Recovery prayers

Open Mind has some beautiful recovery prayers. From time to time, I'll post a few.

Third Step Prayer

God,
I offer myself to Thee
To build with me & to do with me as Thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will.

Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness
to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy love & Thy way of life.
May I do Thy will always!

Jewish 3rd Step Prayer

Grant me inner peace..., Let my body be completely subordinate to my soul & have no other will or desire but to follow the desire of the holy soul, which is to do Your will.

Let peace reign between my soul & my body. Let my body be sanctified & purified until it becomes united with the holy soul & I carry out all Your commandments & do everything You want of me, body & soul, willingly & with great joy.

Let my body & soul unite in love & peace to do Your will sincerely, until I attain complete inner harmony & am ready to order my prayer before You perfectly. Let my prayer rise before You like the incense & perfect sacrifices offered by those who are whole & perfect.

From the Fiftieth Gate (Reb Nosson’s prayers based on the teachings of Reb Nachman of Breslov)

Recovery prayers

Open Mind has some beautiful recovery prayers. From time to time, I'll post a few.

Third Step Prayer

God,
I offer myself to Thee
To build with me & to do with me as Thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will.

Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness
to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy love & Thy way of life.
May I do Thy will always!

Jewish 3rd Step Prayer

Grant me inner peace..., Let my body be completely subordinate to my soul & have no other will or desire but to follow the desire of the holy soul, which is to do Your will.

Let peace reign between my soul & my body. Let my body be sanctified & purified until it becomes united with the holy soul & I carry out all Your commandments & do everything You want of me, body & soul, willingly & with great joy.

Let my body & soul unite in love & peace to do Your will sincerely, until I attain complete inner harmony & am ready to order my prayer before You perfectly. Let my prayer rise before You like the incense & perfect sacrifices offered by those who are whole & perfect.

From the Fiftieth Gate (Reb Nosson’s prayers based on the teachings of Reb Nachman of Breslov)

Trick? Or Treat?

I'm not sure what to think about this. It's a bit Star-Trekky and somewhat creepy. Perhaps its appropriate for Halloween.

Slashdot reports that there is current technology to allow simultaneous speech-to-speech translation. This was recently demo-ed at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh during a videoconference call between Alex Waibel, from CMU, and viewers in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Waibel's speech was translated automatically into German and Spanish via electrodes attached to his face and neck. Scientists claim that said electrodes could be implanted in your mouth and throat within 10 years.

It does solve the age-old question of decades of TV viewers. I always wondered how the space explorers on Star Trek automatically understood any alien life form they came into contact with.

So much for actually learning a foreign language.



I do admit I could have used the "translation goggles" recently featured in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on my recent trip abroad. I commented at the time, that I think all French speaking people should come with automatic captioning, since French is often not spoken the same way as it is spelled. The goggles display captions of translated speech that can only be seen by the wearer.

No longer will you have to lament, "I can read and write the language, but I can't understand it."


Future technology--to boldly go where no one has gone before!

Trick? Or Treat?

I'm not sure what to think about this. It's a bit Star-Trekky and somewhat creepy. Perhaps its appropriate for Halloween.

Slashdot reports that there is current technology to allow simultaneous speech-to-speech translation. This was recently demo-ed at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh during a videoconference call between Alex Waibel, from CMU, and viewers in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Waibel's speech was translated automatically into German and Spanish via electrodes attached to his face and neck. Scientists claim that said electrodes could be implanted in your mouth and throat within 10 years.

It does solve the age-old question of decades of TV viewers. I always wondered how the space explorers on Star Trek automatically understood any alien life form they came into contact with.

So much for actually learning a foreign language.



I do admit I could have used the "translation goggles" recently featured in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on my recent trip abroad. I commented at the time, that I think all French speaking people should come with automatic captioning, since French is often not spoken the same way as it is spelled. The goggles display captions of translated speech that can only be seen by the wearer.

No longer will you have to lament, "I can read and write the language, but I can't understand it."


Future technology--to boldly go where no one has gone before!

Happy Anniversary

A big Happy Anniversary goes out to LifeisGreat and dear spouse. I will always fondly remember attending the rehersal dinner on Halloween! Happy Anniversary, guys!

Happy Anniversary

A big Happy Anniversary goes out to LifeisGreat and dear spouse. I will always fondly remember attending the rehersal dinner on Halloween! Happy Anniversary, guys!

All Time Best Novels

Here's an All Time Best Novel list from the U.K. Below are the novels I've managed to read.

17. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

18. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

20. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

21. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

24. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

25. Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott

27. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

29. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

31. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

32. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

48. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

52. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

63. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

All Time Best Novels

Here's an All Time Best Novel list from the U.K. Below are the novels I've managed to read.

17. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

18. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

20. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

21. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

24. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

25. Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott

27. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

29. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

31. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

32. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

48. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

52. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

63. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

100 Best 20th Century Novels

Thanks to Wendy for pointing me to the All-Time 100 Best English Language Novels from 1923 to the present.

Here is a tentative list of the ones I think I probably read at one time! (Many others that didn't make my list are ones that my dh has read and a few others are ones where I've seen the movie)

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
Judy Blume

The Day of the Locust
Nathanael West

Death Comes for the Archbishop
Willa Cather

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison

Light in August
William Faulkner

Native Son
Richard Wright

The Sun Also Rises
Ernest Hemingway

To the Lighthouse
Virginia Woolf

100 Best 20th Century Novels

Thanks to Wendy for pointing me to the All-Time 100 Best English Language Novels from 1923 to the present.

Here is a tentative list of the ones I think I probably read at one time! (Many others that didn't make my list are ones that my dh has read and a few others are ones where I've seen the movie)

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
Judy Blume

The Day of the Locust
Nathanael West

Death Comes for the Archbishop
Willa Cather

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison

Light in August
William Faulkner

Native Son
Richard Wright

The Sun Also Rises
Ernest Hemingway

To the Lighthouse
Virginia Woolf

Medieval origins of Halloween

Medieval Spirituality was replete with thoughts of death and the afterlife. Death was all around the average person during the Middle Ages. Life expectancy for males born 1276-1300 was 31.3 years. Females had a 50% higher chance of dying due to childbirth.

Prayer books were often illustrated with scenes whose purpose was to remind the reader of the necessity to amend one's life while there was still time. For example, in the margins of hand drawn illustrations in the Book of the Hours from Belgium, is the Latin inscription, "Memento mori" or "Remember death." The margins were sometimes decorated with skulls and stories of the dead coming back to give the living their own personal reality check from the afterlife.

