Feast of St. Madeleine Sophie

Sophie seems so close to us and I know she loves to have some "little words" with us daily. I think she is so maternal that she is interested in whatever we tell her. I am asking her for the grace to love as Jesus loves each person I have contact with as she was such a loving person herself.
We are having a funeral in the morning and I am going to an Open House celebrating the graduation of my Senior. I am still getting back to California time and wonder how I seem to have new energy today. I am just grateful for the time in St. Louis with my brother and sister-in-law who are so great about welcoming me and driving me, etc. I loved my visit, but I am also glad about coming home!

Home again in time for graduation this evening

I am happy to be home and not need to keep trying to remember to schedule ahead. I hope you have enjoyed the Word for the Day. Here is another:

Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.

Pema Chödrön

Praying with happy memories

Today is my last day in St. Louis. I have so many memories of growing up here. I think it is good to use our happy memories to go back and thank for the people and places that made us so happy. I think the prayer of memories is easy and also pleasing to Jesus. I guess I should suggest this more often to directees. We all need to revisit good memories and ask the Lord to be with us as we relive moments that we may only now be thanking for or even realizing our blessed giftedness.
Word for the Day:

May you embrace this day, not just as any old day, but as this day. Your day. Held in trust by you, in a singular place, called now.

Carrie Newcomer

Friendship

Today I am seeing very dear friends in St. Louis. One of them I have known since seventh grade. Friendship is such a gift. I also think that Jesus calls us friends because he wants that kind of relationship with each of us.

Word for the Day:

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

Desmond Tutu

Revisiting a beloved spot

Today I will be visiting my old school, the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles and the shrine where Philippine Duchesne has finally found rest. When I was at school, we went to pray to her in the little chapel in front of the main building. I have such fond memories of my high school years at St. Charles. We were a small school, all girls then, and I believe the entire high school and the seventh and eighth grades all fit into about 77 desks in our study hall. Now there are many buildings and a great coed grade school, but no high school. Whenever I visit, I am impressed by the good manners of the students. I will be praying for my classmates, too. 

This is a picture that gives me a desire to pray.

Fifth Sunday of Easter

I am scheduling ahead as I will be in St. Louis and not on a computer. I am looking forward to seeing relatives and friends and the statue of St. Philippine Duchesne that was placed in the garden outside the Cathedral as part of the celebration of Philippine's coming to America two hundred years ago. I love Philippine and she lived the words from this Sunday's Gospel: "This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

The responsorial psalm makes for a good walking prayer:
"I will praise you name for ever, my king and my God."

Word for the day

As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.

Nelson Mandela

Travel

Jesus rejoices over the recovery of any stray lamb. He is watching over each of us and that gives us courage and confidence. I am flying today to St. Louis to be with my brother and sister-in-law and have a busy five days ahead. However, I have some great quotes from the daily word I save so often from Gratefulness and this will give me a chance to share some of these words of wisdom with you. I am sure no one will mind a short blog for the next days. And I count on prayer for my trip as I have reached the point in my life when travel to different time zones by plane is not so attractive and I need to have more energy. However, I know I will enjoy each moment when I am there and still be happy to be home again!

"Resolution"

Here is the information for anyone who wants to order Sister Carol Bialock's book of poems.  Coral Castles. Publisher is Fernwood Press. Release date is June 28, 2019. ISBN 978-1-59498-060-2The book is available for pre-order on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Coral-Castles-Carol-Bialock/dp/1594980608/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=coral+castles+bialock&qid=1556824915&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spell
Now, for one last poem today. 

Resolution

I will not let the angel of joy
flood my soul in vain
I will not let darkness
be victorious.
When fear tightens its noose,
constricts the heart,
clogs the mind,
I will go to the man of light
who has always befriended me
and breathe deep
in the release
of his embrace.

Something good to think about today

Sometimes, Lord, I still think I need to do all the work and You keep showing me that You are the one, not me, and I need to let You be free to work in me. This poem of Carol Bialock will be in her soon to be published book, Coral Castles: Collected Poems by Carol Bialock, RSCJ and can be preordered - more exact information on this tomorrow. Today I am sharing her poem on

"All the years of breaking through the soil,

gasping for growth,

straining to height and aroma and juice,

heavy with effort,

sweating it.

And when the glory came

and I breathed free and opened full,

strange how only then did I know

it was all gift,

I hadn't

done anything.

It was sun and rain and earth and air,

I had only to rest in

light, water, soil,

only trust and surrender

only be still

to flower into beauty.

"Widening the Door"

Since Sister Carol Bialock's Poems are to be published next month, I am whetting appetites by sharing a few, with her permission. This one is called "Widening the Door":

Does the heart have a narrow door"

Will it allow in just one more

Of every beast and flower and bird

And every song it has ever heard?

Just one more child, just one more flower,

One more relinquishing of power

To that sane and sacred foolishness

Of living by inclusiveness?

Does the heart have a supple, elastic latch

That makes it easy to dispatch

All pettiness and bigotry

And open it to what makes free?

Is the heart a huge and lovely land?

Does it know the meaning of "Expand

And make your borders bright

And luminous with love's own light"?

Yet who can heal all the wounds and hate

Make my heart open, free and great."

"I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

Today Jesus tells us that he calls his sheep by name and his sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.

How am I listening to hear his voice and how do I recognize it? I think we need a great deal of discernment in the spiritual life to know what voice comes from our Shepherd. Let us always go back to St. Ignatius' Rules for the Discernment of Spirits. He said that when we are trying to lead a good life, the good Spirit will only encourage us and give us peace. I am convinced that the Lord wants us all to enjoy life and by happy. When we try to live to give joy to others, Jesus fills us with His Joy!