Fr. Geckle will say Mass for us at 10:00 am on Ascension Thursday, May 30, 2019. Father will hear confessions starting at 9:30.
Stylish and Modest Swimwear 2019
Shopping for a swimsuit? Or just need to update some separates? There are some lovely options available this summer from mainstream sellers like Land’s End and specialty shops like ModLi and HydroChic.
Today till midnight, Land’s End is offering 40% off, so I will focus on a few of their items for this post. Plus, lots of moms receive Land’s End gift cards for a birthday or Mother’s Day.
While Land’s End offers tons of choices, most expose lots of skin. To narrow things down, search for “rash guard”. These options are the ones with the most coverage and are made to be worn over a swimsuit. Have no fear, though, as they are made of swimsuit fabric. This gives you the option to find the most comfortable swimsuit for underneath, whether it’s a two piece or one piece, and then top it off with something pretty and comfortable that goes right in the pool or the lake. Pair with your favorite swim skirt and leggings/board shorts for a complete ensemble. Land’s End is offering a swim skirt with leggings built in, but the skirt is a mini skirt. If you want longer lengths, check out other vendors, like ModLi and HydroChic.
Back to Land’s End. What about this new blouson top? It’s super stylish and feminine and has four print fabric choices:
For a sportier, surfer girl look, take a gander at the full zip rash guard tops like this one, which has half and full sleeve options:
And then there are the rash guard tees, that also offer lots of pattern/solid options:
If none of these options “suit” you, Fashion Belle has a page of links for sewing patterns as well as a page(s) for modest swimwear links. Most of these links come with a representative photo and a short description/review, which can be a real timesaver as you sort through the list. For instance, the Fresh Modesty pattern listing says that they offer options for sewing maternity swimsuits. Happy swimming!
Adventures Galore at CMRI’s Omaha Boys’ Camp
Are you considering sending a boy to camp this summer but want to know more about what the campers do and why they should go? Well, you’re in luck. This post about last summer’s camp is for you. *UPDATE* A link to the registration form has been added to the bottom of this post.
“The whole point of boys’ camp is to show them that they can have fun and still be good Catholics,” explained Fr. Timothy Geckle, CMRI. “We want them to see that being Catholic is not only about ‘No, you can’t do this or that!’”
Every day was packed with activities dear to most boys’ hearts, but the scavenger hunt stood out as one of the most challenging and thrilling of all. It was comprised of numerous trials to earn the next “clue” which involved answering a catechism question. Whether it was shooting a balloon out of the air with an Airsoft gun to drop the question down to earth, or squirming through a dark pipe to retrieve it, or diving into a pool to snatch it from the bottom, each challenge kindled the Catholic imagination as well as involved the whole body. Bravo!
“We had a great group this year—not a bad apple in the bunch,” Fr. Geckle said of the 2018 campers. “We got compliments on them everywhere we went. This was the first time we rented a swimming pool, and afterward the manager said that our boys were so well-behaved, they were welcome to come back anytime.”
Fathers Borja, Philip Marie, and Geckle planned and oversaw the camp that was hosted by the Mater Dei seminarians.
Registration is open for the 2019 camp which runs Monday, July 22, through Friday, July 26th. To register, please fill out this registration form and mail it, along with the $100 registration fee, to the seminary by June 30 . Please make checks payable to: Mater Dei Seminary.
Mater Dei Seminary
7745 Military Ave.
Omaha, NE 68134
Lent Preparation: Compunction
Excerpted from My Daily Bread, a book recommended by Fr. Geckle. CHRIST: My Child, how can any man abandon himself to the pleasures of this earthly life? Such people do not appreciate the miserable condition of their souls, nor the rapid passing away of this brief experience. They do not stop to think and to look beneath the surface of their daily activities. They laugh when they have many reasons to weep. Happy is he who can overcome the distractions which hinder him from straight thinking.
2. As for you, strive to develop within yourself a genuine compunction of heart. Compunction is a deep and lasting sorrow for your sins. It is not a gloomy nor depressing sorrow, but an intelligent admission of your sins and a sincere determination to do something about them. Since compunction comes from a realization of how you have failed so good a God, it brings with it a readiness to accept anything from My Hand.
3. Compunction opens the way to many blessings and precious graces. When compunction fills your soul, the world will lose its magic attraction and will become more distasteful to you. Compunction will help you realize how quickly earthly joys pass away, while eternity goes on forever. You will see clearly that your sins have offended Me. One who has genuine compunction, is honest enough to admit his sins, and is truly sorry for them. His sorrow is proved by his sincere efforts to be rid of his faults.
THINK: Compunction is a great grace by which God helps me to face the truth about my sins. It also helps me to prove my sorrow for my faults. By compunction a man begins to attack his faults and to practice the opposite virtues. I can be sure of my sincere sorrow only when I have begun to do something about my faults. Compunction is a lasting sorrow because it is not an emotion, but rather an intelligent admission of facts. It shows me my faults, God’s goodness, and my own need to change for the better. Then it helps me undertake the daily task of abandoning my faults and acquiring the opposite virtues.
PRAY: Lord, I want to live a cheerful life, but I do not want that kind of cheerfulness which refuses to admit the truth. I can admit my sins and still be cheerful, as long as I am doing my best to overcome and make up for these sins. I do not want any gift or talent which might make me proud, or worse in any way. Not everything that is high is holy; nor is every pleasant thing good. Good desires are not always unselfish. You, my Lord, are not always pleased with the things that we prize. It is far better to have compunction than to be able to talk about it. Grant me genuine compunction, so that I may hate my sins and daily fight against them. Amen.
Welcome, Sacred Heart of Jesus
On this First Friday of the new year, we look forward to the installation of our Sacred Heart statue. He is 50 inches tall and arrived in Omaha on the First Friday of December, new and unpainted. The CMD Sisters finished painting him this week.
Slowly, but surely, we are transforming our plain box of a building into a Catholic chapel. Soon Fr. Geckle will start saying Mass on First Fridays for us. Deo gratias!
In this 20-minute sermon, Fr. Benedict Hughes, CMRI, explains the history of the devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Our Lady of Fatima Mission Chapel 