Illustrations called the "Dance Macabre" were painted on the walls of cemeteries. These "Dances of Death" showed the devil leading a long line of people, including popes, kings, ladies, knights, monks and lepers, into the tomb. According to Our Sunday Visitor newspaper, "Sometimes the dance was presented on All Souls' Day itself as a living tableau with people dressed up in the garb of various stages of life."

The illustration I have here is from Leaves of Gold Gallery. It is called Chanting the Office of the Dead. In it, "A coffin draped with a rich, blue cloth appears inside a church. Pallbearers hold the coffin before a priest who recites the Office of the Dead. In the foliate border, mourners dressed in black hold long, twisted candles."

Medieval origins of Halloween

Medieval Spirituality was replete with thoughts of death and the afterlife. Death was all around the average person during the Middle Ages. Life expectancy for males born 1276-1300 was 31.3 years. Females had a 50% higher chance of dying due to childbirth.

Prayer books were often illustrated with scenes whose purpose was to remind the reader of the necessity to amend one's life while there was still time. For example, in the margins of hand drawn illustrations in the Book of the Hours from Belgium, is the Latin inscription, "Memento mori" or "Remember death." The margins were sometimes decorated with skulls and stories of the dead coming back to give the living their own personal reality check from the afterlife.

Illustrations called the "Dance Macabre" were painted on the walls of cemeteries. These "Dances of Death" showed the devil leading a long line of people, including popes, kings, ladies, knights, monks and lepers, into the tomb. According to Our Sunday Visitor newspaper, "Sometimes the dance was presented on All Souls' Day itself as a living tableau with people dressed up in the garb of various stages of life."

The illustration I have here is from Leaves of Gold Gallery. It is called Chanting the Office of the Dead. In it, "A coffin draped with a rich, blue cloth appears inside a church. Pallbearers hold the coffin before a priest who recites the Office of the Dead. In the foliate border, mourners dressed in black hold long, twisted candles."

In you, Lord, I have found my peace

R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.

R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother's lap,
so is my soul within me.

R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.

R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.

Many of us wonder what peace is. Today's psalm gives us a hint. In today's world where climbing the corporate and social ladder is so revered, sometimes peace can come from not chasing after things that are too great for our minds to bear.

Bloom where you are planted. Let go and let God. Why chase after things that do not satisfy? Rest in the Lord.

In you, Lord, I have found my peace

R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.

R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother's lap,
so is my soul within me.

R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.

R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.

Many of us wonder what peace is. Today's psalm gives us a hint. In today's world where climbing the corporate and social ladder is so revered, sometimes peace can come from not chasing after things that are too great for our minds to bear.

Bloom where you are planted. Let go and let God. Why chase after things that do not satisfy? Rest in the Lord.

All Saints Day

Don't forget, All Saints Day (Tuesday) is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Latin Church. Parishes often have a vigil Mass the night before, as well as Masses the day of the holy day.

We have the entire Communion of Saints in Heaven with God who are praying for us continually. Something that is often overlooked today, is that a saint is merely a person who has made it to Heaven. Therefore, we all hope to be a saint one day. Is sainthood your goal? Who is your favorite saint?

All Saints Day

Don't forget, All Saints Day (Tuesday) is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Latin Church. Parishes often have a vigil Mass the night before, as well as Masses the day of the holy day.

We have the entire Communion of Saints in Heaven with God who are praying for us continually. Something that is often overlooked today, is that a saint is merely a person who has made it to Heaven. Therefore, we all hope to be a saint one day. Is sainthood your goal? Who is your favorite saint?

Time for PA Politics

For those of you who live in the state of Pennsylvania, its time to Clean House! Operation Clean Sweep is a non-partisan organization whose purpose is to defeat incumbent elected officials in Pennsylvania and replace them with true public servants.

In November 2006, we go to the polls to vote out the entire General Assembly, who will be running for re-election at that time.

This process begins this year on November 8, 2005 with Supreme Court justices Sandra Schultz Newman and Russell Nigro up for re-election. The PA General Assembly recently awarded themselves a huge pay increase, something that was allowed by Newman and Nigro.

It is time to take politics back from the professional politicians in Pennsylvania.

Whatever your opinion, GET OUT AND VOTE!!

Time for PA Politics

For those of you who live in the state of Pennsylvania, its time to Clean House! Operation Clean Sweep is a non-partisan organization whose purpose is to defeat incumbent elected officials in Pennsylvania and replace them with true public servants.

In November 2006, we go to the polls to vote out the entire General Assembly, who will be running for re-election at that time.

This process begins this year on November 8, 2005 with Supreme Court justices Sandra Schultz Newman and Russell Nigro up for re-election. The PA General Assembly recently awarded themselves a huge pay increase, something that was allowed by Newman and Nigro.

It is time to take politics back from the professional politicians in Pennsylvania.

Whatever your opinion, GET OUT AND VOTE!!

call to prayer

low clouds rise
sun glistens on church bells
call to prayer

Another patron of those who suffer from Mental Illness

I have discovered that Saint Gertrude is another patron saint of those suffering from Mental Illness.

Saint Gertrude the great was a Benedictine and mystic writer, born in Germany, 6 Jan., 1256. She died at Helfta, near Eisleben, Saxony, 17 November, 1301 or 1302. Her inner struggle centered around her sensitive and impetuous nature.

St. Gertrude the Great is invoked for souls in purgatory and for living sinners. She had a devotion to the Sacred Heart and to praying for the Souls in purgatory. Our Lord told St. Gertrude that the following prayer (see post below)would release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was extended to include living sinners as well.

Another patron of those who suffer from Mental Illness

I have discovered that Saint Gertrude is another patron saint of those suffering from Mental Illness.

Saint Gertrude the great was a Benedictine and mystic writer, born in Germany, 6 Jan., 1256. She died at Helfta, near Eisleben, Saxony, 17 November, 1301 or 1302. Her inner struggle centered around her sensitive and impetuous nature.

St. Gertrude the Great is invoked for souls in purgatory and for living sinners. She had a devotion to the Sacred Heart and to praying for the Souls in purgatory. Our Lord told St. Gertrude that the following prayer (see post below)would release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was extended to include living sinners as well.

The Prayer of St. Gertrude

Thank you to A Catholic Life Blog for reminding me about the importance of praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, especially this time of year with All Souls' Day coming up on November 2.

