March 2016 in Review

Posted March 31, 2016 in Faith, Life, Reading / 10 Comments

March 2016 in Review

Things that Happened in March

  • EASTER! The Easter Vigil is one of my favorite Masses of ever! Seriously, it is gorgeous even if it does get a bit long at times.
  • My little sister was able to come home for two days for Easter. It was great to see her.
  • I finally finished my application for graduate school. Now the nail-biting begins…
  • Things have been absolutely crazy at school. It has been so hectic that one of my co-teachers made the comment she has spent more time in the principal’s office in the last two weeks than she did her entire career as a student. Things definitely need to slow down soon.
  • I haven’t been feeling great this month. This is probably due to the stress of work and the students sharing their fun diseases with everyone they come in contact with.
  • My favorite book of the month was The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi. It was utterly amazing and beautiful. I shared some of my favorite quotes from it with my sister and now she wants an Amar. 🙂
  • My favorite reread of the month was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J K Rowling. In fact, this was the only reread this month.

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Great, REAL Characters! – The Reluctant Duchess {Review}

Posted March 30, 2016 in Reading, Review / 0 Comments

Great, REAL Characters! – The Reluctant Duchess {Review}The Reluctant Duchess by Roseanna M White
Publisher: Bethany House (2016 - April 5th)
eARC (384 pages)
Via: NetGalley
Rating:
Reading Challenges: Read 2016

Synopsis

Lady Rowena Kinnaird may be the heiress to a Highland earldom, but she has never felt good enough—not for her father, not for the man she thought she’d marry, not for God. But after a shocking attack, she’s willing to be forever an outcast if it means escaping Loch Morar and the men who have jeopardized her life.
Brice Myerston, the Duke of Nottingham, has suddenly found himself in possession of a rare treasure his enemies are prepared to kill for. While Brice has never been one to shy away from manor-born ladies, the last thing he needs is the distraction of his neighbor, Lady Rowena, who finds herself in a desperate situation. But when the moody Earl of Lochabar tries to trap Brice into marrying Rowena, Brice finds he’s not as opposed to the idea as he expected to be.
Rowena wanted to escape the Highlands, but she’s reluctant to resort to marrying a notorious flirt just to gain his English home. And when she learns that Brice is mixed up in some kind of questionable business with a stolen treasure, she ’fears she’s about to end up directly in the path of everything she was trying to avoid.

Find the book: Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository

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Retelling the Ballad of Mulan – Wild Orchid {Review}

Posted March 28, 2016 in Reading, Review / 4 Comments

Retelling the Ballad of Mulan – Wild Orchid {Review}Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey
Series: Once Upon A Time
Publisher: Simon Pulse (2009)
Paperback (199 pages)
Via: Library
Rating:
Also by this author: Sunlight and Shadow, Winter's Child
Also in this series: Snow, Water Song, Sunlight and Shadow
Reading Challenges: 2016 Backlist Books, 2016 Re-Reading, 2016 Retelling Challenge, 2016 Royal Challenge, Read 2016

Synopsis

Wielding a sword as deftly as an embroidery needle, Mulan is unlike any other girl in China. When the emperor summons a great army, each family must send a male to fight, tom-boyish Mulan is determined to spare her aging father and bring her family honor, so she disguises herself and answers the call.
But Mulan never expects to find a friend, let alone a soul mate, in the commander of her division, Prince Jian. For all of Mulan's courage with a bow and arrow, is she brave enough to share her true identity and feelings with Prince Jian?

Find the book: Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository

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Triduum – The Sacred Days

Posted March 24, 2016 in Faith, Life / 0 Comments

The Triduum is known as the summit of the liturgical year. The USCCB gives us this definition:

The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Easter Triduum—from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery. The single celebration of the Triduum marks the end of the Lenten season, and leads to the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil.

The Triduum includes the following three liturgical services: Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the Service on Good Friday, and the Mass of the Lord’s Resurrection (both Vigil and Morning Mass).

Holy Thursday morning usually includes the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of the diocese where the Bishop of the diocese blesses the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of the Catechumens, and Sacred Chrism. (In case you were wondering, Sacred Chrism is one of my favorite smells in the whole world. )

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Holy Week! – Prayer and Preparation

Posted March 21, 2016 in Faith, Life / 0 Comments

It seems almost crazy that it is already Holy Week! Lent seems to have gone by both fast and slow. It is strange to think that we have just celebrated Palm Sunday of Passion of the Lord and that the Triduum and Easter are approaching.

My Daily Roman Missal said the following about yesterday, Palm Sunday:

On this day the Church recalls the entrance of Christ the Lord
into Jerusalem to accomplish His Paschal Mystery.

This is what the entire week is about. The whole week leads up to Good Friday when Jesus dies upon the Cross for all our sins. The whole week leads up to Holy Saturday when the Church awaits the coming Resurrection. The whole week leads up to Easter Sunday and the empty tomb.

The whole week is about the accomplishment of our redemption and the salvation of the world. This week is all about the Son of God, the Word, the Logos, the Lamb, the Son of Mary, the Christ, giving His very Life for us.

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