(no subject)

[mommydama]

The priest ended up coming for the house blessing last night, just later than originally planned. He was supposed to come at 7pm and actually arrived about 8:15. Which was fine, as the girls tend to go to bed about 9:30 lately. They were sooooo wound up about it though, no one fell asleep until nearly 11pm. Bad. Zoe and Mari didn't get up until nearly 10am. I have a feeling my plans for getting the bedtimes schedule shifted back to an earlier time is mortally wounded now.

Anyway, it was really nice to have the priest here and have him praying with us, blessing our entire house. He did the new house blessing actually since we had never had this house blessed when we moved in. I've never seen that before. The girls were totally fascinated, as I don't think any of them remember seeing a house blessing before. It was really cute when he read the story of Zaccheus (the gospel reading) and the girls were totally captivated because they have recently become obsessed with the song "Zaccheus was a wee little man..." Luci's eyes never left the priest's face while he was reading.

Then all three girls competed for his attention for about 10 minutes, showing off and talking a mile a minute, especially Maria. Luci just stood by the poor man where he was sitting at our kitchen table, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet and grinning and asking questions whenever she could get a word in. Basking in a some kind of glow she seemed to be perceiving. As I tucked her in bed after the priest left, she sighed this deep contented sigh and said "I love Jesus! I want to see him." I explained that Jesus was with us all the time, even though we can't see him and brought her the icon of Christ, The Good Shepherd, that makes its rounds into all my children's beds periodically. She snuggled up with it under her cheek and fell asleep. When she got up this morning, tears sprang into her eyes instantly after gazing around the kitchen. I asked what was wrong and she said "The priest is gone!" I'm wondering now if she has priest/Jesus confused in her head somehow. Regardless, she really likes the priest. I guess now we need to have him and his family over for dinner. He has a six year old boy, a four year old girl, and a baby about a year old, I think. The girls would probably really enjoy playing with them.

My house is remarkably clean and my day is remarkably open. We should have gymnastics today, but Mari and Luci both have well child appointments, so we have to skip gymnastics. Clean house, no major obliligations...it feels like a vacation around here! A REAL one!

Comments

[kizmet-42.livejournal.com]

Enjoy your day!

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

I did! Well, except for the two and half hours in the doctor's office and the weeping children after getting shots. But that wasn't really too bad either and they are quite happy now.

[corin13.livejournal.com]

Great Post.

That house blessing sounds awesome. Now I am considering cleaning my house and calling my priest AND getting some religious art. I sold every last piece I had when I moved to California a year and a half ago and have not bought anymore. I have put higher priority on things like furniture and curtains and stupid stuff like plant stands. We don't even have a crucifix hanging up. I was really embarassed about that when a lady came over yesterday who was catholic and I had nothing in my house and she has giant rosaries and art and everything in hers.
So between that and your post I am really inspired to go shopping for religious stuff. At the very least I can go to the dollar store and get some saint candles.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

We have icons in every room of this house I think. I had no idea how many icons we had managed to collect until this last move. I still have some we haven't hung up yet. St. Euphrosynos in the kitchen, St. Sophia in the living room, Christ blessing the children in the playroom, and, of course, the icon "corner" in our library which is literally overflowing. We all have icons of our patrons saints in our rooms and crucifix icons over the beds. The Good Shepherd icon is a little one that was given to Zoe by her godfather and it is just the right size for little hands to hold and cradle. I love to see them sleeping with icons. It does intense things to my heart. The Good Shepherd and the Guardian Angel icons are the "comfort" ones in this house and they never get hung up because they get carried around, slept with, and cuddled regularly.

All that just to say...get yourself some icons! They are wonderful! They never let you forget that you are "surrounded by witnesses"!

[mimima.livejournal.com]

This is so sweet! I LOVE this story. What a beautiful way to see House Blessings.

And, I love the New House Blessing as well - with Zaccheus reading. And, Zoe gets to hear it again this Sunday. Isn't that a blessing?

[lizziebennet.livejournal.com]

This Sunday is Zaccheus Sunday??? No way!

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

WAY! Isn't that INSANE!

Lent is coming so fast it is making my head spin. I'm still recovering from Nativity!

[lizziebennet.livejournal.com]

Seriously! That's totally nuts.

I had to go look up the calendar (on the OCA website). Crazy. I don't like early Paschas.

I'm recovering from Nativity too. And I'm totally not in a "spiritual" place. I guess it could be argued that it's good Lent is coming then but !!!!!!!!!

[mimima.livejournal.com]

Crazy, isn't it?