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.