I was trying to decide what to do after dinner. I have several books which I should read. I decided to call a good friend. Luckily, there was no answer and I allowed myself to think about the recession, fresh blueberries and strawberries.
I have enjoyed eating apples, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, and pears. Fresh fruit always puts me in a good mood. I sometimes think of my childhood as I chew a strawberry or an apple.
Tuesday evenings are often good for reading or thinking.
I like Calvin and Hobbes.
Living in the city presents many opportunities to be compassionate; I wish that I did more to help those in need.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Something Different
And even though I am not a true tennis fan, I am a part time one during the over hyped media convergence of the big tournaments.
Kim Clijsters of Belgium won the U.S. Open women’s title over Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, 7-5, 6-3.
Juan Martín del Potro surprised Rafael Nadal in straight sets and will face Roger Federer.
Serena Williams was fined $10,000 on Sunday for her outburst at the line judge.
Prayer requires discipline, practice, patience, observation. Being a good Catholic is a lifelong journey of faith, hope, prayers and confession.
Kim Clijsters of Belgium won the U.S. Open women’s title over Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, 7-5, 6-3.
Juan Martín del Potro surprised Rafael Nadal in straight sets and will face Roger Federer.
Serena Williams was fined $10,000 on Sunday for her outburst at the line judge.
Prayer requires discipline, practice, patience, observation. Being a good Catholic is a lifelong journey of faith, hope, prayers and confession.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Musings
And I wondered what would happen if I did some simple substitutions:
To pray or not to pray, that is the question?
Thou must lower your eyes; we came praying hither
Into the vale of prayers with hope and faith as my companions
To pray or not to pray, that is the question?
Thou must lower your eyes; we came praying hither
Into the vale of prayers with hope and faith as my companions
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Fortitude
When I remember my childhood, there is an assortment of birthdays, family dinners, summertime twilight bicycle rides or firefly hunting expeditions, and reminders to pray before bed, loving, long prayers before Sunday breakfasts. Oh, how lyrical the prayers seem now. How rigorous and imposing they were then. At some point prayer became my trusted friend.
The beauty of prayer rests within the simplicity. There is a gentle mingling of life and death in all of my prayers. My prayers are often said for both the living and the dead. There is something extraordinary about honest, automatic prayer. Sometimes prayers are offered without thought, just as a response to something seen or heard or felt. Prayer offers a connection with God. Prayer allows us to be vulnerable, to believe in the impossible.
Catholics have all types of prayers and occasions to pray. Preparing for confession is an excellent time for prayer as we examine our choices and their consequences. Being good is not easy. Being Catholic is not easy. Prayer offers us solace.
The beauty of prayer rests within the simplicity. There is a gentle mingling of life and death in all of my prayers. My prayers are often said for both the living and the dead. There is something extraordinary about honest, automatic prayer. Sometimes prayers are offered without thought, just as a response to something seen or heard or felt. Prayer offers a connection with God. Prayer allows us to be vulnerable, to believe in the impossible.
Catholics have all types of prayers and occasions to pray. Preparing for confession is an excellent time for prayer as we examine our choices and their consequences. Being good is not easy. Being Catholic is not easy. Prayer offers us solace.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Approach Prayer
How do we approach prayer? Where do we position prayer in our lives?
We should allow ourselves to burst into prayer as often as possible. Our hearts and minds should always be filled with thoughts of God’s goodness. Our actions should be helping us move closer and closer to God. We must acknowledge our past, present, and future mistakes. Our lives are not easy. We strive to avoid sin.
Current events can sometimes influence our prayers. Our thoughts about health care, the economy, Afghan vote fraud allegations are good things to reflect on and to pray about.
Kim Clijsters’s victory over Li Na might encourage some of her fans to humbly ask for God’s help in the semifinals against No. 2 Serena Williams. Prayer is personal, prayer reflects who we are and how we view the world.
We should allow ourselves to burst into prayer as often as possible. Our hearts and minds should always be filled with thoughts of God’s goodness. Our actions should be helping us move closer and closer to God. We must acknowledge our past, present, and future mistakes. Our lives are not easy. We strive to avoid sin.
Current events can sometimes influence our prayers. Our thoughts about health care, the economy, Afghan vote fraud allegations are good things to reflect on and to pray about.
Kim Clijsters’s victory over Li Na might encourage some of her fans to humbly ask for God’s help in the semifinals against No. 2 Serena Williams. Prayer is personal, prayer reflects who we are and how we view the world.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Rosary
“Do YOU KNOW, I don’t think I can survive another conversation about religion. It’s rather strenuous.”
