Help me, teach me, invite me

And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus to carry his cross. Mark 15:21

Simon of Cyrene, help me

to come to the aid of others,

to overcome my reluctance when

 it seems too inconvenient;
when I think I'm too busy

or too afraid, or too shy, 

or it just seems so awkward.

Help me when

I think I am better than the stranger,
the accused, the shunned;
when I think that they don't deserve my help.

Help me to overcome 

my own exhaustion,
my laziness,
my feelings of inadequacy,

and uncertainty.

Help me to put aside my own interests,

my prejudices and pride.

Help me so that 

I can step up to the task, 

without having to be dragged in.

Help me, dear reluctant saint,

to carry my own cross,

my own brokeness,

so that I may help carry others.

Dear Saint of Cyrene, pray for me.

"Now, while Simon labours under the cross with Jesus, ... someone - a woman - forces her way through the rabble, even through the guard of Roman soldiers surrounding Him, and comes face to face with Christ. She is driven by compassion." The Way of the Cross, Caryll Houslander

Good saint of the veil,

teach me your compassion for the suffering,

especially when their appearance, all bruised and beaten,
repulses me.

Teach me to recognize the splendor
and the majesty of Christ

hidden there in their weakness,
in their humility and in their shame. 

Good saint of the veil,

teach me your courage in the midst of chaos,

your readiness to serve, to comfort and to console

to wipe away the grime, the filth, the tears

in all circumstances,
but especially when it is not easy.

Teach me to look with eyes of mercy
upon the faces of the suffering
and see Christ hidden there.

Dear Saint Veronica, pray for me.

"Christ goes on His way; no word is spoken now; Mary follows Him in the crowd. ... Mary remains silent, she does not lift a hand; only when He is suffering no more will she anoint His body. She simply accepts this supreme gift of His love, His suffering given to her. It is a complete communion with Him. They are as completely one now as they were when He was the child in her womb, and her heart was the beating of His heart." The Way of the Cross, Caryll Houselander.

 Dearest Mother Mary,
Your acceptance, your yes,
let it be my own.

Invite me to walk the way with you.
He is the Way, the Truth, the Life!
Invite me to see with your soul
the good in that awful Friday.

 Invite me there, beneath the Cross,
 to see the good that comes from suffering,
His and our own united to His.

Invite me to become one with Him
as you and He are one.
Invite me into your deep and abiding
trust and unwavering hope.

When tempests
arise and I'm tossed about,
remind me that He is always there,
in the midst of the storm;
that I am never alone.

Invite me there at the foot of the cross,
to hold Him in my arms
as you cradle Him, lifeless, in your own,
knowing that Sunday comes.

Invite me there to the empty tomb,
to share your peace
and your love,
and to experience your joy
at the Resurrection.

And the Life to come.

Dear Blessed Virgin, my Mother, my Queen, pray for me.

Love is Patient, but am I?

In the final chapter of his book, Heaven Starts Now: Becoming a Saint Day by Day, Fr. John Riccardo instructs us to take a look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and wherever the word love appears, he suggests we substitute our own name. He writes, " ... this can help us to see if these statements apply to us, and what it is that needs the most work in us."

This could be a very valuable and useful exercise as part of our nightly examen or as an examination of conscience before going to confession.

So, go ahead, insert your name wherever the word love appears in the verses below (and your corresponding prounoun in place of "it"). 

Pretty powerful, no?

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Here Where I Live and Love :: I'm Back!

After a very long hiatus, I've returned to my blog. I'm dusting it off, giving it a new look and I'm hoping that I will persevere and continue to write more generously. With God's grace I will!  And so, just to get back in the saddle, I'm starting out simply, with the concise little snippets that the daybook provides. Now that I seem to be recovering from a severe and extended case of writer's block, I pray that I will continue to be inspired and motivated to share my thoughts with you here, dear readers. 

Outside My Window ::

We're 10 days into the official start of Spring and there are signs of it everywhere. Buds on trees and my grape hyacinths are in full bloom. Daffodils have been out for a while as are many other flowering trees and shrubs. On my daily walks I've noticed the cheerful, little faces of pansies adorning the gardens of many of my neighbors. I have not planted any. 

Today is cloudy and rather chilly, not unusual for March in Virginia. There's the promise of rain tomorrow - not only from the meterologist - but I feel it in the air.

This Old House ::

Jim and I have completed our plans for a remodel of the bathroom adjoining our master bedroom. The master bath or en suite as they say. It seems a daunting task, however it needs to be done if we ever wish to sell this place one day. Which we will want to do after Jim retires. Not very soon, yet soon enough, especially considering how long it takes us to complete a project. And then there's the kitchen and the floors and, well whatever else figures in to carrying us out of the 1980's design-wise. It never seems to end.

