Prayers of the Faithful

St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around.  Something is lost and can’t be found.

Come on, man, what’s your price? I’ll totally pay it. I seriously can’t find my car keys.

Calling It

Technically, Lent ends tonight, which I did not know until recently. (I said I was Catholic. I never said I was a good Catholic or a smart Catholic.) Normally, I’ve always waited out any Lenten promises until Easter Sunday, because…well, A) because I didn’t know that I didn’t have to, and 2) when I did know, what’s a couple more days, really? I’ve already come this far, right?

But this year, I’m totally calling it – Lent is ending for This Girl at sundown on Friday night.

It is for selfish reasons, to be honest. After the last couple of weeks, all I want to do is have a Friday night that contains the following elements: sitting on my couch, watching the shows on TLC, maybe a glass of wine, and a brownie. Doesn’t that sound amazing? I think so. And I don’t want to wait until Sunday, or even Saturday, because work and other things are going on and all I want are a few uninterrupted hours of peace and sweets to myself, for my sanity.

I do feel a little guilty, but I think that’s more out of habit than anything else. I do feel a little like I’ve run a distance race and but then stopped 25 feet before the finish line and walked away. But I do feel like if I don’t let myself have this give, I’m going to regret it later.

So if anybody needs me tomorrow night, I’ll be the girl lounging around at home rejoicing the Easter season in brownies and red wine.

This? This Is Not About You.

I just read Richard Roeper’s March 30 column on Notre Dame and the Obama controversy. I’m in the same boat as Roeper that people would probably brand me as not a real Catholic for agreeing with some of Obama’s views. Like he said, so be it.

 

This whole controversy is ridiculous and silly. What most people probably don’t realize is that Notre Dame asks the sitting president EVERY YEAR to speak at commencement. George W. Bush spoke twice during his presidency. And do you know, I don’t remember Bishop D’Arcy making a stink over that. Interesting, because last time I checked the Catholic church was opposed to the killing of any person, not just those in utero, and I was always under the impression that W was, how shall we say, very rah-rah for the death penalty. And yet, not a peep from Bishop D’Arcy on those appearances by the then-sitting president.

 

As a Catholic, I am ashamed that a man in such a position as D’Arcy would use Notre Dame’s graduation to make such a scene. It was pompous, self-centered, and hypocritical of him to ever say anything – this graduation is not about D’Arcy, or the alumni, it is about the students. Obama is not going there to make a political or religious statement to the students, he will go to charge them with the responsibilities they now have as young adults fresh out of college.

 

If you don’t like Obama’s politics, that’s fine, you are entitled to your opinion. If you don’t like him as a person, again, fine, that’s your choice, your opinion. But at the very least, recognize the situation for what it is: The President of the United States is speaking at a graduation, and that’s an honor, no matter who is in the White House. Show some respect, for both him and the graduating class of Notre Dame.

A Conversation About Lent

 

My friend JMac and I both gave up sweets for Lent. I also gave up booze. She also gave up Diet Coke. We are both quietly going insane.

JMac: Do you think a chai latte counts as a “sweet.” i.e, is it forbidden? I’m trying to decide, because I want to go down and get one but I have a vague concern that it constitutes cheating.

Me: No, I do not think a chai latte counts as a sweet. It is not forbidden. If you had said hot chocolate, obviously yes, that is a forbidden. But chai is tea, so it doesn’t count. Just like a regular latte wouldn’t count. Also, is peanut butter forbidden? Because I eat peanut butter toast with honey almost every morning for breakfast, and I don’t even think twice about it. I did, however, have a bite of Deb’s waffle the other day, and didn’t think twice about it until later, and then I did feel kind of bad, because pancakes and waffles are on my own personal verboten sweets list. Am going to hell. This Lent is dragging on FOREVER.

JMac: Can’t talk now I have a latte to get.

(Later)

JMac: Ok, just for the mental health benefits, that was totally worth it. I hear you on the waffle, I feel sort of guilty because I had a bite of ginger ice cream on Emily’s birthday – I didn’t even enjoy it. Dude, it’s never going to be Easter. It just isn’t. It’s time we face facts.

Me: We are going to live in a world forever without oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and man catcher brownies. And champagne. All because Jesus couldn’t be bothered to rise again this year. Selfish sonofagod.

JMac: Totally. I can’t believe the prince of peace is doing this to us.

Me: Prince of pain in my ass is more like it. I just know he and Simon Peter are up there, laughing and pointing at us.