7 Quick Takes; the portal edition

  

1.

O gates, lift high your heads; 

grow higher, ancient doors.

 Let him enter, the king of glory!

from Psalm 24

2. 

Go within his gates, giving thanks.
Enter his courts with songs of praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.-from Psalm 100-

3.
The glory of these forty days
We celebrate with songs of praise;
For Christ, by whom all things were made,
Himself has fasted and has prayed.

Alone and fasting Moses saw
The loving God who gave the law;
And to Elijah, fasting, came
The steeds and chariots of flame.

So Daniel trained his mystic sight,
Deliver'd from the lions' might;
And John the Bridegroom's friend, became
The herald of Messiah's name.

Then grant us, Lord, like them to do
Such things as bring great praise to you;
Our spirits strengthen with your grace
And give us joy to see your face.

O Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
To you be every prayer addressed
And by all mankind be adored,
From age to age, the only Lord.

Text: Latin , sixth century
Translation: Maurice F Bell 1906

4.

He has strengthened the bars of your gates, 

he has blessed the children within you.

He established peace on your borders,

he feeds you with finest wheat.

-from Psalm 147-

5. So, numbers one through four were taken from today's morning prayers, called Lauds. They are from the Salesian tradition. I thought, since I am reading De Sales, it would all kind of go together.

The doors, gates, portal-like theme kind of jumped out at me, though it is by no means a dominant theme in the whole of the prayers. But I did find it to be very Lent appropriate. You know, like the "turning a page" saying, also we can, "go through" to a new way, a new and different season, which indeed we will.

6. The hymn, the Glory of These Forty Days, struck me especially as I read it instead of singing. The words had different meaning somehow, the way they brought me through time, all the way from Moses forward. I have to admit, while reciting the words, William Shatner leapt to mind, and I had to work to banish him.

7. I hope the grace and mercies that float around in the air (or seem to) during this season are touching you. 

The next stanza of Psalm 147 talks about sending down snow and scattering hoar-frost. Which, if you are anywhere in the Northeast or Midwest United States, you can relate to, but probably would rather not. 

So, I pray any floating graces and mercies are of the warm variety.

Peace-

Kelly

Found a gem to kick off Lent 2015

One of the books I am reading this Lent is Roses among Thorns, Simple Advice for Renewing Your Spiritual Journey. by St. Francis De Sales. If it sounds perfect for Lent, that's because IT IS. I was going to reread Introduction to the Devout Life, and then I saw this. I have only read the first two pages because I couldn't stop reading them over and over.

Jesus the Gardener 

Do not be anxious. Rouse yourself to serve the Lord with steadfastness, attentiveness, and meekness. That is the true way to serve him. If you can refrain from trying to do all things, but instead attempt to do only some one thing, then you will do much. Practice the mortifications that most often present themselves to you, for that is the first duty to be done. After that you can take up the others. Lovingly kiss the crosses that our Lord himself lays upon your arms, without looking to see whether they are of precious or aromatic wood. They are more truly crosses when they are made of a wood that smells dirty and is considered useless. Mary Magdalene tried to hold on to our Lord; she wanted him for herself. His appearance was not as she had wished it to be, which is why she looked at him without recognizing him. She wanted to see him arrayed in glory, not in the common clothes of a gardener. Yet in the end she knew that it was he when he said to her, “Mary” (John 20:14-16). You see, it is our Lord garbed as a gardener whom we meet day by day, here and there, in the ordinary mortifications that present themselves to us. We want more noble-seeming ones. But the ones that seem the most noble are not best. Before we see him in his glory, he wants to plant many humble flowers in our garden, according to his plan. This is why he is dressed the way he is. Our task is to let our hearts be ever united to his, and our wills to his pleasure.


I am so glad I stumbled upon this book. I won't try to interpret this passage because the way it fits into my life may well be different from the way it fits someone else's. But ALREADY, it is solving some of the problems I  routinely encounter. Good ole St.Francis De Sales. And I haven't even gotten my ashes yet!



Tonight, the TLM at Holy Trinity is being offered for my MIL Louise. So that makes it all the more special. This is what we get to immerse ourselves in as we pray the Mass:







Day one, Not too shabby.


"Let us, then, continue to put one foot in front of the other. Provided our hearts be true, we will walk aright"

from-
Roses Among Thorns: Simple Advice for Renewing Your Spiritual Journey by de Sales, St. Francis
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JLVNNP8

the best laid plans, with a few updates

A few thoughts before Lent gets going.