“Oh, Cecil, you must.”
“Please, Cecil.”
This always happened when Cecil read the Sunday newspaper on Wednesday evening after dinner.
“No, I can’t, the world is to scrambled up.”
“Oh, Cecil, kindest, try.”
“Oh, Cecil, please.”
“Dear, brave Cecil, you must speak.”
“No. I will not. Lorna will become angry and tear each sentence apart letter by letter.”
“No, she won’t, will you Lorna?”
“Lorna, tell him that you will not become angry.”
“Cecil, do say something about religion, please. We won’t have a moment peace until you give us your homespun homily.”
“Well, then, if you promise you won’t attack me--”
There was silence.
“I am beginning to enjoy the repetition of the Rosary. At first I thought it was childish but now I like it. I sometimes lose my place but I like repeating the prayers over and over. I have felt closer to God after saying the Rosary. Sometimes as I say the Rosary something happens which I can’t adequately describe but its like I leave my body or consciousness or something like that and there is nothing but peace and love and beauty.”
“Oh, Cecil, how wonderful.”
“I am surprised you didn’t mention original sin. You do still believe in original sin?”
“Why are you asking about original sin?”
“Why can’t I ask him about original sin? Does original sin make you uncomfortable or something?”
“I am not uncomfortable. You promised!”
“I am not angry. I am not tearing his sentences apart letter by letter. Since Cecil likes repeating things, I like thinking about original sin. Cecil, do you have your rosary with you?”
“Lorna, he does not. We just finished dinner and dessert. He didn’t have room to bring it.”
“But, he did leave room in his brain to think of it. I am so glad that he was able to ramble on about peace and love and repeating something. It helped me digest dinner.”
“Lorna are you trying to tear him apart letter by letter.”
“My dear that steak was too tough. My jaws are too exhausted from chewing to become angry with anybody. I am going to my room. Good night.”
A bedroom door closes loudly.
“Lorna is really angry tonight.”
“I suspected that she might be more irritable tonight than usual.”
“She has been very weird all evening.”
“She had lunch with Mother today and then they went shopping.”
“I suspect that she ate too much and bought too little. I am sure that Mother told her that she must go to confession.”
“Mother would not stop there. It is time for Lorna to go to church, go to confession, get married and have children.”
“I am glad that she is the oldest. I am glad that she receives all of Mother’s attention.”
“But, you know sooner or later we all receive Mother’s attention.”
“Cecil, you’re right. Cecil, please teach me how to pray the Rosary. I must be prepared for Mother’s attention.”
“Oh, Cecil, you must.”
“Please, Cecil.”
This always happened when Cecil read the Sunday newspaper on Wednesday evening after dinner.
“No, I can’t, the world is to scrambled up.”
“Oh, Cecil, kindest, try.”
“Oh, Cecil, please.”
“Dear, brave Cecil, you must speak.”
“No. I will not. Lorna will become angry and tear each sentence apart letter by letter.”
“No, she won’t, will you Lorna?”
“Lorna, tell him that you will not become angry.”
“Cecil, do say something about religion, please. We won’t have a moment peace until you give us your homespun homily.”
“Well, then, if you promise you won’t attack me--”
There was silence.
“I am beginning to enjoy the repetition of the Rosary. At first I thought it was childish but now I like it. I sometimes lose my place but I like repeating the prayers over and over. I have felt closer to God after saying the Rosary. Sometimes as I say the Rosary something happens which I can’t adequately describe but its like I leave my body or consciousness or something like that and there is nothing but peace and love and beauty.”
“Oh, Cecil, how wonderful.”
“I am surprised you didn’t mention original sin. You do still believe in original sin?”
“Why are you asking about original sin?”
“Why can’t I ask him about original sin? Does original sin make you uncomfortable or something?”
“I am not uncomfortable. You promised!”
“I am not angry. I am not tearing his sentences apart letter by letter. Since Cecil likes repeating things, I like thinking about original sin. Cecil, do you have your rosary with you?”
“Lorna, he does not. We just finished dinner and dessert. He didn’t have room to bring it.”
“But, he did leave room in his brain to think of it. I am so glad that he was able to ramble on about peace and love and repeating something. It helped me digest dinner.”
“Lorna are you trying to tear him apart letter by letter.”
“My dear that steak was too tough. My jaws are too exhausted from chewing to become angry with anybody. I am going to my room. Good night.”
A bedroom door closes loudly.
“Lorna is really angry tonight.”
