Grandpa was using the electric wrench to remove some lugnuts from a flat tire... the boys were not liking the LOUD SOUND! Really cute and funny to watch from afar. Also little Dave is learning at the knees of his older brother, Simon. Pulling myself up from kind of a low spot lately... I find that the small things put a smile on my face and some glimmers of light and joy in my heart. I was reminded in morning prayer this morning the birthday greeting I received from Little Sister Hallel - in her card to me she had gone to the 60th psalm and gleaned from it - how the Lord was speaking to me about my 60th year of life. "I think He is telling you that you need to praise him in all things." Lately I have gotten away from that, and this morning in prayer it was a reminder to me. It was such a combination of many factors beginning with some health issues - then you get the medication that you are on to get better, and then the family dynamics due to your being down... it gets to be a deep pit to crawl out of. I am now better and off of the meds, and I start to realize how that all colored my world. What about those that have chronic issues, and the handfulls of medication that many take daily? That is a hard thing, and of course you would expect that to effect the person on all levels! Some lines from the opening hymn in morning prayer this morning really spoke to me of this..
"And whether our tomorrows
Be filled with good or ill,
We'll triumph through our sorrows
And rise to bless you still:
To marvel in your beauty
And glory in your ways,
And make a joyful duty
Our sacrifice of praise."
What is a sacrifice of praise? To be thankful for the hard things and for the down times in life? I guess that would be a good place to start with this praise! It certainly isn't a time when you are joyful and praising him is it? Yet, these down times are the moments when we are turning to HIM on our knees in our deepest places - in our heart and our soul. That is where the Holy Spirit is glowing on the altar of the cathedral within! "Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and awesome is he, beyond all gods. For all the gods of the nations are things of naught, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty go before him; praise and joy are in his holy place." I Chronicals 16: 25-27 And what are some of these "gods" that take away from our worshiping HIM alone? I think that the biggest one is ourselves - our self-pity, our selfishness, our self indulgence, and yes there are many things and desires that are related to these gods that become gods themselves- material things, food, entertainment, the things that we do with our time and energy and talents... I look back at the last 3 years, as we are now in the anniversary time of our battle - cancer/healing, and realize that "a sacrifice of praise" would be an excellent explanation of the hard Cross our son's brain cancer was and how the LOVE that surrounded us with the army of prayer warriors allowed us the ability to turn it truly into a Sacrifice of PRAISE! To the highest heavens we are now rejoicing in the healing of our son, and of many that followed him on his journey! John met at mass last night a woman, who was healed of a year of pain at the 8a mass in November of 2009, with the relic of Blessed Solanus Casey - where John was annointed with the entire Church raising their hands in blessing over him, as well as the relic placed on his head for the healing that is now a truth for over 2 years! We praise you LORD! We know that the many parts all added up to his healing... Our Lady of Lourdes, the sacraments and Word of the Church, the army of prayer warriors, the angels and the Saints! Fear not!
The other evening the humidity cleared out and it was a glorious evening - I headed out to do the stations of the Cross in the grove... that Maria had made for us when she came out of her 5 months in the Poor Clare Monastery! It was a wheat/sacrifice of prayer and praise that I wanted to do for the upcoming retreat that I am directing with Pat next weekend! It allowed me in some small way gift back my love and appreciation to Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for all that He gave to me with his suffering and death - LIFE everlasting!
The first station - Jesus is condemned to death... Jesus, you are to highly praised in a sacrifice of praise with all that we do this day and forward. There are those things that try to pull us down, but we can cling all the harder to YOU and your Truth! May we realize that feelings are not facts, and look past the hurts and dissapointments that come with life.... realizing that when we are down and weak is when you come to us! We turn to you, and you never fail to comfort us and care for us! You are the good shepherd, and we the little lost lambs in the valley of the shadow of death. You remind us in the Gospel today that not only do we need to accept the hurts but turn the other cheek without complaint or resentment! Wow! That is so hard, and we fail over and over. Help us! "Give to the one who asks of you..." Matt 5 Just this morning Pat asked me to do something for him... I was not gracious or loving, Lord. Forgive me, and help me to do better. Jesus, we need you and trust in you. You show us the Way, the Truth and the Life! Amen and Halleluia!
Jesus falls the third time! That would be me, Lord! Bless-bless, Barb
Priest - "Consider how Jesus Christ fell for the third time. He was extremely weak and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive; they tried to hasten his steps though He hardly had strength to move." (kneel)
People - "My outraged Jesus, by the weakness You suffered in going to Calvary, give me enough strength to overcome all human respect and all my evil passions which have led me to despise your friendship. I love YOU, Jesus my LOVE, with all my heart. I am sorry for ever having offended YOU. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love you always; and then do with me as You will."
The Way of the Cross as composed by St Alphonsus Liguori(1761)
Mary, Mother of God, allow me to stand with on the way of the Cross - loving and supporting Our Lord... may I never let Him down - following your example of LOVE! Here is a song that is so powerful - A Mother's Song by Danielle Rose -
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