April Fool's Day

Courtesy of Pixabay

Our Lenten self-denial and sacrifices are coming to an end, which began Ash Wednesday, February 14, 2018 and ends this Sunday, April 1, 2018.

Christians are in the holiest week of the liturgical year, Holy Week.  This is a very sacred time because Jesus' life on earth will be remembered and commemorated on Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday), Good Friday,ending with the Great Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday. These three days are called the Triduum. .

On the local level here in Two Rivers, all are invited to a very emotional prayer service of Jesus, on Good Friday, called Tenebrae.  This service takes us from the light of the Last Supper into the darkness of the tomb. It will be held at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church, 3201 Mishicot Road, Two Rivers, WI at 7:30 pm, Friday.

I personally first heard ofTenebrae last year and am excited to experience it again this year, it is that meaningful for me!  Hope you will join us there! 

Easter is also April Fool's day but when Jesus rose from the dead, he was no April Fool. He was and is the real thing! A blessed Easter to you and your family, too!  

I am a spiritual director and if you would like to do spiritual direction with me, call at 920.793.3530.  If you have questions about it I would love your call so I can clarify any concerns you might have.  You may also see more in my website, MollyLaFond.com 

Corned Beef

Yesterday my husband and I went to a local diner and the special was corned beef and cabbage.  Yes, with only several days until St. Patrick's Day, it only made sense. Originally, this Catholic feast day, celebrated the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. But, amazingly, he wasn't even Irish! .

The little town of Two Rivers, where I live is mainly of German and Polish decent, with other nationalities thrown in, but Irish is not a strong suit here.  However, come time for St. Patrick's day, it seems that everyone becomes "Irish"!  I think this gives folks a good idea to drink; green beer is touted on the local bar lists this time of year!

Courtesy of Pixabay

I think of other holidays and special times of the year and each one has it's own traditions, flairs and specialties.  This includes crazy local stuff like carp fishing weekend, deer hunting and even winter in Wisconsin.  We can find special references; locals and visitors alike usually have no question as to what is going on in town; conversation and decorations lead the way.  

So, this week, it's corned beef and cabbage.  Next week it's Holy Week, the most holy of times in the Catholic Church, and finally, Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus.  Seemingly ordinary times of our year help us to anticipate greater things to come.  For some, it's Spring.  For others, it's bigger than that, but any way you look at it, corned beef isn't so bad a precursor, is it?!

I am a spiritual director and now taking new clients. If you are interested in doing spiritual direction with me, contact me at: 920.793.3530.  If you are interested in subscribing to my blog, scroll down and insert your email address. 

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Outgiving God

The past couple of weeks I have been thinking of God's generosity to me. I have been without a car since Ash Wednesday and have needed to depend on family and friends to haul me around.  More than that, though, their generosity has not been limited to just transportation.  For an independent person like me it really is humbling to have to depend on others like I have; it has been a real eye opener! 

I think nothing of driving "over the valleys and through the woods" for a funeral, to give time and energy to a relative getting his house ready for sale or to help surprise a sibling at a retirement dinner...or anything else for that matter. Being there for these situations passes my mind without a second thought! I really don't think twice at this giving at all. 

I was sharing how blessed I have felt lately, how it seems that God has His arms of love around me through the care and concern of others.  My sister made a very quiet comment saying "yes, we cannot out-do God's generosity!" Hmmm. "What did I do that God outdid my generosity." I asked myself.  I've heard this before, it was time to hear it again.

Courtesy of Pixabay

It reminded me of a very old friend who had been in charge of St. Vincent de Paul in town, tending to the hardship cases. Often, he would tell me that their purse was empty, for giving to so many hardship cases, then, out of the blue, a very generous donation would come it.  "No need to worry," he said, "the more we give in God's name and love, the more it comes right back in!" 

I try to live generously, actually without even keeping tabs but when my sister said what she did to me and then pondered what she had said, yes, I had been generous even to the point of feeling depleted physically, emotionally and spiritually, but then having a sense of being so wrapped in love, God was filling me back up!  Filling me in ways I could not imagine.  It was true; I could NOT out give God's generosity!

I am a spiritual director and am able to meet you in either my Two Rivers or Crivitz, WI location.  If you would like to discuss God's generosity in your life, or any thing else, contact me at: 920.793.3530.  If you would like to see more on my web, see: MollyLaFond.com