August 15th is a turning point in the summer. It is one last joyous feast day before the omni-present nudging of school must cease to be ignored. To make this great feast of Our Lady memorable, this year we undertook a mini-pilgrimage and camping trip. As you can imagine, we totally nailed this trip.

We excitedly packed our camping gear in the van that fine sunny morning. As we packed, memories of Jasper flooded our minds. A touch of the transcendent God. Surely we could recreate it. We decided to stay open to camping multiple nights. And so, we turned onto the highway heading West. "Rather smoky, hey?" "Yeah, you don't notice it until you get out on the highway..."

A moose passed right in front of us at one point. The main animal we didn't see on our earlier vacation. Surely a sign of God's benediction on us.

The smoke started to cloud our optimism on the day, but onward we pressed. Eventually, after a couple of hours of driving, we arrived at the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes (St. Laurent). From there we took the kids for a tour and to say some special prayers to Our Lady.

After the longish drive and touring for roughly five minutes John Paul offered the following: "Can we go now?"

As we finished the prayers we looked up and noticed that the sky was an ominous yellow. At this point it was undeniable that we had headaches and sore throats caused by the smoke. To camp would be dangerous. To even continue on outside would be unhealthy.

We decided, after all the packing, driving, and hopeful expectations, to give our friends a call and say we wouldn't meet them for a cookout supper. We decided to head to Saskatoon for a quick bit of shopping before, gulp, going home.

Emilie screamed, not cried but screamed, the entire drive from the shrine to Saskatoon. Once in Saskatoon we did a quick Costco trip before going to Cabella's to return a tent. I don't know if you've ever returned a tent at Cabella's before. It is the most awkward experience you can imagine. Picture a guy bringing his new girlfriend to meet his parents for the first time. They are sitting around the supper table making light conversation about weather, gardens, and upcoming museum events. Then the dad turns to the girl and says: "So, what are your intentions? Are you two getting married?"

Awkward silence. Broken only by the choking of the son.

At Cabella's they surround you with a team of people. They take out the tent right in front of you to inspect. One of the team members takes you, nay your whole family, aside to discuss life. How kids must smile. How moose can have mohawks. How memories are made. Meanwhile I am sure the remainder of the team is doing a full criminal record check on my past, including looking for any facebook posts involving the tent. Nevermind that the salaries paid to the interrogation team during this time far outweigh the price of the actual tent. It's the principle of the matter. Finally we are released. We run to the vehicle. I sweat nervously as I drive away. I am sure I will be chased by a vehicle with shiny "Cabella's" written all over the front and side. Maye even some flashing lights on it. I nervously joke that this is "intense." But no, we are away. Clearly I can never return to the store.

One last stop at a mall. The kids are going nuts. Vehicles and shopping is not camping. We decide to eat a scrumptious meal at the food court before sadly driving way. The Chinese food instantly makes my stomach scream in pain. But the real screaming is from Emilie. She screams for an hour straight once we hit the road. Our nerves our shot. "Lord, may I never make a pilgrimage again." Finally she falls into a whimpering sleep for the final hour. Which means, of course, she stays up late at night once we get home. With our van packed bursting with unused camping gear in the back, we finally arrive home. Everyone is rather miserable. I vaguely promise the boys a movie night the next night (words which I will later regret... think Veggie Tales pirates...).

The Feast of the Assumption. Never assume you can create the perfect memory. Because when you assume you make an...

Oh well, totus tuus Maria. Even this.

Sedes Sapientiae

Today is the feast of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom. This honour to Our Lady has played an important role in my life. From the College of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom website:

The feast of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, our patronal feast, is observed on June 8^th.  The title of Mary as ‘Seat of Wisdom’ is an ancient one, traced back liturgically to the twelfth century, when we find prayers to the Virgin as the ‘Mother of Wisdom’, the ‘fountain of Wisdom’ and, of course, the ‘Seat of Wisdom’.  She is seen not only as the Mother of Christ, Who is Wisdom Incarnate, but also as the prototypical ‘wise Virgin’ herself, who ‘kept all these words in her heart’, in order to ‘teach, recount, and proclaim them to the world’ (cf.,Sacramentary for Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

Even though it's been ten years since I graduated from OLSWA (the Academy) I still find it very important to read and study the faith. It is still exciting to pull out the Summa Theologica from time to time and soak in the words of St. Thomas Aquinas. I find that studying, when done with the right intent, not only benefits the mind but more importantly reminds us that we are to seek heavenly realities. That we are not to seek after what is worldly (maybe this is why OLSWA was always so poor?). Alas, though, it's nice not to have the pressure of studying for an upcoming test or essay.

I later returned to the Academy as registrar for two years. It was unique seeing how others experienced their studies. Some kids just didn't get it. They were overwhelmed by intense studies and simple drifted away from the benefits that all-in work can merit. Others, thankfully, were deeply moved by what they learned. I remember vividly overhearing one student, a couple months into his school year, on fire for what he was studying. He loudly spoke that he was going to stay at the Academy for the full three years, and that he was going to study this faith with all his heart and mind. It was as though he finally found a calling in life, for the very first time. So off he went, studying. I don't know what happened to him. There were rumblings that he was going to try and be a priest. Whatever he's doing right now I'm sure that he, like me, pauses on this day to remember the importance of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom.

