Our Easter Basket

Today, I began preparing food to place in our Easter Basket and take to the priest to be blessed on Holy Saturday.  I will pretty much spend the week preparing food for our feast on Sunday.  The Traditional Polish Easter Basket contains the following items:

Maslo (Butter) – This dairy product is often shaped into a lamb (Baranek Wielkanocny) or a cross. This reminds us of the good will of Christ that we should have towards all things.

Babka (Easter Bread) – A round or long loaf topped with a cross or a fish, symbolic of Jesus, who is the Bread of Life.

Chrzan (Horseradish) - Symbolic of the Passion of Christ still in our minds.

Jajka (Eggs) and Pisanki (decorated with symbols of Easter, of life, of prosperity) - Indicates new life and Christ’s Resurrection from the tomb.

Kielbasa (Sausage) - A sausage product, symbolic of God’s favor and generosity.

Szynka (Ham) - Symbolic of great joy and abundance. Some prefer lamb or veal. The lamb also reminds Christians that the Risen Christ is the “Lamb of God.”

Slonina (Smoked Bacon) - A symbol of the overabundance of God’s mercy and generosity.

Sol (Salt) - A necessary element in our physical life. Symbolic of prosperity and justice and to remind us that people are the flavor of the earth.

Ser (Cheese) - Symbolic of the moderation Christians should have at all times.

Candle - Represents Christ as the Light of the World.

Colorful Ribbons and Sprigs of Greenery - are attached to the basket as signs of joy and new life in the season of spring and in celebration of the Resurrection.

Linen Cover - drawn over the top of the basket which is ready for the priest’s visit to the home or the trip to church where it is joined with the baskets of others to await the blessing. The food is then set aside and enjoyed on Easter Sunday.

I have already purchased a special bottle of Liebfraumilch wine to add to our basket.  It has a lovely picture on the label of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus, which of course, is appropriate, since “Liebfraumilch” is German for “Beloved Lady’s Milk”.

We will probably decorate eggs on Friday, before we attend the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at 3:00 p.m.  Since Friday is a day of fasting, eggs are the easiest thing to prepare without feeling really, really hungry!!

“Even though you can’t see or hear them at all, A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
~Dr. Seuss~

Today is the annual March For Life in Washington, D.C., in protest of the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.  I am happy and amazed to report that this is also Alex’s third time to go.  He is passionate about a great many things, but one of the things about which he is most passionate is the right to life.

He has traveled to the March with our youth group from St. John the Baptist Church, and one of the most exciting parts of his “pilgrimage” is that he will be attending Mass this morning celebrated by Cardinal Rigali, who was one of the religious leaders who presented the Manhattan Declaration back in November!  Then, Alex will get to serve at the special North Carolina Mass with both Bishop Jugis from our own Diocese of Charlotte and Bishop Burbidge, from the Diocese of Raleigh.

And, of course, he will get to march.  We are still free here in the United States, and we can still protest peacefully.  I am so proud of my son that he wants to participate and make his voice known, because the smallest members of our society cannot yet fight for themselves.

From their website, explaining the campaign:

In a spirit of hope and Christian charity, OneNationUnderGod is launching a prayer campaign specifically focused on the conversion of Catholic politicians to further foster a Culture of Life in our country.

This effort will commence on June 22, 2009–the feast day of St. Thomas More, whom Pope John Paul II proclaimed the patron saint of statesmen and politicians. A 16th-century English chancellor who refused to accept King Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England, St. Thomas More held a passion for the truth that enlightened his conscience and led him to know that, just as man must be one with God, so politics must be with morality.

Many Catholic politicians support policies that reject a fundamental right to life.  Although these policy makers have been indelibly configured to Christ and the Church through Baptism, by denying these basic human rights, they stand outside full communion with the Church.

In the 1995 encyclical Evangelium vitae, John Paul II reiterates what the Catholic Church has always taught: that lawmakers have a grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that contradicts humanity’s fundamental right to life.

Months ago, we discovered that 50 percent of Catholic politicians currently serving in the 111th Congress have accepted large donations from pro-abortion lobby groups while reinforcing their support for abortion rights legislation.  These elected officials are deeply confused about Catholic teaching on the morality of abortion.

Catholic legislators who support abortion rights fail to recognize that legitimate social policy must be guided by absolute truth.  Many of these legislators cite “primacy of conscience” to justify their support for abortion rights, embryonic stem cell research and euthanasia.  However, a properly formed conscience recognizes the essential truth of Catholic teaching—that human life is sacred and inviolable from the moment of conception until natural death.

Over the past few weeks, we have contacted bishops of these pro-abortion Catholic members of Congress, to shed light on the politicians’ pro-abortion voting records and the money they have received from abortion lobbyists. We have respectfully asked that they continue to minister to these lawmakers.  Their spiritual direction gives invaluable insight to our Catholic legislators, reaffirming “that life is entrusted to man’s responsibility.”