There is a traditional Catholic prayer that I only learned a few years ago that has become a great comfort for me. It is called the Saint Gertrude's Prayer. Saint Gertrude was said to have been given this prayer by Christ in a vision along with the promise that saying it would free a thousand souls from Purgatory.

Eternal Father,I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.

This prayer has become important to me not only as more of my family members pass away from this life, but also as I age and realize that sinners are everywhere--in my family, among my co-workers and in the Church.

This time of year, when the Church asks us to remember those who have died and think a bit on our own passing, the Prayer of St. Gertrude is a good prayer to remember to say.

The Prayer of St. Gertrude

Thank you to A Catholic Life Blog for reminding me about the importance of praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, especially this time of year with All Souls' Day coming up on November 2.

There is a traditional Catholic prayer that I only learned a few years ago that has become a great comfort for me. It is called the Saint Gertrude's Prayer. Saint Gertrude was said to have been given this prayer by Christ in a vision along with the promise that saying it would free a thousand souls from Purgatory.

Eternal Father,I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.

This prayer has become important to me not only as more of my family members pass away from this life, but also as I age and realize that sinners are everywhere--in my family, among my co-workers and in the Church.

This time of year, when the Church asks us to remember those who have died and think a bit on our own passing, the Prayer of St. Gertrude is a good prayer to remember to say.

For Ellie

new face
the smile of generations
lights up our world

Timeless

ancient building
dancing in light and shadow--
house of God

Portable Comfort

I ran into a great article on Open-Mind.org on healthy ways to comfort yourself in times of anxiety. Their suggestions include:

*carry things in your pockets
*wear a necklace that makes you feel strong or good or happy
*bring along a comfort book
*bring some small vials of essential oils, or some smell that makes you feel good
*bring a MP3 player, CD player, or walkman with you

Notice how many of these suggestions are applicable to Catholic spirituality. Carry a rosary, wear a medal, read the Office, smell some incense, listen to some chant.

Portable Comfort

I ran into a great article on Open-Mind.org on healthy ways to comfort yourself in times of anxiety. Their suggestions include:

*carry things in your pockets
*wear a necklace that makes you feel strong or good or happy
*bring along a comfort book
*bring some small vials of essential oils, or some smell that makes you feel good
*bring a MP3 player, CD player, or walkman with you

Notice how many of these suggestions are applicable to Catholic spirituality. Carry a rosary, wear a medal, read the Office, smell some incense, listen to some chant.

new ground

in the rain
we step uncertainly
over new ground

poo

Everybody yells.
I stop;
my foot in the poo.

~uttered spontaneously by my cousin, Sean in la Madeleine, France

(And, yes, he did step in it!)

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks died today at the age of 92. She is the lady who refused to give up her seat in the front of the bus. Her actions started the American Civil Rights movement. The fact that she just now has passed away shows us how historically new this movement really is.

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks died today at the age of 92. She is the lady who refused to give up her seat in the front of the bus. Her actions started the American Civil Rights movement. The fact that she just now has passed away shows us how historically new this movement really is.

What place does the past have in your life?

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR, relays the story of his sudden conversion experience in the daily e-letter from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

Fifteen years ago, he was attending a heavy metal concert and in a blinding flash of light, he knew that God existed, and that he had drifted away from God.

This year, he was able to share his conversion story on a heavy metal radio station. Fr. Fletcher says that the experience was an "eerie trip down memory lane" as he walked the halls of the radio station filled with posters of bands he used to listen to. Given the fact that he sees his moving away from this lifestyle as a positive, I was struck by his next statement.

Remembering where we came from gives glory to God.

In this case, "where we came from" was not a positive place. But, as Father Fletcher says, it can give glory to God because it shows how far we have come with His help.

Don't despair your past. See your progress.

What place does the past have in your life?

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR, relays the story of his sudden conversion experience in the daily e-letter from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

Fifteen years ago, he was attending a heavy metal concert and in a blinding flash of light, he knew that God existed, and that he had drifted away from God.

This year, he was able to share his conversion story on a heavy metal radio station. Fr. Fletcher says that the experience was an "eerie trip down memory lane" as he walked the halls of the radio station filled with posters of bands he used to listen to. Given the fact that he sees his moving away from this lifestyle as a positive, I was struck by his next statement.

Remembering where we came from gives glory to God.

In this case, "where we came from" was not a positive place. But, as Father Fletcher says, it can give glory to God because it shows how far we have come with His help.

Don't despair your past. See your progress.

God's Autumn wisdom

From Recipes from a Monastery Kitchen:

As the trees let go of their leaves, so we too, must let go of our encumbrances. And as we let go of all that is superfluous and unneccessary in our lives, we receive the gift of inner peace. Ultimately, this is autumn's greatest gift to us.

God's Autumn wisdom

From Recipes from a Monastery Kitchen:

As the trees let go of their leaves, so we too, must let go of our encumbrances. And as we let go of all that is superfluous and unneccessary in our lives, we receive the gift of inner peace. Ultimately, this is autumn's greatest gift to us.

Sir Paul

Our family sat around the dinner table tonight listening to Paul McCartney's latest album. Sir Paul is...what, 63 years old, and 17 year olds are still spending their hard earned dollars buying his latest CD? Pretty good accomplishment, if you ask me.

Sir Paul

Our family sat around the dinner table tonight listening to Paul McCartney's latest album. Sir Paul is...what, 63 years old, and 17 year olds are still spending their hard earned dollars buying his latest CD? Pretty good accomplishment, if you ask me.

Let God plan your day

Great post on Spirit Daily about a problem that is rampant and epidemic in modern society. They hypothesize that due to the harried pace we all put ourselves under, we have become cold, unfeeling, and even rude. How many of our parents or grandparents experienced anything like the "road rage" we do today? How many of us abhor road rage in others, and yet, still yell at traffic ourselves? It has become a hard habit to break.

The article suggests that we

...Ask the Holy Spirit to direct the pace of your life. Begin each morning with prayer and plan your day during that prayer. Let God set your pace. Go out as Scripture says: as sheep among the wolves.

I would add, read something of the daily office of readings some time during the day to set the emotional pace of the day. Go to daily Mass if you can. Pray the Rosary on the way to work or before going to sleep.

Let go and let God.

Let God plan your day

Great post on Spirit Daily about a problem that is rampant and epidemic in modern society. They hypothesize that due to the harried pace we all put ourselves under, we have become cold, unfeeling, and even rude. How many of our parents or grandparents experienced anything like the "road rage" we do today? How many of us abhor road rage in others, and yet, still yell at traffic ourselves? It has become a hard habit to break.

