He is Risen!

HAPPY EASTER!

Good Friday - 2009

"I am the Good Shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." - John 10:11

Virgin of the Angels

Thousands of pilgrims have been walking towards the basilica in Costa Rica. Today many people honor "La Negrita" (Virgin of the Angels), who is the protector of Catholics in Costa Rica and America.

Links in Spanish: here & here.

La Virgen del Carmen

¡FELIZ DIA DE LA VIRGEN DEL CARMEN!...Felicidades a Abuela Carmen, a Carmen Benavides (en su viaje por Europa), a Carmencita Bogarín...a mi amiga Carmen Hurtado...y a todas las demás que celebraron hoy su onomástico.

24 de mayo - Dia de Maria Auxiliadora

Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum,
benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus.
Sancta Maria mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen

Today's Rosary is about the Joyful Mysteries.

En mi aldea, estuvo así.

Corpus Christi ... and it's a holiday

Today is Corpus Christi feast. It's a holiday here in Germany. We're hoping for good weather today....after we finally saw the sun and the temperature was really nice, we had to put up with a few cloudy, dark and chilly days.

Fabi and MasalaDad are enjoying some time together today.

Hope you have a nice day too!

I wish...

...all the people that are suffering in Myanmar (Burma) and China find strength and patience to overcome the consequences of the natural disasters that have recently affected them.

My heart and prayers - especially prayers- go to the people, to the children who are victims.

God, grant hope to victims waiting to be rescued.
God, console those persons who are separated and searching for loved ones.
God, have mercy on those who are alone.
God, grant wisdom, strength, compassion and healing power to those tending to the sick.
God, grant the survivors courage and the knowledge that you are with them always.

En este mes de mayo, mes de la Virgen María, le rogamos que por su intercesión, nos defienda y protega constantemente de todo mal.

Happy Day!

On this day of Pentecost I pray to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and patience especially, for all the mothers in this world.

On this Mother's Day, I think about all the women who have sick children, who have given their children in adoption, who have children in heaven, who are waiting to be mothers...may they all know that it's their day too!

To celebrate this day I found a list of "Momisms". Here are some of the classical ones:

• Money does not grow on trees.
• Don't make that face or it'll freeze in that position.
• If I talked to my mother like you talk to me....
• Always change your underwear; you never know when you'll have an accident.
• Be careful or you'll put your eye out.
• What if everyone jumped off a cliff? Would you do it, too?
• Close that door! Were you born in a barn?
• If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
• Don't put that in your mouth; you don't know where it's been!
• Be careful what you wish for, it might come true.
• It doesn't matter what you accomplish, I'll always be proud of you.
• I hope that when you grow up, you have kids "Just Like you"! (Also known as the "Mother's Curse")
• This is why we can't have nice things.
• If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times.
• Eat your vegetables, those children in China (Africa, Vietnam) would be happy to have some broccoli to eat!
• If you fall out of that tree and break you leg , don't come running to me.
• Someday your face is going to stick like that.
• Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
• Yes, I *AM* the boss of you.
• Just wait till your father gets home.
• No dessert till you clean off your plate.
• I've got eyes in the back of my head, that's how
• Get that thing out of your mouth! (or nose)
• Just you wait until you have kids of your own - then you'll understand
• I slave for hours over a hot stove and this is the thanks I get?!
• Honestly... You'd lose your head if it wasn't screwed on!
• Bored! How can you be bored? I was never bored at your age.
• Because I said so.
• Because I'm your mother, that's why.

A much funnier version of these momisms is in this video that Liza posted.

HAVE A HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Domingo de Resurrección...y mucho más!

Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum

(I have risen, I am still with you, for ever.)

This was a very special Easter...indeed!

Fabi's uncle and aunt - Sopan & Priya - had reached Erlangen a few days earlier and we planned a short trip to the capital of Germany. We woke up early on Easter Sunday to find everything covered with snow. We took an ICE train to go to Berlin. When we reached, Ishan, Fabi, Sopan & Priya headed towards the hotel, while I took a cab that got me on time to the Easter Sunday Mass Celebration of the Spanish speaking community. It was lovely! I later met everyone at the hotel and we went on to some essential sightseeing. We visited the famous Berlin flea market where Ishan found this gift for me. Then we took a bus city tour and I'm proud to have taken some good snaps, including: "3 and a half Indians riding past the Indian Embassy in Berlin" and "the new train station" (which I still had not seen until now).

