November 13, 2018

St. Stanislaus Kostka

Posted in Uncategorized at 10:20 pm by peachesteaberry

A Companion to the Liturgy of the Hours arrived yesterday. I opened it today after finishing Gary Jansen’s The Rosary; Journey to the Beloved book which was fantastic. Everyone with kids should have a copy of that one.

Anyway, I opened the book which is by Shirley Darcus Sullivan and started reading the inside cover. It is a quote from the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours. Here is a partial quote, “In the Holy Spirit Christ carries out through the Church ‘the work of man’s redemption and God’s perfect glorification,’ not only when the Eucharist is celebrated and the sacraments are administered but also in other ways, and especially when the Liturgy of the Hours is celebrated.”

When I read, that the last 7 words leaped out at me. I suddenly remembered Pope St. John Paul II saying “we are the halleluiah people.” We don’t just pray the liturgy, we celebrate it. Monastics “celebrate” up to 7 times a day. We are a people of joy. Normally I have a somber personality. Joy does not come easily or last long. Today, at this moment I am receiving the gift of joy from God.  When I pray the office, I will not always remember this, but I will try to remember it more often than I have in the past. I will try to make my prayer a celebration with God, a joy inspired moment of intimacy.

 

Joy brings me to you

Privileged to walk with you

In your time of grief

Silence embraces we two

As we stand before the Light

 

 

November 11, 2018

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Posted in Uncategorized at 10:03 pm by peachesteaberry

I ordered a copy of The Rosary; a journey to the beloved by Gary Jansen. I started it late last night. It isn’t a very thick book but I am finding it very helpful. One thing he suggested in the chapter about what is the rosary, is to imagine you’ve fallen in love with Mr./Miss right. They’ve invited you to meet the parents and his/her mother is wonderful. She sits down with you to answer your questions about your beloved by pulling out a scrapbook and reminiscing with you as the two of you go through the pages. That is what happens when you pray the rosary. Mary settles in and tells you all about her son and the events of his life. It really helps deepen my relationship and understanding of both Mary and Jesus. It helps me in becoming more of a family with God, Mary & Jesus and in the communion of saints.

I also have a copy of The Life & Glories of Saint Joseph by Edward Healy Thompson, M.A. and God Dwells Within Us by Thomas Dubay, S.M.. I haven’t started them yet. Since I have no idea what our continuing formation class will be reading for next month, I should have ample time to squeeze in a few chapters or so.

As the weather is now chilly, I hope to start working on my crochet again. I have all this yarn and I can’t justify having it if I don’t start using it, especially for shawls for the prayer shawl group. I really want to finish my hairpin lace infinity scarf before the next meeting. I am wondering if I could expand it to make a shawl with that pattern. It is so beautiful and with the right yarn it would be wonderful.

My housemates just left for their movie night. Christmas Die Hard is back in the theater, lol. M. cringes when I say that, but it really is the best movie to watch at that time of the year if you’re not in the syrup movie mood.

November 10, 2018

St. Theodore Tyro

Posted in Uncategorized at 2:57 am by peachesteaberry

It’s fall, chilly and it rained almost all day. I loved it. I truly enjoy chilly rainy weather. Surprisingly I didn’t feel any desire to crochet today. Usually the two go together automatically.

I’m still reading the poetry of Jessica Powers. I am halfway through with the meditation and lessons on her poem Rest the House. She is such a good poet. So far the two phrases that have stuck with me are “hush the house” which refers to quieting the senses and faculties, and “let go of the chain” which refers to detachment.

Let go of the chains

Look beyond their golden threads

See the skies that call

 

It was John of the cross who wrote about a bird being held to the earth by a single thread.

I’m also reading Brandt Pitre’s book about the jewish roots of Mary. Wow! This book rocks. I am learning so much about the roots of our faith and how it developed. I wish more people understood this. It helps make the Truth of the Catholic faith & church so much clearer.

November 5, 2018

Bl. Frances D’Amboise, OCD

Posted in Uncategorized at 5:35 pm by peachesteaberry

memento mori

wingbrothers  sing as they leave

Christ’s song on the cross
the geese are leaving and their melancholy songs speak of autumn and things fading such as our lives as we age.
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity speaks in the final days of her last retreat about Mary and how she teaches us the final song that Christ sings upon the cross as he dies.
Today I have felt really close to Mary as I prayed for each of the Charlotte seminarians. I felt like she and I were praying for them together as sisters and I really am their aunt just as she really is their mother. They are “my boys”. I think I am called to spiritual aunt-hood rather than spiritual motherhood. That feels more natural to me.
Michelle bought me a day of the dead mask. She knows I love that kind of décor. I have it hanging on the wall close to my small Eiffel tower picture. All my day of the dead skull items function as memento mori items without anyone realizing it. So no one thinks I am morbid or goth or anything.
I found a good site for kigo, the seasonal words for haiku. While I won’t be using the Japanese words, I can find what concepts and images tie into the seasons and use that. I hope to do some poetry writing later today and post it.
I am also reading Poetry as Prayer by Jessica Powers, a Carmelite nun. I am really enjoying her poetry. She can invoke some powerful images and concepts in her work. I hope to learn a lot from her.

November 4, 2018

Saint Charles Borromeo

Posted in Uncategorized at 4:15 pm by peachesteaberry

On praying the first glorious mystery of the rosary this morning before church, I received a gift during the meditation. It was the imagining of Mary, sleeping on the floor early on the third morning after Jesus’ crucifixion. He slipped into the room and crossed to sit beside her. Taking a stalk of wheat he brushed it across her face, grinning as she opened her eyes. Laughing she reached up to embrace him. The two of them laughed together as they hugged.

What really made an impact on me was the total trust and love between them. There was no hesitation, no distance between them mentally or emotionally. Between God and I there is always distance, a lack of trust, a sense of shame because of my fallen nature and my deliberate rejections of him in daily life. Between Mary and Jesus that doesn’t exist. Her gift during meditation has given me a longing for that same closeness.