Friday, November 30, 2012

Weaving my Tapestry

“It will be very interesting one day to follow the pattern of our life as it is spread out like a beautiful tapestry. As long as we live here we see only the reverse side of the weaving, and very often the pattern, with its threads running wildly, doesn't seem to make sense. Some day, however, we shall understand. In looking back over the years we can discover how a red thread goes through the pattern of our life: the Will of God." - Maria Augusta von Trapp

This is an attempt to revisit the idea of including a weekly (or so) Daybook to the blog. I've missed creating them here, but really wanted to revamp the idea - give it my own unique twist if you will. So, here's what I've dreamed up. Hope it is to your liking, dear readers.

Surrounded by His glory:

Driving through the neighborhood yesterday at dusk, I winced a bit at the twinkling lights bedecking the shrubbery of the early-bird decorators and at the stately Christmas trees glowing impertinently in a few living room windows. Savoring the last week between Thanksgiving and the First Sunday of Advent, my front porch is still home to several pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn. The grapevine wreath on my front door sports an array of orange and golden leaves. As I pulled in the driveway, there slowly rising in the eastern sky I spied the most magnificent autumn moon. It was hanging there like a huge silver dollar, exquisite and beautiful. O joyous, perfect moon! More beautiful than all the Christmas lights put together! [An excerpt from this year's Christmas letter to friends & family]


  
This place called Home:

I began today putting away my autumn decorations, mostly because tomorrow is the first of December and Sunday begins Advent, but it also helped that Jim noticed my garage sale find really needs mending. I have plans to put it to good use over the Christmas holiday, so I cleared it off so that dear hubby could carry it down (with my assistance) to his workshop for repair.


I have ideas to strip and antique this table one day. Would also like to add different knobs. It's a cute, little thing and Jim really likes the detail in the pine, so maybe I'll leave it alone. Not bad for what I paid for it -- can't exactly remember but it was around $20.
Every year when the kids were small, I'd buy them a new family Christmas book, so this morning I trotted down to the basement to retrieve them. They are now waiting patiently in a basket for Isaac - and anyone else - to delve into. Besides the annual family Christmas book, I always gave each of my children books for Christmas and I still do!

 

Verbum Dei:
From today's Gospel:
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."  At once they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:18)
I just love that line: "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Have you been caught up in any nets lately? 
Oremus:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
In which the Son of God was born
of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight,
in Bethlehem,
in piercing cold.
In that hour vouchsafe, O my God!
to hear my prayer and grant my desires,
through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ,
and of His blessed Mother.
Amen.
 It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer 
fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew until Christmas will obtain what is asked.


Pondering them in my heart: 
On the universal motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary -

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple,“Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. (John 19:26-27)

[At] the foot of the Cross there was ... accomplished her maternal cooperation with the Savior's whole mission through her actions and sufferings. Along the path of this collaboration with the work of her Son, the Redeemer, Mary's motherhood itself underwent a singular transformation, becoming even more imbued with "burning charity" toward all those to whom Christ's mission was directed. Through this "burning charity," which sought to achieve, in union with Christ, the restoration of "supernatural life to souls," Mary entered, in a way all her own, into the one mediation "between God and men" which is the mediation of the man Christ Jesus. - Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, n. 39.
 ... Mary's new motherhood is not some vague or abstract sort of thing. It's concrete and personal.  And even though it's universal, it's also intensely particular. Mary is your mother. She is my mother. In this light, John Paul thinks it's significant that Mary's new motherhood on Calvary is expressed in the singular, "Behold, your son" not "Behold, your billions of spiritual children." The Pope gets to the heart of it when he says, "Even when the same woman is the mother of many children, her personal relationship with each one of them is of the very essence of motherhood." (Redemptoris Mater, n. 45). In short: Mary is uniquely, particularly, personally your mother and my mother, and doesn't lose us in the crowd. - Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, 33 Days to Morning Glory

Quote of the day:
"The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to." - Carl Sandburg

 Family glimpses:









 All Creatures Great and Small:


Because God has given me an abiding love for all His creation I can't help but share images of His created world here in this space. You may think me daft, but I have a particular fondness for dogs (as some of you know all too well), especially for Holly, my wee dachshund, who has wiggled her way deep into the recesses of my heart. 





Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Black Thursday

Puh-lease, Black Thursday

This article in The Washington Post mentions that, according to the National Retailers Association, millions of people do want to shop on Thanksgiving Day. The article explains that a lot of people welcome the escape from boredom and mundane dinner conversation:
“Stores are tapping into something that is very real — there is demand for this,” said Adam ­Hanft, a brand strategist for ­Hanft Projects in New York. “The reality is, people start to get cabin fever after awhile. They’re fighting about politics. They want to get out and do something.”
Kmart apparently has evolved from opening its doors for shoppers who need last minute items such as tin foil and gravy to now offering door-buster deals on large screen TV's as early as 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. 

And I'm sure shoppers will engage in their fair share of pushing, shoving, and grabbing. Not to mention cursing and swearing. 

What is wrong with the world?

For one thing, God is dead to them. The Washington Post article never once mentions God let alone even being thankful (I know - that wasn't the focus of the article, but still.) Of course, if we diminish or outright banish the true object of our gratitude than why bother mentioning Him? Why not change the name of the holiday to Black Thursday? Especially, if taking part in mad shopping sprees is all it really means to you? 

As long as I can remember, Thanksgiving Day has indeed heralded the start of the Holiday shopping season. What is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade all about anyhow?  Nevertheless, until fairly recently Thanksgiving was first and foremost a time to gather family together - to count our blessings, to break bread together and okay, even, to watch a lot of football. I suppose the true meaning of Thanksgiving may have eluded some even before the direct onslaught of Black Friday (now Thursday) deals - the logical result of failing to allow God to reside in our hearts, failing to make Him the centerpiece of our celebrations and of our lives. Get out of my way God (if you even exist), got to get my grubby hands on that $199.99 high definition plasma screen TV before they're all sold out! Thank you Wal-Mart, for providing more bang for my buck. I am eternally grateful! Is this what Thanksgiving is all about?

Go ahead, call me sentimental - even overly so - but I will not surrender my observance of Thanksgiving Day to abject consumerism. My kids will be the first to tell you that Thanksgiving Day is my very favorite non-religious holiday. Non-religious, but God-welcoming nonetheless! I refuse to allow a day that is set aside for remembering and celebrating all the God-given blessings in my life, replete with delectable gastronomical delights, surrounded by the people who mean the most in the world to me, to be hijacked by maddening door-buster deals just as the last bite of pumpkin pie barely passes my lips. 

I think it's worth remembering what the first Thanksgiving Day was all about:






Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Put on the Armor of God

So Obama wins again. A few of my friends are ecstatic, but many more of them are heartbroken. Some are downright afraid of what will come to pass over the next four years. I had a feeling all along that he would win a second term, but maintained hope that I would be proven wrong. Although I am not a huge Romney fan, I did cast my vote for him. I went to bed last night pretty much knowing it wasn't looking good for Romney and awoke this morning to the headline Obama wins on the front page of The Washington Post. Not surprised, but I nevertheless uttered an audible ugh as I read it while my dachshund peered up at me begging to be let out. And so, life goes on. The dog still has needs. The dishes still need to be washed. My laundry still needs to be folded and put away. And most of all, God still deserves our praise and thanksgiving - our love. 

I've been thinking about a lot of things this morning. First of all, I feel oddly energized as I consider the election results.As a faithful, practicing Catholic (not the cafeteria kind, or the Christmas & Easter type, or the non-church-going-but-still-call-myself-Catholic Catholic) I am highly concerned about what lies ahead regarding the HHS mandate and I sincerely hope and pray that the U.S. Catholic bishops don't cave on this issue. As I was trying to fall asleep last night, the following encouraging passage from Ephesians popped into my head: Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11). I am honored to put on the armor of God and will continue to fight until my dying day. With Obama in the White House for another four years, we know what we're up against (well sort of, who knows what he currently has up his sleeve?). We are surely disappointed, but we should be fired up now more than ever to continue the fight! Actually, a part of me wonders if Romney had been elected, would we have become a little too relaxed in our effort to defend the Church? Maybe become a little too trusting that he would actually work hard to upend the injustice against the Church? Perhaps - and maybe I'm just cynical - it really would not have been as important to him as it is to us. Not sure if he wouldn't have placed the rights of the unborn on the back burner, instead focusing all his energy on creating new jobs and balancing the budget.

