The best of all Fridays

Jen isn't hosting 7 Quick Takes this week, given that it's Good Friday, but I think I'm going to anyway, since it seems to be the only time I ever write.

--1--

Yesterday marked the beginning of Triduum and my three-year "Catholic Birthday;" the third anniversary of the first Holy Thursday when I, a very contented Evangelical, "accidentally" went to Mass with three wonderful Catholic friends and was so entranced by the beautiful liturgy that I had to keep coming back.

--2--

It may seem like a silly thing, but my favorite part of Holy Thursday's Mass is hearing the Gloria again. After a six week hiatus, we again echo the angels proclaiming "gloria in in excelsis deo!" For whatever reason we don't often sing the Gloria at my parish, so singing it in my favorite Mass setting after a long drought was like heaven on earth. And in fact, it was! Mass is heaven on earth! If you don't believe me, read Scott Hahn's take on the subject.

--3--

Living Stations was a huge success. I'm so proud of my students. I was horridly worried about it, but they came through in ways I never could've guessed, and really took ownership. I think this demonstrates, once again, that teenagers are capable of great things, far more than adults often give them credit for. If we set the standard high, they will meet it and be better for it.

--4--

A year ago at this time I was six weeks away from graduation with no idea what I would be doing. Now I'm happy in a job I love, two hours away from most of my friends, but still very happy overall. Ironically, I've had a handful of emails from friends and colleagues in the past weeks about other job opportunities; jobs I would've leaped at a year ago... but I can confidently decline them, knowing that it's far more important for me to be here. At first those emails were a horrendous temptation, but now I can just be thankful and flattered for their offers and re-assert that I need to be here.

--5--

This video makes me smile. A lot. And not just because the priest is really, really good looking.

--6--

Spiritual warfare has been on my mind a lot lately. It seems to be coming up a lot, either with friends, co-workers, or students. A youth minister friend at a different parish was dealing with some very scary things happening in her building, so we figured out a plan to get the priest to do a blessing/sprinkle some holy water, and we brainstormed prayers to say, saints to invoke, etc.... and thank God it seems to have worked. On Wednesday night one of my eighth graders casually mentioned that she and her friends love playing Ouija boards and holding seances... and I tried very hard not to scare her as I explained that those things are *not* a good idea, since they open us up to very bad things like demonic influence. I really hope that I didn't scare her too much, but if it's a choice between her being too scared to do it again or too apathetic to realize that occult practice are NOT GOOD THINGS... I'd honestly prefer she be a little freaked out.

--7--

Our Holy Father is the man. This isn't really news; just the latest episode of papal awesomeness. Papa B has come under so much fire lately for speaking the truth (!), and he and all bishops need our prayers.

I suppose this is technically and "eighth take" but... The Novena of Divine Mercy starts today!