Something else to pray for

Some of you have heard by now, but the Archbishop of Mosul (Iraq) , His Excellency Faraj Rahho, was kidnapped nearly two weeks ago. He was abducted right after he left a church in Mosul. His driver and two other companions were killed. AsiaNews has it that another phone call between abductors and mediators was to take place tonight. Masses and prayers are being offered in Rome and Damascus, among other spots. The wife said, "Pray for an Easter miracle,". It may sound blithe, but that is just about all we can do (or hope for a search & rescue mission from the US armed forces...). Pray, pray, pray for His Excellency's recovery. He is in frail health, and is one of the most insightful minds in the country.

The original story in AsiaNews: http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=11657&size=A.
The update: http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=11702&size=A

UPDATE: Archbishop Rahho's body was found in a shallow grave outside of Mosul around the 15th of March.
Grant him, O Lord, eternal rest. May perpetual light shine upon him.

Baby Pics

Ok, so its been awhile since I put up baby pictures, and I know that all 3 of you readers out there are dying for some new ones...


Joseph with Great-Grandma Barbara about 3 weeks ago.


The boys ready to go pruning in the vineyard!


Ok, and one pic of the fuzzy one with my dad.
Enjoy!

Connection

The (*$%#() internet connection is being really slow tonight. Baby, vineyard, and doggie pics to be uploaded tomorrow. Besides, it'll should be a lovely day tomorrow. Go out and play.

Papa Benny Quote of the Week...

Thus, what we are ultimately praying for in this third petition of the Our Father (Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven) is that we come closer and closer to him, so that God's will can conquer the downward pull of our selfishness and make us capable of the lofty height to which we are called.

Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, pg. 150

Running and Lent

I made it for a 2 mile run on Sunday evening, funny how dawn patrol gets in the way. So, I think I'll keep my Lenten plan to myself. Let's just say that it hits all three parts: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Happy Lent everyone. Sunday #2 is coming up! Oh yeah, Happy St. Valentine's Day!!!

Running again

Last Saturday night, I was able to run for the first time in about a month. I logged 2 miles (run up to Cienega School and back), and was chased in by the rain. On Thursday morning, I did the same run and cut 1:10 off of the time from last week. The plan now is to keep running a few times a week. I'm going to try my four mile ruoute tomorrow morning. Hey ho, here we go!

These 40 days

Here we are again, Lent is on us. It's a bit early this year; it is suppossed to be the earliest Lent and Easter in over 150 years. A few scattered thoughts.
A lot of people treat Lent like the only thing that we do is to give up something, and to treat it like a New Year's Resolution that we are bound to break. Lent isn't supposed to be like that. We are preparing to celebarte the most wonderful thing ever; the passion, death, and RESURRECTION of Jesus. Just as we prepare for Christmas with four weeks of preparation, we prepare ourselves for Easter. It is a trifecta of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Giving something up is only 1/3 of our process for Lent.
We should focus equally on each of the three aspects to the Lenten journey. Good luck to all. I am still debating on letting you all in on my plans. I'm asking myself if that would be too much of a display or if it would be helpful to you, dear readers. Considering that the readership is probably me, myself, and I; this wouln't be too much of a display...