Please, it only takes a few moments a day to pray for our politicians!  Even if you’re not Catholic, you can commit to pray for our leaders!  You can click here to make a prayer pledge.

The funeral Mass was held Thursday evening, and it was packed.  I realized, for the first time, how comforting traditions are, and how much I need them.  The Mass is always the Mass.  Whether it’s the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, a Wedding, a Funeral, or a Solemnity, the tenets of the Mass are always the same, all over the world.  We know what to expect, and only the readings, responsorial psalms and songs change, to fit the occasion.  The homily will be appropriate, and we will receive Holy Communion to give us all strength and courage.  I think, especially at a time of death, when things are so surreal and unexpected, the soothing traditions of the Church are more meaningful than ever.  I have come to view Mass as God’s security blanket that we can wrap around ourselves.

Afterward we went out to dinner with several friends and our priest.  It was a good time of healing and relaxation.  And it was in reflecting on the funeral and dinner after that it occurred to me, again, that death is not at all about the deceased.  It is all about those of us left behind.  We hug each other and reassure each other that everything is going to be okay, that the rest of us are still here, and that life will go on.  It is one of the rare times that even stoic men will hug one another and publicly display their support and affection.

So, while I hate funerals and receiving lines, I have come to understand why we do those things.  When I was younger it all seemed so pointless to me, and so incredibly macabre.  But the older I get, the more I start to see past my own selfishness and understand the needs of others.

I hate that this sweet young man is gone.  I grieve for his family, who is still reeling from shock and disbelief and unspeakable loss. I grieve for those who stood on the shoreline but didn’t understand that he was ‘not waving but drowning’ until it was too late.  God rest his soul!

According to San Diego’s News Channel 6:

On Good Friday, April 11, the family was surprised to find county officials at their door.

“She asked me if we sang songs, said Amen, praised the Lord or not. I don’t even think I answered because I was so taken aback” said Mary Jones.

Jones said the “insinuation” was questions over whether the services were “of religious nature.” She said there were no questions or comments about there being a parking problem.

The family was given a warning to “cease and desist” their “religious gathering” until they are granted a “major use permit”.

However, the “good news” is that the county has withdrawn it’s “warning” and offered an apology to Pastor Jones and his wife.

Let me get this straight:  it was okay for the county to try to stop a private Bible Study in a private Home?  I am willing to bet any amount of money that they would never confront a Muslim group like that!  The fact that an “official” had the audacity to even tell those people that they could not practice FREEDOM OF RELIGION in this country is downright chilling.  It shouldn’t matter what religion they adhere to, either.  That is, without question, one of the basic principles this country was founded upon. We had better sit up and take notice.  It will be our own doors that “officials” are knocking on next.

How dare he ask a Christian University to cover it’s identity while he speaks there!  How amazingly creepy that he is afraid to take the stage if there are Christian symbols around.  Did he not know that Georgetown was Catholic?  Okay, yeah, it is getting harder to tell if an institution of higher learning is Catholic or not, based on the fact that they keep inviting speakers who are passionately against their religious beliefs, and then giving in to their ridiculous demands.  But the fact remains:  Obama didn’t want to share the stage with God.  Now, I’m wondering if it would have been the same at a Muslim university.  (Is there such a thing?)

Is he afraid of offending atheists?  At a Christian university???  If that were the case, then he should not have accepted their invitation to speak.  Of course, they shouldn’t have invited him.  Neither should Notre Dame have invited him.  But I digress.

Here’s the deal, and I don’t think it should take much more than a lab rat to figure it out:  if you are an atheist, and you don’t believe in any god, then why on earth would you be threatened by people who do?  I don’t believe in the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus, but I’m not alarmed or offended when someone else does.  If atheists truly do not believe in a higher power, then WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF?  Nobody is making them pray.  That’s ludicrous.  Yet they are doing a tremendous amount of what we here in the South refer to as “carryin’ on” about prayer, and national days thereof.

The Freedom from Religion foundation in Wisconsin has actually filed a lawsuit against said day of prayer!  According to the ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice) website:

While the lawsuit discusses specific prayer declarations and the efforts of the National Day of Prayer Task Force (headed by Shirley Dobson), it presents a broad attack on the National Day of Prayer itself. The lawsuit claims that official prayer proclamations “convey to non-religious Americans that they are expected to believe in God” and “send a message that believers in religion are political insiders – and non-believers are political outsiders.” The lawsuit argues that “[t]he designation of a National Day of Prayer has the intent and the effect of giving official recognition to the endorsement of religion; a National Day of Prayer has no secular rationale.” The lawsuit seeks a court declaration that the federal statute recognizing the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional and that specific prayer proclamations issued by President Bush and the Governor of Wisconsin are unconstitutional.

