Throwback Thursday

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2012

To Veil, or Not To Veil, that WAS the Question

This post, adapted and expanded from an older one, has so much new material that I am  considering it to be a brand-new post.
For some time after my return to the Catholic Church, I weighed the pros and cons of wearing a prayer veil, or mantilla.  And I must  admit that I was concerned about how others may view it.  Would they see it as a silent admission of my inferiority to men?   On the other hand, would they see it as showing off?  "Look how pious I am; I'm wearing a veil!"
But then I realized that I shouldn't worry about what others might think about my wearing a veil.  The question was whether or not I felt that wearing a veil was right for me.  
(It was so much simpler when women and girls  were  EXPECTED to cover their heads in Church.) 
I debated back and forth with myself, "Should I wear a veil?  Shouldn't I wear a veil?" but to no avail.  
What finally made me decide in favor of the mantilla? 
Part of it was that I am a Jewish convert, and Jewish women ALWAYS cover their heads in the synagogue. 
Part was watching the live Mass on EWTN, and seeing some of the women and girls there with their heads veiled. 
Part of it was that I'm on a fixed income, and really dressy clothes 
are not it my budget, especially since I am seldom able to get to Mass.
A nice lace veil would make my head, at least, look dressy for the Lord, and at the same time be a sign of humility, of submission to God.
I waited for a few weeks, to make sure that wearing a veil wasn't just a whim on my part, and then I made my decision:
I was going to buy, and wear, a veil.
I  now have three prayer veils, which I  purchased through  the EWTN Religious Catalogue.
I wear the mantilla whose color I consider appropriate for the day [black for weekdays, blue, shown above, for Saturdays and Our Lady's feast days, and white for Sundays] at the following times:
1: When I am able to get to Mass.
2: When I watch the live Mass on EWTN.
3: When I watch Benediction and Devotions, Sunday evenings on EWTN.
4: When I pray the Liturgy of the Hours.
5: When I visit a live online Adoration site.

 For me,  wearing a prayer veil at these times enhances the mitzvah. (I love that Jewish word, mitzvah, and praying is definitely a mitzvah!)

Sunday Snippets-- A Catholic Carnival

Come one come all, to Sunday Snippets! Thanks to RAnn for hosting!  I've discovered some wonderful blogs here.  How about sharing yours?

Semper Gaudete!: Chaplet of Immaculate Mary, Queen of All Saints

Semper Gaudete!: New Painting in Rosary Art Collection

Semper Gaudete!: New Item in Break-Off Collection

Semper Gaudete!: Obama Celebrates 41 Years of Abortion: Roe an “Opportunity to Fulfill Dreams”

Semper Gaudete!: Throwback Thursday

Semper Gaudete!: The Wayback Book Club

Semper Gaudete!: Little Women: An Annoying Chapter

Semper Gaudete!: This Week's Fan Fiction

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in the Past Week

Special thanks to RAnn this week for the shout-out on her blog!

Books Read in the Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with a  #

"In A Great Tradition

Tribute to Dame Laurentia McLachlan,

Abbess of Stanbrook" #

by The Benedictines of Stanbrook

(I am very glad to have this book.  Rumer Godden

wrote in In This House of Brede: "All of the characters
in this book are imaginary, but many of the episodes
are based on fact; some are taken from the life and
sayings of Dame Laurentia McLachlan and Sister Mary
Ann McArdle of Stanbrook Abbey."

"In This House of Brede,"

by Rumer Godden

[fiction]

{Sunday books}

"The Imitation of Mary In Four Books" #

by Alexander De Rouville 

Revised and Edited by Matthew J. O'Connell

[devotional reading, Catholic]

(one chapter a day; more on Sunday)

"Penrod and Sam"

by Booth Tarkington

[fiction]
{carried over from last week}

I love the "Penrod" stories, but I've been
planning for some time now to write a post
about the racism in the books.

