Emily's First Holy Communion

On Sunday, May 11, 2008 - Mother's Day - Emily had her First Holy Communion. She was joined by four of her classmates and 20 other children from the parish. When they knelt for the first time in the Mass, Emily didn't remover her foot quick enough and the other six kids in the pews knelt on her big toe. This was something I was completely unaware of until she and our priest, Father Sichko, brought it up at the reception afterwards.

Traditionally, Emily received a Bible from her parents, a rosary from Grandma and Papa, and a cross necklace from Grandma and Grandpa.

Much thanks to Sister Mary Thomas, her 2nd grade teacher, C. Cornette and B. Reister for organizing the event.

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. John 6:35

Coming Up

Hopefully, once we got this moving thing under control and school finally lets out, I'll be able to post some more -

Coming up in....

Parties and Pictures:
Alec's 12th birthday party
Nicholas 12th birthday party
Bob's birtday
St. Mark Derby Day
Emily, Rebecca and Kathy at the Legends Game

Norton's News, Notes 'n' Nonsense:
Updates on the new house
Updates on my job hunt
Kids riding their bikes
Jim and Diane visit
St. Mark Middle School Play

My Catholic Reflections:
Emily's First Holy Communion
Gifts of the Holy Spirit Series
Fruits of the Holy Spirit Series
Favorite Catholic Podcasts and Videocasts

Principal's Pokes and Ponderings:
Family Fun Night II: Aloha Style
Reflection on my tenure at Madison County Alternative and Day Treatment Programs

BINGO and Steak-n-Shake

What a night a BINGO last night! With only 48 people there, the big pots went down, but the odds went up. Gail didn't join us, but we sat with Larry and Rebecca. Larry won $100 on the first game, "Six Pack". I won $100 on the second game, "T", and split $250 three ways on the "UK" game for $85. I also won $25 on a Pretty Pearl pull-tab. So, we walked in with $60; $15 to the sitter, $20 for the regular game cards (we didn't make it on time for the early birds) which left us with $25 to spend. I bought $4 in food, leaving $21 which I spent on pull-tabs. Kathy kept all but $30 of the winnings, which I also spent on pull-tabs. Kathy spent an additional $20 from the winnings on "Hitter" pull-tabs in a big mix up from which we hoped we were going to benefit. We didn't, but Larry did, winning an additional $75.

So, after all that the bottom line is we walked out with $160 - netting $100. Not bad, and alot of fun!

We all went to Steak-n-Shake (13 of us counting the kids) for munchies and shakes. It took over an hour to get our shakes and by then the food was either eaten, or cold. The poor waitress didn't know which shakes were which and forgot who ordered what. I finally went to the manager and complained after an hour. We got our shakes for free and only paid for our munchies! Nicholas had a second dinner!

We all got to bed too late and too full.

Kids in the Paper for Making Cards for Pope Benedict XVI

Nicholas and Rebecca were in the April 12th editions of The Richmond Register and Lexington Herald Leader for making birthday cards for Pope Benedict XVI upon his first visit to the USA. I scanned them and present them here (click on them to enlarge them):

From the Front Page of the Register:

















From the Back Page of the Register:

















From Page B3 of the Leader (Rebecca is the 4th kid on the right):














co published in Norton's News, Notes 'n' Nonsense

St. Mark Students Make Cards for Pope's Visit

Check this video out from Channel 27:

Making Cards For Pope's Visit

BINGO Night

Kathy and I have been going to St. Mark's BINGO for last three months. We try and go twice a week (the second and fourth Fridays so the proceeds go to the school and not the KoC), but often only get to go once a month.

It's really a good deal. For $15 all three kids are babysat by one of the school's teachers in the library. Early Bird (five games with six cards per game) is $5 and the main BINGO is $10 for six cards for each of 10 games.

We have been very "blessed" (not lucky, because there is no luck) when we have played. Tonight we won $130 on the Shamrock BINGO pull tabs and two plates of cupcakes as door prizes. Last time we went we won two figurines as door prizes. The time before that, we won $130 on Shamrock and $125 on the "UK" game.

It's really alot of fun and we encourage my mother-in-law, Gail to come. And she does. After a long week with Bob, it's good just to get away and have a little fun with friends and family.

My Trip to Benedictus

I was on Spring Break last week and took the opportunity to go to Benedictus, a Catholic bookstore in Lexington. It is so calming and peaceful in the store - and rich with Catholic material! How I wish we had a Catholic library where I could spend an entire day! I wonder is there is such a thing?