Domina Nostra Sedes Sapientiae, Ora Pro Nobis

The Routine of Life (and Death)

Another day, another dollar (another dollar spent). We treat each day with a certain amount of repetition and normalcy. Routine can be good when filled with virtue, for the routine will bring growth. Routine filled for the sake of routine will eventually exhaust ourselves horribly. It is true with daily living, as with our spiritual lives.

A routine certain aspect of daily living is that everyday people die. The moment of death is in essence what we are born to do ("no matter what you do, you are dying" said one saint). Our ontological end, that which Aristotle could not help but reason towards, is to be eternally happy with our Maker. It is a fearful and wonderful thought. Yet it hums away in our daily routine.

Forgive me if you've heard this type of story before. I'll bet you have. Today the grandpa of our neighbour across the street died. A man named Grant. As is so often the case, Grant and his wife were Catholics who still practiced their faith. Their children had fallen away from the faith. Their grandkids, as the case with our neighbour, understandably even more so. The story goes that at some point today our priest was given a call. He was asked him if he could come right away before Grant died. Our priest replied that he was at his cabin, and that it would take him a good hour and a half to get there. "Oh it will surely be too late," they answered. "Grant will die any minute." Well Father, being Father, left the cabin regardless. He invoked Grant's guardian angel. He insisted that his guardian angel get him there in time, despite the hopelessness of the situation. Well, as is the case (again, forgive me if you've heard this before), Father arrived in time. He was able to administer the last rites. Father then prayed a chaplet of Divine Mercy. And, routine of routines, Grant died right as Father finished the chaplet.

I call this story routine only in the sense that we've heard stories like it before. In actual fact, if you're like me, a story like this amazes me every time. The Divine Mercy of Christ must never be taken for granted. And yet, it's always eagerly available to those who call on it. God, in a sense, is routine. He is routine with unfathomable mercy and unending love. It is only our daily routines, those lacking in virtue, which shut us out from his routine of infinite goodness.

One other aspect strikes me today, that of the guardian angel. We too often pray our mindless angel of God prayer everyday, yet neglect to actually talk with our angel. God's routine, if you will, heavily involves our angel. Our angels are in place to lead us to heaven. Daily. As sure as we rise each morning and go about our day, our angels are there to lead us on the right path. I'm always struck by that passage from St. Faustina's Diary:

I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory. The souls call her "The Star of the Sea." She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard an interior voice] which said, "My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it." Since that time, I am in closer communion with the suffering souls. (Diary, 20)

I love how St. Faustina walks side by side with her angel. Her angel leads her around. How normal it all seems. How routine. Her angel shows her the love of Our Lady,  the justice and mercy of God, and the tremendous suffering of the souls. Indeed, there is a routine in our spiritual life which, if we stopped and truly pondered it, would shake us out of our dull normalcy forever and profoundly impact us towards a life of virtue. Blessed be the routine of God.

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love entrusts me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen

Mary, Queen of the Blogosphere

Yesterday I spent most of the day totally immersed in a book for my upcoming Mariology course. The book is "Mary, Mother of the Redeemer" by Spanish priest and professor Juan Luis Bastero.

I dedicated several hours to Bastero's section on Marian exegesis in Scripture. In it he took every single Gospel phrase, and many phrases in the Old Testament, referring to Mary and very meticulously unpacked them. Though the book is extremely scholarly (i.e. slow reading) every paragraph unpacked more and more of the mystery of Mary as found within Scripture. I was totally amazed at the incredible faith of Mary. Everything she does in Scripture exhibits a perfect faith. By evening I was somewhat dreamily remembering all of the many things I read throughout the day... it was just so wonderful. Mary is not only the Mother of God, and our mediatrix with Christ, but she is also the perfect example of living with faith.

* * *

Later in the evening I decided to go on the internet and read the latest in Catholic bloggery. I ended up encountering a certain young blogger from Toronto (V.C.), with very particular Extraordinary Form liturgical leanings, going at it with some of the biggest Catholic bloggers from the States. Long story short, this V.C. guy, though often too severe in his criticisms, was somehow in an argument with the American Catholic bloggers over liturgical abuses. Whether V.C. was right or wrong doesn't matter at this point. As I read on I noticed the American bloggers, M.S., P.C., F.D.L, and many of their followers, repeatedly making fun of and mocking V.C. They kept swooping in and sarcastically replying to his posts. They ganged up and chatted back and forth over how crazy they thought V.C. was. They incited other of their followers to do the same. This went on and on. It came across as disgusting and uncharitable bullying. Again, these are some of the biggest and supposedly brightest Catholic names in North America.

Now I know this stuff happens all the time. I know that I am certainly not above this type of behaviour either. But the juxtaposition really struck me yesterday, having spent most of the day in awe at the peaceful and loving faith of Our Lady. Then to see how the Catholic blogosphere can work on any given day, as a complete contrast to Our Lady, was truly striking.

I'm all for Catholic blogs defending the faith. I'm especially in favour of these blogs taking on controversial subjects head on. If things get heated at times, well, that's ok. I'd rather have an indepth and heated discussion than a blog about flowers, butterflies, and Kumbaya. I even love the use of sarcasm to get points across. But tackling difficult issues head on is very different from gang-bullying and mocking people on the internet. It just struck me as completely counter to the life of Our Lady.

So the point is this: We (especially me) must never lose our heads while on the internet. The ideal is to live and act like Our Lady. Further, great knowledge of the faith means nothing if it is not practiced. At the same time, don't mistake peaceful blogging with writing only about warm-fuzzy thoughts.

That is all.