<p>It is nice to know that sometimes we get things we don’t deserve. I have a wonderful wife and two great kids…How is your life going?</p>
<p>hey its raining and we need it!
I just have to finish financial aid today- otherwise my life is going great :)</p>
<p>Easy to get caught up in the stress of college admissions, fretting over less-than-stellar “stats”, second-guessing your parenting choices, etc. Then, I let the realization of my blessings sink in. Solid, loving family - teenagers that, for all their exasperating ways, have good values and truly love you. Nope, I don’t deserve any of it. I’m very, very grateful.</p>
<p>Blessings to all our CC family today!!</p>
<p>merry easter to everyone! I’ve had a nice day. visited family, hung out around the house… I just took my little sister out driving for an hour and a half (she has her permit)… She didn’t hit anything, so that was good 
Teaching kids how to drive is crazy, I definately know how my parents feel… haha. I took my cousin out driving a lot over the summer and he has his license now.</p>
<p>Happy Easter to all. Am having a lazy, easy day with just the three little boys. The smallest family in a long time. S2 is working all day and then leaving for 3 days for a trip with a friend’s family. S3 is on 2 week ski trip with a family. Noone is coming home this year, Couldn’t believe how easy it was to do the Easter baskets, and I’m gonna have waaay too much ham and Turkey!</p>
<p>He Is Risen~</p>
<p>We joined a new church and attended today, for the first time as members. At first, as I sat there, I had mixed feelings. I was still a little <em>annoyed</em> that my new church wanted me to obtain written permission from my former church (both Catholic) to join. After all, in my mind, a church is a gathering of people and shouldn’t be “ruled” by anyone who needs to give permission for anyone to come and go. Thus, I went through lots of “Do I really want to be Catholic? Maybe I should just become Episcopalian”. </p>
<p>But, I just LOVE the priest at this church. There’s something about him that makes me want to listen and believe him. So, while I’m still a little concerned that I’m feeling annoyed at the Catholic Church and all of these man-made rules, I’m going to give it a real try because of the priest. </p>
<p>I still haven’t gotten my letter of permission. I’m thinking that I’ll simply send my former parish a letter advising that I’m transferring to a new church, which makes sense because they will need to know that I am no longer a member there - no request for permission, though, as I believe I am free to make such a choice on my own. I can copy my new church on the letter. If that isn’t good enough, I’ll have some serious soul searching to do about my faith. </p>
<p>All in all, I’m feeling good about my experience with my new Church today. I was feeling very tense - until the homily when the priest came down to talk to us.</p>
<p>We attend a traditional Latin rite parish [Catholic]. We went to the vigil Mass last night that started at 10:30 and ended about 1:30 a.m. It was so beautiful, the blessing of the new fire, the singing [Gregorian chant] of the Exultet and the Old Testament lessons, the blessing of baptismal water and the renewal of our baptismal promises, all done by candlelight. And then the Mass of Easter. </p>
<p>Friday was my d’s birthday, but of course we don’t have parties on Good Friday, so today was our combination birthday/Easter dinner.</p>
<p>S. went out at 8 this a.m. to play in a brass quintet for the Methodists, who pay very well for their Easter Sunday music. </p>
<p>When he came home, I scurried around and got dinner on the table. We can’t count all of our blesssings, but we can look around and see some of the most prominent ones. All my children are at home this Easter, we are all in good health, we are warmed and fed, and surrounded by God’s love. </p>
<p>[When we moved from one parish to another, we registered at the new parish and it was the task of our new priest --or the parish sec’y–to notify the old parish. Canon law no longer requires attendance at any particular geographic parish, only that you support the Church in whatever parish you choose. I think your letter should be more than sufficient.]</p>
<p>A blessed Easter to you all. </p>
<p>Barbara</p>
<p>momsdream-
“Permission” to join a church? Makes me wonder about reports that talk about the decline in church attendence…Hope it works out. </p>
<p>I’ve been nursing my quite ill D with bad V and D hoping it’s really just a stomach bug and not appendicitis.</p>
<p>Our S is playing in a brass quintet for the services in a beautiful old church for an amazing sum of money.
He is especially grateful since the $$$ will help replace his recently deceased 12 yo Ford wagon.</p>
<p>Husband is now home from driving said son around the state and I’m making a (hopefully edible) Easter dinner.</p>
<p>Peace to all here on CC. :)</p>
<p>momsdream - Happy Easter. I’m the product of Catholic mother who raised us in the Episcopal Church (she married a non-Catholic, so that was that). Not to make light of your current experiences at all, I was struck by the similarities to the topics of CC - recommendation from former teacher (priest), permission to take a new course (AP/honors) with the best teacher (new priest), transferring, etc. Intending to do whatever it takes to reach your goal. All the inherent hassles and questioning. Ironic.</p>
<p>Momsdream, I wonder if the pastor at your current church was just trying to not step on the toes of your former pastor -maybe there’s some history there you will never hear about. We’ve moved parishes in a couple of our locations and we’ve never had to do that, which makes me think there’s something else to this story.</p>
<p>I don’t mind the man-made rules because every chuch has them - and let’s face it, the minute a human being walks into any church it’s a sinning place, right - including priests (obviously, I know).</p>
<p>Anyway, I want to tell you about a book I read a couple of years ago and anyone I’ve recommended it to has raved about it afterwards. With apologies to evangelical Christians right up front, it’s called, “Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic” and it’s written by David Currie. He converted to Catholicism kind of kicking and screaming and later wrote this book as an explanation to his family and evangelical Christian friends about his conversion and why he felt his intellectual and spiritual integrity compelled him to do this. Very quick read and very educational for an educationally deprived cradle Catholic like myself. </p>
<p>I’ve had a few run-ins with priests but I don’t let them represent the Catholic faith for me anymore. They’re human and they can be wrong, just like me, and I don’t hold their humanness (is that a word?) against them, anymore than I don’t let them walk all over me. But I can’t leave the faith because of someone with a mistaken vocation, either. If you decide to pick up that book, I hope you enjoy it and find it as edifying as I did.</p>
<p>Dear Momsdream,</p>
<p>Happy Easter! Glad you like your new priest! I am a “cradle Epsicopalian” and we have to have our “letter” transferred from one church to another if we wish to move memberships, but that doesn’t exactly entail getting permission! </p>
<p>Hope it will be a fruitful move for you in your new worship setting, and that God will be very present in all your experiences there!</p>
<p>Interesting EAster here. D had met S and other friends in the city last night for a punk concert, they stayed up all night, did breakfast at dawn together, caught the PATH train and Newark City Subway home in time to stumble into the house, take showers, and accompany H and I to Easter service. H played in the bell choir, and overall it was a great day.</p>
<p>What-- nobody else’s little kids got all hopped up on pounds of candy?!</p>
<p>Actually when my smallest “energizer bunny” starts driving me nuts I try to remind myself how lucky I am to (a) have him and (b) have a child who is healthy and energetic enough to drive me nuts!</p>
<p>well since we don’t celebrate easter ( we are heathens) i didn’t get candy
OOPS!
