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Friday, November 30, 2007

Feast of St. Andrew


Today is the Feast of St. Andrew who was the first to follow Jesus with John when he heard John the Baptist point him out. Andrew followed and stayed with Jesus that day and then went and told his brother, Simon Peter, about Jesus. Peter then is the disciple we hear most about, but Andrew has a tradition of preaching in both Greece and Scotland. The cross of St. Andrew, which represents Scotland on the Union Jack, was first associated with Andrew in the 10th century.
My parents were married on the Feast of St. Andrew and so it has always been a special day for me. It means, too, that Advent is very near!

Thursday, November 29, 2007

New Book


This morning our newspaper did not come and that was a blessing for I had not yet read the last National Catholic Reporter and found several interesting things in it. The first thing I turned to is an article about a new book on prayer by Sister Wendy Beckett. It is called "Sister Wendy on Prayer", published by Harmony Books. As I love what she has written before on prayer (usually found in a preface or introduction to another book), I will certainly order this one. Wendy is a 77 year old contemplative nun made popular because of a documentary about the British National Gallery and a series of TV programs that resulted from that. David Wilcock, a producer of films who worked with many of Wendy's programs, gives us a brief biography in his introduction to the new book on prayer. She grew up in South Africa and entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur; she was sent to study English at Oxford in 1950 and spent the next twenty years teaching in local schools in South Africa. In 1970, having the call to be more contemplative, she was allowed to leave her order and become a hermit under the protection of the Carmelite monastery behind which she now lives in a trailor. In the 1980s she turned to studying and writing about art.
Sister Wendy on Prayer is divided into three sections: The Practice of Prayer, Prayer and Belief, and Prayer and Personality. According to the review, each section contains very short chapters. She also weaves in various artworks that enrich her own understanding of God. She is a witty, honest, self-effacing, independent writer and I look forward to reading her book.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Silly accident

I did not write my blog today. One reason is that I fell off the chair while sitting at the computer and did not really hurt myself, but have sore fingers and a swollen wrist so I will sign off until tomorrow. I was sitting on a desk chair that has wheels and leaned over to answer the phone and the chair scooted the other way and left me on the floor! It was indeed a silly accident but I may type less today as my fingers seem to be bruised. It will give me more time for reading!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Angels



I am a firm believer in angels. As we approach Advent, it is good to remember that our angels are like "alarm clocks" - I read this comparison in a book about Advent and it said that they are a wake up call for us. I believe that I have a special, guardian angel who watches over me. I am not fond of alarm clocks, but certainly my angel alerts me to possible falls of all kinds. My angel works hard to nudge me in the right-direction, to remind me of duties I might neglect, to inspire me with ways of being thoughtful and kind. Protection is a broad term; my angel guards me from myself as well as from exterior dangers. I think I have often felt the presence of my angel in my life and want to thank for this constant care and also the wake-up calls.
May we continue to pray one of the first prayers most of us learned to say:
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me near
Ever this day be at my side,
to light, to guard, to rule and guide."


Holy Guardian Angels, protect us! Help us to prepare for Advent by being awake to God's calls.

Monday, November 26, 2007

The Widow's Mite


Luke tells us in today's gospel that "when Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor woman putting in two small coins. He said, "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood."

Jesus noticed and he called attention to it. In Mark's Gospel we have the same story but Mark has Jesus calling the disciples to let them know that this poor widow has put in more than all the wealthy as she has put in everything she had!
True generosity is like that. I saw this kind of generosity often in Chile. One day, visiting a very poor family with just a small shelter and dirt floor, I saw one of the neighbors come to ask if she could have a bit of sugar; immediately she was given their entire sugar supply which was a small bowel but it was all that the family had. It never would have entered their minds to give only half! I saw this happen over and over again among the poor. Why am I lacking this kind of generosity? I find myself calculating; this is humbling as I give only what I can spare. Jesus asks for more.
Lord, teach me to be generous!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

A thankful heart


I came across this poem and thought it good for reflection on all that we receive.
Gratefulness
Thou that hast giv'n so much to me,
Give one thing more, a grateful heart.
See how thy beggar works on thee by art.

He makes thy gifts occasion more,
And says, If he in this be crossed,
All thou hast giv'n him heretofore is lost.

But thou didst reckon, when at first
Thy word our hearts and hands did crave,
What it would come to at the worst to save.

Perpetual knockings at thy door,
Tears sullying thy transparent rooms,
Gift upon gift, much would have more, and comes.

This notwithstanding, thou wentst on,
And didst allow us all our noise:
Nay thou hast made a sigh and groan thy joys.

