Gaudete Daybook

Outside my window... 

...cool and grey, but not cold. Yesterday we went to Mass with no coats. It's very odd December weather in Ohio. It's not likely to be a white Christmas.

 I am thinking... 

...about all the babies who are not mourned for each day. The tragedy in Connecticut was just that, a tragedy. It was a senseless, horrific tragedy. And our country, from coast to coast, cried and mourned for those sweet, innocent little souls lost. Our president cried (supposedly) over those 20 innocent souls:

 "beautiful little children...had their entire lives ahead of them..."

Yet, the same man, and many of the same people, do not mourn the loss of 3400 little souls scraped from the wombs of their mothers EVERY SINGLE DAY. There are no tears for them...no demand to make abortion illegal to protect those beautiful little children with their entire lives ahead of them. I don't understand it. How can we become enraged about one killer stopping the beating hearts of 20 precious little lambs, and rightly we should, and not be enraged about killers stopping the heartbeats of thousands of the same precious little lambs every single day? That is 1.2 million precious little lambs every year. I am not an advocate of owning handguns. Though I do not advocate for them to be illegal, I do think that the laws should be tighter, the licenses more difficult to obtain. My father was a police officer, and that was in the 50s and 60s. I can't imagine being a police officer today, with guns, semi-automatic weapons, being so abundant. But the deaths from abortion in America are 122 times the deaths from guns. Twenty-eight people on average die from handguns every day (a number that is 28 too high), but 3,400 babies die from abortion every day. And that is just the number of surgical abortions counted. So many more souls are lost to morning after-pills and birth control pills.

Obviously I could go on about this. Suffice it to say, I mourn all those babies every day.

From the lesson plans...  

...no school today or for two weeks, Yeah! We have been enjoying a semi-break for the last week. Just math and reading and Advent-related activities. Today Faith has a whopper of a cold and she is semi-quarantined on the sofa while Noah is at school (then she goes to bed). Just Advent and Christmas reading for the next two weeks. Joy!

From the kitchen..

...chicken pot pie and fresh fruit (the pears have been sooo good!) for dinner. I think tea, toast, and chicken noodle soup for my little patient until then.

 I am wearing...

 ...my nightgown and robe. I'm still in my bedclothes as Faith slept late and I wasn't motivated to get dressed. I can do laundry just as well in my nightgown and robe. 

I am creating...

...some Christmas gifts: a patchwork pillow, a Christmas stocking, a pair of pajamas, some beaded necklaces and earrings. It's Christmas alone for the next week.

 I am planning...

...well...I am planning...well...well, I haven't been planning very well. My oldest son is coming home to bake my cookies, so I guess I am planning to supervise him and taste-test. (I'm so excited!) I am planning to wrap gifts at some point. I am planning to write the rest of my cards at some point. I guess I am planning to plan. That's it. I am planning to plan. 

I am hoping... 

...to finish all my projects before Christmas (low standards this week).

 Around the house...

 ...laundry and laundry. I cleaned over the weekend for guests (always a good motivator), so now it's just keeping up for another week. I'll clean again before Christmas.

I am going...

...to sign loan papers tomorrow for refinancing our house. No plans to go anywhere else.

 I am praying for...

...my children, and my husband

...my dear friend Gina. Thank you to all who are praying for her. I saw her over the weekend (Hi, Gina!) and she looked incredible. She has really persevered through this illness. She walks 3 to 5 miles every day. She has not (like I told her I would) gone to bed. I am in awe of her strength. And she makes awesome tiramisu to boot.

...our priests and all religious, especially the young priests who sometimes have such an uphill battle to fight

 ...all of the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week, and for a change of heart for their mothers.

...baby Simeon.

...for baby Domini Pio. Have you been praying for him? What a precious little soul. If you have time today, sit down and read his story. It's really amazing (and you know I keep that word sacred for very special instances). His family is incredible...such faith, such courage.

Thought for the day...

The first O Antiphon:

Isaias 11:2-3
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness. And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord, He shall not judge according to the sight of the eyes, nor reprove according to the hearing of the ears.

Isaias 28:29
This also is come forth from the Lord God of hosts, to make his counsel wonderful, and magnify justice.

O Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence! 

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For He hath regarded the humility of His handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His Name. And His Mercy is from generation unto generations upon them that fear Him. He hath shewed might in His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our Fathers, Abraham and His seed forever.