I squealed with delight today as I noticed that we were going to start the day with a Hallel psalm as the openning psalm in morning prayer this morning! (see http://www.magnificat.com/ ) Sunday also we had read Psalm 147, and today it was 148... the last psalms 145-150 are called Hallel psalms... they are pure praise and worship of our Lord and all that He means to us... we can in no way gather that all in, but it is something that we devote our entire lives to. Hence our daughter, Susan Angela Agnes, surprised all of us and chose this new word that we had never encoutered before... yet there was something quite familiar about it. When Little Sister Marie put her hands on Susan's head in France and said in English for the benefit of Nancy, John and myself... "In the Community of the Lamb your name will from this point forward will be... Little Sister Hallel." We all looked at each other and asked what our ears had heard... what was that name? Later we were told how to spell and pronounce it and what it would mean for Susan/ little Sister Hallel on her spiritual journey as a bride of Christ...
"I knew that this was to be my name as soon as Little Sister Marie suggested it to me. It is the first part of the word "Halleluia" and that is why it sounds so familiar, and that gives you insight into it's meaning. I must now go forward armed with this name and live a life showing my constant praise for God and all that He has made - everything! And there is the added gift to all that say my name... they are also praising Him with the calling of my name!" As those in her family that know of her love of Christ in the Gospel as well as the Eucharist... when you see the joy in her face and her hands raised in absolute genuine praise when the Word of God is presented.. this is a perfect name for her! Today to honor this wonderful Hallel psalm that we shared together at breakfast before John headed down the driveway to try yoga for the first time to help him with the left over ataxia he has as a result of the cancer journey we have been on for the last year... I will use some of my pictures to go along with the wonderful words of praise and glory and honor for the King of the Universe... Last night as I got ready for mass... I just wanted to dress up because I was going to see my King!
Psalm 148
"Lord God, you made heaven and earth by your great might, with your outstretched arm; nothing is impossible for you." (Jer 32:17)
I had big plans today using pictures to illustrate the 148th psalm a psalm of total praise called a Hallel psalm... when I published it... the words came out in places unintended... it is less than I hoped for all the work that I put into it. I think that you can tell that I am home today...I will work overnight at the NH tonight, so it is turned upside down... We excitedly discovered that the Gospel for today is from Matt and is the beatitudes! If you have a chance it would be great to read them over and remind yourself of all the promises the Lord gives us as we travel the road of our personal spiritual journies! Matt5:1-12 So wonderful and amazing and give us the courage to take on the hard tasks at hand!
I was totally wowed by the meditation of the day written by Fr John Tauler (1361), who was a German Dominican - popular preacher and mystical theologian - he addresses the 8th beatitude - "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for my sake, for their's is the kingdom of heaven." What he focuses on is the suffering part and isn't that the part that we all truly can relate to!
"No man can fully explain, or indeed understand, what an amount of good lies hidden in suffering. Our faithful God, who has set apart his chosen ones for close union with himself, when he sees their life is not condusive to that, visits them with quick and terrible suffering. ( thats is when we turn to Him with our pleading for help!) ... That I must suffer is a favor from God that I am unworthy of. And it causes a great hope to rise in my heart that God has a specail love for me, for it makes me like his divine Son, and compels me to imitate him. St Bernard says; "It is a far greater honor to suffer slight pain with holy patience, than to perform many good works for God." And St Thomas says; "There is no pain so slight, whether in our interior or exterior life, but that in suffering it patiently we may image forth the adorable passion of our Lord Jesus Christ; and in every suffering we endure, we can, if we will, obtain a share in the merits of Christ crucified." "
Finally I would like to once again share this wonderful prayer that I received from my daughter, Maria... she was living in a Poor Clare Monastery and discerning religious life as a nun for herself... She sent this enclosed in a letter printed on a small piece of paper... which is now in my prayer book from one month to the next. With the anniversary of John's cancer coming up on Father's day.. the memories of tremendous suffering on all levels with our 20-21 year old son... as it has spanned the last year... are still powerful and fresh... We continue to cling to hope and trust that the Lord will continue to keep him cancer free and allow him to regain much if not all that he has lost as a result, but most of all that John will now embrace His Lord in a new a personal way as he walks with a bit less balance on the outside, but more faith after this journey on the inside...as he goes forth into his new normal of life without cancer! Now in ending the prayer called Peace in Suffering
Father, sometimes I think that physical pain is less hard to bear than mental suffering. A toothache or a broken leg is at least in one place. But anxiety and tension, indecision or guilt are everywhere at once... and nowhere. When Jesus said "Not my will but your will be done." did His pain go away? I don't think so. But I do believe that you made it possible for him to bear it. Do for me, Father, whatever it was You did for Him. As I try to imitate His fidelity to Your will may I experience Your peace... The peace that, somehow, can exist in the midst of great suffering. Amen and Halleluia Bless-bless, Barb
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