Give me a break!  Don’t these people have anything better to do?  Apparently not.  Because I sure don’t see any hospitals or homeless shelters or any other sort of community service facility being erected or run by atheists.  Or Muslims.  Or any of the other mouthy, selfish, special interest groups.  Apparently only the Jews and Christians are interested in helping/healing people.  Wonder what would happen if they only started helping Jews and Christians?  If all those other folks running around bashing “people of faith” would cry ‘Foul!’ when they needed a broken bone splinted or some sort of emergency surgery?  Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. . . they would invoke the new “Hate Crime” legislation they are so rabidly panting after.  (See: “Thought Crimes” in 1984 by George Orwell).

The problem is, my brain goes in too many directions at once, all the time.  And I can’t even blame the children for that, I’ve always been this way!  For example, last week, I wanted to blog about so many things that I wound up not blogging about anything.  For example, I had a really great blog post floating around in my head entitled “Dude!  Where’s My Plane?” about Obama pretending he didn’t know that someone took AF-1 and did a low flyover of NYC, terrifying the people of Manhattan and causing them to evacuate buildings and have major PTSD flashbacks of 9/11!!  All for a “Photo Op”????  I hope Obama is smarter than that, but at the same time, that would simply mean that he really is that sinister, to intentionally terrify his own people like that.  (Good thing he didn’t try a stunt like that over Dallas or Houston!)

Or I could talk about homeschooling.  About Faith, and how she’s been so busy lately digging up herbs in our yard and woods, and drying them, chopping them and making herbal remedies!  Our kitchen smells kinda funny from time to time, but I am so proud of her! Or about Alex, and how he did so well in school this year, and how funny he was co-hosting the HCHA Talent Show last week (see pictures all over Facebook!!), or about how Kendall is finishing up his first year at UNC-A, and how much he is enjoying studying Journalism, and how cute he is running around with a digital microphone and interviewing everyone he can.  I could say that Gaylon is still in Texas, and that we’re still in North Carolina, and it still stinks!  Our house hasn’t sold yet (duh.) and we are going to move to Texas at the end of the summer anyway, to be with him and get the kids plugged in.

Then I thought about how I’d like to discuss how well my genealogy research has gone lately, and how much I have enjoyed getting in contact with cousins I didn’t even know about down in Central Texas on the Adams side.  We’ve exchanged pictures and information and it’s just been incredible! And did I mention I’m building a website just for genealogy?   That way I can not only separate my genealogy from my political and religious views, but I can keep from boring to death the few readers I have who are not related to me!

And then there is my Catholic Faith, which I am usually pretty low-key about, because I have so many friends who are not only Protestant, but have been taught that Catholics are not Christians, and must be ’saved’!!  My Jewish friends are much more understanding of me being Catholic, probably because of that whole persecution thing.  But I absolutely LOVE being Catholic, and there are so many things I could ‘blog’ about, that might help people understand our faith, our beliefs, our Christianity.  That would probably be best in a separate site, as well.

So, what to do?  What to blog about??  It’s not like there are all these people reading my blog, and hanging on the edge of their chairs waiting for my next post!  Most of my close friends don’t read my blog at all, and of my family, I think only Gaylon, Kendall, Mom and occasionally Faith read it.  And of course, Lishi, (Kendall’s fiance) who is one of the only people who ever leaves me a comment. (And of course, Laura R. and Laura S.!!  I love my Lauras. . .)  I know there are a few folks scattered across the country who read it, but they never comment.  I tried a Poll once, and only a few folks participated in that, so perhaps the bottom line is this:  I blog for me.  If someone doesn’t like what I have to say, they certainly don’t have to read it.  Lishi’s brother, Steve Skojec, always has really great taglines for his blog, like “Cogito, Ergo Blog” (I think that was it. . . . I don’t remember exactly, and now he’s changed it) or his current one “You Didn’t Ask, But I’ll Tell You Anyway”.  Okay, that one really fits my situation, as well. LOL.  I’ve never met Steve, but I love his blog!

So, yeah.  My blog will probably continue to be a collection of randomness, and my title, “Chasing Thoughts” is probably very appropriate.  Maybe someday I will actually be able to focus on one thing for a great length of time.  But then, I will finish writing those books I’ve started, and not worry about blogging!

“A person is a person, no matter how small.”
~Dr. Seuss~

There is nothing in this world that can make me believe it is okay to kill a baby, even if said baby hasn’t been born yet.  I am a mother.  I know what it is like to FEEL LIFE move inside of me.  Men, I’m sorry that ya’ll miss out on that, but believe me, it’s very real.  Freedom of choice?  Sure.  Keep your pants on!!!  Rape?  Well, ask anyone who has tried for years without success to conceive a child.  They will tell you how difficult it can be, under perfect circumstances, for that tiny seed to take hold.  It is extremely rare for a rape to end in pregnancy.  If it does, then don’t punish the baby!!  There are thousands of couples who would love to adopt that innocent child!!