Not that thou hast not still above
Much better tunes, than groans can make;
But that these country-airs thy love did take.

Wherefore I cry, and cry again;
And in no quiet canst thou be,
Till I a thankful heart obtain of thee.

Not thankful, when it pleaseth me;
As if thy blessings had spare days:
But such a heart, whose pulse may be thy praise.

(George Herbert)

Friday, November 23, 2007

"My house shall be a house of prayer"


Today's Gospel has Jesus driving the sellers of the temple area saying to them, "It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves."

My house shall be a house of prayer; my heart will be a heart of prayer. What does that mean? I think it means being aware of the presence of God. God is the essence of prayer. In the presence of God we are awed, reverent, hushed, and humble.
God really does make his home in us. It is a great mystery, but he is nearer to us than we are to ourselves! He desires us to acknowledge his presence within us. We are his temple!
The Communion Antiphon speaks to me: O Lord, how great is the depth of the kindness which you have shown to those who love you."

Today, we celebrate three saints: St. Clement of Rome, St. Columban, and Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro. The first died around the end of the first century and was the third Pope; Columban died in 615; Father Pro in 1927. The first and third were martyrs; Columban left Ireland and became a great missionary; he founded monasteries in Europe. He said, "Since we are travelers and pilgims in the world, let us ever ponder on the end of the road, that is our life, for the end of the roadway is our home." (Quoted in Living with Christ.)

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

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In today's paper's "Dear Abby" the following prayer penned by her mother, Pauline Phillips is reprinted and seems so fitting for my blog today that I am passing it on to all:
Oh, Heavenly Father,
We thank thee for food and remember the hungry.
We thank you for health and remember the sick.
We thank thee for friends and remember the friendless.
We thank thess for freedom and remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances stir us to service,
That thy gifts to us may be used for others. Amen.


Live the day in gratitude for all we have been given!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary



Today we celebrate the feast of Mary's Presentation in the Temple. Actually, we do not know much about that. This feast originated as a commemoration of the dedication of the basilica of St. Mary's the New in Jerusalem in 543. It began to be celebrated in the Western liturgical calendar in 1585. This information comes from "Living With Christ" and also says that "today, we recognize Mary as a temple where God dwelt in a special way because of her role as Mother of Jesus."
There is a tradition in the Society of the Sacred Heart in our schools of preparing the little ones for this feast and allowing one among the best behaved to be "little Mary" in a special ceremony.

In preparation for the Feast of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for having a heavenly mother who often consoles me while telling me to do whatever Jesus tells me. I am also grateful for all mothers who teach children to realize that God loves us unconditionally.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Preparing for Thanksgiving


The first Thanksgiving day was a feast to give thanks for the harvest. It was a meal to be thankful for not only the food but for the many blessings received during the year. We sometimes forget that hardships made the first settlers grateful just to be alive. We have so many comforts today that we may fall into a lack of gratitude for the daily gifts we take for granted. Let us prepare this Thanksgiving by reviewing our gifts and giving thanks to God.

As a Religious of the Sacred Heart I have the mission of making God's love visible in the heart of the world. This is done in many ways, but for me, living in gratitude and joy is an important way of making God's love visible.

Yesterday a friend sent me this quote:
"Someday after we have mastered the winds, the
waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness the energies of love. Then for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire."

Teilhard de Chardin

It seems appropriate for reflection.

Monday, November 19, 2007

"Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"


The blind man shouted out, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" The people around him rebuked him and told him to be silent, but he was stubborn and "kept calling out the more, Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"
Jesus stopped. He had heard the cry of the blind man and ordered that he be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"
"Lord, please let me see" was the reply. Jesus then says, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."

I love this story because it is so simple and true. It is what happens to us. We call out to Jesus in prayer and Jesus hears us. He asks us "What do you want me to do for you?" We tell him our desire to see. We, too, want to see - and the blind man "immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God."

Gratitude is one way to glorify God. Let us prepare this week to celebrate our American feast of Thanksgiving by thanking for the gift to see and thanking for the desire we have to see more, to see others as Jesus sees them, to see the needs of others, to see what is true and good. . .

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Perseverance


Jesus tells us in today's Gospel: "Your will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

Perseverance is only possible with prayer. We are weak and need help to persevere. God gives us this help when we pray. To persevere day in and day out with all the ordinary, humdrum things of our daily life is not easy. We get up, pray, work, eat, sleep, and repeat the same actions. When done with Christ, for Christ and in Christ, they become our salvation--"by you perseverance you will secure your lives."

When we persevere and do all with love, we will be saints!

The opening prayer for today's Sunday liturgy is: "Father of all that is good, keep us faithful in serving you, for to serve you is our lasting joy."

