Lent: Domestic Church 2017

Hello all!

I'm writing to you from my back porch, with the dog sleeping in his bed, a purple candle burning, and a cold drink. It's a gorgeous day in Austin, Texas. We are in the second week of Lent and I wanted to share what our domestic church looks like, to inspire and pay homage to those who have inspired me. Warning: this post is extremely picture-heavy and I love it.

For more information on what a domestic church is, please visit these great articles. While I will one day write a blog about our domestic church, today is not that day and it really is a lovely idea for families of all kinds:From the USCCBFrom OSV

Our Home Shrine During Lent

Now I hope this does not fall under pride, but I like to think we have a lovely little home shrine and great presence of religious artwork and items considering we are a young newlywed and newly-Catholic couple. It serves not as a point of boastfulness or rubbing in others faces, but as a reminder to us of who we ultimately serve and a place to focus for prayer. During the liturgical seasons, we switch it up accordingly. Without further ado, here we go!

A picture of our home shrine as it currently stands. The base fabric is always blue, for Our Lady, but we change out the top fabric based on season. Here we see a lovely shade of repentance violet. The shrine is on a old shelf we got for free from my parents and placed beside the door to the porch and under a lovely window that faces another building. We have a huge stack of books on, beside, and below, so I'm looking into changing it out for a cube bookshelf so we can store supplies we're not using and the tons of books.

These guys are regulars in our shrine. Homemade diptychs I gave to the Mister once with some of his favorite icons, made with picture frames from our local thrift shop, and two smaller icons I believe I got in England at a Russian Orthodox Cathedral. No worries, they are also recognized as saints in Rome.

These two also live in our shrine full-time. Well, above on either side. On the left we have our Act of Consecration to Jesus through Mary, begun on our wedding day and signed on February 2nd, 2017. On the right we have the Act of Contrition which I find especially appropriate to pray during Lent.

We love candles. Here we have six that I picked up from Hobby Lobby, nestled in beds of black sand for an "ashes and sackcloth" theme. These represent the six Sundays of Lent and the associated liturgical color. Three violet, one rose, one more violet, one red for Palm Sunday. I like the image stemming from ancient times that candles represent prayers going to heaven.

Made from burlap I got at Hobby Lobby, it is the "sackcloth" in "ashes and sackcloth." Bet you won't see that trending on HGTV. It says "repent" flanked by two crosses. This is the first time I've hung a banner and I love it. It ties the shrine together visually. I'll continue to hang banners like this that match the season in material and word... now taking suggestions for Ordinary Time's word.

This is a close-up of the bottom half. We have votive candles representing the Stations of the Cross... see this awesome blog post for more details.

This is another regular in our shrine, with some seasonal changes. We always have the little house (got it from Goodwill and repainted) with fake candles that have prayer intentions written on them, a small image of Our Lady, Pop Francis, St. Theresa the Little Flower, and a Holy Spirit image I received at confirmation. We also have the only palm cross we can find, a rosary holder we received as a wedding present, and an image of La Pieta that is front and center this Lent. 

On top is a BREATH-TAKING crucifix, a tiny angel I received for confirmation, and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Note: the Mister made all of these rosaries! I am so lucky. He did not make the prayer rope, however. That was a Christmas gift from me.

This is our lovely mantle, over a fireplace we have never used (yet). I won't go into detail on the different icons and prayer cards featured above, as we've just collected them based on who speaks to us and what we've gotten free. We also have a basket on our home shrine with extras for people to take.

On the left side of our mantle. Typically I'll have fresh or silk flowers out, but being inspired by "ashes and sackcloth" the mason jar is filled with black sand ("ashes") instead. There was a single beeswax candle burning as a prayer for communion with our Orthodox brethren, but that was quite a few hours ago.

In the center of our mantle. We're working on getting a better St. Joseph, but we also have a rustic sign, my first crucifix ever (before I "came out" to my family as Catholic), and one of my favorite images of Our Lady.

And finally, on the right side we have a friendly sign from our wedding and a purple candle. The candles change based on the season. We got this one pretty cheap from our local Catholic goods store.

That looks like just about everything! We also have some icons, crucifixes, crosses, and holy water fonts scattered about, but those won't change... yet. Look for another post about Holy Week 2017. If I did not mention a store we purchased something at, it was probably our local Catholic goods store, Hobby Lobby, or a gift shop at a parish. I will try to find specifics if you would like.

Do you decorate your house for Lent? In general? I am always looking for ideas from other domestic churches out there!

Blessings,

Maria

For information regarding what we're doing this Lent for fasting/prayer/almsgiving, see this post.

Lent: Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving 2017 Edition

Hello all!

We are now in Week Two of the season of Lent, a preparatory penitential season starting on Ash Wednesday and continuing until Holy Week.

For Catholics and many other Christians, Lent is marked with forty days of fasting from something, two days of complete fasting, and abstaining from flesh meat on Fridays. Many folks, us included, will also add a form of prayer and almsgiving in addition to giving up a habit or material item. The Mister and I, being newlyweds and best friends with pretty similar vices, have decided to give up/add/give out the same things. I want to speak to them today and share some of the benefits, as well as thoughts for the future.