“I suspected that she might be more irritable tonight than usual.”
“She has been very weird all evening.”
“She had lunch with Mother today and then they went shopping.”
“I suspect that she ate too much and bought too little. I am sure that Mother told her that she must go to confession.”
“Mother would not stop there. It is time for Lorna to go to church, go to confession, get married and have children.”
“I am glad that she is the oldest. I am glad that she receives all of Mother’s attention.”
“But, you know sooner or later we all receive Mother’s attention.”
“Cecil, you’re right. Cecil, please teach me how to pray the Rosary. I must be prepared for Mother’s attention.”
Labor Day Weekend Another Glance
Labor Day is now a memory, another collection of events in my life. This Labor Day Weekend is the most memorable of my adult life. I enjoyed spending time with friends and family. This weekend was a time of sharing. Life continued moving at its steady ever increasing pace. But, for a brief instance everything stopped and I remembered to praise and give thanks to God.
At the center of the weekend, the beauty and image of a loving family gathered together to celebrate the matriarch’s sixty-ninth birthday warms my heart. Each person was there united to show respect, love, and good wishes to both the family and to the beautiful birthday lady.
What a wonderful lesson it was watching people working together, showing their concern, their vulnerability. What a beautiful evening it was viewed from the roof top of an office building in downtown Washington with awe inspiring views of the US Capitol, the Washington Monument, and other buildings on the skyline. Looking down at the US Capitol reflecting pool, surrounded by lights pleased me. I said several little prayers and I remembered seeing it from other angles, other perspectives.
At one point there was a discussion of where to attend Mass on Sunday. I was so pleased to have been invited but I had to decline because I was going to New York City. Immediately I was asked where I was going to attend Mass in New York? At Saint Patrick’s? I was also asked if I was still attending daily Mass. I made some feeble excuse about stopping in June.
Well, the question of daily Mass remained with me, in my heart and my mind. Luckily I had the internet connection and was able to locate a church within walking distance and was able to attend Sunday Mass, Monday Mass, and now I about to attend Tuesday 8:00 AM Mass.
Faith always needs encouragement. We have to remember to leave ourselves open to it.
In the crazy fast paced hurly-burly that is modern American life, any reason to spend time with loved ones should be cherished. Each second that we’re with those who love us is precious. Each time someone shows unconditional concern, unconditional love is beautiful. Our lives are filled with many sacred moments which are often missed because we are in a hurry, we are to busy to think and interpret the words.
A birthday party is a celebration for not just one person but for everyone present. Beyond the champagne and apple cider toasts, beyond the cake and candles, this birthday was about hope, remembering all the loved ones, both present and absent, alive and dead.
It was a celebration that gently highlighted a lifetime of beautiful sacrifices.
At the center of the weekend, the beauty and image of a loving family gathered together to celebrate the matriarch’s sixty-ninth birthday warms my heart. Each person was there united to show respect, love, and good wishes to both the family and to the beautiful birthday lady.
What a wonderful lesson it was watching people working together, showing their concern, their vulnerability. What a beautiful evening it was viewed from the roof top of an office building in downtown Washington with awe inspiring views of the US Capitol, the Washington Monument, and other buildings on the skyline. Looking down at the US Capitol reflecting pool, surrounded by lights pleased me. I said several little prayers and I remembered seeing it from other angles, other perspectives.
At one point there was a discussion of where to attend Mass on Sunday. I was so pleased to have been invited but I had to decline because I was going to New York City. Immediately I was asked where I was going to attend Mass in New York? At Saint Patrick’s? I was also asked if I was still attending daily Mass. I made some feeble excuse about stopping in June.
Well, the question of daily Mass remained with me, in my heart and my mind. Luckily I had the internet connection and was able to locate a church within walking distance and was able to attend Sunday Mass, Monday Mass, and now I about to attend Tuesday 8:00 AM Mass.
Faith always needs encouragement. We have to remember to leave ourselves open to it.
In the crazy fast paced hurly-burly that is modern American life, any reason to spend time with loved ones should be cherished. Each second that we’re with those who love us is precious. Each time someone shows unconditional concern, unconditional love is beautiful. Our lives are filled with many sacred moments which are often missed because we are in a hurry, we are to busy to think and interpret the words.
A birthday party is a celebration for not just one person but for everyone present. Beyond the champagne and apple cider toasts, beyond the cake and candles, this birthday was about hope, remembering all the loved ones, both present and absent, alive and dead.
It was a celebration that gently highlighted a lifetime of beautiful sacrifices.
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