I just got back from grocery store and no more bunnies had to settle for a three pack of Dove truffle eggs.</p>
<p>Happy Easter to all. </p>
<p>I was telling one of my friends today how I missed making those easter baskets (I had enough hot glue and ribbons to make Martha proud)</p>
<p>Emerald, in our area, there will be enough half off chocolate bunnies and other Easter candy to sink a ship for the next week or so. Of course I overbought last week a premium prices. The blue foil wrapped Lindt truffle eggs are soooo good. H is the jelly bean thief, but some Harry Potter brand beans thrown in the mix has slowed him down!</p>
<p>Fun to hear everyone’s Easter stories! I am afraid we are some of those “twice-a-year Christians”, though I do think that the family each follows his or her spiritual quest. We had planned to go to church at the compromise church we attend (H raised Baptist, me raised Episcopalian converted to Catholicism and lapsed), but S was out with friends until 2 a.m. and he and one daughter just clearly needed to sleep. So H and I took the one awake daughter on an “only child” excursion to Stanford Memorial Church for the Easter service there. It was quite lovely and it was a treat to be with just one child that way. The sermon was about the puzzle over the name “Easter” (for an Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility) used for the day commemorating Christ’s resurrection. </p>
<p>Then we all went out for Easter brunch and I spent the rest of the day in what has become my “going-away” ritual when S goes back to school–loads of laundry (he does it during the week but I do the packing loads), and baking brownies (actually daughter does those), lemon bars, snickerdoodles, and biscotti for him to take back to the dorms. That, combined with a making a tasty and abundant Easter dinner, and I ended up being in the kitchen for about 5 hours! It felt almost like Thanksgiving. Son seemed irritable, and I couldn’t really tell if it was because he wanted to go back to school, or was dreading spring quarter (the courses just keep getting tougher although he is doing well). </p>
<p>But we all had a nice day. Oh and yes, all 3 kids got Easter baskets and were delighted with them, despite being 15, 15, and 18! Now daughters and I are packing for Hawaii tomorrow. Good thing too, if I have to see one more day of rain I will…(deal with it, I guess but oh my goodness EK I don’t know how you manage up there in Seattle!)</p>
<p>Barbara (Lhasa), thank you for brightening my day by returning the traditional greeting. In days gone by, my extended family would gather on Easter Sunday and the traditional Easter greeting and response was always given with great joy and smiles. Most of them have passed on, and I do my best to carry on those traditions. But, I seldom hear that greeting anymore - even in Church on Easter Sunday. Your Easter Vigil sounds lovely. I would have liked to have attended Easter Vigil or Sunrise Mass, but I don’t think my D (7) could have sat still for those hours and my S would have given me the “are you crazy” look if I had mentioned Sunrise Mass. (Sunrise Mass was another tradition with my aunts).</p>
<p>Musicmom, that’s why we switched churches. Our former church, which is close to our home, was VERY poorly attended. It felt so sad and gloomy. There are elementary schools associated with both churches (my former and new). The former church’s school recently closed for declining enrollment. The new church’s school is filled to the brim and has a waiting list. These two churches are about 5 miles apart. There’s another catholic church about a mile from my home. That church’s attendance has gone down so far that the priest is now shared with yet another church in the area. Each of the poorly attended churches has only 1 mass each Sunday so that the priest can make his rounds to preside over mass at another church on the same day. Yet, the church I joined is bursting at the seams and had FOUR masses on Easter Sunday and also has a regular Sunday evening mass, in addition to Saturday evening and 3 Sunday morning masses. </p>
<p>Docmom, perhaps that’s the key (and you may be right baout stepping on toes). If our new parish is wildly successful and the others are barely hanging on, there may be an agreement for permission to be granted before one can transfer. I still don’t like it and will let you all know how well my letter is received. </p>
<p>Maize, I never thought of it like that! At least I don’t have to sit for an SAT in order to be accepted by my new parish. I just have to jump through a couple of hoops ;)</p>
<p>Momofthree, thanks for the kind words. I think the word “permission” is what’s rubbing me wrong. Perhaps I’ll suggest they reword the letter they send to transferring families. HA! I wonder what they’ll think of me then - the troublemaker from that OTHER parish. LOL </p>
<p>Re: the candy frenzy - YES. My D is just now coming down off of her candy high. BTW, how DOES the Easter Bunny enter your home? This was the big discussion yesterday morning as D was taking in her basket. She says he must come down the chimney, like Santa.</p>