The article suggests that we

...Ask the Holy Spirit to direct the pace of your life. Begin each morning with prayer and plan your day during that prayer. Let God set your pace. Go out as Scripture says: as sheep among the wolves.

I would add, read something of the daily office of readings some time during the day to set the emotional pace of the day. Go to daily Mass if you can. Pray the Rosary on the way to work or before going to sleep.

Let go and let God.

Storm season

Please pray for the latest hurricane victims in Mexico and those in Florida who prepare for Hurricane Wilma, now a category 2 storm.

We have officially run out of letters of the alphabet, traditionally used for naming storms and for the first time are going to the Greek alphabet. Tropical storm Alpha formed Saturday in the Carribean, breaking the record for the most storms in a season.

Storm season

Please pray for the latest hurricane victims in Mexico and those in Florida who prepare for Hurricane Wilma, now a category 2 storm.

We have officially run out of letters of the alphabet, traditionally used for naming storms and for the first time are going to the Greek alphabet. Tropical storm Alpha formed Saturday in the Carribean, breaking the record for the most storms in a season.

Now *that's* a cereal!

I saw a cereal in France that I have not seen in the U.S. I think it would be perfect for the U.S. weight-obsessed-yet-indulgent population. What is this perfect cereal called?

Fitness Chocolate.

Just doesn't get any better than that!

Now *that's* a cereal!

I saw a cereal in France that I have not seen in the U.S. I think it would be perfect for the U.S. weight-obsessed-yet-indulgent population. What is this perfect cereal called?

Fitness Chocolate.

Just doesn't get any better than that!

stinging rain

stinging rain,
bitter winds strip the trees--
welcome me home

Thoughts and discoveries

I have discovered that I am, indeed, a liturgical traditionalist. In visiting my Aunt's convent this week, I was surprised to see how "low" the masses where and that post Vatican II, minimalist liturgy is not just an "American Church" phenomenon. I also discovered that, no matter how many of my surrounding companions may disagree with me, I still think the tabernacle should be in the center of the altar!

I also have discovered that those who are "for" the many changes wrought in the church in the past 30 years, are just as passionate about their opinions as I am about mine. We all have our backgrounds that influence our likes and dislikes and our passions. All we can do is to keep searching, trust in God's Mercy and be thankful for His Love.

Thoughts and discoveries

I have discovered that I am, indeed, a liturgical traditionalist. In visiting my Aunt's convent this week, I was surprised to see how "low" the masses where and that post Vatican II, minimalist liturgy is not just an "American Church" phenomenon. I also discovered that, no matter how many of my surrounding companions may disagree with me, I still think the tabernacle should be in the center of the altar!

I also have discovered that those who are "for" the many changes wrought in the church in the past 30 years, are just as passionate about their opinions as I am about mine. We all have our backgrounds that influence our likes and dislikes and our passions. All we can do is to keep searching, trust in God's Mercy and be thankful for His Love.

Au revoir pendant une semaine!

I most likely will not be able to post for a week because I am flying to France to visit my aunt who is a Petite Soeur de Pauvre (Little Sister of the Poor). I ask for your prayers for a safe flight up and back. Thank you. God willing, I will "see" you all in about a week.

The Hail Mary, en français

Je vous salue, Marie, pleine de grâce.
Le Seigneur est avec vous.
Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes,
et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est béni.
Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu,
Priez pour nous, pauvres pécheurs,
maintenant et à l'heure de notre mort.
Amen

Au revoir pendant une semaine!

I most likely will not be able to post for a week because I am flying to France to visit my aunt who is a Petite Soeur de Pauvre (Little Sister of the Poor). I ask for your prayers for a safe flight up and back. Thank you. God willing, I will "see" you all in about a week.

The Hail Mary, en français

Je vous salue, Marie, pleine de grâce.
Le Seigneur est avec vous.
Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes,
et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est béni.
Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu,
Priez pour nous, pauvres pécheurs,
maintenant et à l'heure de notre mort.
Amen

Travel

Off on a plane
gathering haiku
in a bundle

I bid adieu

I bid adieu
outside my window
earth expands

Halloween

I am a bit on the fence about Halloween. I don't get into cult or occult stuff, and I don't like the fact that Halloween has become an excuse for bad behavior in society. I have a "thing" about trick or treaters who are as tall as I am. I think teens should stay home and give out the candy. Or volunteer at a safe Halloween party given for the little ones.

Having said that, though, there are some redeemable things about Halloween. Halloween is really a contraction of "All Hallows Eve". November 1st is the feast of All Souls. It is a day to remember all those who have died.

The next day, November 2, is the feast of All Saints. Saints are those who have "made it" to Heaven. Lots of good to learn about there. Why, then, have a separate day for "All Souls"? Because not everyone has reached the goal of Heaven.

American Catholic traces this need to remember the dead back to early Christianity:

The first Christians gathered on the anniversary of a martyr’s death to remember. They retold the stories to inspire each other at a time when faith meant persecution and more martyrdom. Not even death could break the unity in Jesus which Paul had named "the Body of Christ."

The Church teaches that it is good to pray for the dead. That is really what All Souls day is all about. Just as people tend to gather on the anniversary of a tragedy to remember those who perished, All Souls Day is a day to gather and remember the souls of all those who have gone before us. In some churches, a list of those who have died during the previous year is read aloud or placed on the altar.

But, what's with all the death stuff on Halloween? Why the skulls and mummies? Why can't we just stick to remembering saints?

Because death is universal.

And our current society, as perhaps no other in history, needs desperately to be reminded of that. Not only do we deny death, we worship youth. Death becomes a cruel joke and a personal affront.

Saint Francis of Assisi called his imminent passing, "Sister Death" and welcomed her after a life well lived.

Halloween for Christians, is a victory celebration, really. Its a chance to thumb our noses at the darker forces that can't touch us because Christ came and conquered them on the Cross. It is a chance to remember those who have gone before us and to ponder our own eventual passing.

Are you ready?

Halloween

I am a bit on the fence about Halloween. I don't get into cult or occult stuff, and I don't like the fact that Halloween has become an excuse for bad behavior in society. I have a "thing" about trick or treaters who are as tall as I am. I think teens should stay home and give out the candy. Or volunteer at a safe Halloween party given for the little ones.

