Pleasant Changes

Cannot believe the sunny part-of-a-day we have had today....and the good temp...23 or so.  Feels like a heat-wave!  We have had such cccoooollllldddd temps for the last couple of weeks.

Hope your 2015 has begun well and moving just as well.  How are you at New Year's resolutions?  Lots of them?  Hope not.  Cause then we forget...at least I did...what all we planned.  It is best to  reflect on how/where do I want to make a change...and concentrate on that.  One good, serious intent!

Remember:  each day is a new beginning!

BLESSINGS on your 2015....and your plan to change...and become a "better version of yourself" as Matthew Kelly suggests.

Home again...home again....

Yes, I am back in Milwaukee....safely....thank the Lord.  No weather related issues, but certainly scheduling issues. My flight to Denver was no problems at all...return was a totally different story with a two hour delay in departure.  With our time change of an hour ahead, that was LATER.  Then my shared shuttle took the other passengers all over Milwaukee first....or so it seemed, getting me home at 3:30 a.m......yes, morning!  The one plus was that I got to see the city's Christmas decorations, really beautiful....trees all lit up.  It IS helpful to find the positive!

Now we are truly freezing....30 below is nothing to sneeze at...although if we are not careful we will be sneezing!  And more snow is predicted for tomorrow.  At work all meetings scheduled for this evening were cancelled and tomorrow the schools are closed.  Can you imagine the kids?

Hope your holy/holidays were restful, renewing, and joy-filled.

I just have to share the homily I heard on Epiphany.  The presider compared the Magi's gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the gifts we share with our parishes:  time, talent and treasure.  I thought that was a good connection.

So, I pray your 2015 brings you the blessings you need in this new year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR..... 

MERRY CHRISTMAS....

Indeed MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope you have a WONDER-FILLED and a WONDERFUL  CHRISTMAS....

It is now 2:59 a.m. and am on my way to the airport.  Have an emergency at home in CO so have an unexpected Christmas home-visit.  Have not been home for Christmas in a long time...but the others were exciting and joy-filled ones.

Life is like that...it varies....and what do I read so often?  Live life with open hands...

The one wonderful thing is that we have no snowy or icy roads and it is not freezing cold.

I pray that your Christmas is filled with all the special blessings of this holy season....and that they overflow into 2015!

Gaudate Sunday....

Gaudete Sunday meaning REJOICE Sunday....we light the third candle....the pink one!  Just two more Advent weeks.  Then we celebrate Jesus' birthday.  Celebrate the reason he came.

REJOICE....that was the theme of this past Sunday's readings...a reminder how we are to be a joyful people.  And truly we have lots for which to be joyful....take a few minutes and reflect on your joys. True, especially our world, our country has so many issues...and often our families, but in the midst of it all...we can find some "joy" pearls...important to keep ourselves positive.

In Sunday's noon message, Pope Francis emphasized JOY....he said "Man's (and woman's) heart desires joy,  Every family, every people aspires to happiness."  He said we are to be "missionaries of joy" and how joy should be part of our lifestyle.

Let's take up Pope Francis suggestion to be missionaries of joy in our families, our neighborhoods, our workplace.

REJOICE!

A Special Day....

Yes.  Today is a special day....December 12th....feast of OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE.  We celebrate Mary appearing to the Indian Juan Diego in 1531 on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico.  She asked Juan to go to the Bishop and tell him that she wanted a church built where she appeared to him.  Of course the bishop thought:  certainly the Mother of God would NOT come to some insignificant ignorant fellow...so he asked for sign.

And a sign the Mother of God gave him.  When she chatted with Juan Diego again he told her of his conversation with the bishop.  She told him to pick some flowers....winter, no flowers, but there they were, and some not peculiar to Mexico.  Juan put them in his tilma (cape) to take to the bishop.  When Juan opened his tilma to give the flowers to the bishop....on his tilma, imprinted was the image of the Lady with whom he spoke.  Of course the bishop believed.  How much like this doubting bishop we are sometimes!

The events of Guadalupe remind us that regardless of who/what we are, we are called to be bearers of Christ...to bring Christ into our families, neighborhoods, workplace, parish....wherever we are.

Where are YOU called to bring Christ TODAY?

Gracious God,  empower me to be the image of your Son today.  To image Jesus to all I meet and    also to recognize Jesus in everyone who is a part of  my life.

wonders continue............

Yes....myriad wonders, but I do not always take note as I am "stuck" with being grateful for the "wonders" of our temps....it is absolutely unbelievable that our December is bringing us such beautiful temps. The weekend, they say, will be in the 40's.  Thank you, God!
Appreciate this...for it shall not last.

And, of course, it is my favorite liturgical season as well: advent....season of watching and waiting and slowing down and quiet...as we prepare to celebrate a special birthday...our Saviour's.