I hate to say it, but most of us realize that we didn't just arrive here overnight. The rising tide of secularism has been here for many years. There are reportedly more people today who describe themselves as non-church goers as ever before. People are saying they want to move to another country ... but where would you go? We are becoming more and more like western Europe and have been on that path for quite awhile. We've allowed the news media (the mainstream media wins the prize for campaigning most effectively for Obama), the entertainment industry, and the institutions of higher learning to shape who we are and to carve the path we find ourselves traveling.

Sadly, and I've said this before, I don't think the U.S. bishops as a body were effectively doing their job for a long, long time and now that we're faced with the imminent erosion of our religious liberties they have finally started to band together and speak out. Why have they been silent for so long? Until recently, we've heard little from them  - sure there have been a few voices crying out, but not enough! Now that their (our) backs are up against the wall? Well, better late than never, right? I just can't help but wonder about the 49% of Catholics who cast Church teaching aside and voted for Obama. Had the bishops been doing their job all these years, would that have happened? Ultimately, of course, we are all individually responsible for learning the truths of our faith and informing our conscience, but the fact remains - the shepherds are our teachers and must lead the faithful unerringly and uncompromisingly to Christ. It is imperative that we keep our bishops and priests in our daily prayers. We need to pray that they continue to speak up for us and for the most defenseless members of the body of Christ. Pray that they remain holy men of God. May He grant them the wisdom and fortitude to speak the truth and act on it. And lead the faithful along the paths of righteousness.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) said many years ago that the Church is going to become small and ultimately more pure. I think we're seeing that come to pass. 


“The church will become small and will have to start afresh more or less from the beginning. She will no longer be able to inhabit many of the edifices she built in prosperity. As the number of her adherents diminishes . . . she will lose many of her social privileges. . . As a small society, [the Church] will make much bigger demands on the initiative of her individual members…. It will be hard-going for the Church, for the process of crystallization and clarification will cost her much valuable energy. It will make her poor and cause her to become the Church of the meek .
. . The process will be long and wearisome as was the road from the false progressivism on the eve of the French Revolution — when a bishop might be thought smart if he made fun of dogmas and even insinuated that the existence of God was by no means certain . . . But when the trial of this sifting is past, a great power will flow from a more spiritualized and simplified Church. Men in a totally planned world will find themselves unspeakably lonely. If they have completely lost sight of God, they will feel the whole horror of their poverty. Then they will discover the little flock of believers as something wholly new. They will discover it as a hope that is meant for them, an answer for which they have always been searching in secret.
And so it seems certain to me that the Church is facing very hard times. The real crisis has scarcely begun. We will have to count on terrific upheavals. But I am equally certain about what will remain at the end: not the Church of the political cult, which is dead already, but the Church of faith. She may well no longer be the dominant social power to the extent that she was until recently; but she will enjoy a fresh blossoming and be seen as man’s home, where he will find life and hope beyond death.”
 - Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI), from his book Faith and the Future

I find myself, today, overcome with joy in knowing that I am a member of Holy Mother Church! The same Church to whom Jesus entrusted Peter with her keys and proclaimed, "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18)  It excites me to know that God has placed me and you here, in this moment of history, for a reason. I'm not always sure I know why, but I trust Him and humbly pray, every day, that I become the person He created me to be. May I be open to his will for me, here and now.

Finally, we must view the world and all that transpires through the lens of ETERNITY. Jesus has already proclaimed VICTORY. We are not of this world. We cannot put our hope in earthly governments and politicians - ultimately, our hope is in Him, our true joy! That doesn't mean we sit back and do nothing. We have a responsibility to help bring about His kingdom on earth, to be salt and light, to serve Him by serving others, to do our part to bring about the common good. The difficulties, persecutions, struggles and hardships that may accompany us along the way will pass away, just as one day, all the world will pass away. 

And at the end of my time here, after I've done all I can for Him, despite being hated by the world --  
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours." (John 15:18-20)
-- I hope to hear those loving words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. (Matt 25:21) Welcome home."


O most Holy Trinity,
I adore you
who dwell by your grace in my soul.
Sanctify me more and more,
make me love you more and more,
abide with me evermore
and be my true joy. 
Amen.