The last two weeks have been rough. Sickness and stress have been preying upon us throughout, and on Sunday, I felt I hardly had reason to rejoice as I anxiously awaited the surgery our youngest would undergo the next morning. Of course, every Sunday is reason to rejoice, but Laetare Sunday should have been a moment of extra rejoicing. I felt I missed the mark, but today, our daughter is home safely after a successful surgery, my health is beginning to improve, and I feel I can think clearly for the first time in two weeks. I’m a little late, but today I rejoice!

The time of sickness was not without any consolation. I see I have much progress to make in the spiritual life, but there were little wins throughout, praise be to God! The sickness really had me down for the count, too weak to do much, so I spent a lot of time reading. I was blessed with much time for research for the book on liturgical homesteading. It was fun and exciting, and I can’t wait to learn more. One of these days, I will have to begin sifting through the pages of notes and write chapters of all I have learned. The kids giggle at me for how “nerdy” I get when it comes to our Faith. What’s not to love, thought? It’s filled with such beauty and depth. Depth I will never be able to plumb in this life. The real trick now will be to take all I have learned and figure out how to apply it to our lives.

We planned to make an angel food cake for the feast of the Annunciation, but I was too weak, so we postponed and baked it over the weekend instead. Though I felt sick all week, I was able to repaint our Mary statue for the back door. She needs a protective clearcoat, but she’s looking a bit happier than before and our 2-yr old is over the moon for Mary’s new look. She said, “Momma, she’s beUUaful!” and gave her hugs and kisses, a sure sign of success.

The other day I read about the “Ice Saints” in May. They vary slightly from country to country, but planting can take place after the memorial of the Ice Saints. They are thus named because that is when the last cold snap of the season usually takes place, and planting can safely take place after that date. For the past few years, I’ve known that I can plant after the memorial of St. Isidore (May 15th), but now I have a few new friends to get to know and remember in the days leading up to planting. I’m reading a fantastic book called “The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence” by Mattew R. Plese which has been very informative and enlightening for the Rogation Days this year, and I only wish I had read it a couple of weeks ago, before the spring Ember Days.

As I’ve studied more about Ember days in the past few weeks, I can’t help but think what a shame it is that this ancient tradition has fallen by the wayside, and how there has been such a decline in priestly vocations since it has fallen out of practice. Interesting when we consider that part of the purpose was to pray FOR priestly vocations!

Part of the research for my book is on the local history of the village of St. Nazianz and its very Catholic origins, controversial though they may be to some. The first step was to better familiarize myself with a history I should have known my whole life since I’m from the area. The next step is to work with my husband when he has time as well as with one of his friends from the historical society to glean what I can about day-to-day life of the early settlement (these people were initially lay men and women who lived a semi-monastic, very agrarian life), as the day-to-day routines are often the most enlightening when it comes to clues for creating a liturgical life. I also need to reach out to the Salvatorian brothers and sisters who took over the religious care of the community a little later on in the history, as they did a lot of farm work, too.

Do you know of any agricultural Catholic traditions? If so, please leave a comment! The Polish tradition of First Spring Grazing led to some interesting research, as did reading up on Lammas Day or St. Peter in the Chains.

In Christ,
Danielle