I picked up a few books at the store:

At Prayer With the Saints

The Catholic Bible Study Handbook

Lives of the Saints II

Bible Day by Day

Daytime Prayer

Minute Meditations for Each Day

Reading Reflection

Today's reading comes from Acts 6:1-7. In it we find the Twelve asking the Hellenists to, "select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom" to be leaders in spreading the Good News.

As I wrap up my tenure on Pastoral Council, I am grateful for the opportunity to have been in that servant leadership position. What I do know is that my experience on the council has increased my prayer life and hopefully "filled me with the Spirit and wisdom".

Lord, those are those in the parish who are discerning their role in St. Mark's Parish. Continue to send the Holy Spirit to those and others so our new Pastoral Council may serve You and the people of St. Mark faithfully. Through Your Son Jesus Christ we pray.

Catholic Schools Week: St. Mark Awards Day

Congratulations to Emily for winning the "Best Teacher Caricature" in the 2nd grade!

Congratulations to Rebecca (third from right) on being on the "Principal's List" for getting all "A's" on her last report card!

Congratulations to Nicholas (first from right) on being on the Honor Roll for earning all "A's" and "B's" on his last report card!

(Also published in Norton News, Notes, 'n' Nonsense)

Emily's First Reconciliation

Congratulations to Emily for making her First Reconciliation this evening at St. Mark Catholic Church!

Emily, along with her five classmates from St. Mark Catholic School and several CCD students, have been preparing for this special occaision for the last month.

I was amazed at how well she memorized her Act of Contrition! I remember the days back in grade school when memorization was so important. It seems now the thought is, "If you know how to look it up, there is no need to memorize."

Nicholas, Rebecca, and I all went to Confession as well. It was interesting, as we were walking out of church, how determined the kids were to compare their penances, like the length and amount of the penance equaled the severity and number of your sins!

St. Mark Roman Catholic Church in Richmond, KY Unveils New and Improved Interactive Website

Our parish, St. Mark Roman Catholic Church in Richmond, KY has recently unveiled it's new interactive website.

The new site has been under construction for the last six months. Unlike the previous homepage, the new site offers information on the three ministries of St. Mark Church: St. Mark Catholic School, The Newman Center, and the Hispanic Ministry - all branching off from the main church page.

Full of photos, contact information, sound clips from selected homilies and even a video from the pastor (Reverend Jim Sichko - "Father Jim"), the new site reflects the growth and diversity of the parish.

The new site's URL is http://www.saintmarkcatholicchurch.net/. Please stop by and read our bulletin or submit a prayer request.

Marian Prayer: A Prayer to Begin a New Day

Dear Lord, this day stretches out before me like a quiet ocean, calm and clean and potent with possibility as I sing out the words of Mary, "My soul Magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." Help me to make the most of the beauty and opportunity within this day. I offer it to You through the following affirmations, confident that if I live what they contain I will have lived the day well.
I believe the Lord loves and remains with me at all times.
I believe the Lord provides for my earthly needs.
I believe the Lord cannot fail in anything He undertakes.
I believe I play a unique, important role in the Lord's plan.
I believe the Lord guides me to know His will.
I believe the Lord gives me all the strength I need in times of difficulty.
I believe good will come from all the situations I meet today.
I love all in and of the world and beyond; nothing can harm me.
I develop my talents, resources, and abilities to their best use.
I turn over to the Lord whatever I cannot changes and set realistic goals to change whatever I can.
I structure my day to include a balance of work, play, rest, and spiritual development.
I strive to live this day humbly, resisting the urge to belittle others or compare myself to them. realizing the presence of God within us all.

- from Marian Prayer Book (emphasis added)

In Remembrance: B. Michael Caudill

Mike Caudill, my boss and mentor, passed away on Friday, December 21, 2007. You may read the obituaries to find out about his long fight printed in both the Richmond Register and at Kentucky.com.

Mike was the superintendent of Madison County Schools and was the one who hired me in my current position. He was of great support to me both professionally and personally, and I'm sure I'm not the only principal, teacher, custodian, kitchen manager, etc. to say so. He was there for everyone on his staff. But mostly, he was there for the students of Madison County, especially the ones he dubbed, "Mike's Kids", the at-risk poulation needing the most help. The kids I serve in my Alternative Program.

I went to his visitation this evening. There must have been 700 people there, in just the first hour. He meant alot to many people. We were lucky to have known him.

