thinking

about this:

on st. therese, the little flower: “to all ecstasies she preferred the monotony of an obscure sacrifice.”

and this: on people, by c.s. lewis: “there are no ordinary people it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit.”

and these roses from mother’s day:aren’t they beautiful? they are from my beautiful sister-in-law’s beautiful garden!

i did just use the word beautiful three times!!! but i had to. there was just no other word that applied properly.

i am also thinking about the baby. he is sick. he came down with a fever late this afternoon.

i noticed, when he came in from playing in the treehouse, how pink his cheeks were.

i am thinking about how i was resentful when this sick child, after being all snug in his bed (our bed) and almost asleep, about to leave me in peace to finish some paperwork, could possibly want something to eat!

feed a fever starve a cold?

so i made him some strawberries and yogurt. the last bit of my favorite yogurt. and then he only took a few bites….leaving his germy leftovers for me to finish like a glutton.

i dropped his spoon on the floor. and gave it to him anyway.

shame on me. i know.

(3 second rule clause???)

what kind of mother am i anyway?

certainly not always a very good one.

this is ALWAYS my argument to people (of other faiths) WHY the Blessed Mother had to be different.

conceived without sin.

FULL OF GRACE.

she never gave Jesus a spoon from off the ground.

or silently complained to herself. gritting her teeth while performing those lovey mama tasks that are so necessary.

you’ve done little awful things like that too, haven’t you? come on. be honest now….

please make me feel better.

i did redeem myself by cuddling said baby. and singing him to sleep.

and even though  i did squirm my way out from under him to post these thoughts….i won’t abandon him on the couch to go get a few hours of good sleep. i swear i won’t.

see

“let each of us leave his house empty so that we may see our Master wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger…the table of this altar takes the place of the manger. and surely the Master’s body will be lying on this altar.” ~st. john chrysostom

a little break

taking some time off to meditate on the Passion. Death. and Suffering of Our Lord.

praying for all of you.

“i have many distractions, but as soon as i am aware of them, i pray for those people the thought of whom is diverting my attention. in this way, they reap the benefit of my distractions.” ~st. therese of lisieux

saddened by all of the purple.

“our joy depends on the Cross, and our Lord would not enter into His glory save by the way of bitterness. He leads you by the same path as the Saints.” ~st. vincent de paul

longing to hear that alleluia again.

“if we endure all things patiently and with gladness, thinking on the sufferings of our Blessed Lord, and bearing all for the love of Him: herein is our perfect joy.” ~st. francis of assisi

hoping to taste some of that joy on sunday.

“the Blessed Eucharist is the perfect Sacrament of the Lord’s Passion, since it contains Christ Himself .” ~st. thomas aquinas

wondering where these 40 days went and perhaps being too scrupulous about all of my miserable failures.

“but since all your satisfactions and penances are too small and deficient to atone for so many sins, unite them to those of your Saviour Jesus lifted upon the Cross, receive His Divine Blood as it flows from His wounds, and offer It up to appease Divine Justice.” ~st. peter julian eymard

and wishing you a very blessed Easter in advance.

“remember not former things and look not on things of old. behold I do new things and now they shall spring forth. (43:18)

I am He that blot out thy iniquities.  for My own sake I will not remember them. (43:25)

but He was wounded for our iniquities: He was bruised for our sins.

the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.

and by His bruises. we are healed (53:5)” ~isaias.

 AMEN!

“prayer ascends and mercy descends. high as are the heavens and low as is the earth, God hears the voice of man.” ~st. augustine.

anyway

This is found written on the wall in Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta:

              People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.

            If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

            If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.

           If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.

            What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.

            If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

            The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.

         Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

         In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.

-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

i needed this! so i thought i’d share it here.