"Collecting Things"
by Paul Villiard
(nonfiction)

"Mary Poppins"

by P. L. Travers

[children's fiction]

(openlibrary.org loan)

"The Book of Festivals and Holidays

the World Over"
by Maguerite Ickis
[children's non-fiction]

"Never Go Anywhere With Digby"
by Ethelyn M. Parkinson
[children's fiction]

"The Honest Dollar"
by Dorothy Simpson
[children's fiction]
{carrying over into next week}

This Week's Fan Fiction

23rd Precinct

Chapters 15, 16, and 17 are now up.

Little Women: An Annoying Chapter

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women has always been one of my favorite books.
There are, however, two chapters that annoy me. I'll cover the first one in this post.

Remember the chapter called "Jo Meets Apollyon," where
Amy burned the book Jo had worked on for several years
because Jo wouldn't let her come to the theater with her
and Meg and Laurie?

Jo was, of course, furious with Amy... just as I would have been,
 just as almost anybody would have been.

But how did Mrs. March, Marmee, handle the situation?
"Mrs. March came home, and, having heard the story,
soon brought Amy to a sense of the wrong she had done her sister."
That's it.  We never find out just how she "brought Amy to a
sense of the wrong she had done her sister."  We never learn
what Marmee said to Amy.

Mrs. March, in fact, seemed much more concerned about Jo's very
 understandable anger than about Amy's deliberate, vindictive
destruction of Jo's property.

Once again, I quote this sentence:

"Mrs. March came home, and, having heard the story, soon
brought Amy to a sense of the wrong she had done her sister."

I wonder how many readers found themselves wishing that
Mrs. March had brought Amy to a sense of not wanting to
 sit down for several days!

The Wayback Book Club

Check out the WaybackBookClub, available on:

Facebook,  Blogger, Google, Yahoo
 ProBoards

Throwback Thursday

Try Contemplating Your Navel

That's probably one of the last post titles you'd expect to see in a Catholic blog, but I was contemplating my navel today. In other words, I was thinking about my belly button, about
why I have a belly button.
I have a belly button because, when I was born, my umbilical cord was clamped off.
So from contemplating my belly button, I went on to contemplating my umbilical cord. I thought of how I received nourishment and oxygen through that umbilical cord while I was in the womb.
And the fact that I needed nourishment before I was born is, to me, another proof that life begins at conception. If life began at birth, we wouldn't need to be nourished while in
the womb.
"For Thou didst form my inward parts, Thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb." [Psalm 139:13]
A belly button is a wonderful reminder of how God provides for us, cares for us, from the very beginning of our lives.
So, yes! Try contemplating your navel.

Originally posted on January 28, 2011

Obama Celebrates 41 Years of Abortion: Roe an “Opportunity to Fulfill Dreams”

Obama Celebrates 41 Years of Abortion: Roe an “Opportunity to Fulfill Dreams”

41 years of the legal murder of the most innocent, helpless human beings is something to celebrate?????
And I find it very ironic that Barack Obama so strongly supports an organization whose founder did not want him to be born.

New Item in Break-Off Collection

I've just added a white porcelain toilet-paper holder handle (right side) to my Break-Off Collection.

New Painting in Rosary Art Collection

Here is the latest addition to my Rosary Art Collection.

Chaplet of Immaculate Mary, Queen of All Saints

I'd like to share a chaplet I've composed.

Chaplet of Immaculate Mary, Queen of All Saints
For private use only
(May be prayed on an ordinary Rosary)

Begin with the Sign of the Cross.

One Our Father
One Hail Mary
One Glory Be

On the large beads:
"O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."
On the small beads:
"Immaculate Virgin Mary, Queen of all Saints, pray for us."
After the fifth decade:
One Hail, Holy Queen

Conclude with the Sign of the Cross.

Sunday Snippets-- A Catholic Carnival

Come one come all, to Sunday Snippets!  Thanks to RAnn
for hosting!  I've discovered some wonderful blogs here, so how about sharing yours?

