Happy New Year!

Today is a holy day of obligation for Catholics, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. For all those who like to go out on New Year's Eve, it can be a little tricky trying to figure out how to do both, but luckily for me, we have never been New Year Eve party kind of people. As a matter of fact, in all the years we have been together (almost 20, including our dating years!), we have never gone out or even stayed up until midnight together. Party Poopers!

Last night, the kids and I watched a little of the New Year's Eve special but they quickly got bored with that and we ended up clicking around and finding a silly SpongeBob episode to watch until 11:30. I just couldn't keep my peepers open any longer. We headed up to bed, but by the time we brushed our teeth, got in our jammies and read a story, and turned out the light, it was midnight and we heard lots and lots of fireworks going off. Apparently there is a time window on this night when people can set off fireworks (the good kind, not those red devil things). I didn't look it up but I would think that up until 12:30 would be acceptable. We have one over achiever in our neighborhood who was still setting them off at 2:00 am, but then stopped probably because it started raining!

So this morning it was a little of a chore dragging myself out of bed, but I managed to get to the *early* Mass at 9:00. I say it that way because on Sunday the early Mass is at 7:30, but I think being that it's New Year's Day and all, the early Mass needed to be moved up a bit. Since my oldest and I are the only ones in our house who are not currently ill, we went together and left all the sickies at home. I expected Mass to be sparsely occupied but to my surprise, it was like a Sunday. Not quite standing room only, but very full for a New Year's Day morning. It is nice that so many people take fulfilling their obligations seriously. For those who might have stayed out a little late, there was also a noon Mass today, so no excuses for missing Mass today (unless you're sick-- with a virus, not a hangover!)

Somehow I've managed to dodge the bullet, since this crud has been going around our house for about a month now. Busy woodshop hubby is just now today feeling a little more human, after three full days of a nasty cough, headache, chills and lethargy. It is a sad sight to be sure. He is always in motion so it is very strange to see him in one place for any length of time. Today, the two youngest are sick. The oldest had it at the beginning of December and missed a whole week of school, right before Christmas break! I am hoping that I will not get this, because when they all have to start back to school and hubby is back at work and then I will have no one to take care of me! I don't know why I should expect to not get sick when everyone around me is dropping like flies, but thankfully I have been able to take care of them-- it should have a name, instead of immunity, how about immomunity!

Since it is the first and all, I must get to the bill paying. This post has taken me about two hours with all the interruptions!

Happy New Year!



Readings for today:

Collect: Father, Source of light in every age, the virgin conceived and bore Your Son who is called Wonderful God, Prince of Peace. May her prayer, the gift of a mother's love, be Your people's joy through all ages. May her response, born of a humble heart, draw our Spirit to rest on Your people. Grant this through Christ our Lord. +Amen

First Reading - Numbers 6:22-27 The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron and his sons, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you: The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Second Reading - Galatians 4:4-7 But when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying "Abba! Father!" So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.

Gospel Reading - Luke 2:16-21 And they[shepherds] went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this Child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of the eight days, when He was circumcised He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.