7 Quick Takes

Friday Fun over at Conversion Diary

1.  This says it all, no? I know who is elected Pope is not done to make me or anyone else happy, but I must say, a Jesuit who has a love for St. Francis, so much so he took his name... well, there are no words.
2.  Another happy item:  Chris Tomlin concert tonight, Burning Lights Tour.  Pizza dinner with friends and then an outdoor concert with chilly (for S. FL) temps in the mid 60's.  No rain in sight though.  Only missing part of the night, my husband, he'll be at seminary.


3.  St. Patrick's Day Sunday, we'll celebrate with a Corned Beef and cabbage and Shepherd's Pie dinner.  It's my cousin's last weekend here so she'll get to experience an American St. Patrick's Day.

4.  Speaking of my cousin, every time we've gone to Mass together she has not received communion.  Somehow or another we spoke about it and she told me why she didn't receive.  In Italy there is no receiving in the hand, she thought she could not receive on the tongue, didn't know what to do so she didn't receive.  I felt very bad about not telling her about her options before we ever went into Mass.  I should have thought about it.

5.  For those of us involved in RCIA this crunch time.  I look over the past talks/lessons/activities and keep thinking I haven't gone over EVERYTHING and that maybe a three year process is the right way to go.  Then I recall that 1. I don't know everything and I can't teach what I don't know 2.  it's not necessary to know everything before you become Catholic and of course, 3.  it isn't all up to me anyway there is that whole grace, sacrament, Holy Spirit movements happening as well.  I think I'll breathe now.

6.  I am reading Matthew Kelly's book, The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic.  The statistics are gut and heart wrenching in terms of how many Catholics are actually engaged as Catholics.Here are two:"6.4 % of registered parishioners contribute 80% of the volunteer hours in a parish and 6.8% donate 80% of the financial contributions."

7.  Shopping later today for clothes for Holy Week and Easter.  I am determined to not buy anything black.