It's All About Us

Driving Westward toward the church for morning mass this morn, I once again saw the beauty of God’s Light, as the passing road and buildings around me were still shadowy, yet the top half of the trees in front of me were brilliantly lit by the rising sun behind me.  I said a prayer, then, for the beauty of creation, and the gift of my life.

The words of my subsequent Morning Prayers, the mass and the monsignor’s sermon, all seemed to naturally flow with those earlier feelings.  When it came the time for communion, I watched as row after row of people joined the center aisle communion line.  I was the only person in my pew, and as the last person from the pew in front of me joined the center line, suddenly a young boy came up and entered the center aisle line in front of me.  There were two communion lines and, (I assumed) his mother was in the other line holding a baby.  The young boy in front of me held a plastic animal character in each hand, and as the line moved forward, he had each of his animals walk on the pew edge in front of him.  When he reached the front of the communion line, the monsignor blessed the young boy, who then held up his two arms, and the monsignor blessed each of the animal characters he held.  And in my heart, I felt a deep joy: this is how He loves His little children.  And receiving communion myself, I felt strongly God’s love for me too.

Back in my pew, I gave Him praise and thanksgiving.  Then, I picked up a card containing the Prayer After Holy Communion, as composed by Padre Pio, and there I read:  Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without fervor.  Stay with me, Lord, for You are my Light, and without You I am in darkness.  And at that moment the rising sun began shining through the church window, directly on my face.  In the sun’s brightness I could no longer see the prayer card I held, but I knew there was nothing else to be said in prayer, and so I just listened.

Driving home from mass, the Catholic radio station was playing Deacon Tom Lowe’s Notes From Above music show.  And Deacon Tom said: “And this next tune was played at Al Kresta’s funeral (the station’s founder and a very beloved man).  It is titled Gratitude, and is sung by Brandon Lake:” It begins:

All my words fall short
I got nothing new
How could I express
All my gratitude.

 
I could sing these songs
As I often do
But every song must end
And You never do.

 
So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah
Hallelujah
And I know it’s not much
But I’ve got nothing else fit for a King
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah.

So many things to be grateful for at the start of this day, the blessings of the past, the blessings I see all around me this day, and (I am sure) the glorious blessings of the future.  Why focus on the bad and the darkness?  The Light is all about us --- not “about us” as in I’m so important, it’s all about me, but rather “about us”, as in It’s everywhere!! How can we not see the goodness, the never-ending Love of God all around us??  It’s ALL ABOUT us.    

Fat and Happy

 

The sun in the totally cloudless sky has been almost the common day of late; it is absolutely beautiful.  Yesterday evening, however, the huge rising moon challenged the sun in beauty.  The late fall harvest moon almost invited you to sing.  Certainly, it inspired me to reflect on many things.  But one thing I also thought of was that the local ice cream parlor was closing in a few days for the winter, and I had never stopped there this year.  So, I turned around and drove back and ordered whatever they liked to make --- it was a hot fudge and pastry sundae.  Yummy.  It was my dinner.  Okay, maybe not totally.  A bit later I had an urging for some protein, and so had some meatloaf.

Then, this morning as I left for church, I saw the huge sun in the clear Eastern sky again, but as I turned West there, at the exact same height and the seemingly exact same size, was a soft shadow of the moon.  I’m here too, it seemed to say.  What a beautiful start to the day.

After mass, I recalled that a friend had expressed some interest in a woman’s retreat that another friend was putting on.  So, I stopped home and got the flier and went to my friend’s office in downtown Plymouth.  But as I parked, I suddenly recalled the new Helen’s bakery which was only a couple of doors down.  So, I went in and bought samplings of all their custom cookies, pastries, and pies.  They all looked yummy, and were put in two boxes for me.  And at under $20, their prices almost outshine their pastries.  One box I took to my friend’s office, and the other I will take to my Bible Study meeting tomorrow morning.

