@chadwifeyeet The blood pressure device seems the odd one out? It is actually useful if you have or are at risk of high blood pressure, because single readings especially at the doctor's are not reliable. And a decent brand one (e.g. Omron) is not expensive at all.
@MusingsOrdinary@Zo_bo_fo_sho Microsoft are offering voluntary redundancies. Not quite the same as layoffs but it does mean trimming back their workforce and could mean layoffs in the future if they don't get enough takers. Amy's husband should be OK for now.
@Zo_bo_fo_sho A couple of people I know paint candles e.g. for baptisms, paschal candles. You could maybe get a candle decorating kit and some stencils of Catholic symbols, saints etc.
@mattswaim Early Sunday, for a variety of reasons but it does mean I have a full day to do other things (that sometimes includes another Mass). I used to be mid morning (and wouldn't get home till early or mid arvo depending on what I did with friends afterwards). Vigil only as last resort.
@MrsRuvi We have a small parish, but there are mens and womens social groups, open to all, plus regular events for families. But mostly, people stick around after Mass for a chat & tea and Fr meets all newcomers and "voluntells" parishioners who might get on well to introduce themselves.
@MrsCathComedy Because of course we are celebrating more than just the sacrament, but (among other things) the social element - the coming together of different "clans", the forming of an "alliance" and celebrating another "battalion" by which a community is reinforced in its next generation.
@OVTweetmarck 3. It's good manners never to ask what someone else is giving up for Lent.
Also, in many instances you don't need to mention that it's for Lent, even if there's good reason e.g. just say you're taking a break from social media or going meat free. Fellow Catholics will know why.
@emzanotti I also just bought Br Lawrence from the local Catholic bookshop (only copy they had in stock, but they'll probably be bringing in lots more soon...). That will have to compete with Fr Walter Ciszek and St Therese of Lisieux for my reading attention this season.
@LMSChairman By the very fact of its variability & multitude of options, only a full rewriting of the Missal, i.e. the very rite itself, could improve things from the top (much easier with the TLM: see TC). It's up to local bishops, too many of whom will find it too hard to make changes.
@mvenuti1980 @FrTotleben92742 The TLM speaks to everyone through it's ritual, symbolism, beauty, silence etc. All can understand instantly that it is worship offered and oriented towards God. That is at least one reason it has been the Mass offered in the Roman church for centuries, and hardly a "spectacle".
@mvenuti1980 @FrTotleben92742 This is exactly right. Also, faithful Catholics with good formation and/or study can at least "fill in the gaps" in the NO such that their faith is not undermined. For everyone else, it's a lottery - as we continue to see attendances decline. 1/2
@LMSChairman That interpretation of his words regarding the bishops makes sense. I pray that Pope Leo chooses to attend the Mass at the SP pilgrimage, that it opens his eyes to the difference between the TLM and NO, and that he's moved both by the Mass and the devotion of the attendees.
@DrKwasniewski Given Pope Leo's apparent openness and his demeanour so far, I pray that he might choose to attend the Pontifical Mass during the SP pilgrimage. And that he might be moved by it and also by the faithfulness and devotion of its attendees.
@chadwifeyeet From someone who's done it x2, it's awful & wonderful at the same time. Impossible to fully describe (even if I had a 100,000 word limit). It's like a self-directed retreat - you have to set your own "rules" to get the most from it e.g. I carried all my gear & walked every step.
@Zo_bo_fo_sho And finally, if there's a good parish nearby, tell him to make an appointment with the priest or just check it out one Sunday. There might also be a bible study or similar course they are running.
@Zo_bo_fo_sho Good also because its free and there are free downloadable resources. If he has the means and the curiosity for it, the Ignatius Study Bible might help answer many of the questions he might have.