Sunday, April 23, 2006

Easter was wonderful!

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Well, Easter week was wonderful. I did so much....

I hung out with a bunch of college kids a lot. We went out of town to a campfire and sang under the stars. I read my inspirational poetry and it was well received. They really liked the one about St. Monica. That mildly surprised and delighted me. Mark said hearing them recited by the campfire was like a spiritual experience and he's heard all my poems before. Can't get better than that for a poet.

All the adult Catholic babies got baptized or confirmed and received first communion. What a joy to see them start out on their new journey of faith. My friend, Monica, went with me to Easter Vigil, the long mass that is the climax of the Catholic year (that's where they got baptized, confirmed and received first communion) and she loved it. Said it went by so fast. She really liked that the mass starts out in the dark.... I love the smell of the incense and the fact that we can all share the Eucharist as one in celebration of Jesus' resurrection.

Today, a week later, after mass, the new Catholics shared how the Easter week events shaped their new lives in the Lord. We sat outside under the spring sun and cool breeze enjoying it all. It was beautiful. That's what I like about the Catholic Church, there is so much spiritual beauty....

Last night we went back out under the stars. This time we had a retired nun and Peter, a seventy something young man with a beautiful singing voice with us. They have their liberal lack of insight, but are wonderful people nonetheless. We celebrated Earth day. I proposed a toast to the good earth. Thankfully no one prayed to the so-called goddess.... That would have grieved me. We drank a little wine and had cheese, crackers and fruit and sang a few songs. The stars were out in fine form which is such a novelty for us city dwellers. Saw Orion's belt and his bow and arrow. Another beautiful night with good people.

I hope you had a good and inspiring Easter. I hope the new life of Christ's resurrection has and will find its way into your heart. And remember the Catholic Church celebrates Easter for a few weeks so don't think it's over. It's just begun!

Thursday, April 13, 2006

New York Hack

http://newyorkhack.blogspot.com

Just found an interesting blog. It's the perspective of a female New York Yellow cab driver.

Easter is coming!

I actually like this time of year in some ways more than Christmas. It's springtime, of course, but there is also the lack of childhood woundedness that the Yuletide season awakens. Maybe some decade I'll get over all that stuff. May the grace of God through his Church heal me from all wounds.

All kinds of things are happening this year. I took three days off, the three high holy days of the Triduum. Today is the first day. I slept in and did Morning Prayers with the people at Church. Then I'm going to a barbeque and then to Holy Thursday mass and then Taize ( special type of contemplative prayer thru singing) under the stars afterwards.

Tomorrow I will go with folks from the Catholic Worker to do the Stations of the Cross out at the Nevada Test Site and then I'll watch my liberal friends protest and cross the no-trespass line and get arrested, praying for them to be converted to the right side (hehe- please, folks, no offense intended). Then Good Friday service, one of my favorites of the year, with its veneration of the Cross.

Then Saturday will be Morning Prayer again and then special time with the converts in RCIA. I'm also gonna take my son out to Macaroni Grill for his birthday around 2:00. (Pray for him, he needs godly influences in all areas) Then I'll pick up my friend, Monica, to go to Holy Saturday Easter vigil mass for the culmination of the season. Easter Sunday I will rest and go to Mark's barbeque. Then I'll have Monday off to recover, heh.... Hmm, maybe I'll try to have the kids over.

May your Easter be blessed! May you come to terms with the fact that the Creator of the Universe and of your very own soul suffered for you, died for you and rose again from the dead for you. May you be set free from the very things that tear at your soul and be found forever heaven bound living a life of love, good works and freedom from sin.

Happy Easter!

Monday, April 03, 2006

Springtime in Las Vegas

Beautiful weather here. Got girls on my mind again. To avoid temptation I went to Spring Mountain State Park, went up a little hiking trail and found a soft spot where I laid my blanket out and prayed the rosary. The sun was bright, the air was cool and there were these birds who had a soft, sweet song. God's beauty is drink to the soul.

Still got wild thoughts about girls on my mind but the impulse to go chasing them is under control now. Tried to get the kids together for Texas Holdem today but Chris is not answering his phone- he just got a new job, Joshua has to work and Serenity was enjoying the pool on this sunny day. But she promised to have lunch with me tomorrow, an adequate compensation, maybe we'll go to TGI Friday's. Now that I got this neat car to drive maybe I'll go over the Chris's place and roust him up for a meal.

So the Lonely Man has been feeling lonely lately. Tell me, what do you do about your loneliness? Leave a comment....