We did re-do the powder room, quite successfully, if I do say so myself! A small, but needed uplift to a very manageable-to-update room. And we converted Kevin's former bedroom into a home office. That project is still on-going, although it's mostly complete. All the difficult things are done - built-in shelves and cabinet that Jim built and the hardwood floor that he installed. 

I'm always struck by how crooked the walls are in this house.  

From the Kitchen ::

Jim and I continue to try to eat as healthy as possible. I have recently added a little more red wine - one glass at dinner most nights - a little dark chocolate and a teaspoon of pure cocoa sprinkled in my morning coffee. Half way through Lent I decided to give up bacon and processed sausage. I'm eating less cheese only because my doctor says my LDL cholesterol is inching up toward the borderline level and I'm curious to see if it makes a difference along with abstaining from the bacon and sausage. I am waiting for a (used) copy of The Great Cholesterol Myth Cookbook to arrive from Amazon. I've read a bit about it (the myth) and I am intrigued. My copy of Nourishing Traditions includes an interesting discussion of cholesterol as well. I'm just amazed at the advice of some healthcare professionals "out there" to still eat margarine instead of butter, and who make no mention of the benefits of consuming grassfed beef and the dairy that comes from it as opposed to conventionally raised beef. 

I'm not the best fish eater. I like some fish very much, but not all and I don't always know the best way to prepare it. However, I'm also adding more of it to our weekly meals. Trying to have it at least twice a week. You know, omega 3's and all that good stuff.

We are looking forward to the opening of our local farmer's market and to getting the vegetable garden growing again. Should I buy a quarter of a cow? Jim says no!

I am Reading ::

Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy  -- I'm about 170 pages in. I love Percy's writing and Love in the Ruins unsurprisingly has some really excellent passages. Like this one:

The sand trap and the clouds put me in mind of being ten years old and in love and full of longing. The first thing a man remembers is longing and the last thing he is conscious of before death is exactly the same longing. I have never seen a man die who did not die in longing. When I was ten years old I woke one summer morning to the sensation of longing. Besides the longing I was in love with a girl named Louise, and so the same morning I went out to this same sand trap where I hoped chance would bring us together. At the breakfast table, I took a look at my father with his round head, his iron-colored hair, his chipper red cheeks, and I wondered to myself: at what age does a man get over this longing?

 Who Am I to Judge?: Responding to Relativism with Logic and Love by Edward Sri

I am reading this for the book club I moderate. I've only completed about 35 pages or so. Thus far Sri has presented the problem of relativism and the methods by which many of us fall into it. I like and appreciate the questions at the end of each chapter. They make the preparation for book club meetings much easier! I'm looking forward to reading more and to the ensuing discussion with my book club friends.

The Way of the Cross by Caryll Houselander. I haven't read it yet as I'm saving it for Holy Week. I have to say that Houselander is one of my all time favorite Catholic writers. Her words move me like few others do. 

I am Hoping and Praying ::

For a very, very special intention that I am not at liberty to mention right now.

I am Grateful ::

For St. Joseph's intercession concerning Jim's employment. Thanks be to God that he is able to continue to work for the same company. We're looking forward to good years ahead.

Our Father's Promise (Am I listening?) ::

Jesus said to the Jews:

"If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true.

But there is another who testifies on my behalf,

and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true.

You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.

I do not accept human testimony,

but I say this so that you may be saved.

He was a burning and shining lamp,

and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.

But I have testimony greater than John's.

The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,

these works that I perform testify on my behalf

that the Father has sent me.

Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf.

But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,

and you do not have his word remaining in you,

because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.

You search the Scriptures,

because you think you have eternal life through them;

even they testify on my behalf.

But you do not want to come to me to have life.

"I do not accept human praise;

moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. 

I came in the name of my Father,

but you do not accept me;

yet if another comes in his own name,

you will accept him.

How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another

and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?

Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father:

the one who will accuse you is Moses,

in whom you have placed your hope.

For if you had believed Moses,

you would have believed me

because he wrote about me. 

But if you do not believe his writings,

how will you believe my words?"

John 5:31-47 

Words to Ponder ::

"Getting older, he reflected, was about letting go: our youth, looks, athletic prowess, jobs, parents, other loved ones, various abilities, and eventually our independence. We let go so that we can turn to God's grace to know how much we are loved and look to Him as the destination of our journey. " - Fr. Mark O'Keefe, St. Meinard Archabbey Seminary, Indiana. (Excerpt from Retirement: An invitation for something more by Carolyn Woo)

More about this later ...

Picture Thoughts ::

We lost our dear dachshund Holly over a year ago to complications from intervertebral disc disease. At the very end of August we welcomed two of the sweetest, goofiest, cutest little canine beasts into our hearts and home. May I introduce Teddy and Roscoe, the Havanese half-brothers!

But the best news of all is that in 2016 we also welcomed two of the most adorable little grandsons who are loved beyond all measure.

Killian Jacob Coffman

Henry Jean-Marie Phillips



Our family is growing!
So sweet! So blessed!