Notre Dame

All that to say:  I absolutely, rack my brain though I might, cannot figure out why Obama is so determined to kill off as many preborn babies as he possibly can.  Honestly, can’t he think of something better to do?  Aren’t the economy and his plans for world domination enough to keep him occupied for a while?  Never mind all the other issues.  He is so brazenly open about promoting abortion it’s actually shocking to me.  It boggles my mind that this man (and those who support him) are so eager to KILL.  And this is just the first step. . .  When human life ceases to have value, beware.  Your own life will be very expendable, too, just like those poor defenseless babies.

But, the fact remains that there will always be folks on opposite sides of the fence.  We will always find something to disagree on.  Yet someone, somewhere, has to take a stand for what is absolutely right.  And by the same token, they must take a stand against what is absolutely wrong.  And, yes, I firmly believe that right and wrong are absolutes.  Relativism is crap.

As Christians, we believe that abortion is absolutely wrong.  The Catholic Church has made it VERY CLEAR that as Catholic Christians, we DO NOT, IN ANY WAY, CONDONE ABORTION.  We uphold the sanctity of ALL LIFE, young, old, or preborn.  Nancy Pelosi went so far as to challenge the Pope on this subject, and tried to say that even Saint Augustine said abortion was okay. (I’m not going to state directly what I think about Nancy Pelosi.  Suffice it to say that I think she has the brains God gave an ice cube!!)  The Holy Father set her straight.  Well, he tried to.  He clearly stated that abortion is wrong, evil, and that the Church does not condone it.  Pelosi’s mind is so twisted that she didn’t seem to get the message that common lab rats all around the world understood.

So, this abortion thing and the Catholic Church have been in the news a LOT lately.  You would think, then, that Fr. Jenkins, President of Notre Dame University, would have noticed, and had the decency to invite someone who doesn’t passionately and aggressively oppose one of the most important social stands of the Catholic Church to speak at commencement.  But no.  He has chosen to commit Obamination.

There is an online petition to Fr. Jenkins to rescind his invitation to Obama to speak at commencement and “honor” him with an honorary law degree, and it is receiving over 270 signatures per hour. I’m thinking that’s a pretty clear sign that Americans, especially Catholics, are not okay with this.  Why in the world would Our Lady’s University give audience to such a man???  I don’t care if he is the first African-American president.  (And, PLEASE remember:  only HALF of him is African-American.  The other half of him is WHITE.)

Now, if Warren-Wilson College invited Obama to speak, nobody would care.  They are consistently voted the most liberal college in the nation.  Their “worldview” meshes perfectly with Obama’s.  If Berkley invited him, that would make perfect sense.  But NOT Notre Dame.  In fact, it is a direct act of disobedience to the mandate given by the USCCB in 2004 in:

“Catholics in Political Life”:  “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles.  They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”

If you would like to sign the petition, please click on this link:  Petition to Fr. Jenkins at Notre Dame.  At least Bishop D’Arcy is choosing to boycott this event. Now if everyone else would!!!

And, obviously, I am still here in North Carolina.  Our home still hasn’t sold, but that’s not a huge shock, considering most real estate is frozen here.  We have decided to drop our price, but I want to speak with our realtor first and determine if she is going to actually do some agressive marketing, or just update her website.  I would really, really, really love to be in Texas before school starts in the Fall.  It won’t affect Faith, because we will just continue homeschooling.  However, Alex wants to attend his senior year of high school at a public school, and it would be so much nicer if we were already there.  I’ve heard horror stories about putting homeschooled kids in high school.  I’ve heard that the school will require them to start at 9th grade, no matter what their level of education is, or how old they are.  If we run into something ridiculous like that, we will simply continue homeschooling.  End of story.

Gaylon is coming in for Easter, and will be here in time for all of the Holy Week Masses and services.  He will be here for four days, then back to Texas. *sigh*  I wish he could stay longer.  We knew this was going to be difficult, but knowing something and experiencing it are always very different.

Also, I am still here, even though I have seen the ark float by a few times in search of Mt. Ararat!  It has been grey and dreary and rainy for 4 days straight.  Yes, we need the rain.  Yes, it makes everything pretty and green.  And it grows the flowers.  I don’t know about the grass and flowers and trees, but personally, I am in desperate need of some sunlight!  So, I am looking forward to sunnier days, soon!

My only political thoughts at the moment are that I cannot believe that Fr. Jenkins up at Notre Dame is having Obama speak at their commencement exercises this year, and giving him an honorary law degree.  How can he justify honoring the most aggressive abortion rights activist ever at a CATHOLIC university???  At least his bishop is refusing to attend the ceremony.  Now if only everyone else would boycott, as well.