Office app also has a Saint of the Day feature. Sublime!

Come June/July each year, I also start to think ahead to Advent and Christmas planning, but that's a whole 'nother post, which I'm going to save for tomorrow. And I have lots of posts planned this week! Crafty Tuesday, Catholic Book Club Wednesday, likely a video post on Thursday picking back up with dance, and then 7 Quick Takes on Friday. Yay?!

How was your weekend?! And do you have feast day celebrations for any of the saints that I mentioned above? Do write in, if you please!

6 comments:

  1. Our weekend was spent close to home. My husband has had several knee surgeries, and this weekend something went mildly awry, causing him to spend the weekend communing with his ice pack collection and a six pack of beer. Happy Father's Day, Honey!

    Our local parish did not observe any saints days. It's very small and rural out here and our parish priest services 2 parishes by himself. He tries to maintain a good schedule of masses and confessions for both parishes, so I think at times his homilies tend to be unrehearsed. Which is in no way a criticism.

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    1. Oh, poor Amy's Husband! Not a fun way to spend Father's Day. Do you have daily Mass at your parish? That does certainly sound like quite a lot for your priest to juggle!

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  2. Yes, daily masses alternate between the two parishes our pastor serves, plus there is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and confession before daily mass. Since I work in the metro area, and my commute is longish, if I make it to daily mass, it is near work during my lunch hour.

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  3. Amy, totally been there. When I worked downtown, I used to go to daily Mass often, at a church near my office building. It was nice. Now, I would love to attend the 8 am at my own parish, but it doesn't leave me enough time to then book it to work and get there before 9 am reference shifts/meetings. Bummer.

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  4. I don't know what I'll do for St. Anne's feast day but I am named after her so I'll probably say the novena :) and maybe have some dessert :)

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    1. Yay, Beth Anne! Awesome idea on the novena, girlfriend! I can pray a novena for each of the kids, leading up to their feasts. Love it!

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