Easter Monday (Ostermontag) is a holiday here in Germany and this year it was also Fabi's third birthday! This is my favorite picture of that day (you might be familiar with my love for the Ampelmann by now). Later we took another city tour: this time the birthday boy was thrilled to ride a boat down the Spree River. It was unforgettable!

Later that day we took a train back home to Erlangen, where lots of presents and homemade birthday cards were waiting for Fabi. He didn't get a birthday cake that day, but he did like his birthday ice cream.

Here in Germany, Easter also represents a time of rebirth, new beginnings and the magic of spring. The tradition of the Easter Bunny is observed and even though it was suppossed to visit on Easter Sunday, since we were away, the Bunny decided to come back with a surprise for Fabi. (In whispering voice: I *do* have at least one nice lady neighbor.)

That following weekend, Fabi eventually got to model his new Indian ethnic outfit and blow out some candles.

Before going off to Paris, Sopan & Priya enjoyed helping out to prepare for Fabi's birthday party. Since Fabi enjoys building towers so much, I thought a cupcake tower to blow the candles at his birthday party was a good idea. The cupcakes turned out to be edible, too! Not bad for my first attempt at baking something. It was a good thing I had Sopan & Priya's support! The party turned out great...at least I think Fabi enjoyed it!

Sometimes I wonder if Sopan & Priya were really here or if I just dreamt about it. Two weeks is really a SHORT time, but we enjoyed it a lot: we visited the Spring Fair, we had sunny and snowy days (always a good opportunity to have a winter fashion show) and of course, there were lots of hugs and kisses all the time! Fabi also enjoyed spending time with his Dad during the holidays :)

THANKS SOPAN & PRIYA!!!...COME BACK SOON!!!...

HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!....

Viernes Santo

No me mueve, mi Dios, para quererte el cielo que me tienes prometido,ni me mueve el infierno tan temido para dejar por eso de ofenderte.

Tú me mueves, Señor, muéveme el verte clavado en una cruz y escarnecido, muéveme ver tu cuerpo tan herido muévenme tus afrentas y tu muerte.

Muévenme, en fin, tu amor, y en tal manera,que aunque no hubiera cielo, yo te amara, y aunque no hubiera infierno, te temiera.

No me tienes que dar porque te quiera,pues aunque lo que espero no esperara,lo mismo que te quiero te quisiera. (Anónimo del siglo XVI)

"...y tan alta vida espero....que me muero porque no me muero."
Santa Teresa de Jesús

Jueves Santo

"Maundy Thursday- the Thursday before Good Friday is celebrated by Christians with great significance. It was on this day that Jesus celebrated the Passover(Pesaha) with his 12 disciples, He washed his disciples' feet and then shared with them the Last Supper before His crucifixion. This was the institution of the Holy Mass.

On this day, the priests in Catholic churches carry out a ceremonial washing of the feet of 12 people following Christ's act".

Three years ago it was a Maundy Thursday when Fabian was born. This year another important event takes places on this day: Sopan & Priya have arrived from India to visit us for a few days.

Note: New pictures in my Flickr Album here!

Have a HOLY WEEK!

(Click image to enlarge it.)

Thanks, Sudeep, for this great image!

Please come IN!...

In preparation for the HOLY WEEK, I managed to go to Nurnberg (with Fabian) for some soul healing.

"Blogging is kind of like going to confession. The more you do it, the easier it is to do it. And unfortunately, vice versa." Arwen-Elizabeth

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday Prayer

Heavenly Father, let us enter the season of Lent in the spirit of joy giving ourselves to spiritual strife, cleansing our soul and body, controlling our passions, as we limit our food, living on the virtues of the Holy Spirit.

Let us persevere in our longing for Christ so as to be worthy to behold His most solemn Passion and the most holy Passover, rejoicing the while with spiritual joy. Amen!