Semper Gaudete!: New Painting in Rosary Art Collection

Semper Gaudete!: Throwback Thursday

Semper Gaudete!: WARNING: Don't read this post if you've just eaten

Semper Gaudete!: Introducing... My Latest Online Collection

Semper Gaudete!: This Week's Fan Fiction

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in the Past Week

Books Read in the Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with a #

"In A Great Tradition

Tribute to Dame Laurentia McLachlan,

Abbess of Stanbrook" #
by The Benedictines of Stanbrook
(I am very glad to have this book.  Rumer Godden
wrote in In This House of Brede: "All of the characters
in this book are imaginary, but many of the episodes
are based on fact; some are taken from the life and
sayings of Dame Laurentia McLachlan and Sister Mary
Ann McArdle of Stanbrook Abbey."
{Sunday books}

"The Imitation of Mary #

In Four Books"

by Alexander De Rouville 

Revised and Edited by Matthew J. O'Connell

[devotional reading, Catholic]

(one chapter a day; more on Sunday)

"Penrod" 

(free Google book)
{carried over from last week}
"Penrod and Sam"
by Booth Tarkington
{carrying over into next week}

[fiction]

I love the "Penrod" stories, but I've been
planning for some time now to write a post
about the racism in the books.

This Week's Fan Fiction

New chapters have been added to the following fics.

23rd Precinct

One Careless Moment

Introducing... My Latest Online Collection

This is an all-video collection of Coca-Cola ads from
around the world.

WARNING: Don't read this post if you've just eaten

Middle School Under Fire for Classroom Poster Listing Sex Acts

I am absolutely nauseated!

Throwback Thursday

Originally posted on September 20, 2010

Litterbox

Thank God I can smell the poop, because
that means I can also smell the roses.
And thank God for roses!

New Painting in Rosary Art Collection

I've added this painting to my Rosary Art Collection.   The Mystery it illustrates should not surprise the readers of this blog!

Sunday Snippets-- A Catholic Carnival

Come one, come all, to Sunday Snippets!  Thanks to RAnn
for hosting.   I've discovered some wonderful blogs here.


Semper Gaudete!: A quote about Sunday Books

Semper Gaudete!: Throwback Thursday

Semper Gaudete!: This Week's Fan Fiction

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in The Past Week

Books Read in The Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with a #

"The Imitation of Mary #

In Four Books"

by Alexander De Rouville 

Revised and Edited by Matthew J. O'Connell

[devotional reading, Catholic]

(one chapter a day; more on Sunday)

"Rose in Bloom"

by Louisa May Alcott

[fiction]

(Started on January 1st; first book read

in 2014.  I deliberately chose a book I

know and love to start off the year.)

{carried over from last week}

"A World of Girls:

The Story of a School"

by  L. T. Meade

[YA fiction]

(read online)

"Melindy's Medal"

by Georgene  Faulkner and John Becker

[children's fiction]

(openlibrary.org loan)

"Peace Comes to the Chalet School"

by Katherine Bruce

(fill-in)

"Three Go to the Chalet School"

by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

[children's fiction, Chalet School series]

"Penrod" 

by Booth Tarkington

[fiction]

(free Google book)

{carrying over into next week}

I love the "Penrod" stories, but I've been
planning for some time now to write a post
about the racism in the books.

This Week's Fan Fiction

This week I have updates for:

