It's the little things...

I'm on my "lunch break" from writing THE BIG PAPER... so of course, I turn to writing here, because that makes sense...

It got cold in Small Town, USA. So cold that my HVAC unit froze and sounded like it wanted to take flight every time it kicked in trying to heat up tiny apartment. Which makes it difficult to sleep, in case you didn't know that. I took a gamble and switched my thermostat over to Emergency Heat last night, and said HVAC quieted down and I slept in peace. (And when I checked when I quickly stopped in at home to make lunch, HVAC was no longer frozen. Yay.)

But then I was almost late for Daily Mass this morning. Apparently you shouldn't set your alarm for 7AM, turn it off after it blares "Hakuna Matata" at you for a few seconds, and turn the TV on to watch Boy Meets World (with Cory and Topanga - the greatest love story we'll ever know, children of the 90s) -- because you might fall back asleep. God smiled on me though, because I made every light through Small Town's Uptown area and got into the Church before the sacristy door creaked open, cuing the start of Mass at 8:30. Yay.

On my way to pick up my morning coffee and blueberry scone, I was on the phone with my Dad for the second time (ever since I got back to Small Town, he's been much more chatty on the phone - me thinks someone misses me! Aww Miss you too Daddy!) and some kind stranger offered me 50 cents for the parking meter. What a nice act of kindness! I mean, I know it's only 50 cents, but that's a whole hour on the meter. And I really only needed like 10 minutes to run in and out of Small Town Coffee Shop that I love so dearly. It made me reflect on this season of Advent - showing others, even complete strangers that you'll never, ever see again and don't have to impress because of that -- random acts of kindness and compassion. It's good stuff. I like it. Yay.

Oh. So my last post - Pumpkin Pie and Prevenient Grace - I realize, ha, I never explained what prevenient grace is or why I randomly threw a BIG CRAZY THEOLOGY term in the middle of a post primarily about whipped cream and pumpkin pie. So here goes:

Simply put, prevenient grace is the grace that our Blessed Mother received from God at her conception. With the celebration of the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception yesterday and with the new translation of the Mass, you may have heard the term plopped down in the middle of an offertory prayer that the priest offers just before the preparation rite. When I heard it at the Vigil Wednesday evening, my ears perked up at the sound of a cool new word - a word that I had no CLUE about what it truly meant. And I meant to make a mental note to ask Priest-Friend about it later, but then I had a long meeting about Soup and Snack (and some other Churchy things) so... I kind of forgot about it. Plus, who remembers words like prevenient when you only hear it once, unexpectedly?

Well... God smiled again, because out of the blue Priest-Friend brought it up in conversation and I got to learn! (Learning is fun.) After learning more about the COOL BIG THEOLOGICAL TERM, I had fun telling other people about my new-found knowledge, including my Dad. Now, Dad has quite the sense of humor, and he's also more in-tune with some of the pop culture lingo than I'm necessarily comfortable with. So... in explaining that "prevenient grace is the grace that God granted to Mary at her Immaculate Conception because He saw the future merits of her bringing Christ into the world for our salvation" to him via text message, he responded: "Like Gaga said: She was born that way.

She scares me. Alot.

Yeah..  I was at a loss for words too.

Pumpkin Pie and Prevenient Grace.

Today for lunch I had some whipped cream with a side of pumpkin pie. No, seriously. It's the lunch of champions I tell you! I even ate most of the pie crust. Which I don't do. Ever. Unless it's graham cracker....

I had WAYYYY more whipped cream than that. WAY.

So, obviously... this afternoon I went to the gym because of the pumpkin pie (and yesterday's sinful St. Nicholas doughnut treat). I ran 3 miles. Go me!

^^ That's a true story. Yup, sure is. ^^

In other non-Prudence related news, how cute is Pope Benedict XVI? Love him!

According to Whispers in the Loggia, Papa Benny remotely lit the "World's Largest Christmas Tree" recently (the post at Whisper's says earlier tonight - but it was posted at 2:05 this afternoon, so... that confused me but whatevs.) And because he's COOL LIKE THAT he used a "tablet computer" which if you ask me closely resembles an iPad or maybe a Kindle Fire or something like that. Regardless - I love it when octogenarians embrace new technology! Get it Benny!

