Busy and rainy days

Easier at this point to count the sunny days, since we've had so much rain lately.  As soon as it's sunny, I send Gabriel out to mow the lawn, and then we have rain for days on end.

The Council of Catholic Women is having their annual convention for all of East TN next week.  I am busy with the planning committee, or rather I have been busy with the planning committee for months now.  Most of my work is done, as I did the program booklet, which is copying as I'm typing. Then I have some informational posters to make and I'm pretty much done.  The convention is next week and will last 3 days, thankfully it's close by and I can commute to it.

Gabriel is gearing up for 3 AP tests and taking the SAT's as well.  We are planning our summer college visits.  He's already been to the CA colleges, Berkeley and Stanford.  Then we'll go to GA Tech, U of Chicago and Rice this summer.  We'll see what others he might be interested in.  Many colleges have sent him brochures and letters based on his ACT scores (35 on his first try, the best is 36).  Also, we are deep in spring regatta season, and he has a number of them in a row during April and May.

Marian will attempt to sell the final 40 boxes of Girl Scout cookies at the rowing regatta this weekend.  We are hoping hungry rowers will want to purchase her goods.

Anna will be home from college on May 9th and she is hoping to secure summer employment soon. She sent off a number of applications, but needs to do some more.  I told her to take anything!

Holy Saturday

A day of waiting
A day of mourning
A day of praying

A Prayer for Holy Saturday to be joined with Christ
O Lord, Your sorrowing Mother stood by Your Cross; help us in our sorrows to share Your sufferings. Like the seed buried in the ground, You have produced the harvest of eternal life for us; make us always dead to sin and alive to God. Shepard of all, in death you remained hidden from the world; teach us to love our hidden spiritual life with You and the Father. In Your role as the new Adam, You went down among the dead to release all the just there since the beginning; grant that all who are dead in sin may hear Your voice and rise to new life. Son of the living God, You have allowed us through baptism to be buried with You; grant that we may also rise with You in baptism and walk in newness of life.

Holy Week, Triduum, and Easter

My favorite 3 days begin tonight with Holy Thursday.  As we finish our Lenten Journey, we travel with Jesus from the Last Supper to his Way of the Cross to his Crucifixion to his death and burial.  We await the glorious Easter morn, but are in a holding pattern until then, as we contemplate the cross, the sacrifice, and our purpose in all of this.

THE CROSS

The cross is the hope of Christians
the cross is the resurrection of the dead
the cross is the way of the lost
the cross is the savior of the lost
the cross is the staff of the lame
the cross is the guide of the blind
the cross is the strength of the weak
the cross is the doctor of the sick
the cross is the aim of the priests
the cross is the hope of the hopeless
the cross is the freedom of the slaves
the cross is the power of the kings
the cross is the water of the seeds
the cross is the consolation of the bondsmen
the cross is the source of those who seek water
the cross is the cloth of the naked.
We thank you, Father, for the cross.