One of the most misunderstood teachings in the Catholic faith is Purgatory.
What is it? Is it where you go after you die while God decides what to do with you?
Is it like hell, only temporary?
Is it a second chance?
How long is a person there?
Purgatory is a gift of God. Since only perfect people can dwell with God in Heaven, and very few people die having been TOTALLY perfected in this life, Purgatory is a place of purgation for people who are approaching full communion with God in Heaven, but have some imperfections that the love of God purifies away. Having been purified, they can enter fully into God's presence in Heaven, free from all imperfection and be with Him forever.
Some theologians talk about "suffering" in purgatory. In fact, when Catholics refer to three states of the Church, we talk about the Church Triumphant (those in Heaven), the Church Suffering (those in Purgatory) and the Church Militant (those of us soldiering on here on earth).
So why is there suffering if you have already "made the cut" so-to-speak? If you go to Purgatory, you are on your way to Heaven...there are just a few last minute imperfections to be purged away...why "suffering"?
I have heard explanations of it, but have actually seen these explanations played out in analogous form here at home.
Those in purgatory are "suffering" most keenly from being so near full communion with God, but not totally there...and they are aware, ever-more-so than when they were on earth, that there is not perfect union yet---and that it was their sins that they committed that are delaying their arrival in Heaven.
It's like at home when Michael Sr comes through the door from work. Baby Michael is thrilled and ecstatic! He gets a huge smile on his face, he yells, "HI!!" or just shrieks with joy. But almost instantly after that, he starts to cry. He reaches his little arms out towards his dad and whines.
Why is he whining?
Because he sees his goal: being in Daddy's arms, but isn't there at that moment, and every second that separates him from his all-time favorite place in the whole world, is sheer torture!
So much so, that even if he only has to crawl a few feet to get to his dad, he can't even pull himself together enough to do it. He puts his head on the ground and cries, waiting to be scooped up.
People in Purgatory can't get themselves the rest of the way home, anymore than we can do anything on earth to "earn" God's grace. God is the one who comes to us, who swoops down and scoops us up. Without Him, we are stuck like a little baby. We see what we want but we can't get ourselves there.
So, as baffling as it is to see Baby Michael go through his little routine of sheer joy and then flip-of-the-switch whining, it does make me laugh a little at the truth it is revealing. Our happiness lies in the presence of God, and anything that separates us is sheer torture for our soul. It's a good reminder to rid my life of things that keep me from Him now, and may keep me longer in Purgatory.
It's also a good reminder to pray for those who have died. Our prayers help them so their union with God can be hastened and they can dwell forever in the arms of our Father.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Good Check Up for Both Boys
Matthew and Michael both had check-ups today, and both of them are doing great!
Matthew is, as usual, just a big boy....but his heartrate is good and he moved head-down...which is good because that's normal, but now I have a foot in my rib constantly...again.
He is in the 57th percentile for weight, 75th percentile for head circumfrence and 27th percentile for height. So he's a chubby little guy with a big head, I guess.
Michael had a good check up too, although the doctor was a little concerned about his lack of ability to walk more than a few steps or stand more than a few seconds. I guess I'm not all that concerned about it, especially considering his proportions...I guess he is just out of balance! He's trying a bit more each day. She said I just need to keep encouraging him and talking him out on lots of walks...which we have been doing, so I think it's just a matter of time before he decides he wants to walk more.
Anyways, our little boys are doing great as we get ready for our next big adventure: Matthew!
Matthew is, as usual, just a big boy....but his heartrate is good and he moved head-down...which is good because that's normal, but now I have a foot in my rib constantly...again.
He is in the 57th percentile for weight, 75th percentile for head circumfrence and 27th percentile for height. So he's a chubby little guy with a big head, I guess.
Michael had a good check up too, although the doctor was a little concerned about his lack of ability to walk more than a few steps or stand more than a few seconds. I guess I'm not all that concerned about it, especially considering his proportions...I guess he is just out of balance! He's trying a bit more each day. She said I just need to keep encouraging him and talking him out on lots of walks...which we have been doing, so I think it's just a matter of time before he decides he wants to walk more.
Anyways, our little boys are doing great as we get ready for our next big adventure: Matthew!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Bonus Post: "Done!!"
Had to share this...I'm still chuckling about it.
Today, Michael ate a good dinner of sausage, cheesy potatoes and corn.
He scarfed everything down pretty quickly and had cleared his plate in about 15 minutes.
After he was through eating, he tore off his bib, held it off to the side and high above his head.
He let it go, looked straight at me, and with a big smile on his face announced loudly, definitively, and with perfect clarity and pronunciation:
"Done!!!"
I burst out laughing.
Amused at my reaction, he repeated again, just as clearly, "Done!!"
I wonder how long he had been practicing that in his head. I mean, it was perfectly timed, executed and stated....and he knew it. The look on his face was beaming and confident, knowing his performance just scored a perfect 10.0.
What is happening to my little boy? When did he grow up so fast?
Today, Michael ate a good dinner of sausage, cheesy potatoes and corn.
He scarfed everything down pretty quickly and had cleared his plate in about 15 minutes.