In our preparation, we listen to John the Baptist "proclaiming a baptism of repentance."  To share Janet Schaeffler's thoughts: "Perhaps before looking into the manger (or to the commercials, decorations, gift-buying, etc.) we need to listen to John... (who) emphatically tells us to repent...a simple "about face".  We turn away and turn toward something new.

John's message, the message of Advent, invites us to ask ourselves: Have I gone deep enough?  Am I just living on the surface?  Does the busyness of Christmas preparations disrupt time for prayer, for deepening my relationship with Jesus?  Is my pre-Christmas calendar so full that there is no time for the people in my life, no time for caring for those who are hurting?"

Lots to look at, reflect, take in...and act.

ADVENT BLESSINGS...

Wonders

Yes, I am still singing the wonders of our temps...thank you, God, again for keeping the cccooolllddd far from here for a long while yet....I hope and pray, but knowing Wisconsin....it will be here sooner than I want....although as I look out my window I see the trees swinging which means there is a breeze....and I'm sure it's not a mellow one.

Anyway to my favorite topic at this time:  ADVENT.  Second Sunday today.  We had a wonderful homily on PATIENCE...something I need greatly.  Have never been a patient person.  I want everything to go JUST right...as I...I...I want it and right now.

Fr. noted three helps:  slow down, watch your expectations, and let go.  Told myself to try them.

Then, for our reading, we had John the Baptist.  My reflection book has a really good idea: 
"Perhaps before looking into the manger (or to the commercials, decoration, gift-buying, etc.) we need to listen to John....who emphatically tells us to repent, which is one of those religious words we might miss.  Yet it is simple (and challenging): an "about face."  We turn away and turn toward something new...

The message of Advent invites us to ask ourselves: Have I gone deep enough?  Am I just living on the surface?  Does the busyness of Christmas preparations disrupt time for prayer, for deepening my relationship with Jesus?  Is my pre-Christmas calendar so full that there is no time for the people in my life, no time for caring for those who are hurting?"

The author then suggests that we place a picture of a traffic turn-around sign on our fridge or com-
puter screen...suggesting we look at where we might do an "about-face" turnaround, these Advent days.

Quite the challenges these days.  Let's wish each other luck and ADVENT BLESSINGS..........

Wonders continue

Yes....myriad wonders, but I do not always take note as I am "stuck" with being grateful for the "wonders" of our temps....it is absolutely unbelievable that our December is bringing us such beautiful temps. The weekend, they say, will be in the 40's.  Thank you, God!
Appreciate this...for it shall not last.

And, of course, it is my favorite liturgical season as well: advent....season of watching and waiting and slowing down and quiet...as we prepare to celebrate a special birthday...our Saviour's.

In our preparation, we listen to John the Baptist "proclaiming a baptism of repentance."  To share Janet Schaeffler's thoughts: "Perhaps before looking into the manger (or to the commercials, decorations, gift-buying, etc.) we need to listen to John... (who) emphatically tells us to repent...a simple "about face".  We turn away and turn toward something new.

John's message, the message of Advent, invites us to ask ourselves: Have I gone deep enough?  Am I just living on the surface?  Does the busyness of Christmas preparations disrupt time for prayer, for deepening my relationship with Jesus?  Is my pre-Christmas calendar so full that there is no time for the people in my life, no time for caring for those who are hurting?"

Lots to look at, reflect, take in...and act.

ADVENT BLESSINS..

Looking for God

Beginning our "Be watchful.  Be ready....for you know not when the Son of Man is coming"  from one of our Advent songs. We sang it on Sunday and it has been resonating in my head since.  Not a bad resonating, I guess.

I'm using Janet Schaeffler, O.P.'s  advent reflection booklet "The Marvels and Mysteries of Advent" for reflection.  I find it really good.

In her introduction she notes that we are bombarded with unending messages....especially during the Advent-Christmas season.  She notes that the " main message of Advent-Christmas proclaims the reality of who we are and of all that we have been given: Emmanuel, God is with us, every day within our 24/7 lives....we are comforted and challenged with numerous additional messages: unquenchable hope, profound joy, serene peace, generous compassion, patient waiting, and open-handed service.  These messages tell us much about who our God is, who we are, and whose we are...may the messages of loving mysteries and wondrous marvels touch each of your days."

What wondrous words!  Much to reflect on.  I especially like the "additional messages"...wonderful qualities....wonderful blessings......I wish you these!

ADVENT BLESSINGS..........

My favorite liturgical season....

You guessed it: Advent.  It's only four weeks (not like our Lenten 8). 

A season of waiting and watching, of expectation, of the soft, quiet snowfall emphasizing the quiet of Advent, of vigilance, of preparing....to celebrate a special, a famous birth....to prepare for how Jesus comes in, oh, so many ways into each of or lives. Advent gets us into that habit...to be vigilant for Jesus' daily comings.

I wish you a prayerful, quiet, peaceful Advent

BE WATCHFUL!  BE VIGILANT!  He will come in the most unexpected ways!

Wonders....

