ACTIV8.........

Its been such a long time since I blogged.
I have been reading my blog list. Posting a few comments,
On my blog rounds, I noticed over on Sues blog that she is doing an A to Z in a month.
Sounds so good. Totally inspired and then......started writing, no inspiration.
although I might just have an A....

Activ8 youth team. We have the best little Youth group in our Parish. We have a full time Youth team who live in one of the Parish houses and oversee the entire youth program every week. They put aside there work for the year, and focus on the youth of the region. Its a volunteer position, that these young adults take up for one year.
Every Tuesday Brid attends her youth group.
There is a junior youth group on in the afternoon and the senior is on in the evening. Sandwiched nicely between them is a youth Mass at 7pm. Its a very youth focused Mass and every child has the opportunity to help out in some way.
Brid has gone from strength to strength with her youth group. They focus on various different programs throughout the year. The last project was to present the Stations of the Cross as a dramatisation for the Parish. Last year they watched and talked about " the great adventure series"
Every Sunday night we come together for our regional youth Mass. Again there is always a job for the children and teenagers to do, if they would like to.
Last Saturday night - the day before Palm Sunday, Brid was asked by the team to attend Gracefest in Sydney. They set out at 3pm for there 2 hour trip to Sydney and joined all the other young adults and teenagers at St Marys Cathedral.
We were a little worried about her going without us, but we just needed to trust she'd be ok. She was fine. There was so much for them to do, Adoration, opportunity for confession, witness talks, Talk by Cardinal Pell, Praise and worship, chatting- networking and just loads of fun.
They got back very late and boy was I pleased to hear her voice as she walked through the door, but excited that she got to be responsible and enjoy a night with friends.
So that would be my A if I was linked to the blog..

Now B should be pretty easy.



 

Papa Benedict

Today I woke to the news that Our Holy Father would resign in less than a month. Was I shocked?
Initially a little, but no not really. I think he has made  a rather courageous move.
I have hardly listened to the news regarding his decision because, I didn't think the media would do the situation justice.  I felt a man of his integrity and prayerfulness would be guided by the Holy Spirit.
I like Bishop Bill from Maitkland Newcastle dioceses believe its a rather humble and admirable decision.

Bishop Bill Wright, speaking to 1233 ABC Newcastle's Jill Emberson this morning, said that he was very surprised to hear the news. "I was very surprised that there was no leak at all," Bishop Bill said. "It's another occasion when the Pope has impressed me. Anyone who does something that no-one has done for 600 years is sticking his neck out in a way. It takes imagination and a certain humility. I think it's an admirable thing to do."

I remember his instillment all those years ago and the public reaction.
This time Brid is at an age that she will understand more clearly the process, so we have decided to down our other work and concentrate on the life of Pope Benedict and the process od election.
I was quite inspired by Elizabeths Blog post, clearly setting out information on the election, the conclave and many other interesting rabbit trails.



Last year Pope Benedict XVI at the Papal audience on our anniversary. A treasured memory .
 

We watch and wait as this all unfolds and welcome our new Pope next month, and prayerfully remember our Present Pope.

Just another day in the Catholic Church.

God Bless you all.

xxxxx

Liturgical Year

OK...
I have to confess last year we did a horrible job trying to keep a track or even stick to the Liturgical year and celebrating the various Feast days.
The truth is that Brid is older and I need to make it all much simpler and easier to follow.
This year at Summer School of Evangelisation we all chose, seperately decided to attend a lecture called Prayer Boot Camp...Wow what an awesome lecture series.
It looked at various ways to pray and keep that alive daily.
One way was the Prayer Wheel.It breaks prayer into 5 min sessions, over an hour..

We were challenged to start our day with Adoration at 6am.
Well lets just say as the evenings do not end until 11pm at least, I chose to do my hour of prayer elsewhere in the day. I have actually kept this Challenge going.
Dermot &  I reflected on our prayer life and we realised that we actually do pray more than we first thought.We enter into the Readings of the day, we discuss them,We pray at meals, The Angelus etc..
So what have I discovered in all this??
That I just need to let go and believe that God will use this time of messiness and disorder to put  a fire in each of us, for more of his word.
I have begun by finding a Character Calendar connected to the Liturgical year..
I downloaded it and placed it on my desktop to view daily. This ha been a real treasure to find.

While we attend this 8 day retreat, our summer school, I always ask God what he wants for my year ahead.
He has done some amazing things in the past. Relocating us, finding a Ballet School, A new Church.
This year I was open to his desires again, and the word that kept coming into my heart  was

                                                    ........... PRAY...

I feel utter peace and surrender to the Lord about this.
But I must tell you more. The last 2 years I have been in a very baron place. My Desert place as I have called it. Unable to pray, talk to God, before the tabernacle after Communion. Its been terrible, but I feel a total healing of this now. It happened at Summer school after the Reconcilation Evening.

Adoration...
 

                                           SO I AM BACK......PRAISE GOD FOR THIS.....