Saturday, November 17, 2007

St. Philippine Duchesne


Rose Philippine Duchesne was the first Religious of the Sacred Heart to come to America with a few companions to establish the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1818. She was a valiant pioneer and a humble, hard-working religious, but above all she was a person of prayer. When she finally realized her dream of going to work with the Indians, she spent her days in prayer for them and they called her "the woman-who-prays-always." She founded the first house of the Society of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, Missouri and spent the last ten years of her life there.
I went to school there and heard about this saintly religious and learned to love her. We celebrated her feast on November 17th; now that she is a canonized saint, the Church celebrates the day of her death, November 18th as her feast. Since tomorrow is a Sunday, I wanted to talk a bit about Mother Duchesne today and add this prayer of hers:
Lord, you alone are the center in which I find rest.
Give my your arm to support me,
Your shoulders to carry me,
Your heart to lean upon,
Your cross to uphold me,
Your body to nourish me.
In you, Lord, I sleep and rest in peace.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Saint Margaret of Scotland & St. Gertrude of Helfta



St. Margaret lived in the 11th century and was married to Malcolm, King of Scotland and had eight children. She was known for her personal piety, her love of the poor and care for orphans. She was canonized in 1250 and is patron saint of Scotland. She also helped Church reforms in Scotland.

St. Gertrude the Great was one of the three famous mystics at Helfta, a Benedictine monastery in Saxony. Gertrude had been left there by her parents when only five. She became a nun, and had many spiritual and intellectual gifts. She was one of the early advocates of devotion to the Sacred Heart. Her mysticism instructed her about the efficacy of a holy life lived for others. She lived from 1256 to 1302 and was not formally canonized, but is considered a saint!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

St. Albert the Great


Albert was born in Germany around 1200. He studied at the University of Padua and joined the Dominicans in 1229. He taught theology at the University of Paris and Thomas Aquinas was his student. Later, Albert was sent to Colonge to teach the Dominicans and was appointed bishop of Ratisbon against his wishes. He resigned after four years and returned to teaching. In 1931 he was declared a doctor of the Church. He is patron saint of scientists. He is a good patron for all teachers!

From the Book of Wisdom: "Wisdom penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity. For she is an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty, therefore nought that is sullied enters into her."

Wisdom also "produces friends of God and prophets. For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom."
May Albert the Great, noted for his wisdom, help us to "dwell with Wisdom".

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Thanking God


Ten lepers were healed by Jesus but only one returned to give thanks. Jesus asks, "Where are the other nine?"
Daily I receive gifts from God. Am I among those who do not return to give thanks to God?
Lord, make me grateful for every gift today. I so often take things for granted when I should be overflowing with gratitude for the gift of life, for the fact that I am able to walk, see, hear, smell, touch, taste, and be aware of the beauty of creation. I thank you because I am your child as well as your creation. I thank you because you are always present in my life; you are always loving me. What a gift! May today be a song of thanksgiving from morning to night. Lord, I am grateful!

In the first reading today from the Book of Wisdom:
"Desire, therefore my words;
long for them and you shall be instructed."

Lord, you know the desires of my heart. Teach us your ways, O Lord.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini


The youngest of thirteen children, Maria Francesca Cabrini was born in Italy in 1850. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart in 1877 and came to America with six Sisters in 1889 to help Italian immigrants. Her congregation spread throughout the United States, Italy, Central and South America and England. She died in 1917 and was canonized in 1946, the first American citizen to be declared a saint! May she inspire us to work for justice for the immigrants today!
She said: "We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend on material success; nor on sciences that cloud the intellect. Neither does it depend on arms and human industries, but on Jesus alone."

We continue to read the Book of Wisdom in the daily liturgy. Today reminds us that the souls of the just are in the hands of God, and no torment shall touch them... They are at peace." Let us pray for all the faithful departed.

Monday, November 12, 2007


The Gospel today has the Apostles asking the Lord to increase their faith. He replies: "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea', and it would obey you."
I believe in the power of faith. Lord, increase my faith!

The first reading from Wisdom tells us to seek the Lord in integrity of heart.

Psalm 139 (one of my favorite) speaks of how present the Lord always is to us:
O Lord, you have probed me and you know me;
You know when I sit and when I stand;
You understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar....


No matter where we go, the Lord is there.

Lord, I know you are with me. Guide me today; give me integrity of heart, and increase my faith! You know me and know what I need today to find you in all!

