for narnia: January 2009

Friday, January 30, 2009

Serving funeral Masses

since august of 2007, i've been a part of the very special parish of Sacred Heart. i've become involved in many ministries, one of which is the bereavement ministry. this ministry is where we (those of us who are in this ministry) assist the priests at the funeral masses as altar servers; lectors; eucharistic ministers; and, most importantly, just by our prayerful prescence for those who mourn. it's a special ministry. in the past year i have seen how it seems to comfort the families who have lost a loved one. many of them will come up to us and just say "thank you." i realize that it is just by "being there" for others that seems to be what matters most. just this past week, i have had the honor to assist at two funeral Masses and it really is an honor - just to be there and to assist in whatever way necessary and to pray for the deceased and their loved ones. PEACE!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Christmas memories

since the Christmas season has officially come to an end and we begin ordinary tme tomorrow, i was wondering if anyone has anything particularly special or meaningful that they remember about the season. as i reflect, participating in many Masses, in the two parishes that i love, as an altar server or lector was the main highlight, because it's just beautiful to be with others who share the joy for the right reason. it's definitely not about all the materialism that the world seems to suggest. also, time spent with my nieces and nephews, particularly my 3-year-old nephew, Eric, was significant. again, even though the kids all received gifts and all that materialistic stuff, my nephew, Eric seemed to enjoy the gift of others rather than all the "stuff," which was probably a little overwhelming for him, anyway. he loves books and he was perfectly content to just sit with me for hours and read his one favorite holiday book, "the polar express" and then we also watched the movie of the "polar express" together. since my neices are all teens and in their early 20's and my other nephew is 13, i spend most of my time with Eric whenever we get together. i did the same with all of them when they were little. they all know that "aunt tara" is the one who truly gives of her time to be with them. Eric now tells me that i'm his "best friend." the innocence of children is something that really touches me at Christmas, especially when they are young enough not to have gotten caught up in all the materialism yet. my nephew, Eric, was at the perfect age this year! PEACE!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Yanni World Dance

this is a really fun song, which features Yanni's musicians and the instruments they play.

Yanni - Rainmaker

Rainmaker is another Yanni favorite. i love Victor, who plays the paraguayan harp and a little after the 3:00 mark, you'll hear what an awesome voice he has!