 

A special couple of days

Recently Brid and I were in Melbourne to see Mr Rider- our Ballet teacher. He played several roles in Sleeping Beauty - the Ballet.
The call went out to Australian Conservatoire of Ballet members and some selected international guests some months ago. Several grades of Ballet students were given the opportunity to perform in this production.
Brid had worked hard academically and with her fine arts -Ballet and Piano, all year so a little treat was in order.
We flew down and easily negotiated the way to our hotel with the use of the skybus.
We had just enough time to dress into our best dresses and head for the Melbourne Arts Centre.
Our hotel was rather close, so this made dinner on the way rather easy.
We waited a while for the show to begin, beacause I had though it was 7pm start. But it was a 7.30pm start.
We arranged to meet Miss Kristy- Rider wife and a most beautiful dancer. She was seeing the ballet alone so it was nice to meet up with her in between each Act and chat.
We were taken to our seats. Row C. WOW is all we could say...The best seats. We were 3 metres from the stage and as the seats wrapped aroud the front of the stage, they were front row.
It was the most amazing costuming I had ever seen in a Ballet and being that close, we saw every detail. The highlight for brid was when Mr Rider came out for the encore, he winked at Brid. It was a very special moment.
Brid was invited backstage to meet a few cast members. That was exciting.
Mr Rider just looked like he belonged on the stage. He just shone. He played the best Puss In Boots.
So Cheeky.

 The next day after a very late night and after a lovely Breakfast we headed along Southbank and into a popular Ballet chain. We spend an hour or 2 looking, trying items on and chatting to the sales staff and a few girls who looked like they may have been in the Ballet. Of course Brid asked them.

So hear are a few photos of Brids treat -and of course it was my treat too...

Waiting before the Ballet

Brid and Miss Kristy. waiting to see the Ballet

Brid and Mr Rider in front of the aussie ballet box for some props.

After a morning shopping at the Ballet Shop. Brid in front of the poster advertising the Ballet at the Arts Centre.

 

titanic

Brids costume for her dance to Titanic

Modesty and virtues

A few weeks back  Brid attended a Catholic teen girls retreat in Sydney run by the Religious Sisters of Mercy, USA, along with 17 others teens, ranging from age from 13 to 17.
Brid attended the retreat last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. She enjoyed the Faith, the Friendship and fun.
This year we weren't too sure if she would make it, as it was being run 5 days after we returned from our overseas trip.We prepared her for this and said if its Gods will, it will be done.
Anyway, I contacted the Mum organising the retreat, saying we couldn't get her there. To my total surprise within hours this Mum had organised a lift for Brid, a bed at a trusted friends home before the retreat. I knew it was Gods will, so we said Yes.
Now this in itself was HUGE for me. My baby girl going away for 4 nights without one of us. We entrusted her to Gods' care and she was away to enjoy her retreat.

This years was all about friendship.
Beautiful theme and very timely in Brids' life.

While she was away she took a book called Fashioned by Faith. Great read. Very enlightening for her. I posted about it previously here . I believe every house should have a copy of this book.
Another girl had a book called Dressing with Dignity which I had read many years ago. She mentioned this to us as we were chatting after she got home safely, and asked did I have it.
"Yes I do"
I found it on the book shelf and gave it to her.
She absorbed herself in it. She said " Excellent book, everyone should read it".
It was like music to my soul to be able to share these books with Brid. Its lovely that her friend where reading them as well. she left our copy of Fashioned by Faith with the family she was staying with, as she was keen to read it.
So its quite interesting that these books will do the rounds of young teens and experiences shared. Brid has lent her  All things Girls series to amother friends to read  through.
Its such a Blessing that these girls consider there modesty and there dignity to be so important. They live it, breath it and share it. The saint that comes to mind is St Maria Goretti. St Maria Goretti Pray for these young girls.
 

  

Little Pleasures

A few weeks ago I heard one of my favourite songs from original Evita the Soundtrack, with Julie Covington, as Eva.
I was in my Saturday Morning ballet class and our teacher was playing through a famous musical soundtracks collection, especially for ballet class. Anyway, I heard this tune and immediately recognised it. "High Flying, Adored".
I couldn't get it out of my head.
When we got home, I searched for the stylus to our Turntable..!!! It wasn't anywhere to be seen. I really wanted to Play this soundtrack, the new one with Madonna, just doesn't do the musical justice.
There was several other Vinyl records I was bursting to play as well.
We fixed the Turntable situation by purchasing a new one. It was easier than sourcing a stylus that may not be compatible with our old turntable..... and I was a teenager again playing all my records and enjoying the lovely quality that a record produces, opposed to CDs.

So, I owe my Ballet teacher totally responsible for this extravagent outburst. We told him last lesson and he was totally oblivious to the fiasco that his soundtrack collection created. It has been fun teaching Brid the art of the 'record player' and its delicacy. She has embraced it and has been playing all types of our old LP's.