Today I am enjoying a snow day and having a few treats. I certainly am enjoying a slower pace and only have to go out into the Philadelphia tundra once.

Typically, I want to do too many ambitious Lenten practices and sacrifices and burn out two days after Ash Wednesday. This year, I actually gave it some prayerful thought and came up with something a little different.

The overriding theme I want to pursue is to get clear, once and for all about guilt vs. conscience. I am growing weary of  not being clear on my examination of conscience, so that by the time I reach the confessional, I have very little as far as well defined sins and lots of generalizations. I am very aware of my thought patterns, but not so confident about how they have translated into actions, and less sure still about what was definitely a sin. I can define what constitutes a sin, venial or mortal, clearly, but when it comes to my own inner life, things become muddy.

So, I am setting about doing some reading, praying and doing better, more conscious, examinations. Already I have come to a few preliminary conclusions.

1. God's voice does not cause confusion.
2. Generalized feelings of guilt are not inherently virtuous, helpful, or from God.


Certainly, I want to increase daily mass, adoration, Stations of the Cross, the Rosary and frequent confession.

Definitely going to unplug. This blog and doing some reading on my Kindle will be the exceptions. Looking forward to that. A little TV, not none, especially a certain PBS drama on Sunday nights. Ahem.

Anyways, that's it. I am already watching my dietary intake. Besides, I agree with the adage ," Lent is not a diet." I do try not to overdo anything during Lent, food-wise. But I don't plan to go into full monastery mode.

I DO hope to go to the silent retreat at the Carmelite Monastery though. So, Monastery mode for that one day.

I especially want to try to do one act of love for someone every single day. It could be something I do that I normally avoid because I don't like it. or something that comes across my path to do for someone that makes me go out of my comfort zone (read-anything that makes me talk to someone I don't know--eek). Whatever. And to do it as secretly as possible. To try to be generous with my precious alone time or with my (our) resources. Try is the operative word. This could prove to be more challenging than giving up all the chocolate in the world for the rest of my life. Because, if you know me, you know I love to sit and read. Love. it. I can get through many things in the course of a day if I know my book is waiting.

                          Heaven.

                                                                              

So, there is the plan. I will try and blog as Lent trundles along.




I recently read this, from Saint Scholastica. The brother she refers to is none other than Saint Benedict.


My venerable brother says that Lenten joy is the most important thing of all. Some would make of Lent a time of gloom and lamentation. Not my brother! When I asked him on my last visit to Monte Cassino how my nuns were to keep Lent, he smiled broadly and said, “Let each one spontaneously in the joy of the Holy Spirit make some offering to God concerning the allowance granted her” (RB 49:6). My brother is known for his gravitas, but to me he reveals a heart brimming over with joy in the Holy Spirit. It is true that he has no time for silliness, or giddy laughter, or talkativeness — he has always loved silence more than talking, even from the time we were children — but that silence is the seal of his joy. He pours out his joy like a fine wine, with discretion; but his joy itself is boundless.

A perspective we don't often consider. I often wonder at the passage, "the joy of the Lord is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10  God undoubtedly sees all that goes on the the world, and much of it is not joy-inducing. But, one must conclude that His joy is a constant, and not a reaction to the world. In fact, His perspective sees everything beyond time. He freely shares His joy, and though we cannot escape the bounds of earthly time, we can escape the bounds of earthly sorrows and worry.  


Update:

I'd forgotten to include this article from Catholic Vote which I think sums up the spirit of the whole deal nicely: http://www.catholicvote.org/40-ways-to-win-lent/

Update 2:

Last year I wrote this post about the very thing I wrote about here. Sometimes I frighten myself.

Happy and Joyful Lent everybody!

Peace, 

Kelly

All the Way

This song has probably been around for a while, but I just started hearing it. As usual, it has been one of those songs that feels like it comes straight from the mouth of God. I hope to learn it, and maybe share it with my Nar Anon group. I don't know if people ever sing songs at those meetings, but I guess there's a first time for everything.

Don't feel bad, I'm so glad that you are here tonight.

Sometimes we lose our way.

Take a ride with me, and forget yesterday.

Way up high, and way down low. Most things we can't control.

But you don't walk alone. Wherever I may be, there you'll have a home.

If you forget the wonder that you are I will remind you.

And if you lose yourself, don't worry darling, I'll know where to find you.