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Resurrection of the dead, Life everlasting


Jesus tells the Sadducees who do not believe in resurrection that even Moses made known the truth that the dead will rise for the God of Abraham, the God of Issac and the God of Jacob "is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."
I believe in the resurrection of the dead; every time I recite the Creed, I am proclaiming my faith in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Yet, I do not know exactly what happens after death. It remains a mystery and no one has returned to tell us how this resurrection takes place.

I found the first sentence of the second reading from Paul to the Thessalonians to be good for my daily reflection. Paul prays: May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in ever good deed and word." How much we need hope and encouragement today and need to pray for others to receive both hope and strength! We are loved, encouraged, strengthened so that we may live good lives and enjoy everlasting life! We need to believe this!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Live in Sacred Space


Another way to keep your soul alive is to live in Sacred Space. According to Joseph Campbell (Reflections on the Art of Living) "To live in a sacred space is to live in a symbolic environment where spiritual life is possible, where everything around you speaks of the exaltation of the spirit."
In one sense, we live in a sacred space; we are on holy ground. It just means that we need to be conscious of the sacredness of all space. One way to do that is to prepare a small, sacred space in your own room; let this place speak to you of God and lead you to find God in all. If God is present, it is truly a sacred space.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Change the Way You See


Another way to keep your soul alive is to Change the Way You See.

Anthony de Mello has this story in The Heart of the Enlightened:
Traveler: What kind of weather are we going to have today?
Shepherd: The kind of weather I like.
Traveler: How do you know it will be the kind of weather you like?
Shepherd: Having found our, sir, I cannot always get what I like, I have learned always to like what I get. So I am quite sure we will have the kind of weather I like.

Yesterday I was at my supervision group for the ministry of spiritual direction. Some of us have been meeting for almost twenty years and it is a wonderful group. One of them shared this that I pass on to you today: "You are swimming in a thick sea of overwhelming richness that is this moment! Wake up to how truly blessed you are to be right where you happen to be!!

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Seek the Sacred in the Ordinary


The third way to keep your soul alive is to Seek the Sacred in the Ordinary.
Frederic A. Brussat in his 50 Ways to Keep Your Soul Alive quotes Abraham Maslow "The great lesson from the true mystics is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that is is found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, and in one's backyard."
Some people have the gift of finding the sacred in the ordinary; others, like myself, need to cultivate this gift. God is present. Let us learn to be aware. He comes in the breaking of dawn, in the smell of newly cut grass, in the cup of early morning tea, in the reading of the daily newspaper, in the meeting of friends, the phone calls, the mail, the unexpected upset to one's plans, the grocery check-out line, etc. Yes, the sacred is in the ordinary but we must have eyes to see. God is here. Let us approach the day with reverence.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Be Kind


The second of the 50 Ways to Keep Your Soul Alive by Frederic A. Brussat is Be Kind.
"We cannot make the Kingdom of God happen, but we can put out leaves as it draws near. We can be kind to each other. We can be kind to ourselves. We can drive back the darkness a little. We can make green places within ourselves where God can make his Kingdom happen." (From The Clown in the Belfry by Frederick Buechner.)

So let us strive to be kind today and know that this is a way to keep our souls alive!
It takes time to be kind, but I think of all those who are out there waiting to hear a kind word from me by cards or e-mails or in person. We never think we are being unkind, but how often do we plan our day to seek to be kind? Today I begin!
Lord, you are so kind to me, help me to be kind to others in my thoughts, words, and deeds today. Above all, let me remember that I am also to be kind to myself!

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Learn to Recognize the Dawn


I am going to borrow some of the stories, quotes, and meditations found in the article by Frederic A. Brussat; someone gave it to me and I do not know the source. The title is "50 Ways to Keep Your Soul Alive". I think some of these ways would be good to reflect on in this blog. We all need to care for our souls and Brussat has collected material from some of my favorite authors; I will share what I can with you over the next month when the Spirit does not inspire something else.
The first way to keep your soul alive is to learn to recognize the dawn.
The following is quoted from Tales of Hasidim quoted in Touching the Holy by Robert Wicks. (Ave Maria Press, 1992).
An old rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended and the day had begun. "Could it be," asked one of the students, "when you can see an animal in the distance and tell whether it is a sheep or a dog?"
"No," answered the rabbi.
Another asked, "Is it when you can look at a tree in the distance and tell whether it is a fig tree or a peach tree?"
"No," answered the rabbi.
"Then what is it?" the pupils demanded.
"It is when you can look on the face of any man or woman and see that it is your sister or brother. Because if you cannot see this, it is still night."

