Such a sweet picture Ruth took... I had to borrow it to start my sharing today. Looking out on a snowy landscape after things got semi brown and melty yesterday. It felt so good outside after work that I turned off the heat in the car and put my window down a few inches all the way home. The fresh breeze on my overheated face felt so spring like although it was only about 34 degrees outside! I definitely think that cabin fever/spring fever is setting in for all of us!
Today the reading from Jonah about repenting of Nineveh - I can relate to as I feel that the Lord is dealing with my selfishness and calling me to repent and change my ways. How I struggle against the human condition of wanting my way, and my comfort, and my time, and my space, and my food, and my drink, and my sleep, and my TV shows, and my feeling good, and my enjoying the good things in life, and for all to go smoothly and without a hitch, and for those frustrations to stay away, and for my life to be picture perfect, without the reminder that it isn't about me and my wants, but it's about serving Jesus and following all the teachings of The Church. And how do we do that each minute of each day - by serving one another most especially those in our domestic Church/family!
16 month old Luke on the bouncy seat tractor taken by Ruth yesterday as they too enjoyed the nice weather.
It is so much easier for me to be critical of the faults of others than to focus on my own! As I strive to let go of my selfishness, I also cling to my judgmental attitude towards those around me. I justify my sins by magnifying and criticizing the sins I observe of others. Yes, I need to sit in the ashes and ponder this place which does not allow me to love and serve as I should. I imagine that sackcloth is very scratchy and miserable and the cold ashes of a fire once there warm and comforting is cold and dirty and icky... it would really allow your poor condition to sink in and cause me to realize how much a mess a make of my life when I try to take it over. I am sinful and sorrowful and need to give it all over to LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT/ Jesus!
Last year Luke was a tiny baby at calving time... it will be interesting to see him interact with the baby calves this year. The way he wrestles with his new puppy makes me wonder if he will tackle the calvies too... as long as their mothers are out eating and it is just Luke and the calves.
My patron saint of Family as he was Pope for the first 27 years of our marriage and was a champion for LIFE and for Family! I love this and it is so true! It was shared this morning by a young mother of 9 kids! Wow! Such a lesson to the world that believes the lies that we need to limit our families to those 2 kids and shower them "with everything I never had." What? Aren't siblings much more important than stuff? YES!!!!!
I have been waiting for Maria to share about their Lenten practices in their home/castle, and she did not disappoint!
"We are trying something new this year at the di castle. Along with our usual daily Lenten prayer and calendar (and individual sacrifices), the kids are earning "Beans for Jesus"! Basically, we have a large cup of dry beans that represent our sins. Every time the kids cheerfully do something good, no matter how small, they can put a bean in the glass vase as a symbol of their conversion. We even have special Patrick "beans" so he can feel like he is participating without getting the bean "count" off. The trick to this program, however, is that the kids can lose beans just as easily as they can earn them. Every whine, every tantrum, every disobedience, means a bean is removed from the vase and placed back in the cup.
We are now one week into this new Lenten practice, and I must say that I do like it much better than the toothpick crown of thorns. It both encourages small acts of kindness and discourages bad behavior. We'll see if it keeps up for the next few weeks!
As you can see, the kids are off to a great start, having earned many more beans then they have lost.
Oh... and I almost forgot the most important part! On Easter morning, all of those little acts of love, which in real life are made so much more beautiful and effective through the grace of God, become JELLY BEANS! How fun is that!?"
Go kids go!!! You are doing a great job - kindnesses to one another far outweighs the giving up in our family peace and happiness one with the other! Think of all those beans becoming sugar!!!! with the rising of Jesus from the dead!
Jesus, being reminded of our need to give to each other rather than to be constantly concerned with that which we are denying ourselves. Yes, it is good to sacrifice from the pleasures, but it is equally or more important to love and serve those closest to us. May we give cheerfully and joyfully this day, as we rise from the ashes and wash our face and get out of our sackcloth - knowing that God heard our repentant prayers and answered them with newness of life! Imagine how precious LIFE would be to those in Nineveh as they looked upon it with the eyes of their hearts. Realizing that they came so close to losing all due to their selfishness and sinfulness. Jesus is there with his nailscarred hands open wide to take us close to his heart burning with love for us. If only we repent and ask for his forgiveness. May we come to him on our knees in the confessional often and experience his healing unconditional forgiveness. Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah
Ponder these words, and may the seed be planted called The Truth which The Church holds out to us!
No wonder He loves us with His LIFE!
About the unconditional forgiveness we receive!
One more to share and make us aware of all we are called to do here in our family and world...
