Jessie: The Rite of Sending

So, in RCIA today we had a mini-retreat. The topic of the day was mainly prayer. On mini-retreat days (always held on a Saturday), we go to 4 pm Mass across the parking lot. Then we get to skip Sunday 8:30 am Mass, and I get to sleep in a bit. This week was different because on Saturday the RCIA members were presented to the church and our sponsors were asked if we were ready to move on in our education.
This information was based on a survey I had to take and Greg had to sign off on. After the Rite of Sending, we went downstairs to break open the word.

Sunday I will attend a Service at St. Joseph Cathedral, which is where Bishop John McCormack is. There I will attend the Rite of Election, which is where he blesses me. My parents are supposed to go, which will make me happy, because so far, only my dad has attended any of the services that were important to me (presentation and midnight mass.)


Sunday:
Well, I went to the Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Conversion ceremony today. St. Joseph Cathedral is gorgeous, it's almost like being in Rome, not that I would know, I've never been. I'd imagine it would look like that though. Greg wore his suit and I wore a dress. Most of the other people wore street clothes, but since this wasn't your basic Sunday, I wanted to kick it up a notch.
They called the catecumens first. Then they brought up the book of elect up. It was beautiful. My mom said she got nervous when she didn't hear my name. I got called up when the candidates went up. Greg stood in the pew as my sponsor, and answered that he supported my continuing of my education. Father Bob, our pastor even attended. After I shook the Bishop and deacon's hand, I took my place up front, facing the assembly. My mom and dad were in the back, waving, but I knew I couldn't wave back, I just smiled. As the presentation went on, I felt the sudden urge to cry. I really wanted to, but held it back. After the presentation, I was allowed to go back to the pew where my parish was assigned. My parents came around to our pew after the service and met a few of the team members. Dad said mom had to work that night and so they couldn't join us for the reception downstairs, we asked where they parked and my dad, being the wiseguy he always is, replied." In the space reserved for the Pope!"
So, I must say, I had a great weekend, and I feel more confident at every mass I attend. I also feel like I belong, I think I really found what was missing in my life.
Greg and I are going to do a rosary this week! I'm excited, it'll be my first rosary ever, I don't babysit anymore (Christina's mom took over, and it was better for everyone because I used to drive 45 minutes each morning and then work an 8 hour shift on top of it, and her mom can really use the money more.) ,so I have more time, and I even took Holy Week off from work ( I have 3 weeks of vacation and I NEVER use it before Dec 27th [my hire date] so therefore, I lose it!). So, enough of me rambling, I hope you all have a wonderful week!

NO MEAT!!

NO MEAT!

Hi siblings, how was everyone's week? Mine was pretty crazy/fast. I'm glad it's over. Anyways hopefully later today I'm going to my friends parrots birthday! It should be fun! I wanted to put some pictures up from my Maine trip but the computer is reading the camera right or something. I'll get em' up soon though probably on Facebook!
Love ya!
-Liz

Frank: Our Lenten Journey

Lent is certainly not my favorite liturgical season, but it is one of the more important ones. It is only in Lent that at least once a week, there is a distinct reminder of the Lenten journey. Especially since I greatly dislike most fish, the struggle to find food on Fridays is part of the sacrifice. It's become more important to me as I grow up to find significant changes to my life as a result of my faith. I feel the presence of God more clearly when my actions are shaped by my faith traditions.

Of more interest to you, siblings, is that Lent marks our closing in on Holy Week 2009. Since we started the blog following Easter of 208, the blog itself will be reaching the one year mark. Once we reach that point, we will have concluded the one year experiment of blogging. Our obligation to post also stops with the one year mark.

Anne: Ash Wednesday

So I became violently ill the other day. Well, not violently. Maybe about as violent as a sword fight with plastic cutlery. So, not that violent. But I was sick!

But I'm better now.

It's Lent. And I have 3 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in my pantry. What awful timing.

I've been re-reading A Tale of Two Cities. Not as exciting as I remember it, but we'll see. I mean, it is Dickens, after all.

I don't have too much else to post, so I'll catch you all later!

Bill: And the Computer

So I am posting a little earlier than normal for two reasons.
1) I remembered
2) I have to bottle beer

So any way I almost bought a computer this past Sunday but decided to wait to find out my discount through work, you know save a little money. Well it seems that the price of computers goes up on Monday and only slowly goes back down the rest of the week. In just a few hours a computer that cost $1011 now breaks $1250! No discount is going to help that, so no computer for me. I now might build one.

I have to bottle some beer now, I was going to do it last night but when I went to go get my bottle caps I found out I only had 25 of them. I need about 50 to be safe. So I went to Justin's after work and picked up a few more. Off I go to bottle now.

Crocs on Fire...

I just figured how heavy that of posting on this blog rock really is. Seriously!.
I am distracted with setting fire to people wearing Crocs, selling my soul to Google, just generally being not online in order to society in general, my day starts from the second I am woken by murderous Teletubbies to when I see my darling's 10000 text messages. I'm watching 24 season 2 (or Day 2) right now. I won't promise anything to you but I will write something that makes sense next week. Don't stop believing. Hold on to the feeling!

I needed some help to get the writing wheels going this week, so I started with an "Aussie Blog post generator". Aussies are so bloomin' funny. I used to play Counter-strike is a couple of them... transplanted to the US that is...

Anyways, Crocs are evil... and there's something funny in a black humor sense of setting fire to the feet of people wearing crocs and watching them dance around crazy as they try to put them out...

hmm... I think I found a concept for a game!

Don't stop believing. Hold on to the feeling! Why Do we love this song?