I guess fat and happy is a good description of how things have been going for me of late.  I know, however, that whenever you are basking in consolations, you should be also be preparing for the inevitable desolations which will come at some point.  I know that.  But, at the moment, in my heart I am smiling at God’s goodness to me.

Sundaes, pastries, and sun and moon, yes, they all make me think of being fat and happy.

 

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And if things couldn’t get better, last week I had problems with my blog.  I couldn’t open it from Foxfire which I use for my access to the internet.  A message came up saying my cookies were out of sync.  I tried all sorts of ways to fix that, and finally gave up and went over to the computer geeks at the local computer store.  They couldn’t fix it either, but showed me an alternative way to access my blog, using Microsoft Edge.  (And they didn’t charge me anything for the hour of their time!)

For days I checked if anything changed with my Foxfire access, but still got the strange error message, only when I tried to access my blog site.

This morning, just now, I could access my blog again, to post this paper. 

Yes, fat and happy is a good title for this posting.

Pope Benedict Blessed Me

 

This postcard has sat on my mantle for about 15 years.  It was sent to me from Rome, by Sister Margaret Mary.  She wrote me:

“The Holy Father sends His blessing to you.  Was at an audience @ St. Peter’s and the Holy Father extended his blessing to our “loved ones” … you were included!  Here for the summer and will return early Sept.    Sr. Margaret Mary

 

He was a special man.

Someone to Pray to

 

I received a newsletter from the St. Louis Center for the developmentally disabled.  It included an article titled: Remembering Our Friends.  The subject was Sister Margaret Mary Schissler, or “Sr. Peg”.  I had met Sr. Peg when she and her order cared for young girls at Our Lady of Providence in Northville, Michigan, which has since closed.  Sr. Peg and I shared many wonderful times, and she was always on my Christmas gift and card list. She sometimes sent notes back, but I hadn’t heard from her in a couple of years, and so last Christmas crossed her off my Christmas card list.

This posting was going to be quite a bit longer, as I fondly recalled our times together.  I wrote of some the wonderful events we shared, and then, just before typing it up and posting it here, I put her name into the search engine this my blog, and an old post came up.  Many of the events I was going to write about were also written there, so I won't repeat them. While looking for that article's original Word document, however, I noticed an article titled: Carmelite Sister Letter 2019.  It was a letter written to Sr. Peg, but I'll print it here, as it summarizes my feelings about this wonderful person:

    

My Dear Sister;

It is 1AM in the adoration chapel, just me and Jesus as I write these words.  I received your thank you note earlier today, perhaps why my mind wandered here --- or perhaps He compels my thoughts on this night.  He often takes my mind on unplanned journeys as we sit and talk.  It’s when I write my blog posts, to document and remember insights He gave me, or note thoughts meant for who-knows-who.  I just write.  (some rambling deleted  : - )  )

And I guess that’s the point of this rambling, sister.  God puts people in our path, and softly whispers “You need to help them.”  Mother Teresa of Calcutta heard the whispers, and so did JPII.  And they got a few hugs.  But I think they brought many people to hug God.  It takes a strong will, and humility, to accept not getting a hug so God can get one.

That’s where I am now, at this stage of my life.  And I perceive from your short greeting that is where you are also. It is a consolation to know we are answering God’s whisper, but we so yearn for a hug.

Have faith, sister.  Be content that many are finding God through your prayers and efforts --- even if you can’t see how or who.  I am very confident that a great big hug awaits you.  Have faith.  Meanwhile, I’ll send you some good books to read, and enclose a couple of the prayers I pray each night.  I pray for you, your sisters, and all God puts in my life, and am eternally grateful for (and needing) all your prayers.

Merry Christmas, again, and expect a Blessed New Year.

 

The St. Louis Center article noted St. Peg died quietly on January 18, 2021 --- my birthday.  She was another of the saints God has put into my life, and another I can pray to with great confidence she’ll intercede for me --- with her wonderful smile.