In his visitation card, a small simple prayer is printed from A Gentle Thunder. It goes:

You want to make a difference in your world?
Live a holy life:

1. Be faithful to your spouse.
2. Be the one at the office (or school) who refuses to cheat.
3. Be the neighbor who acts neighborly.
4. Be the employee who does the work and doesn't complain.
5. Pay your bills.
6. Doyour part and enjoy life.
7. Don't speak one message and live another.
8. People are watching the way act more than they are listening to what we say.
   

Rest in peace, Mr. Caudill.

From My Inbox: Twelve Days of Christmas

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember.

• The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
• Two turtledoves were the Old and New Testaments.
• Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love. The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
• The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
• The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
• Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit - wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.
• The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
• Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
• The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.
• The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
• The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

I received this as a mass email, so I'm sure if it's accurate or not. Either way, it's kinda neat.

November 23 - Augustine Day by Day

Christ Instructs Us in Silence
Enter into your heart, as the Prophet Isaiah says. And, if you have faith you will find Christ there. There He speaks to you.
I, the preacher, must raise my voice when I speak to you. But Christ instructs you more effectively in silence.
Sermon 102, 2

Prayer: O God, do not be silent to me, but speak the truth in my heart, for it is only truth You speak. Let me enter into the secret chamber of my heart and sing to You songs of love, which are largely sighs: my attempts to express what cannot be expressed.
Confessions 12, 16

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Father, all of Creation rightly owes you thanks and praise.

Your justice, love and mercy abound.

We thank You this day for all that you have given us:

For the Passion and Death of Your Divine Son, we thank You Father;

Through the Cross, He redeemed the world.

For the Church, we thank You Father;

It is our beacon for salvation.

For the martyrs and saints who give testimony to Your Son, we thank You Father;

Their witness to your Son is our inheritance.

For our loved ones and friends who have died and gone before us, we thank You Father;

Their love abides with us forever.

For loving spouses, we thank You Father;

Together we seek You.

For the gift of children, we thank You Father;

They are Your precious gifts to us and the world.

For the gift of our families, loved ones and good friends, we thank You Father;

Through them we see the reflection of Your Son.

For jobs, our homes and all that we have, we thank You Father;

Give us only that which we need, as we seek Your Kingdom.

We thank You through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

prayer by The Holy Spirit

November 22 - Augustine Day by Day

Pine for the Homeland
Now let us hear, bothers and sisters, let us hear and sing. Let us pine for the city where we are citizens. By pining, we are already there. We have already cast our hope, like an anchor, on that coast.
I sing of somewhere else, not of here; for I sing with my heart, not my flesh. The citizens of Babylon hear the sounds of the flesh; the founder of Jerusalem hears the tune of the heart.
Commentary on Psalm 64, 3

Prayer: Lord, lets us make our home again in You and thus avoid being lost. Long ago we left it - for what is our home but Your Eternity, which does not disappear because we have deserted it!
Confessions 4, 16

November 21 - Augustine Day by Day

Father and Judge
Really, what profit is there in temporal good health and in the ties of blood if we willingly spurn the eternal inheritance of Christ? And this opinion is not mine.
It comes from the words of the Almighty God Himself: whoever rejects Him in this world as Father will find Him in the next as Judge!.
Letter 52, 4

Prayer: O Lord, our God, let our mouths not speak of vanities. Make us happy in You, for we will not lose You if we have clung to You, nor shall we go lost. Make us happy in You.
Sermon 113, 6

November 20 - Augustine Day by Day

Captivity and Liberation
We must also know first our captivity, then our liberation: we must know Babylon and Jerusalem. These were two cities recorded in the Bible.
They were founded to symbolize those two "cities" that began in the far past and will continue to the end of time.
Commentary on Psalm 64:1-2

Prayer: Lord, while I move and bear this body, I pray tha i may be pure, generous, just, and prudent. May I be a perfect lover and knower of Your Wisdom. Finally, may I be worthy of Your Dwelling Place and live in Your most blessed Kingdom.
Soliloquies 1, 1

Continued Recovery

Thank you for all the prayers for Bob and his family. We went to visit him at the nursing home this evening and he seemed much more alert and cognizant than yesterday.

We went to the dining hall for dinner and he ate OK, but about 30 minutes into it, the entertainment arrived. Several people (obviously from an evangelical church) had a guitar, mandolin, banjo and several vocalists. The sang hymns and took requests. Most all was Bluegrass.

Bob cried throughout alot of the songs, which was good for him. Some reminded him of years passed with his parents, and some were just very emotional to hear. All songs were centered on Christ and His suffering and love. I don't really care for Bluegrass hymns, but all in all it was good this evening.

Things are looking up.

Thanks for the prayers.