After he was through eating, he tore off his bib, held it off to the side and high above his head.
He let it go, looked straight at me, and with a big smile on his face announced loudly, definitively, and with perfect clarity and pronunciation:
"Done!!!"
I burst out laughing.
Amused at my reaction, he repeated again, just as clearly, "Done!!"
I wonder how long he had been practicing that in his head. I mean, it was perfectly timed, executed and stated....and he knew it. The look on his face was beaming and confident, knowing his performance just scored a perfect 10.0.
What is happening to my little boy? When did he grow up so fast?
Distinctions
As Michael's vocabulary grows, it is fun to see him confidently yell out names of things he knows.
We have several toy duckies around: in his room, in the tub, a stuffed animal duck, and a baby chair with ducks on it. I'm constantly hearing him proclaim, "Ducky!" As he looks at me for me to yell in confirmation, "That's right! Ducky!"
Today at the park, a black bird was his object of interest. He yelled insistently, "Ducky! Ducky!" Amused by his enthusiasm, but not wanting him to be in fourth grade and calling every winged creature "Ducky" I thought it best to make sure to get him started out right: "Actually, that's a birdie!"
He looked at me, pointed with one hand, and pulled me with another, and continued to scream triumphantly, "Ducky! Ducky!"
Knowing any explanation would be too much for him to understand, but still feeling like I should explain how things really are, I said, "That's a birdie! Duckies are yellow." I thought distinguishing by color would be the most age-appropriate approach.
However, as soon as I said it, I realized that this would not prove to be helpful later on. How many ducks actually are yellow? Not any duck I've seen in recent memory. Maybe baby ducks are yellow, but full-grown ducks? In my memory, they are either mottled brown, or the boy ducks are gray with a green head.
I began to realize what a monumental task learning is for a little kid! Keeping the names of things straight must get pretty confusing, when distinctions seem so clear to older kids and grown-ups, but seem so hard to pick up for the littles ones.
As Michael ate lunch, it happened again (no, I wasn't serving duck for lunch). A dog barked next door and Michael yelled what I thought sounded exactly like "Ducky!" He beamed with pride at how quickly he identified that creature. I was on the verge of saying, "That's not a ducky...that's a doggie!" Until I realized that "ducky" and "doggie" are virtually identical in sound. Maybe he thought, all the times I was saying "doggie" that I was applying the same term as what I use to describe a duck. Was he trying to figure out what makes those two things both the same word, but the black bird something altogether different?
Then, I considered that maybe he wasn't confusing the sound, but to a 15 month old, how you say "ducky" and how you say "doggie" are is the same to the ear of a grown-up.
Then, a profound respect grew for kids who, typically by their second birthday, get it. They will be able to look at a duck and call it a duck, and look at a black bird and not call it a duck. And similarly, look at a dog, and know it's a dog and nothing like a duck or a black bird. Amazing.
We have several toy duckies around: in his room, in the tub, a stuffed animal duck, and a baby chair with ducks on it. I'm constantly hearing him proclaim, "Ducky!" As he looks at me for me to yell in confirmation, "That's right! Ducky!"
Today at the park, a black bird was his object of interest. He yelled insistently, "Ducky! Ducky!" Amused by his enthusiasm, but not wanting him to be in fourth grade and calling every winged creature "Ducky" I thought it best to make sure to get him started out right: "Actually, that's a birdie!"
He looked at me, pointed with one hand, and pulled me with another, and continued to scream triumphantly, "Ducky! Ducky!"
Knowing any explanation would be too much for him to understand, but still feeling like I should explain how things really are, I said, "That's a birdie! Duckies are yellow." I thought distinguishing by color would be the most age-appropriate approach.
However, as soon as I said it, I realized that this would not prove to be helpful later on. How many ducks actually are yellow? Not any duck I've seen in recent memory. Maybe baby ducks are yellow, but full-grown ducks? In my memory, they are either mottled brown, or the boy ducks are gray with a green head.
I began to realize what a monumental task learning is for a little kid! Keeping the names of things straight must get pretty confusing, when distinctions seem so clear to older kids and grown-ups, but seem so hard to pick up for the littles ones.
As Michael ate lunch, it happened again (no, I wasn't serving duck for lunch). A dog barked next door and Michael yelled what I thought sounded exactly like "Ducky!" He beamed with pride at how quickly he identified that creature. I was on the verge of saying, "That's not a ducky...that's a doggie!" Until I realized that "ducky" and "doggie" are virtually identical in sound. Maybe he thought, all the times I was saying "doggie" that I was applying the same term as what I use to describe a duck. Was he trying to figure out what makes those two things both the same word, but the black bird something altogether different?
Then, I considered that maybe he wasn't confusing the sound, but to a 15 month old, how you say "ducky" and how you say "doggie" are is the same to the ear of a grown-up.
Then, a profound respect grew for kids who, typically by their second birthday, get it. They will be able to look at a duck and call it a duck, and look at a black bird and not call it a duck. And similarly, look at a dog, and know it's a dog and nothing like a duck or a black bird. Amazing.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Stinky!
A few months back, I wrote about how cute it is when Michael repeats the word "Stinky."