Photo Cred: Whispers in the Loggia

The Pope's Christmas wish makes him even cuter, if you ask me:

"My first wish... is that in our outlook of mind and heart, we won't stop only at the horizon of this world, of material things, but might be a little more like this tree, that always points upward, toward God. He never forgets us, but asks that we, too, don't forget him either!"

Awww. Great sentiments from our Holy Father.

Photo Cred: Mary Pages

And on this eve of the Immaculate Conception, we should be reminded that God certainly HAS NOT forgotten us. By choosing Mary, our Blessed Mother, to be without original sin from her very creation, a young girl was able to say "Yes" to God, to become the new Eve. She would bear the Savior of the World... our Redeemer. Without Mary (which, if you've read the side of my blog, you'll know that I think she's one cool Lady) we would be in pretty bad shape, salvifically speaking. (I may have just made up that word... "salvifically"...)

Just a Random Post.

I'm not feeling particularly creative at the moment (that's what happens when you sit, staring at a computer screen trying to write THE BIG PAPER for.. oh, 6 hours straight). So I'm just going to post some randomness...

Today is the feast of St. Nicholas. He's a cool 4th century saint on whom the modern conceptualization of Santa Claus is based.

In honor of the feast of St. Nicholas, Priest-Friend brought treats in the form of sinful ICED & GLAZED doughnuts to share with Church Office Ladies. And I got one too.

After eating said doughnut as my lunch and a half a bag of potato chips when I got home this evening, I have failed to get off my tukkus and go to the gym.

And so now I feel fat. That's the bad thing about the holiday season I think. Temptation. Food.  And it's cold so who wants to work out?!



However, I have a HOT DATE with this beautiful man in less than an hour:

So I guess I better go make some dinner (more food - because there's been very little nutritional value to anything I've eaten today - Sorry Organist-Friend!) and enjoy my evening with Mr. Buble.

And work on some Christmas cards. Because I do enjoy spreading the Christmas cheer!

And so does Spanky! He say's WOOF!

Prudence Rants. But yay Roman Missal!

We're two weeks into the use of the NEW ROMAN MISSAL and I have to say - I'm still giddy as all get out because I just LOOOOOOVE it. Although, I would personally like to hear another Eucharistic Prayer: Each Mass I've been to (and I typically go to Daily Mass so... it's more than just the 2 weekend Masses) since the implementation of the revisions has used Eucharistic Prayer II which employs the wording: "Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall..." Now, don't get me wrong, I love it too... but can I get a little "from the rising of the sun to it's setting..." (Eucharistic Prayer III) or, better yet, THE (revised) ROMAN CANON?! The only way us regular lay folks are going to get used to all these "changes" is to be exposed to them. JUST SAYIN'...

 
Which brings me to: CRITIQUES OF THE REVISED ROMAN MISSAL. There's always been this notion, especially among Conservatives, that our media here in the United States is a bit liberal. And...being somewhat of a media junkie... I agree (which is real close to blasphemy in my line of work). But.. I really think you can see this here. Grad School-Friend shared a link with me this morning that she'd seen on a news report on CBS Sunday morning. The story is primarily a two-year old non-story about a nun in Phoenix who was excommunicated for giving the go-ahead for a team of doctors at a Catholic hospital to perform an abortion in 2009. (The excommunication was lifted recently which I guess makes this story somewhat worth reporting on...but this post isn't about that!)

The story tries to tie too many things together [in my humble opinion] and gets an awful lot wrong. Vatican II is mentioned as a mere "advisory council" that became known as the Second Vatican Council that implemented some changes that allowed people to really "make their own decisions about their faith." [Um... not exactly, CBS people. The basic beliefs and tenets of the Faith have NEVER changed. Ever. Period. 2000+ years. A faith instituted by Christ Himself.]

