Tuesday, February 9, 2010

I got quite a bit accomplished yesterday although you would never know it to look at the place. I made a serious dent in cleaning out the fridge. I would not die of shame if someone were to open it.

Madison showed us how she can stand up. She is growing so fast. She's still sick but she's getting better as you can see by the smiling picture. She still needed a lot of snuggling yesterday. I was happy to oblige.

Got the laundry done, but it needs to be folded. I'd like to do a batch of jar candles today. We'll see how that goes.

We're expecting a snow storm. We really haven't had a lot of snow this year, but it has been monstrous cold.

Still waitin' for that fantastic high speed internet to kick in. It's supposed to happen today, but, oh gee, we're expecting a snow storm.

Gotta head for the treadmill if I want to get my 30 minutes in before my little buddy gets here.

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Tuesday of the Fifth week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Apollonia, Virgin and Martyr (+ 249)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 7:1-13.

Now when the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles (and beds).) So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?" He responded, "Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.' You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition." He went on to say, "How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Whoever curses father or mother shall die.' Yet you say, 'If a person says to father or mother, "Any support you might have had from me is qorban"' (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things."

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