Having said that, though, there are some redeemable things about Halloween. Halloween is really a contraction of "All Hallows Eve". November 1st is the feast of All Souls. It is a day to remember all those who have died.

The next day, November 2, is the feast of All Saints. Saints are those who have "made it" to Heaven. Lots of good to learn about there. Why, then, have a separate day for "All Souls"? Because not everyone has reached the goal of Heaven.

American Catholic traces this need to remember the dead back to early Christianity:

The first Christians gathered on the anniversary of a martyr’s death to remember. They retold the stories to inspire each other at a time when faith meant persecution and more martyrdom. Not even death could break the unity in Jesus which Paul had named "the Body of Christ."

The Church teaches that it is good to pray for the dead. That is really what All Souls day is all about. Just as people tend to gather on the anniversary of a tragedy to remember those who perished, All Souls Day is a day to gather and remember the souls of all those who have gone before us. In some churches, a list of those who have died during the previous year is read aloud or placed on the altar.

But, what's with all the death stuff on Halloween? Why the skulls and mummies? Why can't we just stick to remembering saints?

Because death is universal.

And our current society, as perhaps no other in history, needs desperately to be reminded of that. Not only do we deny death, we worship youth. Death becomes a cruel joke and a personal affront.

Saint Francis of Assisi called his imminent passing, "Sister Death" and welcomed her after a life well lived.

Halloween for Christians, is a victory celebration, really. Its a chance to thumb our noses at the darker forces that can't touch us because Christ came and conquered them on the Cross. It is a chance to remember those who have gone before us and to ponder our own eventual passing.

Are you ready?

Late autumn

freezing neighbors
huddle round burning leaves
watching their dreams

Yom Kippur

With a nod to MK, I wanted to post about Yom Kippur. Judaism 101 describes Yom Kippur as

"probably the most important holiday of the Jewish year. The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year."

No work can be performed on Yom Kippur, and fasting from both food and water is required. Most of the holiday is spent in prayer, and it is traditional to wear white symbolizing purity and calling to mind God's promise that our sins "will be made whiter than snow."

Yom Kippur will occur on the following days of the Gregorian calendar:

Jewish Year 5766 : sunset October 12, 2005 - nightfall October 13, 2005
Jewish Year 5767 : sunset October 1, 2006 - nightfall October 2, 2006
Jewish Year 5768 : sunset September 21, 2007 - nightfall September 22, 2007
Jewish Year 5769 : sunset October 8, 2008 - nightfall October 9, 2008
Jewish Year 5770 : sunset September 27, 2009 - nightfall September 28, 2009

A blessed Yom Kippur to all our Jewish brethren!

Yom Kippur

With a nod to MK, I wanted to post about Yom Kippur. Judaism 101 describes Yom Kippur as

"probably the most important holiday of the Jewish year. The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year."

No work can be performed on Yom Kippur, and fasting from both food and water is required. Most of the holiday is spent in prayer, and it is traditional to wear white symbolizing purity and calling to mind God's promise that our sins "will be made whiter than snow."

Yom Kippur will occur on the following days of the Gregorian calendar:

Jewish Year 5766 : sunset October 12, 2005 - nightfall October 13, 2005
Jewish Year 5767 : sunset October 1, 2006 - nightfall October 2, 2006
Jewish Year 5768 : sunset September 21, 2007 - nightfall September 22, 2007
Jewish Year 5769 : sunset October 8, 2008 - nightfall October 9, 2008
Jewish Year 5770 : sunset September 27, 2009 - nightfall September 28, 2009

A blessed Yom Kippur to all our Jewish brethren!

ashes

in the garden
her ashes
storm clouds ahead

ashes

her ashes
in the garden--
seedlings bloom

yellow mums

free of porch
yellow mums
seek rain

dark and silent

with folded wings
hanging on the wall
dark and silent

Golden eyes

Golden eyes
in the yellow leaves
twitching tail

shattered windows

shattered windows
broken in a dream–
childhood home

Divine Mercy

It's time once again to talk about Divine Mercy. According to the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, The Divine Mercy message can be summed up in three letters:

A -- Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.

B -- Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.

C -- Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.

God wants all of us to know His mercy, to experience His mercy and to show His mercy to others. Impossible?

Matthew 19:26
"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Divine Mercy

It's time once again to talk about Divine Mercy. According to the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, The Divine Mercy message can be summed up in three letters:

A -- Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.

B -- Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.

C -- Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.

God wants all of us to know His mercy, to experience His mercy and to show His mercy to others. Impossible?

Matthew 19:26
"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Earthquake victims

Let's remember to pray for the earthquake victims in Pakistan. Numerically, this tragedy will dwarf any natural disaster that has occured here in the U.S.

They rescued a 5 year old girl from the rubble yesterday and are currently working on rescuing a 4 year old boy.

Let's pray for continued miracles.

The icon above is a 12th century Russian icon of Saint Gregory of Neo Caesarea--patron saint against earthquakes

Earthquake victims

Let's remember to pray for the earthquake victims in Pakistan. Numerically, this tragedy will dwarf any natural disaster that has occured here in the U.S.

They rescued a 5 year old girl from the rubble yesterday and are currently working on rescuing a 4 year old boy.

Let's pray for continued miracles.

The icon above is a 12th century Russian icon of Saint Gregory of Neo Caesarea--patron saint against earthquakes

News from the Synod

The Catholic News Agency has some interesting news regarding the Synod on the Holy Eucharist that is currently taking place in Rome.

Bishop Petru Gherghel of Iasi, Romania, asks that the Mass also be known as "The Holy and Divine Liturgy", borrowing a term from the eastern churches. This would suggest "the divine, and would invite people, to meditation, wonder, silence and adoration."

Bishop Gabriel Malzaire of Roseau, Dominica talked about the "need for greater silence before and during the celebration of Mass" and said that "pews with kneelers should be returned to the Church so that people get into the habit of showing reverence before the Blessed Sacrament."

I can only add a loud AMEN!!

News from the Synod

The Catholic News Agency has some interesting news regarding the Synod on the Holy Eucharist that is currently taking place in Rome.

Bishop Petru Gherghel of Iasi, Romania, asks that the Mass also be known as "The Holy and Divine Liturgy", borrowing a term from the eastern churches. This would suggest "the divine, and would invite people, to meditation, wonder, silence and adoration."

Bishop Gabriel Malzaire of Roseau, Dominica talked about the "need for greater silence before and during the celebration of Mass" and said that "pews with kneelers should be returned to the Church so that people get into the habit of showing reverence before the Blessed Sacrament."