But to get to the meat of the matter here, the news report goes on to suggest "another reform hallmark of Vatican II [was the] use of the English-language Mass" [Okay.... yes... Mass in the VERNACULAR would be more accurate but... continue...]

"...The Vatican has now directed American churches to institute a new mass featuring an English translation more faithful to the original Latin - a mass critics say is harder to understand, less English-speaker friendly." [Totally wrong. The Vatican has directed Churches in ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD to use a REVISED Mass featuring an English translation more faithful to the original Latin - a Mass that is NOT harder to understand if you just LISTEN with your EARS and... that last part is dumb. Can you read? Then just read the responses off of the Mass cards or from the Missalette. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.]

What really burns me about this is that alot of people see this on CBS (one of the original big three networks and still a relative powerhouse in the grand scheme of the American media landscape) and take it as Gospel truth. I mean, it has to be, right? The media wouldn't lead us astray, would it?! Yeah... about that. I've only copied and pasted TWO SHORT paragraphs from a much longer news story.. and you can see how many things they got wrong in just those two short paragraphs. Where's the oversight? Where is the TRUTH!?

Photo Cred: Quick Meme

Sigh. This is what we're fighting, folks. Secularism. Lukewarmness. A people who think they can make decisions about their own faith. As the article points out, it IS a critical time for the Church... but NOT for the reasons that it points out. It is a "battle between Catholic and Catholic [I would argue that that should be "Catholic"], between past, present and future..."

Yes. It is. But the battle is more about gaining control of and telling OUR OWN story as Catholics - and not letting a secular news source twist it into the dramatic piece that was produced for Sunday Morning news on the Second Week of Advent.

And in case you were wondering, I'm still giddy as all get out about the revisions. The media can't rain on this parade!

FACE-PALM

You know.. my innocence and naivete can really get me into trouble if I'm not careful. And so can my favorite contemporary reference site, Urban Dictionary. Again, it's not the purest of websites, but it can definitely let you know if you've chartered into INNUENDO territory. And these days... EVERYTHING is an innuendo. I blame secularism.

Let's just say that I did, uh charter into that territory. Completely innocently too. All I was really talking about was fluffing the branches on a fake Christmas tree. And then. It got bad. Real bad. And if you recall my Catholic Guilt post... sigh.

Now you're probably thinking - oh, innuendo schmenuendo. It happens all the time, right? Right. But not when you're talking to a priest.

I tell you, my life... at least times like this keeps it interesting!

Catholic Guilt

Apologies for the slight break in blogging! Prudence was traveling the last couple of days to return to Small Town, USA to get some work done before Christmas. Hopefully. Organist-Friend has to remember to guilt me daily to make sure I'm actually getting work done! Ok, Organist-Friend?

And since I mentioned it, let's talk about guilt! Specifically -- CATHOLIC GUILT. What the heck is it? I don't really know for sure, but I'm most certain that I suffer from it...

According to one of my favorite contemporary references, Urban Dictionary, Catholic guilt is:

 ... A fully developed and overly functioning conscience that has been to the other side and back. [It] will flirt on the fence with Catholic guilt, constantly deciding, approving, regretting and dismissing. It is a term used to describe the significant internal reaction to a seemingly insignificant external effect generated by a publicly unnoticeable perturbing cause... Regardless of the pious weight associated with Catholic Guilt, it is often a feeling gestated through a morally abject thought that is hardly ever even realized and/or acted upon. It is an internalized battle bearing existential results.

[ EDITOR'S NOTE: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU LOOK UP ON URBAN DICTIONARY. IT'S NOT THE Uh... PUREST? OF WEBSITES. You have been warned. :) ]

Wow. What a definition! (There was more, but I edited it down for length and vulgarity [See Editor's Note]. No adult content here, folks!) But for really... Catholic guilt, to some extent, really has to exist. I am FOR-EV-ER feeling guilty about things... even things that I'm not guilty of! Case in point: Today whilst driving interstates, two state police cars came into view in my rearview (at separate times)... and I got this sinking feeling in my stomach (both times) -- fear and guilt! I checked the ol' speedometer just to be sure...and yup, Prudence was drivin' like a grandma! (No offense to any grandmas...) 5 under the speed limit!! (In my defense though, it was mountainous and my little 4 cylinder can only take so much...) But pfft. Feeling guilty just for the sake of feeling guilty, it seemed.

