The Little Flower's PRAYER FOR ACQUIRING HUMILITY

O Mighty Monarch of Heaven, yes, my soul finds rest in seeing You, clothed in the form and nature of a slave, humbling Yourself to wash the feet of Your apostles. I recall Your words that teach me how to practice humility: "I have given you an example so that you may do what I have done. The disciple is no greater than the Master. If you understand this, happy are you if you put them into practice." Lord, I do understand these words that came from Your gentle and humble heart and I want to practice them with the help of Your grace.

I want truly humble myself and to submit my will to that of my sisters. I do not wish to contradict them nor seek to see whether or not they have the right to command me. O my Beloved, no one had the right over You and yet you obeyed not only the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph but even our executioners. Now in the Sacred Host I see You at the height of Your annihilations. How humble You are, O Divine King of Glory, to subject Yourself to all Your priests without making any distinction between those who love You and those who are, alas! lukewarm or cold in Your service....At their word, You come down from Heaven. Whether they advance or delay the hour of the Holy Sacrifice, you are always ready. O my Beloved, how gentle and humble of heart You seem under the veil of the white Host! To teach me humility You cannot humble Yourself further. Therefore, to respond to Your love, I desire that my sisters always put me in the lowest place, and I want to convince myself that this place is indeed mine. 

I beg You, my Divine Jesus, to send me humiliations whenever I try to set myself above others.

I know, O my God, that You humble the proud soul but to the one who humiliate herself You give an eternity of glory. So I want to put myself in the last rank and to share Your humiliations so as "to have a share with You" in the kingdom of Heaven.

But, You know my weakness, Lord. Every morning I make a resolution to practice humility and in the evening I recognize that I have committed again many faults of pride. At this I am tempted to become discouraged but I know that discouragement is also pride. Therefore, O my God, I want to base my hope in You alone. Since You can do everything, deign to bring to birth in my soul the virtue I desire. To obtain this grace of Your infinite mercy I will very often repeat: "O Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, make my heart like Yours!" (from "Prayers of St. Therese of Lisieux")

Snowstorm in Spring

After the Winter 

 Some day, when trees have shed their leaves
And against the morning's white
The shivering birds beneath the eaves
Have sheltered for the night,
We'll turn our faces southward, love,
Toward the summer isle
Where bamboos spire to shafted grove
And wide-mouthed orchids smile.

 

 

And we will seek the quiet hill
Where towers the cotton tree,
And leaps the laughing crystal rill,
And works the droning bee.
And we will build a cottage there
Beside an open glade,
With black-ribbed blue-bells blowing near,
And ferns that never fade.

 

by Claude McKay

 

A Love Song

I love that my husband's birthday and the Solemnity of Saint Joseph coincide. Each year to honor both men I link to this post from March 2010. May the good Saint Joseph bring each of you closer to Our Lord this day and always.

 And so, in deepest gratitude for today, for now, 

for Jim, a love song ...

My dearest love,

the keeper of my heart;

the protector of all that we have shared, 

one with the other. 

 

You complete me,

give me strength when I am weak,

pick me up when I fall.

You find me

when I have lost my way and

set me straight by your embrace.

Your touch sends me.

Two dissolving simply into one,

swept away to that hallowed place,

lifted up and sanctified.

 

You search me

and see us hidden there,

and it's then I rejoice, all over again,

 knowing I will never be alone.

 

{P, H, F, R} - a day late, because (my) life is like that.

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~


{Pretty}

Having survived winter, my pansies are ready to welcome Spring!

{HAPPY}

 This past Sunday there was much rejoicing over the christening of two of the cutest, little cherubs - Gabriel and Liam. Welcome to our Church family, sweet boys!
Congratulations Coen Family!

{FUNNY}

Isaac invited me to join him in donning sunglasses. So here we are looking pretty darn cool, eh? No sooner had Grandpa started snapping pictures when Isaac decided that the sunglasses could actually be transformed into some rather interesting mustaches. Obsessed with facial hair, that one. I predict he'll be sporting a beard and mustache as soon as he is able.

{REAL}

Now that my nest is empty the house, most of the time, is less cluttered. I do have a very bad habit - although sometimes I wonder if it's really so bad - of kicking off my shoes and just leaving them wherever they may fall. From this, I have learned not to scold my husband whenever I trip over his shoes. Don't want to seem hypocritical, after all.

Besides, he seldom leaves his shoes lying around.

But all his other 'junk'?

Well, that's another story.

 

On the floor of the dining room.

In the family room ...

and just on the other side of the ottoman.

 Just be glad I didn't take pictures of my bedroom floor.
Keeping it real, that's all.

 

{p,h,f,r}

Join in every Thursday, at Like Mother, Like Daughter! 





Absolved

The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new." - Rev 21:5

 



 

Expert at making excuses, that one.

But mostly she found it hardest to be honest with herself.

She gave up trying to scrub away the last remnant of soot;

stubborn spot.

 

Realizing she could not go it alone,

some things require a miracle.

She turned away and waded through 

the pride slipping through her fingers,

gnarled and blood-red,

offering that which remained.

 

From the throne, grace on grace.

And the confidence of knowing

 

 I make all things new.