Some of my Favorite Things – March & April 2025
I told you I had a hard time with these :). Not necessarily keeping up with them, per se (because each month I keep a running mental list of some of my favorite things for that month), but rather, actually making the time to actually write them out. But I’m here! Ready for a post for this April, so let’s get to it.
Lent
Lent? Yes, Lent. The sacrificial season, or “sad Advent.”
You see, 2025 is the first year I’ve ever actually observed Lent.
Part of me wants to say it’s the first year I remember observing Lent because clearly, this cradle Catholic must’ve forgotten about doing so when she was younger, at the very least?
And OK sure, perhaps the schools I attended served fish on Fridays during Lent and had extra Masses that season, but I don’t remember ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING in Lent–the voluntary sacrificing, the added prayer and meditation time, the fish (my goodness, the yummy fish), the rituals, the guilt, the everything.
I’d like to write a post specifically about how fruitful God’s made my/our Lent, but suffice it to say for now that I’ve both enjoyed and struggled with this Lent–my first Lent ever.
Can one enjoy Lent? Is it meant to be enjoyed? I’d argue that Yes: I’ve certainly taken advantage of the things it’s taught me, so in that sense, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve discovered about myself.
But more so than that, I’ve enjoyed the willingness to observe several sacrifices (in the sense of fasts and things to abstain from) that are minor relative to what Jesus fasted from–and for how long he did it for.
I’ve also liked the Bible readings, devotional reflections, and priestly teachings that I’ve done each day of Lent and the devotionals and Lenten/Easter stories we’ve been reading aloud to the kids daily, in addition to what I’ve learned from it all.
The warmer weather
Over the past couple of months there have been several weeks where the temps have gone up as high as the 60s (maybe 71 one day), and it’s been glorious. I know we live in a desert and to therefore expect the impending 90º+ days that’ll be here sooner than later, but it’s been very nice nonetheless to be out and about in a breezy, warm day.
My Homeschooling as Catholics series
A little shameless plug, if you allow me the chance: Recently I wrote a series of posts on what the Catholic Church states regarding homeschooling that I think you’ll appreciate, if you’re a Christian and are at least considering homeschooling.
I wrote it mainly to both support parents whose dioceses may be clueless when it comes to their children’s education and guide them with arguments and actual Biblical, Pope-mandated, and canonical statements that essentially call for homeschooling.
As an added bonus, here’s my other website for bilingual homeschoolers, with which I hope to share what has (and hasn’t) worked for our own bilingual homeschool, in addition to tips that have helped us:
Favorite podcasts lately
Every month to couple of months I mention a few podcasts I enjoy. Here are past mentions and below you’ll find the latest:
The Pillar & The Pillar TL;DR
When I don’t have time to read a weekly Pillar post, I listen to it via its members-only podcast. The Pillar covers the good and the bad of the Catholic Church today, all around the world. It’s incomparable journalism (as opposed to merely editorials, commentary, or downright fatalist punditry) and I therefore don’t follow other Catholic publications as closely. It helps that its staff is both extremely knowledgeable about canon law and, well, the Church itself, but at the same time, self-deprecating, funny when they have to be, and down-to-Earth.
The Pillar is also behind the podcast Sunday School (that I may have included in an earlier Favorites post), where a freakishly smart theologian discusses with one of its co-founders and writers that upcoming Sunday’s readings, connecting them in a way that blows my mind every time.
Avoiding Babylon
Whenever I want to talk about something these guys said, I’ll endearingly refer to them as “the Trads” to my husband and he knows immediately who I’m talking about. They’re Catholic, they attend the Traditional Latin Mass because they revere the pre-Vatican 2 Liturgy, they live out normal gender roles in their families, and say what most tend to keep quiet about nowadays re:culture and Catholicism.
Avoiding Babylon was started during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic…. as a statement of standing against the tyrannical mandates that many of us were living under. Since those early days, this channel has morphed into an amazing community of … Christian brothers and sisters who have grown in joy and charity.
As we see it, our job here at Avoiding Babylon is to remind ourselves and those who enjoy the channel that being Catholic is a joyful and exciting experience. We seek true Catholic fraternity and eutrapelia with other Catholics who, like us, are doing their best to live out their vocation with the help of God’s Grace
In case you were also wondering what eutrapelia was, here’s a short explanation (and a longer definition): “the simple joy that enlivens company and warms the heart.”
I think that about does it for today and my favorites lately. Hope you have a good rest of your Triduum and a happy Easter.
Thanks for stopping by today! Take care and God bless.
-Annie