I can only add a loud AMEN!!

Haiku

Poetry is the essence of clarity and brevity in literature. Haiku is the essence of clarity and brevity in poetry. I found a beautiful Haiku Photography site by Ray Rasmussen that pairs Haikus with photography. So far, my favorite Haiku there is under the Fall Photography section.

turn this way
I too feel lonely
late in autumn
~basho

Be adventurous! Give haiku a try!

Haiku

Poetry is the essence of clarity and brevity in literature. Haiku is the essence of clarity and brevity in poetry. I found a beautiful Haiku Photography site by Ray Rasmussen that pairs Haikus with photography. So far, my favorite Haiku there is under the Fall Photography section.

turn this way
I too feel lonely
late in autumn
~basho

Be adventurous! Give haiku a try!

Poetry Daily

I like poetry. I always have liked poetry. It goes well with my ADD brain--short and to the point, but with multiple possible meanings. Contrary to popular opinion, poetry can be the essence of the accessible in literature.

I have found a neat poetry site called Poetry Daily. Each day they bring you a contemporary poem from journals, magazines and books currently in print.

It might be a good, quick way to get your brain in gear for the day, or to relax it for the evening.

Do yourself a favor. Read (and write) poetry!

Poetry Daily

I like poetry. I always have liked poetry. It goes well with my ADD brain--short and to the point, but with multiple possible meanings. Contrary to popular opinion, poetry can be the essence of the accessible in literature.

I have found a neat poetry site called Poetry Daily. Each day they bring you a contemporary poem from journals, magazines and books currently in print.

It might be a good, quick way to get your brain in gear for the day, or to relax it for the evening.

Do yourself a favor. Read (and write) poetry!

A new way to celebrate Friday?

The Church has given us times and seasons to use for our spiritual benefit.

Today is Friday and technically, a day of penance in the Catholic Church. Choose something to give up today, (traditionally meat) or something extra to do. Perhaps saying a Rosary in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux uses the image of giving up overindulgence in food as a way to illustrate the need for inner purification. In today's culture, we all need spiritual and emotional purification.

Follow the example of Mary. Let go and let God.

A new way to celebrate Friday?

The Church has given us times and seasons to use for our spiritual benefit.

Today is Friday and technically, a day of penance in the Catholic Church. Choose something to give up today, (traditionally meat) or something extra to do. Perhaps saying a Rosary in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux uses the image of giving up overindulgence in food as a way to illustrate the need for inner purification. In today's culture, we all need spiritual and emotional purification.

Follow the example of Mary. Let go and let God.

Our Lady of the Rosary

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The Rosary is a way to travel with Mary, through the saving life of Christ. The Joyful Mysteries take us through Mary's pregnancy and Jesus' childhood. The Luminous Mysteries take us through the public ministry of Christ. With the Sorrowful Mysteries, we meditate on Christ's Passion and death. The Glorious Mysteries highlight Jesus' Resurection and Assension into Heaven.

God knows that we human beings can benefit from using all the senses in prayer. We say the prayers and meditate on the mysteries while keeping track on the beads or knots of the Rosary. All this has a wonderful calming influence on the spirit. Some people even say that if you fall asleep while praying the rosary, your guardian angel will finish saying it for you!

I saw a bumper sticker once that said,

Angry? Need a weapon? Pray the Rosary.

Every time I think of that, it takes away all negativity in my heart. Mary's spiritual gift was her "fiat"--her "yes" to God. She was the first Christian and the first to give her life to Christ no matter what it costs. She was the first to "Let go and let God."

Our Lady of the Rosary

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The Rosary is a way to travel with Mary, through the saving life of Christ. The Joyful Mysteries take us through Mary's pregnancy and Jesus' childhood. The Luminous Mysteries take us through the public ministry of Christ. With the Sorrowful Mysteries, we meditate on Christ's Passion and death. The Glorious Mysteries highlight Jesus' Resurection and Assension into Heaven.

God knows that we human beings can benefit from using all the senses in prayer. We say the prayers and meditate on the mysteries while keeping track on the beads or knots of the Rosary. All this has a wonderful calming influence on the spirit. Some people even say that if you fall asleep while praying the rosary, your guardian angel will finish saying it for you!

I saw a bumper sticker once that said,

Angry? Need a weapon? Pray the Rosary.

Every time I think of that, it takes away all negativity in my heart. Mary's spiritual gift was her "fiat"--her "yes" to God. She was the first Christian and the first to give her life to Christ no matter what it costs. She was the first to "Let go and let God."

Pro-life prayer alert: Gonzales v. State of Oregon

I am asking you all to please pray, fast, and do an extra penance today for the pro-life/disability rights issue that has come before the Supreme Court.

Oral arguments are scheduled to begin today in the case of Gonzales v. The State of Oregon. Oregon has a so-called "right to die" law on its books allowing physicians to prescribe lethal doses of medication to patients they deem to be terminally ill. Although proponents of the law cite impending death as the reason for these "assisted suicides", Not Dead Yet states that:

the reasons doctors actually report for issuing lethal prescriptions are the patient's "loss of autonomy" (87 percent), "loss of dignity" (80 percent), and "feelings of being a burden" (36 percent).

The disability community is concerned that this will lead to a societal acceptance of legalized murder of those who need special care. From a Christian standpoint, it is reprehensible to believe that someone feeling they are a burden to others should be killed by those who are called to help them.

One of my main concerns related to this issue is one of mental health. While mental health professionals work tirelessly to discover new medications and therapy techniques to alleviate the suffering of those with mental illness, and raise their quality of life, these terminally ill patients are being told that their suicidal feelings are normal and that the government and their physicians will actually aid them in their goal of death!

This trend, if it is allowed to continue, will impact everyone. We all age. We will all die. Many of us will become a "burden" on our families and on society, or will care for someone who is ill. A great many of us suffer, or know someone who suffers from any of a variety of mental illnesses or disabilities.

This is not a "right" to die issue. It is a right to live issue!

Pro-life prayer alert: Gonzales v. State of Oregon

I am asking you all to please pray, fast, and do an extra penance today for the pro-life/disability rights issue that has come before the Supreme Court.

Oral arguments are scheduled to begin today in the case of Gonzales v. The State of Oregon. Oregon has a so-called "right to die" law on its books allowing physicians to prescribe lethal doses of medication to patients they deem to be terminally ill. Although proponents of the law cite impending death as the reason for these "assisted suicides", Not Dead Yet states that:

the reasons doctors actually report for issuing lethal prescriptions are the patient's "loss of autonomy" (87 percent), "loss of dignity" (80 percent), and "feelings of being a burden" (36 percent).

