Friday, December 14 - Feria de Santa Lucía

Tomorrow I am breaking my Advent resolution and we are going to the Feria de Santa Lucía. it's a CHRISTmas Fleamarket located in the plaza in front of the Barcelona Cathedral. Those of you who listen to SQPN podcasts may remember Brother Giles taking a soundseeing tour around this same cathedral.
It is said that if you can't find something at this CHRISTmas market, you can't find it anywhere. They may just be right.
We are going to buy some more figurines for Julian's nativity. He's got the important ones, Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the Wise Men, donkey, ox, even some Roman soldiers. Now we want some villagers, a well that pumps water, a wood burning oven that doesn't burn anything and assorted animals.
We are hoping to put up our Nativity scene this weekend. Unlikely. i've got my students' reports to proof, last minute details for the CHRISTmas pageant, the house is a mess, and the fridge is empty. So, am I stressing? No. Inevitably everything gets done wether I stress or not. The Nativity scene will be beautiful no matter what. D. will clean the house. On CHRISTmas Day, after the dust of pulverized gift wrapping settles, we will calmly sit back and look at the Baby in the manger and we won't remember the rush or the stress.

Trans Border Community

This past weekend I participated in the 2007 Atlanta Eucharistic Congress via Ustream. It was great to see the people that I usually listen to. What was even better was to see that Catholic joy that most non-Catholics seem to think is non-existent.
If there is something that I have learned this past year, since getting my very own iPod and downloading every Catholic podcast that I can get my hands on, is that, yes, we Catholics are a "peculiar bunch", but we have stopped being afraid of living our faith in a very public sphere.
At least in the US. Europe, or at least Spain is a very different matter. That is why I hang on to this virtual community that has formed around this new technology. I often mention Greg and Jennifer, Father Roderick, Fathers Seraphim, Fr. Bill, Fr. Geek, Fr. Barron, Fr. Dave and Mike, Doctor Paul and others in my conversations with husband, family and friends. The SQPN has become the Catholic community that I am lacking here in Barcelona. For you see, in my home God is present in all things great and small. But stepping outside my door it is almost impossible to find someone that will own up to believing in anything.
This summer I look forward to going back home (I've lived in Barcelona for nine years and I still call Orange County home) and joining the Catholic community that I grew up with. The one that pray and sings in Spanish and English. The one where everybody still knows my name. The one that knows that I am C. and G's daughter and R's sister and D and M's auntie. The one where you can say "God bless you", "God willing" "Praise God" and nobody will call you fascist for doing so (perhaps they will call you other things, but not fascist).
So, the countdown begins for what I hope will be a relaxing and Spirit filled vacation.

May God be praised!