Tina Grace 我要唱那天主的荣耀
奇异恩典 何等甘甜
This week, all the important days are lined up: Sunday was for Super Bowl , and Chinese New Year's Eve. Monday was Chinese New Year's. Tuesday was Mardi Gras. Today is Ash Wednesday.
I went to church in the evening for Mass and to receive ash, I brought a rosary with me. I sprinkled Holy Water over the rosary, put it in Mother Mary's hands for a while, lit a candle, said prayers for friends and family. God bless! On this special year, a jubilee year.
I was moved to tears when the Mass first started and I touched the Rosary, with all the history and spirit behind it, I felt the presence of SPECIAL people.
This is Mother Mary, I took the photo the first week I started my new job, and went in church to give my thanks. I was so happy to see beautiful roses at her foot. I used to brings roses from my own garden to her many years ago.
On Ash Wednesday I did not take photos, the Rosary was in Mother Mary's hands. The look of Mary is "Our Lady of Guadalupe", special for the Americans.
The church was filled with people, to an extend that there were not enough seats for everyone. I just stood at the back, when I saw my friend Leslie and her husband standing on the other side, I walked over and stayed with them. Our children went to pre-school together, her daughter and my son. We have known each other for 17 years. they were so happy to see me, and we hugged each other, and even chatted a few.
to be continued... time fast forward to the week after Ash Wednesday, a night i started to pray the rosary. It is so windy out there! When I was growing up, there were huge thunderstorms in the summer, like the ones in the sound of music movie, that scares you at night, with flashes so bright and thunders so loud!
I really like thunder storms, it's mother nature at her best, there is nothing you can do about it, just enjoy the show.
And I love spring rains, fresh with new growth, of grass and flowering trees.
Now I am praying the rosary, half way now, every big bead is Our Father prayer, all 50 small beads are 50 Hail Mary prayers. It's been a long time since I prayed the rosary, I had to look at my prayer book to follow, I used to recite everything by heart. The rosary is very special, I can feel the warmth... just finished the rosary:) I am going to bring it back to life.:) it is so precious, and a big responsibility to keep.
The prayers means a lot to people. when we pray, we bring friends and family with us, ourseleves and those in our prayers to the goodness of life, after all, God is the creator of all the goodness! He wants us to love and be loved!
one night i fell off to sleep as soon as I touched the first bead of the Rosary , did not get to pray that day. But recited 2 decades of the rosary driving in the morning. On a lot of the rosary, there is a Mary pendant that has the date of 1830, it is called the miraculous medal, see here -the-Miraculous-Medal.cfm
Life is a miracle, isn't it?
愿神明保佑你们全家。
阿晴妹妹带上我们的祝福，问好北京的亲人，你的妈妈和妹妹，享受这难得的团聚，祝你和安娜新春平安喜乐相伴，God Bless, xoxo
今年我没有机会去教堂，这些天比较奔波，今天收拾行李，母女俩都要出门了，我出差，会有半天的时间去北京，看看我们曾经共同的北京。
今年罗马的圣灰周三也不是在Aventino上的 Santa Sabina，一切传统的东西都消失了。至今让我最难忘的是2012年的圣灰日弥撒，很多人都哭了。
祝福你们全家，喜乐平安，相信爱，一切都会好的。
你工作辛苦，有时间就好好放松。
Thanks 燕子 for sharing:)