Conversion Story Part 1: Confession

There are a great many episodes to the story of my conversion, so I will post the story here in small chunks.  That's the way it happed, so that's the way I'll tell the story.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was to be baptized at the age of twelve.  She had been told and understood that baptism washes away all the sins of one's whole life.  She did not understand, and never asked, why baptism should take place now, before the treacherous teenage years, before all the temptations of adulthood.  Why have all my sins washed away now, if it can only be done once, rather than wait until I am old and about to die?  But it was the custom of her church to baptize at the age of twelve, and so it was done.

That little girl was me.  I was a Protestant.  This was the first of many questions.  This was the beginning.

No Christmas Tree!

At least, not yet!

First, a disclaimer:  this is in no way a condemnation of those of you who do something different.  It is what works for us.

I have a short attention span.  If I celebrated Christmas from the day after Thanksgiving, as the retailers would have us do, I would be tired of Christmas before the day ever arrived (specifically about December 9 this year.  I have about 14 days of Christmas in me, so 12 days of Christmas are just about right). Consequently, I need Advent to be Advent, and not Christmas.   There are no Christmas decorations out in our house right now, and there will not be until December 17, when the waiting, empty stable will first make it's appearance. 

We will decorate the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.  We have an artificial tree, so there is no ordeal of picking out the perfect tree, bringing it home, setting it up, and watering it.  We just get it out, fluff, and decorate. If we used a real tree, then we would probably have to modify this routine.  The tree would probably be like the manger scene:  empty and waiting.

We have Advent decorations out right now.  There is an Advent wreath by the dinner table and a Jesse tree tapestry on the wall.  We don't watch TV and avoid listening to radio stations that play non-stop Christmas music.  Is this against the culture we live in?  Yes.  Does it take a monumental effort?  Not really.  We just let Advent be Advent and save Christmas for Christmas.

St. Nicholas Daybook

Today the Church Celebrates ...
St. Nicholas.  There will be some surprise chocolate coins after dinner tonight to commemorate the three bags of gold that St. Nicholas gave (according to legend) to save the three girls.

I am thinking ...
That I should go take a shower before my baby wakes up and I lose the opportunity.

We are praying ...
Vespers each evening as we light the advent wreath.  When the baby is older, this may have to be abbreviated or adjusted to suit her attention span, but for the moment, as long as mama is holding her, she's happy.  And she likes to look at the candles.

I am wearing ...
Pajamas.  Until I go shower.

I am creating ...
Ornaments for Christmas gifts.

I am reading ...
Not much lately, except for the Bible readings to go with our new Jesse Tree.  My husband, who didn't seem so sure about it when I started work on it, is now enjoying it.

I am going ...
to take a walk later.  I'm hoping it'll make me feel better.  I think I've been neglecting to exercise for too long and it makes me achy.

Outside my window ...
It's cold!

I am listening to ...
Silence.  That baby is still sleeping.

I am grateful for ...
our Pastor, who is going to have an Extraordinary Form Mass on Wednesday, since it's a Holy Day.  I'm also grateful that my husband has a job that's flexible enough that he can go to a noon Mass.

From the kitchen ...
Not much.  And it's a mess.  Gotta go clean it up.  After that shower.

One of my favorite things ...
packages from Amazon ...  and getting my Christmas shopping done without leaving the house.

A picture thought I am sharing ...

From the Simple Woman's Daybook

Second Sunday of Advent

Stir up, O Lord, our hearts to prepare the ways of thy only-begotten Son: that by his coming we may be enabled to serve thee with a pure minds.
           -- Collect from the Second Sunday of Advent

Advent is a time of preparation, and as this collect suggests, a time of purification.  Traditionally, Advent was a time of fasting and penance.  For our eastern rite bretheren, it still is.  Vigils (the day before an important, high-ranking feast day -- not the feast itself celebrated on the day before) were days of fasting, so that each of the major feast days of the year was preceded by a day of fasting.  While these fasts are no longer required by Canon Law, let us strive to keep the penetential character of this season.  After all, the message of John the Baptist, who was sent to prepare the way for Christ, was "Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Also seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Ye brood of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?" (from the Douay-Rheims version, Matt. 3:2 and 7).

We are preparing for the coming of Christ, not only as an infant king in the stable in Bethlehem, but also his coming at the end of the world, on that day of ire, When the world shall melt in fire ... As the Judge through gleaming rift Comes each soul to closely sift (Dies Irae, translation from The New Roman Missal by Father Lasance).  We are preparing for the coming of the King and Judge, and our house ought to be swept and clean.  Our souls ought to be clean.  A sacramental confession, then, would be a good preparation.

May we not be too blinded by the bright lights and colors and shining tinsel and glaring advertisements, nor too deafened by the blaring "Holiday music," to see and hear the still, quiet promptings of the Holy Spirit and prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of their King.

