On Saturday mornings I play guitar for Morning Prayer and worship time, so usually the first prayer out of my mouth when I wake us is “Lord, I need your help.” I need His help for inspiration for which songs to play, to be sensitive to His Holy Spirit. This morning, however, what came out of my mouth was, “Lord, You need my help.” And then I burst out laughing and immediately corrected myself. As I thought about it later though, I realized that there is some truth to what I prayed. God is always needing our help, our help to be His hands and His feet, His voice to others. I’ve been pondering that the rest of this day . . .
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Prayer request
I came home early from retreat because a very good friend was in a serious car accident. Her entire family is out-of-state, so I am currently having to spend quite a bit of time at the hospital. I will start posting again as soon as I have some breathing space. Please keep her in your prayers.
A blessed New Year!
Searching for the Christ Child
Life, for women especially, can be so very busy before this most holy day that is approaching so swiftly. Sometimes we miss the Christ Child because we are so busy, but take hope from this meditation by Fulton Sheen. God works everything for the good.
The Russian peasantry for centuries has propagated a curious tradition. It is about an old woman, the Baboushka, who was at work in her house when the wise men came from the East and passed on their way to Bethlehem to find the Child. “Come with us,” they said. “We have seen his star in the East, and we go to worship him.”
“I will come, but not now. I have much housework to do, and when that is finished, I will follow and find him.” But her work was never done. And the Three Kings had passed on their way across the desert, and the star shone no more in the darkened heavens.
Baboushka never saw the Christ Child, but she is still living and searching for him. And though she did not find him, out of love for him, she takes care of all his children . . . . The tradition has it that she believes that in each poor child whom she warms and feeds, she may find the Christ Child whom she neglected long ago. But she is not doomed to disappointment, for the Divine Child said, “He who receives one of these little ones in my name, receives me.”
The Reality of Hope
I would like to refer you to an excellent article I read yesterday at First Things, entitled “The Reality of Hope.” It’s written by Amy Julia Becker who lost her mother-in-law to cancer six years ago. She writes about what the word “hope” really means as you live through the experience of losing someone you dearly love.
After she died, it was as if I had broken my arm. A part of me ached all the time, and something that had been functional was now useless, and everything about my daily routine needed to be navigated differently. It was difficult, for instance, to stand in line at the post office or buy groceries or make dinner. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.
I had spent much of the final six months of her life with her, my mother-in-law, my friend: Penny. And once she was gone, I missed her. I missed the Penny I knew when she was healthy—the woman who had enjoyed kick-boxing, who loved ice cream and didn’t like cilantro, who had hand-addressed our wedding invitations. I missed the Penny I came to know in the midst of her battle against cancer, who, after surgery, laughed so hard in response to a get-well card that staples holding her wound together were dislodged, who walked around the block in sneakers and a nightgown just to get outside, who held my hand as she slept, who said, “thank you” even at the very end.
You can read the rest here.
O Beauty Ancient, O Beauty So New
If any of you are interested in listening to a talk I gave several years ago on beauty, O Beauty Ancient, O Beauty So New, you can click here. (Then click on “Click here to start download.” You can then choose to either 1) open it–which takes about five minutes and will then start playing on your media player–or 2) save it to your IPod or some other file.)
Photos of Sr. Katie’s Profession
If any of you would like to see John Anderson’s wonderful photos of Sr. Katie’s Profession Mass this past Saturday, you can click here.
Two stones in your pocket
A man should carry two stones in his pocket.
A story from Rabbi Bunam:
A man should carry two stones in his pocket. On one should be inscribed, “I am but dust and ashes.” On the other, “For my sake was the world created.” And he should use each stone as he needs it.
Which stone do you need to use today?
If you were to rewrite this story from a Christian perspective, what would you write on the second stone?
It is impossible for us to forget such splendorous beauty
The Catholic Church has more than one lung . . .
Yesterday I took our two postulants to the Divine Liturgy at Sacred Heart Byzantine Catholic Church in Livonia. We’re in the middle of a series of talks on ecumenism, which includes a bit about the Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with Rome. This was their field trip. 🙂
I’ve been to this church numerous times and love the beauty, the icons, the incense, the prayers of the Eastern Liturgies. I have to pinch myself when I’m there to remind myself that this is our Church. I always remember how John Paul II stressed the need for both lungs in the Church–referring to the Eastern and Western (That’s us–the Latin Church) Churches. It calls to mind this story:
In the 10th century, the Prince of Kiev [present day Ukraine] sent ambassadors out throughout the world in search of the best religion: to the Muslims, to the Jews, the Latins, and the Greeks. When the ambassadors that had gone to Constantinople returned and shared about their experience, the story goes that Prince Vladimir decided without any hesitation for Christianity. The ambassadors said, “We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for assuredly on earth such beauty cannot be found anywhere else. So we do not know what we ought to tell you; but one thing we know well: there God dwells among men who celebrate His glory in such a manner that no other religion on this earth could equal. It is impossible for us to forget such splendorous beauty.”
There may be many of you who aren’t even aware that the Catholic Church is made up of more than just one church. There are, I believe, 22 Eastern Churches that are in communion with Rome: the Melkite, the Maronite, etc. Each has its own liturgy, but we can all participate in each other’s. This is indeed part of the wonder of the Catholic Church.
If you ever, ever have a chance to take your family to an Eastern Catholic liturgy, do so! The one in Livonia is in English–which is, of course, a great help. And the pastor there used to be a Latin Catholic so he’s sensitive to us not knowing what we’re doing at their liturgy.
Some helpful web sites:
Sacred Heart Byzantine Catholic Church, Livonia, MI
Byzantine Catholic Church in America
The Byzantine Liturgy
Starting again
Many mornings, I take heart from Andrew of Crete: “Every day I start again.”
Christ, the lighted coal
“A friend comes to the rescue in time of need, and if he is aware of the truth of friendship, he directs his friend just as if he were himself and puts his own members at his disposal if he has lost his. … a friend is a lighted coal, and if placed beside it, it can rekindle a dead one.” (Bl. Simon Fidati of Cascia)
Christ is our true Friend, the lighted coal for each one of us, our hope of rekindling.
