Bible Study

Tonight was the first Bible Study that Dale & Denny are leading.
Since Ruth and I offered to clean the baptismal fount every Friday we got to Queen of Peace around 4ish to do so before the Bible Study. We stopped and talked to Aaron for a while and then went to clean. After cleaning we headed to the modular for the Bible Study (there were more people than I thought there would be). Father Dan did the introduction and explained some of the parallels of the Old Testament and the New Testament (he also did the this in RCIA).
He went over how Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant. "David feared the Lord that day and said, 'How can the ark of teh Lord come to me'?" (2 Samuel 6: 9) this parallels when Mary visits Elizabeth. Elizabeth says, "And how does this happen to me, that the mother of the Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43) Just as David leapt for joy before the ark when it was brought into Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:14-16), so John the Baptist leapt for joy in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary, the ark of the new covenant, came into her presence (Luke 1:44). John’s leap was for precisely the same reason as David’s--not primarily because of the ark itself, but because of what the ark contained, the Word of God.Another parallel may be found in 2 Samuel 6:10-12 where we read that David ordered the ark diverted up into the hill country of Judea to remain with the household of Obededom for three months. This parallels the three-month visit Mary made at Elizabeth’s home in the hill country of Judea (Luke 1:39-45, 56). While the ark remained with Obededom it "blessed his household." This is an Old Testament way of saying the fertility of women, crops, and livestock was increased. Notice that God worked this same miracle for Elizabeth and Zachariah in their old age as a prelude to the greater miracle he would work in Mary. When Father Dan started drawing his pictures I remembered the comment Dale said in RCIA when Fr. Dan drew Mary as the new Ark of the Covenant - "I think I dated her sister once in college". This is similar to what Fr. Dan's picture looked like:

Oh yea here is a picture of Kate, me, & Jessica at the Philly Tuesday night

1st Holy Communion and XLT

I had quite a busy day yesterday...but it was fun too! I arrived at Queen of Peace a little after 7 am. Ruth and I were helping prepare for the First Communion reception. By the time we finished getting the food prepared it was already 11 and we had choir practice at 11:15 before the 11:45 Mass. It was so cute to see the First Communicants - it reminded me of when I made my first communion (which was May 3). The reception went quite well and afterwards Ruth & I stayed to clean up the kitchen and gym
We left Queen of Peace around 4:45 and headed to St. Pius to pick up Juan for the Teen Mass and eXauLT at St. Vincents. Father Bob celebrated the Mass and eXauLT. Adoration was awesome and the songs were great. We ended up doing the song "Trading My sorrows" and we did the motions. At the part where we sing Amen, Father Bob echoed the "Amen" shouting it at the top of his lungs and we repeated after him (it was quite fun)!
The last song was "Shine, Jesus Shine" and Father Bob got so into it that he ran out of the pew, genuflected and ran up to where the musicians were so he could join in and play the tamberine they brought. It was so great - he cracks me up! Juan texted me the picture he got of Father Bob up there (It's a little blurry, but still funny). I didn't get home until about 10:30ish and was able to say 'gnight to my parents before they went to bed (I hadn't seen them all day!).

Father Bob getting into the music =)

Excitement

Yesterday was fun! I went with Ruth to Warsaw and came back in time for my 2:30 meeting with Father Bob (which went well).
After my meeting we went to drop something off at her office and I got to meet her boss. We ended up talking to him for a while and then Ruth dropped me off at my car so I could meet up with Steve & Jessica to carpool to the Philly
At the Philly Katie showed us pictures on her laptop from her time in NY to see the Pope. =)
We had some excitement down the road from the Philly. A paint store on Ironwood was on fire and of course the road was blocked off.




Today is Sam's birthday. Even though I don't talk to her anymore I still want to wish her a happy birthday on here

Prayer for a friend

Say a prayer for a friend you never know it could be a lifesaver. Say a prayer for a friend because someday that friend may repay that prayer and it could be you they are praying for!

Pope Benedict XVI is in Washington

~ Pope Benedict XVI is now in Washington D.C. and will be in New York next.

~ Katie and Steve are going to New York so I'm definitely going to be praying they have a safe trip there and back.

~ I went out for lunch with Luke & Jon today...it was fun

~ Tomorrow night Mom & I are going to dinner with Sarah & her mom

Also today is Cassie's birthday

Katie's bday celebration at the Philly

~ Tuesday at the Philly was fun. We celebrated Katie's b-day, Kristine came for the first time, and Stephanie & Matt brought their baby

Father Dan's homily was awesome, especially a story he included in it. He was on the airplane on his way to New York and all he wanted to do was sleep. Unfortuanatley the two people behind him were talking loudly so he couldn't sleep. He ended up overhearing their conversation. Father Dan told us that from the conversation the man apparently was Catholic and the woman wasn't. This was their conversation:

W = "So you're Catholic, huh? Did you go to Church last Sunday?"

Father Dan said he was thinking "please say yes, please say yes
"M = "Yes"

Father Dan let out a sigh of relief

W = "Did you hear the Gospel?"
M = "Yes I did"
W = "What was it about"

Father Dan held his breath and thougth to himself - please say something you remember.

M = "You know what? My Grandfather would roll over in his grave if he knew this but I actually don't remember what it was about. I can tell you what the good-looking girl in front of me was wearing but I can't tell you what the Gospel was about."

He kept listening to their conversation and was debating when to turn around and say something. Finally the plane landed and Father Dan stood up and faced them. When the two saw him their jaws dropped and they had surprised looks on their faces.S
So Father Dan says, "I couldn't help but hear your conversation earlier and I wanted to let you know that last Sunday's Gospel was about the group of travelers on a journey to Emmaus. The two were conversing & debating and didn't realize that Jesus himself was in their midst. They were scolded at first for believing what the prophests spoke and then Jesus interpreted for them what was referred to Him in all the Scriptures.

Me, Kate, and Katie (Jess is at the counter)


"Oh ya and Ruth & I also went to XLT last night (which was awesome)

Backwards

For awhile I was doing alright and making progress with so many things that have been hard in the past...but last night I took a step backwards...and worst of all the person I was with realized what was wrong (Sorry Theresa)...ugh I really needed to talk to my friend Jon last night =( When I would talk to him at school he knew just what to say because he'd been there before and could understand what I was going through.

I dunno....