Holy Water

We have a holy water font next to our front door.  I have had a holy water font since shortly after my conversion.  While I was still living in the dorm in college, I had a plastic font attached to one side of my desk with command strips (little adhesive strips that come off without damaging surfaces or leaving a sticky residue).  In other places it was hung near the door of my bedroom.

Holy water is a reminder of baptism.  In the old liturgical books, holy water was used in blessings of objects and many blessings of people.  I see mentioned in many places (I have not been able to find an authoritative source -- if anyone knows where to look, please leave me a comment) that holy water has the power to remit venial sins.

Whenever we leave the house we make the sign of the Cross with holy water.  Do you have a holy water font in your home?  I highly reccommend the practice.

7 Quick Takes

7 Quick Favorite Recipes

1.  Lentil Soup

   1 onion, chopped

   1 cup lentils

   1/2 lb. sausage

   1 can Italian tomatoes

   3 cups water

   1 cube (or equivalent) beef bouillon

Use a large deep skillet.  If your sausage is raw, brown that first.  Saute the onion in a small amount of oil. Add water, lentils, sausage, tomatoes and bouillon.  Simmer about 40 minutes.

2.  Best Chocolate Cake Ever

Cake:

   2 cups flour

   1 3/4 cups sugar

   1/2 cup cocoa

   1 tbs. baking soda

   2/3 cup oil

   1 cup buttermilk

   1 cup strong coffee

Mix dry ingredients.  Add oil and buttermilk.  Stir in hot coffee.  Mixture will be soupy.  Bake in a 9 by 13 pan at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes.

Icing:

   1/2 cup butter

   2 tbs. cocoa

   1/4 cup milk

   3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

   1 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan, combine butter, milk, and cocoa.  Heat to boiling, stirring.  Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla, stirring until frosting is smooth.  Pour warm frosting over cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.

  

3.  Curried Orange Chicken

   2 chicken breasts

   1 tbs. curry powder

   1/2 cup orange juice

   2 tbs. honey

   1 tbs. mustard

Combine last four ingredients, pour over chicken in a crock pot.  Cook on low 4-6 hours or on high 2-3 hours.  I serve this with hot rice and pour the liquid over the rice. 

4.  Spinach Frittata

   1 cup frozen spinach

   1 small onion

   7 eggs, beaten

   salt and pepper to taste

   1/2 tsp. minced garlic

   cheese

Saute spinach, garlic and onion in an oven-safe skillet in a small amount of oil. Preheat oven to 350.  Let most of the excess moisture in the spinach boil away.   Add eggs, salt and pepper.  Scramble eggs until about half the eggs are cooked.  Smooth mixture in pan, and put into the oven.  Bake about 5 minutes, until eggs are set (time will depend on how much moisture was left in the spinach and how done your eggs were before you put them in the oven).  While the eggs are baking, slice some cheese to put on top (you could also grate it, but I find grating overrated).  When eggs are set, arrange cheese on top of the frittata.  Return to oven long enough to melt the cheese.

5.  Mexican Rice and Beans

   1 cup white rice

   2 cups water

   2 cups beans

   1 small can tomatoes and green chilies

   1 can crushed tomatoes

   1 tsp. minced garlic

   2 tsp. oregano

   2 tsp. cumin

   1 onion, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a large skillet.  Simmer, uncovered, until rice is done, about 20 minutes.

6.  Oatmeal Bread

   1 1/4 cups water

   1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

   1 1/2 cups bread flour

   1/2 cup oatmeal

   2 tbs. dry milk

   3 tbs. brown sugar

   2 tbs. oil

   1 tbs. wheat gluten

   1 1/4 tsp. salt

   2 tsp. bread machine yeast

Combine all ingredients in a bread machine on the regular cycle.  I make this bread twice a week, and almost never buy bread.

7.  Grits and Sausage Gravy

   1/2 lb. bulk pork sausage

   1 small onion, chopped

   2 tbs. flour

   1 tsp. thyme

   1 cup milk

   1 can diced tomatoes

   grits prepared according to package directions

In a large skillet, brown the sausage, add onion and saute until translucent.  Add flour and thyme, and cook until brown.  Add milk and cook stirring until gravy begins to thicken.  Add tomatoes and cook until thickened.  Serve gravy over grits (or anything else you like gravy on).

More Quick Takes at Conversion Diary

Small Successes (vol. 2)

1.  I managed to finish my Jesse tree and ornaments in time for the First Sunday of Advent.  It was a little close (I was still working on ornaments on Saturday), but I made it.

2.  I have made real progress today on the ornaments I am making for Christmas gifts this year.  If I keep it up, I might actually manage to get everything finished before Christmas.  Next year I'm starting earlier.

3.  I taught my sister-in-law to crochet yesterday.  We had a lovely morning.