I'm right behind you, all the way.

Da dada da, da dada da

Way up high

Da dada da, da dada da

Way down low

If you forget the wonder that you are I will remind you.

And if you lose yourself, don't worry darling, I'll know where to find you.

I'm right behind you, all the way.

I'm right behind you, all the way.

Timely words from The Author of timely words

Today, by God's grace, I was able to get to morning mass. The Lord didn't let my paltry effort go to waste, either, as the liturgy hit me right between the eyes. Several times. In a good way.


Here is a snippet from the first reading: (from Hebrews 10:32-39)

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence; 
it will have great recompense.
You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.

Left jab!


And another from the Reponsorial Psalm: (From Psalm 37)



. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm, 
and he approves his way.
Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate,
for the hand of the LORD sustains him.

Right cross!

And then the Gospel: (From St. Mark 4:26-34)


Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,


And just for good measure, the communion antiphon: 

Look toward the Lord and be radiant, let your faces not be ashamed.

Annd, the KO.


Father's homily went on to describe how the mustard seed of faith is accepted by God and multiplied beyond our human ability and comprehension. How Mother Teresa carried one person off the street at a time. How God's power is what is needed, not our own. We just have to come up with that little seed. That small act. Offer that sore heart.

Today, He lovingly encouraged me. I always can recognize His voice because of the profound love and gentleness, even as I am corrected.

Once again I am overwhelmingly grateful for the gift of the Church, where I can go and just plug into the mass, or adoration, or if I can, say a Rosary, and if I can't, just hold some Rosary beads. I don't have to come up with anything on my own at all, except the mustard seed of getting myself in the doors. 

As Father said, " We just provide the mustard seed of faith, and God does all the rest. All we can do is what we are able." He even mentioned letting go of control. Nice one, Father.

How true, how comforting. What a relief when life threatens to overwhelm, and I am tempted to try to tough it out  on my own. How easy to forget! 








*no idea why all the white boxes around the text. will come back and fix it later!

Comfort for troubled times

This was the entrance hymn this past Sunday at the TLM at Holy Trinity. Not this arrangement, of course. I couldn't find anything similar to the presentation we enjoyed, but I thought this was a nice arrangement. It is good for a live recording, not my favorite usually. I don't know if they do all the verses I have added below, but there are beautiful to read just the same.


It is a comfort to know that He is the Alpha and Omega, in all and above all.

This was the offertory prayer:

I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Thy Name for ever; for Thou O Lord, art sweet and mild, and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon Thee, alleluia,

1 Of the Father's love begotten,
ere the worlds began to be,
he is Alpha and Omega;
he the source, the ending he,
of the things that are, that have been,
and that future years shall see,
evermore and evermore!

2 By his Word was all created;
he commanded; it was done:
heaven and earth and depths of ocean,
universe of three in one,
all that sees the moon’s soft shining,
all that breathes beneath the sun,
evermore and evermore!

3 O, that birth forever blessed
when the Virgin, full of grace,
by the Holy Ghost conceiving,
bore the Savior of our race,
and the babe, the world’s Redeemer,
first revealed his sacred face,
evermore and evermore!

4 This is he whom seers in old time
chanted of with one accord,
whom the voices of the prophets
promised in their faithful word.
Now he shines, the long-expected.
Let creation praise its Lord,
evermore and evermore!

5 O ye heights of heaven, adore him.
Angel hosts, his praises sing.
Powers, dominions, bow before him,
and extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent;
every voice in concert ring,
evermore and evermore!

6 Christ, to thee with God the Father,
and, O Holy Ghost, to thee,
hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
and unwearied praises be.
Honor, glory, and dominion,
and eternal victory,
evermore and evermore! Amen.

A Special Prayer Request- Update

I know this is blurry, I took it on a silent retreat a few years ago, at a nearby Carmelite Monastery.

Today, I ask that you would stop and take a few minutes from your day to say a prayers for some dear friends. They are dealing with the grave illness of the husband that may have taken a downturn that would place him in hospice.

I am so sad that I cannot be there to make soup, clean up, or otherwise lighten their load, so instead I will have to place my trust in Him who is everywhere all the time to carry them and to shower them with His grace.

Know that you are in my heart and my thoughts. 

I love you.

My dear friend Marie lost her husband Bill suddenly on November 29th. I ask your continued prayers for his soul and for her and their 14 year old twin boys.