FASTING: from fast food and delivery*
*There have been occasions where eating out could not be avoided. For example, during our trip to Dallas we had to eat out a couple of times, and recently for a good friend's birthday dinner. On those days, we make a donation to a charity or church in the area as an alternative form of penance.

benefits: of course health-wise and financially this has been great, but Lent is not a diet plan (as a sister once said.) what this was about from the start was resisting the temptation to be lazy and gluttonous. i discovered through this past year that i rely on food for comfort after a long day when i need to connect with my friends, husband, and our awesome God instead. it's been a challenge and some days it's harder than others, but it's a great exercise in denying my selfish desires and choosing health.

PRAYER: adding prayer when possible to our everyday lives

benefit: knowing i need to find a way to add prayer each day means that i'm challenging myself to allow God to come in in more situations, as well as making me aware of the need to sacrifice time or personal pleasures for my spiritual health. i'm still working on this one, personally.

ALMSGIVING: our diocese has these cool "Ashes to Easter" collection boxes every year, so we grabbed one and have been putting change and extra cash inside

benefit: good place for change to go as well as reminds me to spend less and give more. we also, in connection to fasting above, try to donate when possible of our time or resources when we're going out or having to break our fast. tomorrow is st. patrick's day and our diocese has a dispensation allowing abstience to be replaced tomorrow only... so we're making corned beef and we TORE through our closet looking for clothing to donate. there's a huge box of great stuff going to st. vincent de paul tomorrow!

What about y'all? If you "celebrate" Lent, do you do so with prayer, fasting, almsgiving, or a combination of the above? I'd love to hear your ideas! I want to continue this tradition in Advent as well, given that it is also considered a season of penance and it is so easy to overindulge around the holidays.

Blessings,
Maria

Catholic Convert: Prayer in the Car

Hello all!

This is a post that has been sitting on my heart for quite some time. I'd like to thank my sweet readers in advance for your kindness, patience, and encouragement.

"I don't really have much time to pray, I'm too busy with x, y, and z." -me

Who's ever said or thought that before? (No worries, this is a judgement-free blog.) If you're anything like me, your prayer life might more closely resemble my workout schedule (sporadic and short with whining afterwards about how nothing has immediately changed) than anything else. Thankfully, due to the graces of God given through prayer (lol) and reception of His sacraments as well as the encouragement of the Mister, I've been seeing some growth lately! I'd like to pass along some tips and tricks about squeezing in a little more time when it feels like there is none.

Part One: Praying In The Car

If college has taught me anything over the last three years, it's that I spend way too much time in the car going to and from places. This can be stressful or relaxing, depending on traffic, but I have a few tips for increasing in sanctity while on the road.

Talk to Mom

No, not your mom-mom, though you honestly should call her more often. I'm talking about the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Heaven and Earth! Most Catholics have a rosary hanging from their rearview mirror--when was the last time you took it down and went through those beads? Even a fifteen-minute commute is enough to squeeze in a few decades! Don't quite remember the mysteries? You can go through the rosary without them if need be, or do what I did at the beginning and write them on index cards to review when stopped or before heading out. Personally, I've seen my road rage decrease significantly during the commutes where a rosary is involved.

Talk to Jesus

Not a long commute, or need something to ease you in? Try the Chaplet of Divine Mercy! Also prayed with rosary beads, this is a great prayer for anyone. If you're new to meditatively repetitive prayers, I'd highly recommend this. 

Talk to God

Now, I mean, both of the above options include talking to our Creator. But if you're particularly stressed out, just start chatting. He is definitely listening. Quite frankly, I've found that if I pour out all of my frustrations on Him before talking to my best friends about a situation, I find inner peace much faster and with fewer chances to gossip surrounding me. After all, isn't He your best friend anyway? cue 90s power Christian ballads

Listen to Uplifting Radio

This can be as simple as turning on Christian music that you love, a podcast or CD about the faith, or simply listening to the Bible via books-on-tape. Or, you know, some other method. Relevant Radio (970 AM, online, and on their mobile app) features a rosary every night at 8 PM and a mass (oursundaymass.org) Saturdays at 8:30 PM.

Street Signs of the Cross

The Mister said something lovely the other day when I was thinking about a sign I do so subconsciously now: "if you feel like you should cross, cross." On the road this typically manifests as I'm passing:

• graveyards or place where I know someone has died (for the souls in purgatory) 
• emergency vehicles and accidents (for the protection and healing of all)
• churches in communion with the Catholic church (hello, Jesus)
• literally anything else that can be offered up in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (including my temper)

MAJOR NOTE: Stay safe while operating a motor vehicle. Do not be on your phone, even to look at the mysteries. Make safe choices. Be aware of the weather and traffic conditions.

I'll be back with Part Two: At Home at a later point. But first, feedback--do any of you pray in the car? Any tips or favorite prayers to share? 

Signing off for now,

Maria

England 2016: Introduction and Funding

Good afternoon y’all!

