Incense

"The air is full of spices."

Incense has been on my list of things I want to make for a long time. I priced it out a couple years ago and decided it was too expensive, especially since I have other interests that are more important to me. Luckily I no longer have a need to make it because my sister already is!

Last weekend I spent two nights at my sister's convent all alone. It was the first time I had been alone for more than a night in over 15 years and it was just as wonderful as I hoped it would be. I got to visit with my sister three times and our last conversation was all about plants and incense. She has been making the incense that is used during Mass and prayers for some time now and through a lot of trial and error and much research she feels she is close to an authentic ancient scent. She also informed me that St. Mary Magdalene is the Patroness of Apothecaries and Perfumers and guess what my sister's religious name is? Sr. Mary Magdalene!

I've always loved the incense burned during Mass, it is a smell that makes me feel like I am home. Here is a brief explanation about the symbolism and history of incense (in the Catholic Church) by Fr. Saunders.

The purpose of incensing and the symbolic value of the smoke is that of purification and sanctification. For example, in the Eastern Rites at the beginning of Mass, the altar and sanctuary area were incensed while Psalm 50, the "Miserere," was chanted invoking the mercy of God. The smoke symbolizes the prayers of the faithful drifting up to heaven: the Psalmist prays, "Let my prayer come like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice" (Psalm 141). Incense also creates the ambiance of heaven: The Book of Revelation describes the heavenly worship as follows: "Another angel came in holding a censer of gold. He took his place at the altar of incense and was given large amounts of incense to deposit on the altar of gold in front of the throne, together with the prayers of all God's holy ones. From the angel's hand, the smoke of the incense went up before God, and with it the prayers of God's people." 

Now our home smells absolutely wonderful! I bought two different scents, one which they will be selling in the near future and one that smells really good but isn't appropriate for church. We had a good laugh when she told me that one of her earlier blends smelled like something you'd smell in a vintage shop. She was my thrifting partner before she became a nun so she's very familiar with Nag Champa and similar incenses. haha!

I hope to post some pictures from my weekend this week so hopefully I can find time in the next day or two.

♥ anne

San Juan Capistrano Mission

Yesterday we spent the morning at the beautiful San Juan Capistrano Mission. I hadn't been there in a couple years and it was good to go back especially on The Feast of The Immaculate Conception.

Marianne was very happy (although she doesn't look like it in this picture) to be wearing matching vests. She certainly has her own sense of style and is very vocal about what she wants and does not want to wear. I've worn this outfit at least once a week for the last month or so :) It's very comfortable and more importantly, it fits. I'm hoping to finally get back into all my clothes after the new year.


This Advent has been wonderful so far. I've remembered the feast days and am doing all sorts of fun activities with the little kids. We've been talking a lot about the saints and some of our basic Catholic beliefs. I take great delight in hearing Shane's thoughts on spirituality, they are very sweet and simple. He is quite a lover that one.



Margaret is an adventurous little lady. She reminds me of Alex when she was a baby, moving around all the time!





As I told Ruben this morning, yesterday was just about as good as a day can get. If you know me, you know I rarely make such statements but it really was awesome. The realization made me very happy, I'm trying to be more positive and acknowledging the good felt like a big step for me. We visited the Mission, I went to Mass, we decorated the tree, had a couple beers, I got to take a nap! and we ended the day off with a bang by watching 20,000 Days On Earth which was as good as I had hoped it'd be and has furthered my love for Nick Cave. 

♥ anne

Here And Now

I decided my baby carrier needed a little "flair"! I saw a gal on Instagram add patches to hers and had to copy! I thrifted a bunch of Boy Scout patches a while back and added a couple of those and then sewed a scapular on as well.

Tonight's sunset was epic! I was at church for Confession and when I walked out I was greeted with this gorgeous sight. It was just what I needed after an emotionally exhausting day.

Ruben taking his harmonica holder for a spin :)

Standing at the sink after dishes. I think I may grow roots there.

Tomorrow I'll be gearing up for Thanksgiving and celebrating Alex becoming a teen! I have two teenagers now :0

♥ anne

My Jewelry

I have a nice collection of fun accessories and jewelry that I really like but today I am sharing my most loved necklace that I wear almost everyday.  Each piece came to me over time and somehow ended up on the same chain. I like the way it looks and like even more that each one is special.





Starting on the left- The diamonds are my Nana's original wedding setting which she wore until her 25th wedding anniversary when my Grandpa bought her a new ring. For my 30th birthday she had it made into a necklace for me. I didn't wear it often for a couple of years because I was afraid I'd somehow lose it but I finally decided let that fear go. I figure if Nana trusts me enough to give me one of her most special pieces of jewelry, that I should trust myself with it. I really am honored to wear it and it is so pretty and I just love it :)

In the middle is my Miraculous Medal. I found it on etsy or ebay many years ago and have been wearing it since. I've had many over the course of my life but this one is by far my favorite. It's really thin (which i like) and is apparently an antique according to the seller. It says, "O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." You can read the history of it here.

Last but not least is a little necklace from Milla which she gave me about two years ago. When I opened the package she had sent and saw it, I knew it belonged on the chain with my other two beauties. I'm not sure what it symbolizes but it reminds me of the four seasons. I love how they all jingle when I walk. It reminds me of a bell on a lamb or something. I think about how maybe the kids know I'm coming because they can hear my necklace and perhaps one day when they're older they'll remember it with fondness.