The disability community is concerned that this will lead to a societal acceptance of legalized murder of those who need special care. From a Christian standpoint, it is reprehensible to believe that someone feeling they are a burden to others should be killed by those who are called to help them.

One of my main concerns related to this issue is one of mental health. While mental health professionals work tirelessly to discover new medications and therapy techniques to alleviate the suffering of those with mental illness, and raise their quality of life, these terminally ill patients are being told that their suicidal feelings are normal and that the government and their physicians will actually aid them in their goal of death!

This trend, if it is allowed to continue, will impact everyone. We all age. We will all die. Many of us will become a "burden" on our families and on society, or will care for someone who is ill. A great many of us suffer, or know someone who suffers from any of a variety of mental illnesses or disabilities.

This is not a "right" to die issue. It is a right to live issue!

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal on the Purification of Memory

I just discovered a little jewel on the internet. The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, founded by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, have a page on their website called From the Friars, which is an E-letter, apparently posted each day. Subjects range from updates on the priory to spiritual subjects written in a down to earth humble manner. I have a feeling I will be drawing on their wisdom often for this blog.

In perusing the archives, I came across a very wise post on the purification of memory. How many of us need this in our lives!

Fr. Herald J. Brock writes that we all need to purify our memories because we often keep other things such as resentment and past sinful experiences alive and present in our minds to our spiritual detriment.

The image that St. Bernard of Clairvaux uses to illustrate this is one of overindulgence on junk food. What is pleasurable at first, becomes a feeling of being overstuffed and begins to inhibit our full functioning as human beings. The remedy is stop stuffing ourselves with unhealthy food and enter into a period of fasting, so that all of that uncomfortable spiritual indigestion can pass out of us.

Do you ever feel spiritually "overstuffed"? Have you overindulged in mental and emotional "junk food"? Perhaps some spiritual fasting is in order.

After you have begun to purge yourself of unhealthy outside influences, take a page from the 12 step programs and make a "searching and fearless moral inventory" of yourself. If you are Catholic, take your discoveries into the confessional and have your soul cleansed of sin.

It's not easy. Can you do it? Yes, with God's help.

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal on the Purification of Memory

I just discovered a little jewel on the internet. The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, founded by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, have a page on their website called From the Friars, which is an E-letter, apparently posted each day. Subjects range from updates on the priory to spiritual subjects written in a down to earth humble manner. I have a feeling I will be drawing on their wisdom often for this blog.

In perusing the archives, I came across a very wise post on the purification of memory. How many of us need this in our lives!

Fr. Herald J. Brock writes that we all need to purify our memories because we often keep other things such as resentment and past sinful experiences alive and present in our minds to our spiritual detriment.

The image that St. Bernard of Clairvaux uses to illustrate this is one of overindulgence on junk food. What is pleasurable at first, becomes a feeling of being overstuffed and begins to inhibit our full functioning as human beings. The remedy is stop stuffing ourselves with unhealthy food and enter into a period of fasting, so that all of that uncomfortable spiritual indigestion can pass out of us.

Do you ever feel spiritually "overstuffed"? Have you overindulged in mental and emotional "junk food"? Perhaps some spiritual fasting is in order.

After you have begun to purge yourself of unhealthy outside influences, take a page from the 12 step programs and make a "searching and fearless moral inventory" of yourself. If you are Catholic, take your discoveries into the confessional and have your soul cleansed of sin.

It's not easy. Can you do it? Yes, with God's help.

Saint Francis of Assisi

I'm not sure whether I'll get the chance to post tomorrow, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to mention tomorrow's feast day.

October 4, is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, beloved garden-statue-saint, animal lover and lover of the environment. Saint Francis is the patron saint of the Franciscan order, ecologists, environmentalists, animal welfare societies and animals as well as lesser known things such as lace makers and such causes as against dying alone.

He wrote many prayers including the Canticle of Brother Sun, Prayer for Animals and the famous Prayer of Saint Francis also known by its first line, Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

One lesser known fact about Saint Francis is that he was the first known Christian to receive the stigmata, or the wounds of Christ, in his hands, feet and side. This phenomenon was also shared by Saint Rita of Cassia, Rose of Lima, Gemma Galgani and Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.

Another lesser known fact is that Saint Francis was the inventor of the much used Christmas creche, or manger scene, as it is used today. During Christmas Eve of 1223 in Greccio, Italy Saint Francis re-enacted the first Christmas complete with live animals in a cave. The scene awaited the faithful who came to hear Francis preach at the Christmas Eve Mass.

The famous San Daminano cross (pictured above) is the crucifix that spoke to Francis telling him to "rebuild My Church." Francis took this directive literally at first, collecting stones to rebuild the crumbling church building at San Damiano. Eventually, Francis realized that God was asking him to rebuild his Church in a more spiritual sense. Thus, Saint Francis is a saint we can turn to for help when we become discouraged about the current state of the Church.

The Franciscan Order numbers 1.2 million people today, in the Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox traditions.

Saint Francis of Assisi

I'm not sure whether I'll get the chance to post tomorrow, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to mention tomorrow's feast day.

October 4, is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, beloved garden-statue-saint, animal lover and lover of the environment. Saint Francis is the patron saint of the Franciscan order, ecologists, environmentalists, animal welfare societies and animals as well as lesser known things such as lace makers and such causes as against dying alone.

He wrote many prayers including the Canticle of Brother Sun, Prayer for Animals and the famous Prayer of Saint Francis also known by its first line, Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

One lesser known fact about Saint Francis is that he was the first known Christian to receive the stigmata, or the wounds of Christ, in his hands, feet and side. This phenomenon was also shared by Saint Rita of Cassia, Rose of Lima, Gemma Galgani and Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.

Another lesser known fact is that Saint Francis was the inventor of the much used Christmas creche, or manger scene, as it is used today. During Christmas Eve of 1223 in Greccio, Italy Saint Francis re-enacted the first Christmas complete with live animals in a cave. The scene awaited the faithful who came to hear Francis preach at the Christmas Eve Mass.

The famous San Daminano cross (pictured above) is the crucifix that spoke to Francis telling him to "rebuild My Church." Francis took this directive literally at first, collecting stones to rebuild the crumbling church building at San Damiano. Eventually, Francis realized that God was asking him to rebuild his Church in a more spiritual sense. Thus, Saint Francis is a saint we can turn to for help when we become discouraged about the current state of the Church.

