I am thinking...that it is about time that we had an election. Go America!
I am thankful...that all the ugly, scary Halloween decorations are coming down- here comes Thanksgiving and Christmas! Here's a photo from long, long ago...
I am wearing...painting clothes! We are painting the upstairs for the first time in eight years (except for the bathroom- that gets painted more frequently)
I am creating...meal plans for Advent (it starts on November 15th and we go meatless except for Sundays- that's nothing, Orthodox are vegan during this fasting time. For medical reasons, we can't do this)
I am going...to a classical music concert later tonight. Our friends have season tickets and they cannot attend. I don't know what the program is, but I am excited in any case.
I am wondering...what it will take to make Roman-rite Catholics understand that we Eastern Catholics are as Catholic as they are. Martyred bishops and priests and laypeople under communism (they refused to become Orthodox, the state religion) are not enough. Last Sunday, my husband celebrated the 6:30 AM Mass as usual (he has bi-ritual faculties for our geographical Roman-rite archdiocese) at the local 10,000 family parish. The patriarch of the family that literally built the parish over one hundred years ago introduced my husband to the second most important family patriarch in the parish. He introduced my husband as an Orthodox priest. Orthodox priests do not have faculties to celebrate alone at any Catholic church. While the Catholic Church states that Orthodox can receive the Eucharist at our churches, the Orthodox Church rejects this. I know people who were imprisoned and tortured for over a decade because they would not give up the Catholic faith. We hear of modern martyrs every day. It is time to get educated.
I am reading...'just' my Bible. I am between books right now. I might read my girls' latest YA find, Wildwood.
I am hoping...that we can get through painting the upstairs with a minimum of fuss. I nearly laughed at the checker at Lowes today when she asked, "So, you are going to paint the bedrooms?" Um...we have never had the money to employ professionals for anything but plumbing or electrical. Anything that it slightly cosmetic is done by us (and it shows)- kitchen cabinets, counter tops, flooring, windows, all us amateurs.
I am looking forward to...the Halloween candy being finished
I am learning...Algebra I again. It is harder (and/or more complicated) than I remember. I would love to look at my old textbooks because I don't remember forgetting even half of what they are studying now in Algebra I.
Around the house...biggest girl is babysitting the babies and dog downstairs while doing the dishes, next big girl and I are painting their 'French apartment' a dusty purple. I never thought we would live in this townhouse long enough to be repainting and contemplating having high schoolers here.
I am pondering...an idea for a children's book...do you want to be my agent?
A favorite quote for today..."faithfulness, not success!" (Bl. Theresa of Calcutta)- quoted often, but I wish to be more like she is.
One of my favorite things...not my favorite thing...but priest-husbands- he is director of his hospital's spiritual care department. This means that he is on-call 24-7 in case the official on-call chaplain does not show up or has an especially difficult case. So, one of his favorite things is O'Doul's non-alcoholic beer. This means he can have a drink even when he might be called in to a case. I don't really like the taste of beer, but he does.
A few plans for the rest of the week: switiching the childrens' rooms- the big girl will get the small room, and Boy and Baby Girl will get the big one. This makes much more sense and the littles will finally be able to play in their room.
Oranges are ripening here, too. And with the rain finally coming in, I think they'll survive, too.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the average Roman rite Catholic really sees the differentce between Eastern Catholics and the Orthodox... and many don't even realize that the Orthodox are not just another type of Eastern Catholics. When in J'lem I overhear comments by Catholic pilgrims all the time, and my very Jewish brother, who works in turism, has to explain the difference about 4 times a day.
There are many Roman Rite Catholics who know that Eastern Catholics are just as Catholic as Western rite Catholics and know that Byzantine are not the same as orthodox. But I apologize for the ignorance of (probably) the majority of us Roman Rite Catholics. Sorry.
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