One Careless Moment

and

23rd Precinct

Throwback Thursday

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010

When Things Go Wrong on the Computer

Some, but not all, of the following "computer oys" have happened to me.
Have you ever sent an e-mail, or posted something on a message board, in the heat of anger, and then, when it was too late, said to yourself, "What was I
thinking?"
When that happens, it is time for (cringe cringe cringe) Operation Apology. And crow is NOT the
most savory dish in the world.
Have you ever sent or posted something that was taken the wrong way because you didn't include a
smiley?
Have you ever corrected somebody's spelling on a message board, only to find that your own post contanes more than one glaring eror in speling?
Have you ever been in the middle of writing something absolutely brilliant, sparkling, your best work ever.... and the computer crashed?
Have you ever sent something meant for just one
person to everyone on your group's e-mail list? Nine out of ten times, it will be something extremely personal, something you did NOT want to share with
the whole group.
Sometimes, however, this can turn out to be a good thing, because it is then that you find out who your real on-line friends are.
Has your cat ever walked across the keyboard while you were looking at your shopping cart, thereby placing an order for you?
For multibloggers: Have you ever posted something to the wrong blog?
If you can answer "Yes" to any of these questions,
then all I can say is "Welcome to the club!"
Of course, the up side of these computer mishaps is....
they make great blog material!

A quote about Sunday Books

This is a quote from part of a sentence in Louisa May Alcott's Rose in Bloom.

"yawning over the dull books kept for Sunday reading."

Well, anyone who has been following this blog knows
how I feel about dull books on Sunday. 
Of course, I dislike dull books on ANY day!

Sunday Snippets-- A Catholic Carnival

Come one, come all, to Sunday Snippets!  Thanks to RAnn for hosting!   I've discovered some wonderful blogs here.

Semper Gaudete!: New Image In Rosary Art Collection

Semper Gaudete!: Themed Resolutions

Semper Gaudete!: Throwback Thursday

Semper Gaudete!: This Week's Fan Fiction

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in the Past Week

Books Read in the Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with a #

"How to  Converse Continually and
Familiarly With God"
by St. Alphonsus Liguori
translated by Fr. L. X. Aubin, C.SS.R

{Sunday book} 

"The Imitation of Mary #

In Four Books"

by Alexander De Rouville 

Revised and Edited by Matthew J. O'Connell

[devotional reading, Catholic]

(one chapter a day; more on Sunday)

"The Cloister Walk"
by Kathleen Norris
(non-fiction, autobiographical, Catholic themes [Protestant author]) 

{Two uses of the "F" word (in quoted conversations,

and NOT in any monastic settings.)}

(I could have done without the "F" word, but this

is still a lovely book.)

"A Lemon and a Star"
(openlibrary.org loan)

"The Wild Angel"

"Terrible, Horrible Edie"

"Edie on the Warpath"

by E.C. Spykman
[children's fiction, historical]

"Rose in Bloom"
by Louisa May Alcott
[fiction]
(Started on January 1st; first book read
in 2014.  I deliberately chose a book I
know and love to start off the year.)

This Week's Fan Fiction

Movie Night: A Nanofiction

23rd Precinct
new chapter added.

Throwback Thursday

This post is from another one of my old blogs.  It was first published here on September 25th, 2010.

AWESOME!

Sometimes I get overwhelmed, blown away, by the thought that since Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist, more than 2000 years ago, He has been received by more people than we could ever possibly imagine. More than that, He is present, fully, totally present, in the Blessed Sacrament in countless Tabernacles in countless Churches and Chapels all over the world right now and at every moment. AWESOME!!!! Moreover,
every day, at every Mass, the priest breaks the Consecrated Host. Every day, at every Mass, Communion is distributed to the faithful. And yet, Christ is not divided, not multiplied, not diminished, not increased.
Side note: More than once, people have said to me that all this is mathematically impossible. My usual, highly theological reply :) is:
"Mathematics, schmathematics!"

Themed Resolutions

This year, I have several resolutions, all with a similar theme.

1: Pray more slowly, especially the Rosary and the
Chaplet of Mercy.

2: Practice Lectio Divina, using a passage, or

a portion of a passage, from that day's Mass

readings.  Read the passage slowly, and then choose

a small, a very small, part of that passage and

"feed on it" for the rest of the day.
(It would probably be best to do this in the

morning)

3: Read EVERYTHING more slowly, and perhaps,

sometimes, even practice super-slow reading.

4: Eat and drink more slowly.  I don't gulp,

but I still want to slow down in this department.

So is the theme of these resolutions slowness?

No.  The theme of these resolutions is savoring.