Do you have any special pieces of jewelry? Please feel free to share their stories with me :)

♥ anne

Thoughts

Let not the year go round and round, without a break and interruption in its circle of pleasures. -
Blessed John Henry Newman 

I read that quote yesterday morning and thought it was perfect for the onset of Lent. I am usually happy and ready for this season when it finally approaches and this year I feel I need it more than ever. "Offer it up" has been a phrase that has been running through my head a lot lately. If you are/were Catholic you are probably familiar with this saying. I'll briefly explain the best I can. Offering it up is a way to turn an undesirable task, sacrifice or any suffering into a prayer. Or said a little differently, it means to offer your suffering to God as a sacrifice. It can be a very small suffering or a great one. For example, I'm pregnant and as you most likely know, being pregnant is difficult for me. With my previous two pregnancies and this one I've offered all the discomfort, pain of birth, sickness, etc up for a particular intention/petition. This doesn't alleviate any of said discomforts but it sure makes it feel like it's not all for nothing. In fact, it's one of the main aspects of being pregnant that I actually enjoy.

Unfortunately, I have a hard time keeping this mindset in place. I quickly fall into my habit of complaining and negativity. I certainly have to remind myself often and attempt to correct my thoughts and actions and words. The other night I went to Confession and was telling the priest that I felt like a child throwing a tantrum. He told me a story about when he was a boy and had gotten hurt. He was crying and a family member asked him if crying made it hurt less. He sniffled and stopped and thought about the question and said, "well,  no". This was JUST what I needed to hear. I've been crying and complaining over something I can't change. Yes, I'm pretty miserable but crying about it isn't helping, it's actually just making it worse.

He wasn't being insensitive rather he was showing me a different way to look at the situation. Is it an easy solution? Absolutely not! Sometimes you need to cry out and throw a tantrum but not every day :) I have a lot to be grateful for and need to focus on those things rather than the perceived negatives that I'm so good at identifying.  

So here I am, ready to make the most of these last few weeks. I can't guarantee I'll be super successful but with the help of God, I'm certainly going to give it one hell of a try!

♥ anne

a snow day

yesterday we had the pleasure of visiting my sister. it was a beautiful, crisp, snowy day! during our break between visits we headed outside for some fun in the snow. the sisters let us borrow their sled and the kids had a ton of fun riding down the steep driveway. there were birds to watch, animals to pet and a snowball fight which inevitably ended with tears. and i'm very happy to say that after almost 8 years in the convent i can say without a doubt that my sister is truly happy! i'm so proud of her perseverance. it's just goes to show that with any vocation in life, if you stick it out through the tough times you are sure to enjoy the good times.







did you notice adorable "orange cat" in the first picture? well, my sister has been trying to convince my mom to take him for some time. apparently the other cats reject him and he is often found in the chapel trying to get warm and looking for some love. one look at him and mom decided to take him. i think he'll be happy with her and i know my sister is relieved to have found him a home.
and no day is complete without some crying! 


i know you are wondering about the cutest red jacket in world right? well, it came all the way from ireland to keep marianne warm this winter. thank you so much elizabeth for passing it on to us! it kept your little lady snugly and now it is doing the same for mine :D

♥anne

the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

today is my birthday. i think the thing the i love the most about this day is that it is also the Solemnity of the Assumption, when Mary, the immaculate perpetually Virgin Mother of God, after the completion of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven. (Pope Pius XII) 
my love for our mother Mary is very deep! in fact my love for the catholic church and the gift of faith makes my heart swell with gratitude. so why do i find it so difficult to talk about it here on my blog?! i don't know? maybe it's fear of criticism. fear that i'm not a good enough writer to even speak on the subject. fear of not being able to defend the church and her teachings. well, today and from now on i will try to shove those fears aside. it is my blog after all and i should feel free to talk about whatever i wish, right? 

although there are no scriptures to support the Assumption of Mary, it is known that the feast was celebrated long before it became a Dogma of the church in 1950. The Byzantine Emperor Mauritius (582-602) established the celebration of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15 for the Eastern Church. (Some historians speculate that the celebration was already widespread before the Council of Ephesus in 431). By the end of the 6th century, the West likewise celebrated the Feast of the Assumption. Fr. William Saunders goes on to say,Theoteknos of Livias (c. 550- 650) delivered one of the most comprehensive early sermons concerning the Assumption: "For Christ took His immaculate flesh from the immaculate flesh of Mary, and if He had prepared a place in heaven for the Apostles, how much more for His mother; if Enoch had been translated and Elijah had gone to heaven, how much more Mary, who like the moon in the midst of the stars shines forth and excels among the prophets and Apostles? For even though her God-bearing body tasted death, it did not undergo corruption, but was preserved incorrupt and undefiled and taken up into heaven with its pure and spotless soul."

another article by Fr. Clifford Stevens states, The Assumption completes God's work in her since it was not fitting that the flesh that had given life to God himself should ever undergo corruption. The Assumption is God's crowning of His work as Mary ends her earthly life and enters eternity. The feast turns our eyes in that direction, where we will follow when our earthly life is over.
The feast days of the Church are not just the commemoration of historical events; they do not look only to the past. They look to the present and to the future and give us an insight into our own relationship with God. The Assumption looks to eternity and gives us hope that we, too, will follow Our Lady when our life is ended.

along with church beliefs are all the devotions. when i was young, my sister would pray the rosary at night in bed. i remember wanting to be like her and trying to say it too. i'm pretty sure i fell asleep before i got to the first mystery! haha i guess that explains why she is the nun and i am not! i didn't reconnect with the rosary until my late teens, when i had my conversion. i have a book called Scriptural Rosary that has a bible quote for each Hail Mary. i have so many consoling memories with that little book. below is my favorite marian verse from it-

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon beneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

Rev 12:1

i basically want to get across here how rad Mary is. yes, she is rad!  she intercedes for us, she appears to people like here and here, she is queen of heaven and earth. if that's not rad then i don't know what is! she is the surest and quickest path to Jesus. 

mary, dispenser of grace, morning star, mother of wisdom, ark of the covenant, the new eve- pray for us!

♥anne