The Franciscan Order numbers 1.2 million people today, in the Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox traditions.

What obsolete skill are you?

You are 'regularly metric verse'. This can take
many forms, including heroic couplets, blank
verse, and other iambic pentameters, for
example. It has not been used much since the
nineteenth century; modern poets tend to prefer
rhyme without meter, or even poetry with
neither rhyme nor meter.

You appreciate the beautiful things in life--the
joy of music, the color of leaves falling, the
rhythm of a heartbeat. You see life itself as
a series of little poems. The result (or is it
the cause?) is that you are pensive and often
melancholy. You enjoy the company of other
people, but they find you unexcitable and
depressing. Your problem is that regularly
metric verse has been obsolete for a long time.


What obsolete skill are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I guess it's a good thing I majored in English! Most of my poetry is not in metered verse, though. I am too impatient for that! But I have long ago reached the conclusion that pensiveness and melencholy is either the result or the cause of too much poetry writing!

What obsolete skill are you?

You are 'regularly metric verse'. This can take
many forms, including heroic couplets, blank
verse, and other iambic pentameters, for
example. It has not been used much since the
nineteenth century; modern poets tend to prefer
rhyme without meter, or even poetry with
neither rhyme nor meter.

You appreciate the beautiful things in life--the
joy of music, the color of leaves falling, the
rhythm of a heartbeat. You see life itself as
a series of little poems. The result (or is it
the cause?) is that you are pensive and often
melancholy. You enjoy the company of other
people, but they find you unexcitable and
depressing. Your problem is that regularly
metric verse has been obsolete for a long time.


What obsolete skill are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I guess it's a good thing I majored in English! Most of my poetry is not in metered verse, though. I am too impatient for that! But I have long ago reached the conclusion that pensiveness and melencholy is either the result or the cause of too much poetry writing!

Today: The Feast of the Guardian Angels

Early October is chock full of great feast days. Today is the Feast of the Guardian Angels. To me, this is one of the most comforting of the Church's teachings. We each are given a guardian angel by God to stay with us and protect us for life. We often think of this in terms of a child being given a guardian angel to protect him. But remember, we adults still have a guardian angel. God sees fit to assign us each our own guardian angel.

St. Padre Pio used to send his angel on errands of mercy to others when he could not be there in person. I have done this in my own prayers and find it a great comfort in times of worry. While there is a limit to what we as human beings can do, there is no limit on the things God can do.

I also like the image of our angel personally taking our prayers to God's throne.

We are never alone. We always have God's angel to be with us.

Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
to whom God's love
commits thee here.
Ever this day,
be at my side
to light and guard,
to rule and guide.
~Amen~

Do you have a visual image of your guardian angel? I imagine mine with dark hair dressed in emerald green.

Today: The Feast of the Guardian Angels

Early October is chock full of great feast days. Today is the Feast of the Guardian Angels. To me, this is one of the most comforting of the Church's teachings. We each are given a guardian angel by God to stay with us and protect us for life. We often think of this in terms of a child being given a guardian angel to protect him. But remember, we adults still have a guardian angel. God sees fit to assign us each our own guardian angel.

St. Padre Pio used to send his angel on errands of mercy to others when he could not be there in person. I have done this in my own prayers and find it a great comfort in times of worry. While there is a limit to what we as human beings can do, there is no limit on the things God can do.

I also like the image of our angel personally taking our prayers to God's throne.

We are never alone. We always have God's angel to be with us.

Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
to whom God's love
commits thee here.
Ever this day,
be at my side
to light and guard,
to rule and guide.
~Amen~

Do you have a visual image of your guardian angel? I imagine mine with dark hair dressed in emerald green.

Saint Therese of Lisieux

Today is the feast of one of my all-time favorite saints, Saint Therese of Lieseux. Born Marie-Francoise-Therese Martin, she grew up in Alencon, France. Her mother described Therese's early temperment this way:

"She (Therese) flies into frightful tantrums; when things don't go just right and according to her way of thinking, she rolls on the floor in desperation like one without any hope. There are times when it gets too much for her and she literally chokes. She's a nervous child, but she is very good, very intelligent and remembers everything."

Therese's mother died of breast cancer when Therese was only 4 and the family moved to Lisieux. Her eldest sister, Pauline, took over the role of mother for Therese. After Pauline's entrance into the convent, Therese fell seriously ill. Doctors diagnosed it as everything from a kidney infection to a nervous breakdown.

At one point, Therese looked over at a statue of the Virgin Mary and prayed for a cure. The statue seemed to smile at her, and Therese was cured.

Her quest to enter a convent at the age of 15 took her all the way to Rome to the Pope. She entered the convent on April 9, 1888. She developed her famous "Little Way" to Christ. She felt she could not do the great things she wanted to do, so she offered up every tiny, daily work and frustration for the love of Jesus.

She said that when she died she would "Spend my Heaven doing good on earth" and that she would let fall a "shower of roses" after her death. Those who pray for her intercession often report an unexpected rose crossing their daily path as a sign of an answer to their prayer.

Saint Therese of Lisieux

Today is the feast of one of my all-time favorite saints, Saint Therese of Lieseux. Born Marie-Francoise-Therese Martin, she grew up in Alencon, France. Her mother described Therese's early temperment this way:

"She (Therese) flies into frightful tantrums; when things don't go just right and according to her way of thinking, she rolls on the floor in desperation like one without any hope. There are times when it gets too much for her and she literally chokes. She's a nervous child, but she is very good, very intelligent and remembers everything."

Therese's mother died of breast cancer when Therese was only 4 and the family moved to Lisieux. Her eldest sister, Pauline, took over the role of mother for Therese. After Pauline's entrance into the convent, Therese fell seriously ill. Doctors diagnosed it as everything from a kidney infection to a nervous breakdown.

At one point, Therese looked over at a statue of the Virgin Mary and prayed for a cure. The statue seemed to smile at her, and Therese was cured.

Her quest to enter a convent at the age of 15 took her all the way to Rome to the Pope. She entered the convent on April 9, 1888. She developed her famous "Little Way" to Christ. She felt she could not do the great things she wanted to do, so she offered up every tiny, daily work and frustration for the love of Jesus.

She said that when she died she would "Spend my Heaven doing good on earth" and that she would let fall a "shower of roses" after her death. Those who pray for her intercession often report an unexpected rose crossing their daily path as a sign of an answer to their prayer.