Of course, that Catholic guilt also rears it's ugly li'l head at opportune times... like when you burn someone and then realize that maybe the joke wasn't so funny to the 'jokee' or if you're short with someone and then realize that you've been too harsh. Annndddd you can't blame that on 'not having enough caffeine' because you should know how to act with or without your coffee fix (Yup, I've done that)...

Photo Cred: Natalie Dee (one of my most favorite comic websites!)

But... if you really think about it, having Catholic guilt, as annoying as it may be, is really a blessing. It keeps you in check... makes you think twice about the things that you do... and if you're lucky, makes you feel enough remorse that you make a note to go to Confession to get rid of the stain of sin -- even if it's just venial. No one wants to carry around alot of sin in their hearts. Because sin sucks.

And Padre Pio gives us hope (because he was awesome at that):

Stop entertaining those vain fears. Remember it is not feeling which constitutes guilt but the consent to such feelings. Only the free will is capable of good or evil. But when the will sighs under the trial of the tempter and does not will what is presented to it, there is not only no fault but there is virtue.

Photo Cred: An Italian Website that I think is about Padre Pio's beatification BUT I've only taken Italian for 10 weeks so I'm not so sure...

Yay for Pio! And yay for productive guilt and virtue!

Does it still count?

This morning I got up early and accompanied my dad to Daily Mass at Home Parish in Another Smalltown, USA. Home Parish is historical, beautiful, and relatively traditional, especially compared to other churches. I have a great love for Home Parish, but there are some things about it that make it... special?

Anywho. Dad and I went to Mass. We got there just after the Nuns from Little-Parish-Across-Another Smalltown (that probably should be closed because its purpose was for segregation back in the 50s...but what can you do?) [Ooop, you've learned that Prudence originally hails from below the Mason-Dixon.] Let it be known that my dad and I rarely got to sit together at Mass when I was growing up as he sang in the choir and I was an altar server. You'd think that now that I'm a 20-something, we'd be able to behave ourselves, but as my mom often says - she can't take us anywhere. 

As I'm sure you know, the Revisions to the Mass are still very fresh - so we have alot of "And also with your spirit"'s happening. Today - because Fr. Home Parish is overly careful and cautious and totally freaked out by these changes - we did the Confetior (which is rarely used anyway, so props to him for bringing it back, yo!) But.. the revisions to the Confetior are relatively few and it's still strikingly similar to the old Confetior (which, arguably, most people don't know either. Pfft.) BUT! Dad and I know our prayers (booyah?) and, even reading the fun pew cards that are conveniently placed in the pews to help the people along with these changes - Dad boldly proclaims:

I confess to Almighty God, and to you my brother and sisters that I have sinned thr... ::with greater emphasis:: GREATLY SINNED....

We didn't get any further because Dad lost it, and so did I. Being that it was just after 8AM and I was still very tired...it just made matters worse. I had tears from laughing. I don't know if it was one of those 'you had to be there' moments, but... you had to be there. I imagine it was one of those moments where God laughs and just shakes His head. And I think it still counts... even though I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be laughing hysterically when telling God you're sorry for having greatly sinned.

Jesus Facepalm. He forgives you... but still.

And to add to the fantasticness of this Daily Mass (and other Masses to boot) -- whoever hooked up the sound system at Home Parish got some wires crossed and we get some feedback from a local radio station -- at the most inopportune times. AND it's a be-boppy station. Meaning... we get some groovin' jams during the most solemn parts of the Mass. Fun times, right? Most of the time you can't actually make out what is being said (which is probably best), you just hear the bass line.

BUT NOT TODAY! Nope. Today, we received communion to the beat of Club Nouveau's Remix of Lean on Me.  Yup. We be jammin'...

Photo Cred: Ragged Shirts - They put the RAD in Ragged

Jammin' for Jesus.