Today, I was cleaning some stuff out of our bedroom while Michael was busying himself with odds and ends under our bathroom cupboard.
I walked over to where he was and realized he needed a diaper change and let him know he was pretty stinky.
A few minutes go by, because he got me trapped in playing some game with him. I knew I had to change him, but wasn't feeling too rushed about needing to do it that minute. I figured, he'll be just as stinky then as he is now, right?
Well, he apparently didn't forget that he needed a change either, because all of a sudden, about 15 minutes after my first telling him he was stinky, he looked at me and said, "inky!!" stood up, grabbed my hand and walked me into his room for me to change his diaper.
I mean, it wasn't much worse than any other dirty diaper...but apparently he was tired of the smell...you know it's bad when even he recognizes the need for a change!
Thought it was a cute story :)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
15 Months and (Gulp) 3-4 weeks BB
I know it's a week before Michael is 15 months officially, but now I have the time for it, so I thought I would update.
First...Michael...
Of course, he is walking! And in the week since he started, he keeps getting better and better! He likes to just start walking out of the blue. When he walks towards me or Michael, it's fine, but when he walks around the room, it's a little unnerving because he is really not that good at it, and I don't want him to get hurt if/when he falls into something that's not soft. I know that's just how it goes, but I'm afraid of him knocking out a tooth, or really whacking his head for when he falls face-forward rather than on his bottom.
We go for long walks which we really enjoy. He holds my hand for most of it, but he just likes to go and go and go without ever really tiring! There is even a big hill at our park and he even climbed it all the way up (holding my hand...but still, it's a lot of work for little legs!).
His vocabulary is really growing. His ability to imitate words is pretty impressive, but there are still lots of words that he knows from memory:
First...Michael...
Of course, he is walking! And in the week since he started, he keeps getting better and better! He likes to just start walking out of the blue. When he walks towards me or Michael, it's fine, but when he walks around the room, it's a little unnerving because he is really not that good at it, and I don't want him to get hurt if/when he falls into something that's not soft. I know that's just how it goes, but I'm afraid of him knocking out a tooth, or really whacking his head for when he falls face-forward rather than on his bottom.
We go for long walks which we really enjoy. He holds my hand for most of it, but he just likes to go and go and go without ever really tiring! There is even a big hill at our park and he even climbed it all the way up (holding my hand...but still, it's a lot of work for little legs!).
His vocabulary is really growing. His ability to imitate words is pretty impressive, but there are still lots of words that he knows from memory:
- On
- Off
- Fan
- Cheese
- Keys
- Dada
- Light
- Ducky
- Bath
- Nakies (ahem.."naked") but sometimes he says it "Nee-nees!"...oh my...so cute!
- Berries
- Water
- Bottle
- Bread
- Car
- Eyes
- Matthew (well, more like "Maff!")
- Even sometimes colors, like "red" and "green."
There may be more, but those are the most frequently used.
Michael is a very strong-willed little boy, and while sometimes it takes an extra bit of patience, it doesn't take away the fun of watching him grow and learn.
I know there is more to say, but his personality is just so full and vibrant, I just don't know how to describe it all!
___
Matthew is coming soon! We haven't scheduled a date yet, but it will be the first week or two of November, and considering we are just about into the second week of October...well, it will be soon!
The pregnancy is going well..I feel very good and seem to have a lot of energy, which is good for me to get in some good Baby Michael time. It will be a little bit of time after Matthew is born before we get back into the rhythm of normal play, so I want to really soak in this time now.
Matthew is a big boy, it seems! He is measuring two weeks bigger than his gestational age, so we'll see where he lands when he is born in terms of size, but it sure makes the decision to have another C-section much more peaceful.
I have a list of things I have to get done before he comes, and am slowly getting things checked off. Things like buying a car seat, getting his baby clothes washed are among them, but also just maintenance things that will be easier to do with one kid in tow rather than two, like getting my tires rotated and getting my car cleaned out a bit, running extra items to Good Will, and getting rid of my growing mountain of recycleables.
It will be an adventure, to be sure, and having two boys scurrying around will be a blast, but, wow...it's going to be a change in pace!!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
October Walker!
It has been a busy few weeks!
A trip to Virginia, squeezing in some Campbell time before their big move, keeping up with baby Michael and getting ready for baby Matthew. Busy, busy, busy!
I have so much to update, but I have to make sure to post the most important one...
Michael took his first steps today!!
It almost feels surreal! He's been standing just for a brief moment or two for the past couple of weeks, but really, not that much time at all. Yesterday, he stood for a bit longer, and then staggered for one step before falling.
But today, excited to try again, he kept practicing his standing until, finally, he decided to try walking. He did it over and over again. First, just two steps...he would walk to me and then bury his head in my shoulder while I hugged him and cheered him on. He was so proud of himself and wanted to try again.
Then, after his nap, it wasn't just one or two, but it was 4 or 5 steps!!
Sure, there was lots of falling, but no crying, just a proud little boy and a proud mommy and daddy.
We celebrated with a little slice of chocolate cake!
Happy Walking Day, Baby Michael!
(P.S. I took video, but my computer is all out of space, so it will be a little while before I can post it....sorry!!)
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