Monday, November 5, 2007

Ways to Keep your Soul Alive


Today I am going to share a something adapted from an article by Frederic A. Brussat on Ways to Keep Your Soul Alive.
Learn to recognize the dawn.
Be kind. Seek the Sacred in the Ordinary.
Change the way you see.
Enjoy the world.
Keep your instrument tuned.
Live in a sacred space.
Discover the soul in things.
Do ordinary things.
Dive for ancient wisdom.
Don't focus on what you don't have.
Find some balance. Believe in miracles.
Dance. Sing. Mend.
Go on retreat.
Fan the light. Send messages upward.
Always ask permission.
Let your tears flow. Have a moist heart.
Don't let the world define you.
Revel in your uniqueness. Play your part.
Beware of self rejections. Live lightly.
Turn over a new page. Be a transformer.
Look for God. Watch for Saints.
Love many things.
Don't miss the party.
Practice daily arts. Bring in beauty.
Make the most od what happens.
Live in awe. Discern the meanings.
Avoid distractions.
Have a beginner's mind.
Live this moment. Love.

This is just the beginning of a reflection as I now have the article and will probably quote from it this week; each of these ways to keep the soul alive is important, but some apply more to one person's needs, attractions, gifts, and others are for different persons. All are thought provoking!

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Today I Must Stay At Your House


I am still reflecting on today's Gospel. The fact that the Gospel begins by telling us, "At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town."
It seems that Jesus had no intention of staying in Jericho. But he changed his mind! Why? Because of Zacchaeus, a sinner, but also one with a desire to see Jesus. Jesus makes himself available; he even takes the initiative to invite himself when he sees that Zachaeus had enough desire to run climb a sycamore in order to see him. Now, Jesus no longer intends to pass through but states, "Today I must stay at your house."

Jesus says the same to me. I, too, am a sinner with an intense desire for Jesus. He comes to stay with me. He "has come to save what was lost." He desires to stay with me even more than I desire him; he gives me the desire.
Zacchaeus changed because of Jesus. He had a real conversion experience. May I, too, be changed because Jesus stays with me. Every Holy Communion has Jesus inviting me to enter his Heart, but he also enters my heart, my home. Jesus calls to me each day: "Come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Jesus and Zacchaeus


We know from Luke's Gospel for this Sunday that Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, a wealthy man, short of stature, and one who was seeking Jesus, seeking at least to see who Jesus was. His desire was strong enough to allow him to put aside all human respect and run ahead and climb a sycamore tree "in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way."
His desire is not only realized, but Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."
Jesus has invited himself; he is responding to a deep desire he knows that Zacchaeus has to see who Jesus was. Jesus also responds to our deepest desires to see him. He invites himself into our hearts. Do we receive him with joy? The Gospel tells us that Zacchaeus "came down quickly and received him with joy."
When the crowd saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." How does Zacchaeus respond? With great generosity. He tells the Lord that he will give half of his possessions to the poor and if he has extorted anything from anyone, he will repay it four times over! He has seen Jesus and this is enough to convert him. He wants to be with Jesus and Jesus tells us that "Today salvation has come to this house...the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

I am putting the Sunday Gospel reflection on early as many prefer to prepare the Mass on Saturday. This gives us today to enkindle the desire that Zacchaeus had in our own hearts!

Friday, November 2, 2007

All Souls' Day


This is the day to commemorate all the souls who have died and may not yet be united to God. I think the feast goes back to the idea of souls waiting purification in Purgatory, but it is always good to pray for the dead since we really are not sure about death and judgment; we think in terms of time and there is no time with God.
People go to the cemetery to show love and respect for family members who have died. Some countries decorate the graves. Actually, the great monastery of Cluny in France in the 10th century established the tradition of "Keeping with joyous affection, the memory of all the faithful departed who have lived from the beginning of the world until the end."
The Liturgy for today is very consoling. The first reading from Wisdom says that "the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them."
"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want." This is one of my favorite psalms and the liturgy gives a choice for the response. Either "The Lord is my shepherd" or "Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me."
The second reading from Romans tells us that "God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us."
The Gospel of John has Jesus saying, "I will not reject anyone who comes to me...For this is the will of the Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day."

Last month, when in St. Louis, my sister and I went with a cousin to visit family graves. My cousin sent me a CD for he took pictures of all the family tombstones; the dates of birth and death are on almost all the tombstones. It is a bit of family history stored on a CD instead of a family Bible!
November is the month to pray for the dead, not just on All Souls' Day!

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Feast of All Saints


Today is the Feast of All Saints. It is consoling to know that there is a Communion of Saints; we have friends with God who are praying for us. I spent most of my prayer this morning thinking about those who have gone before and who are still concerned about me and thanking them for their love and concern. It is good to have friends in high places and we do! This is a great feast and one for rejoicing with those who now see God face to face.