Today I write from partially-cloudy-but-also-sometimes-stormy Leander, Texas, with dreams of going to sometimes-sunny-but-probably-more-overcast England! I’m sure folks are a bit sick of seeing my GoFundMe post being shared, so I wanted to make a blog post detailing a little more about the trip and expenses.

We will be spending about a week in Stratford-upon-Avon watching performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company, learning about the history of Shakespeare, and studying the plays we’ll be seeing—with talkbacks from the RSC! Topics include:

• ·         Shakespeare’s Stages
• ·         Shakespeare in Performance
• ·         “Behind the Scenes” tour of the RSC theatres
• ·         Doctor Faustus
• ·         What Makes a Great Shakespearian Actor?
• ·         Voice classes
• ·         A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• ·         The Alchemist
• ·         Stage combat and voice classes

After that, we will be spending our last two weeks studying in London at… the Globe! We will also be seeing a performance of Romeo and Juliet in the West End. There will be some free days where I plan to explore the city, as we have unlimited Tube and bus access in Zones One and Two. Topics in London include:

• ·         Macbeth
• ·         Understanding the Globe and Sam Wanamkaer Playhouse
• ·         Kenneth Branaugh’s Romeo and Juliet
• ·         The Taming of the Shrew
• ·         A Midsummer’s Night Dream
• ·         The Threepenny Opera
• ·         The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk
• ·         Acting, movement, voice, text and language, historical dance, and indoor playing workshops

Thankfully my spring student loans have covered the tuition and fees required by the program. However, they did not cover my airfare, meals, or other supplies. I’ve listed out the cost of different items on the trip; please consider sponsoring even part of my experience! If you would like a watercolor of a piece of England or a postcard, I would be more than happy to paint or find one for you while overseas—just let me know!

Note: The airline tickets have been purchased, but on a credit card that I am looking to get paid off as soon as possible. All other prices are estimated; I’m hoping to spend less than that per day on food, of course!

Experience	Cost	Amount Funded
Southwest flight to/from Dallas and LaGuardia	$362.97	$107.09
Air Canada flight to/from LaGuardia to Heathrow	$831.53
Taming of the Shrew (Folgers)	$4.00	$4.00
Romeo and Juliet  (Folgers)	$4.99	$4.99
A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Folgers)	$3.59	$3.59
Macbeth (Folgers)	$4.49	$4.49
Shakespeare’s Wordcraft	$14.98	$14.98
Breakfast (14 days)	$6 a day/$84 total
Lunch (21 days)	$10 a day/$220 total
Dinner (21 days)	$15 a day/$330 total
Meals traveling to London	$25
Meals traveling from London	$25
TOTAL	$1,910.55	$145.00

As you can see, even the tiniest bit helps bring me closer to my goal! If you would like to sponsor sometime in particular (or the trip in general), feel free to donate to my GoFundMe or in person.

Thank you!!!

Love,

Maria

Bucket List of Faith: Dallas, TX (The Prequel)

This week is spring break here in sunny rainy mildly cloudy Central Texas, and between sleeping until 8 A.M. and getting to wear leggings all day, my friends and I are headed to Dallas, TX, for a mini-vacation! As a student teacher, I could not be any more excited about this adventure.

Two of my dear friends plan to head to Six Flags Over Texas for a day; Brian and I are BLOF-ing instead! We will post more in a couple of days about our adventures, but here's where we plan to visit... for now:

-Catholic Church of St. Mary the Virgin (an Ordinariate!)
-St. Philopateer Coptic Orthodox Church
-Debre Meheret St. Michael (Ethiopian) Cathedral
-St. George Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Church
-Cathedral of St. Seraphim of Sarov (Orthodox Church in America)
-Gurdwawa Nishkam Seva (Sikhism)

For a visual of where these beautiful and unique churches are located, I've embedded a map below. If you've got suggestions of more unique BLOF-worthy places to visit while we roadtrip, let us know!



Right now, these are the churches we have left (not including the five above); we would love buddies or suggestions of places to go, in Central Texas or Dallas! Blue represents a place we have visited, yellow is on our Dallas MegaBLOF, and green means we have not been... yet.

African Methodist Episcopal

American Catholic Church

Baptist (non-SBC)

Baptist (SBC)

Christian Scientists

Church of Christ

Disciples of Christ

Eastern Catholic (Maronite)

Eastern Catholic (Ruthenian/Byzantine)

Episcopalian (Anglican)

Episcopalian (Anglican)

Latter-day Saints (Mormon)

Lutheran (ECLA)

Lutheran (LCMS)

Lutheran (WELS)

Methodist (UMC)

Nazarene

Non-denominational

Ordinariate (Catholic)

Orthodox (Antiochian)

Orthodox (Coptic)

Orthodox (Ethiopian)

Orthodox (Greek)

Orthodox (Indian)

Orthodox (Romanian)

Orthodox (Russian)

Pentecostal (Assemblies of God)

Presbyterian (PCUSA)

Quakers

Salvation Army

Seventh-day Adventist

Unitarian Universalists

Orthodox Church in America

Judaism (Reform) Judaism (Conservative) Islam Hinduism Buddhism Sikhism Baha’i

Much love,
Maria (and Fiance)