The garden leads you directly from one mystery into another, which I like.  There are areas for you to sit or kneel for prayer, but the path simply continues to follow in the footsteps of Christ on the road to our salvation.  

I really like that.

This set of mysteries is my favorite of the bunch.   I just love the expressions of Christ.  The artists did a fantastic job.  They really, really did.

The Scourging was a little sad and confusing for Vincent.  He couldn't understand why Jesus ("a good guy") had His Hands tied up.  Vincent went behind Him and tried to undo the rocky tethers that bound Him.  I explained that Jesus wasn't trapped anymore, but that when He was on earth, He took the beating so that His friends didn't have to.  That made Him a hero to everyone.  Vincent understood that, but it left him kinda quiet for the next couple minutes.

The Crowning with Thorns is simply Christ seated with with a simple robe, His Hands still bound, and a sad (and regal) expression on His Face.  The way the artists placed His Hands enables the faithful to leave behind flowers as a sort of scepter.  Of the mysteries, I think this is my favorite.  It's nothing like the Coronation of Mary, but the way the artists created the two, they obviously parallel one another.

Next was Christ taking up His Cross, and again the expression on His Face is remarkable.  

Walking along the path a bit father I saw a huge chapel-like shed which stood directly across from the Nativity "stable" from the Joyful Mysteries.  Obviously drawing yet another parallel, the Crucifixion placement and artistry again highlights a theological truth.  Christ was born to die on a Cross.  He came into the world to die saving it.  Incredible.

Stay tuned for the Glorious Mysteries.  Hopefully it won't take me a month to cycle back through and update you!  :)  

The outside of this church belies its spacious, breezy interior with golden sunlight streaming in from every window.  It feels like you are ambling under a gazebo during a relaxing summer afternoon.  I was surprised with how massive it felt, especially when you considered the size of the image of Mary that hung high and proud behind the tabernacle.

I grinned when I noted that the pews were very modest. There were no cushions, no padding on the kneelers.  Worship isn't about creature comforts... it's about praising God.

I captured this sacristan's head along with the tabernacle to give you an idea just how massive this piece of artwork actually is. This rendition of Our Lady of Guadalupe might be among my favorites.  She is simply beautiful, as she should be.  Above her are the words "Queen of Mexico and Empress of America."  At least I'm 99.9% sure of that, anyway.

I felt like this piece was woven or embroidered somehow.  It wasn't a painting... at least I don' think it was.  I just couldn't imagine the time it took to painstakingly stitch each glorious detail.  

Here is a full shot of the sanctuary.  Given the scope of the Virgin's tapestry, you can imagine how large the crucifix actually is.  

I didn't notice until after I'd taken the photo, but the detail of Christ's Face moved me.  I don't typically like the super gaunt versions of Our Lord looking anorexic (He was a carpenter - He would have been strong and broad from all His toil with wood), but I did not mind this one so much.  The artist did not shy away from the Blood that oozed from His wounds.  I appreciate that His shoulder wound and those on His knees were accounted for. So often they are forgotten.

St. Michael and a beautiful guardian angel flank both sides of the sanctuary.  St. Michael has the power of the Holy Spirit above him while the guardian angel protects her three native charges.  I really loved this latter stained glass image.  It was very peaceful and loving.

One of their beautiful circular stained glass windows, this one depicting the Holy Family.

Which one of you dares to disbelieve Our Lady's intervention now?!  :)

A fitting painting for above the confessional - Jesus saving St. Peter from his own lack of faith.

A couple of their stations.  I'm always appreciative when the Resurrection is included.  :)

I probably should've mentioned these last two points in my other blog entry, but here will do just fine.

Instead of having lay ministers, this parish utilizes the Brides of Christ to bring Communion to the people.  I'm not the biggest fan of women acting as Eucharistic Ministers, but if you're going to allow it, I can't imagine a better way.  

Also, the altar servers sat at opposites sides of the sanctuary facing one another (behind the altar but in front of the tabernacle).  I thought they were very much like the Seraphim who guarded the Ark of the Covenant.  It made me smile to think of them as such given their constant gaze upon the tabernacle.

Finally, a photo of me (graciously taken by my husband) with a frond of palm across from the church.  On the way back to the resort, I braided what turned out to be four long leaves into small crowns for my statues at home.  

All in all, a beautiful experience at a wonderful parish... even if I couldn't understand all the words being spoken, I could feel the love.  For me, that is enough.

Not too often you hear the words "Lent" and "tripod" put together, but it was a concept I introduced a few weeks back to my CCD students.

So often you hear "What are you giving up for Lent?"  I wanted them to understand that this wasn't a futile repeat of New Year's resolutions.  Lent is a time for sacrifice. 

One of my favorite quotes about sacrifice is this:

Love transforms suffering into sacrifice.

According to this, two things must be present for a sacrifice:  Love and Suffering.

So for Lent, while they were all trying to figure out what they'd "give up," I asked them to also figure out a specific person or intention they'd be offering that sacrifice for.  Giving up candy bars during Lent is great, but if you're just substituting the candy bars with milkshakes, nothing is accomplished.

Instead, if you give up candy bars, use the $.60 you save every day and donate it to the homeless man you pass on the street each day.  Put it into a piggy bank and at the end of Lent, use it to buy your little sister that iPad app she's been dying to try.  Better yet, secretly use it to buy a slew of your favorite prayer cards / medals and leave them in the back of your parish church for parishioners to share!

Little things add up, and as long as they're adding up to love, they're perfect sacrifices for Lent.

With that in mind, my students started coming up with some great ideas:

• I'll sacrifice [Popular TV Show] and use that extra time to help my Mom clean the house
• I'll sacrifice gossiping in school and try really hard to befriend [a particular girl] instead
• I'll sacrifice the $1.00 I'm given for school and put it towards the Rice Bowl collection
• I'll sacrifice 1 recess per week and use that time to pray for Father ____________

These are my favorites.  It took a lot of leading, but when they finally arrived at their Lenten gifts (as I've been calling them), I think they really understood the purpose behind the practice.

Once they got this foundation set, I tied it together through Jesus.

We give up things, or sacrifice, for our community out of love.  However, we don't do that for ourselves.  We do it through Jesus.  We unite our sufferings with Jesus' Passion.  We don't sacrifice during Lent just because that's what you do during Lent.  We do it so Jesus doesn't have to suffer alone.  We share the burden with Him.  

I likened it to riding a roller coaster for the first time.  They all seemed to understand that. None of them wanted to ride a coaster by themselves the first time they went.  They were scared!  Instead, they asked a friend to come along so they could share the burden of fear.

During Lent, we consent to share the burden of suffering with Jesus.  We consent to take part in the Passion, because as the Church, we are members of His Body, and we want to follow where He, the Head, leads us.  During Lent, He is leading us to Salvation through the Cross.  

It was like a little light bulb clicked over their heads.  I started seeing them slowly understanding the concept of sharing in the Lenten journey.  Each Mass isn't a recreation of the Passion so much as a time-machine that brings us back to the Foot of the Cross, time and time again.  Lent helps us refocus on this by bringing the reality of Christ's Sacrifice into our daily lives (in a much more manageable way).  

Just as Christ suffered for love of us, we, too, must suffer for love of others, uniting those sacrifices to the Sacrifice of Christ.  

This is the Lenten Tripod analogy I used with my students, and I have to say, I'm really pleased with how well they took that lesson to hear.

Next week we'll check in to see how they're doing with their gifts.  :)