Attending Mass and Receiving Holy Communion

Maureen and I went to Mass today at St. Patrick's Basilica in Ottawa. It was my first time since March 15. It was stinking hot and we wore our masks in the car like good CCP Virus protected citizens.

Our sister Barb attended Mass at St. Monica's, and our friend Madeleine attended Mass at St. Mary's.

What a blessing, thank you God. We are a gaggle of happy ladies.

I was also in the Annunciation of the Lord this week where for the first time ever, I witnessed the tabernacle on the altar, along with a small but actual Crucifix, Our Blessed Mother and a beautiful image of Jesus Christ. I stayed for a minute and prayed to our Good Lord in thanksgiving.

It was a week of two miracles. What could be better than that?

Victoria - Week 2 St. Andrew's Cathedral

I've been blessed to be able to attend Mass here in Victoria at St. Andrew's Cathedral. What a beautiful church it is. It is a real traditional church with beautiful Catholic art and stained glass windows. What a joy it is to be here.

Friday morning after Mass we stayed for a time for adoration of Jesus. I spent some time thanking God for the gifts he has given me. There are a lot. My health, my family, my being able to be here in Victoria. My siblings. My beautiful grandchildren. My work. The beauty and the peace of being here in this church. Being away from the snow and cold.

It struck me how important it is to be thankful, especially when I feel like complaining. Which has happened, you know, maybe once or twice in my life.

As I sat in the church in the silence, I felt only peace. Thank you God.

Day 7 in Europe: London England St. Aloysius Catholic Church

Johanna and I attended Mass today at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, very close to our hotel. It had some actual statues of the saints, Mary and Jesus, a Crucifix, and art work that made it actually look like a Catholic church, unlike the churches in Switzerland.

In one of the pictures below you can see the priest giving a special blessing to the Legion of Mary after Mass.

The priest's homily today on this, the first Sunday of Advent, focused on the two aspects of Advent: the first coming of  Jesus (his birth), as well as his second coming at the end of time. I don't think I've ever thought of advent that way.

 

Granola bars for Jesus

I was faced with a dilemma.

Yesterday was our last day in Victoria, and I still had food left in my cupboards, dry goods like cereal, rolled oats, peanut butter, brown sugar and raisins. Some stuff in the fridge as well, but there wasn't much I could do about that.

If I left the food, it might be thrown out and I hate throwing out food. I even considered making granola bars and putting them in my suitcase. But I couldn't take anything else with me because our suitcases were already pretty much at maximum weight. Besides, it seems kind of ridiculous bringing granola bars in a suitcase.

While staying in Victoria, we passed homeless people every day. I don't like giving money to them because I'm always afraid it will go to drugs or alcohol. But I always feel so bad for them. What an awful life. But what can I do?

And our priests back home are always talking about going out to the peripheries.

I'm sure you know where I'm heading with this. When I told Fred he caught on pretty fast. He's a quick study that Fred.

So...I made a large pan of granola bars, (recipe here). It worked out pretty perfectly. I just measured all the ingredients I wanted to use up (rolled oats, honey, raisins and peanut butter), and then added the appropriate amount of olive oil, cinnamon and salt. I made 16 large granola bars, about twice the size of my usual ones.

But I needed some apple sauce which I usually put in my granola bars at home, but didn't have any. Then I remembered I had two apples in the fridge, praise Jesus. I'd make them into apple sauce. So that's what I did.

Then Fred and I went out and found 15 homeless people and asked them if they would like a homemade granola bar. They did. And the last one went to a man whose lovely big black dog came eagerly over to me, sniffing the package. I had to give him one as well.

The Road to Emmaus

Fr. Dennis on the beautiful story of on the Road to Emmaus. (from yesterday's gospel)

More on Emmaus (from today's gospel)