Hope you had a wonderful day Thursday....not only enjoying the MUCH with which we are blessed, but taking time to recall and give thanks for all the ways you have been blessed: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually....AND...let's make each day a THANKS GIVING day....to take a few minutes each day....perhaps en route to work, if you do not take time for prayer in the morning...to just reflect how you were blessed the day before....or at the end of the day, while you are falling asleep...look at how your were blessed during the day...or be creative, find your own best time.

My title for this "blog"....wonders....and my "wonders" is the beautiful day today....it is actually nice out there, temps are beautiful....just what I like for.....I do not like the cold.  SO...another thing for which to say "GRACIAS!"    

And my favorite liturgical season begins this weekend: ADVENT....the season to take time for quiet, to be vigilant...to await, to prepare to celebrate the birthday of our Saviour....to prepare for his second coming.

I wish you an Advent season of peace, quiet, and vigilance.

GRACIAS...DANKE....GRAZIE....MERCI....

Yes, it's that time when we are reminded of the importance of GRATITUDE.  Thanksgiving Day...as if we ought to give thanks ONCE A YEAR.  I'm sure we all give thanks lots more than once a year.  Thanks to the "GIVER OF ALL GOOD GIFTS" as our Eucharistic prayer says.  And, of course, we know that EUCHARIST means THANKSGIVING....so every time we participate in Mass, we are actually GIVING THANKS....I do not always remember, unfortunately.

And, of course, this feast reminds us of expressing our thanks...in our family, our work and parish community.  When was the last time you thanked your pastor and members of your parish team?  We just so take it all for granted.  I think we are all SOOOO busy about many things that these "thanks" fall through the cracks.  It's not that we are not thankful, it's just that we forget, and so it appears that we are not appreciative.

Perhaps taking some reflection time, some quiet time to list, yes, on paper, all your blessings---all the persons, the events, the abilities, and, of course, the "stuff"---with which we are blessed...and be grateful, not only to our generous God, but to these people.

And let us keep up our "THANK YOU SO MUCH"....

I wish you a grateful Thanksgiving....and thank you for reading my blog...

Brrrrr

Yes...you guessed it!  We have been freezing here in WI....for me specifically the Milwaukee area.  We do have cold winters, but this just came too early and too much....yet I hear that we in the US are all suffering together, but none like NY.  We need to send them the warmth of our prayers, absolutely.

In spite of the cold we had our Local Community meeting. It's always great to get together and catch up with what is happening with our sisters. And we celebrated two of our sisters' LIFE day....we never even asked how old????

And we continue to keep informed about Human Trafficking and join in whatever ways we can to liberate and protect the victims.  So horrific....and we understand our area is quite guilty.  Lord, forgive us...and do protect and liberate the victims.

I encourage you to learn about human trafficking and do your part as you are able.  Your help is sorely needed.

Keep warm...share the warmth of your faith, of your spirituality.

WARM BLESSINGS......  

Another wonderful "quickie"

I just discovered this site....I hope you can access it and subscribe to it.  It is just what the dr. ordered!

3MinuteRetreat@LoyolaPress.com.

Enjoy...be blessed....and I hope those 3 minutes each day do marvels in your life.

A Quickie

I found this prayer which I think is wonderful....

Give me faith, dear God, to face
Each hour throughout this day,
And not to worry over things
I can't change in any way.

AUTUMN BLESSINGS.........

All Saints Day/All Souls Day

Nov 1:  All Saints....Nov 2: All Souls...two wonderful feasts.

All Saints we remember those holy women and men whom the Church has pronounced saints....yet I believe we are all saints.  I have always held that a saint is someone who tries to be the best s/he can be or as Matthew Kelly says: to be the best version of yourself.

Do you have someone special "up there"? Your namesake? Someone you admire for how s/he lived? How about your deceased friends, parents?  Absolutely!

Then we have All Souls Day, a consoling feast, when we remember our loved ones who have died.  We pray that they are enjoying eternal joy and peace.  We thank God for them, for who they were for us.  This holy day also is a reminder that we will be joining them....who knows when...so let's be the best we can be "one day at a time". 

Trust

Just returned from a drive of PRAISE and THANKS....autumn beauties.

I get these mediations by Fr. Richard Rohr....you may know of him...a great writer, spiritual guide, Franciscan and more.  I want to share the one I read today on TRUST...something that does not come easy to me.

He writes: "What you can rust is that you are being guided...you realize that God is letting this happen to you now to teach you something, to show 'you something, or to love you in a new way...
the Spirit in you allows you to trust that there's a reason for this; God is even in this...when a YES and not a NO first comes to your soul and to your heard, then you can see God in the moment and see guidance in this event being given to you by the provident hand of God.  You can trust nothing is wanting."

Is that not of God...for me right now, YES!

Take time to sit with this.

AUTUMN BLESSINGS.......

Finally....

I am "finally" back....praise the Lord.

I think I wrote this before....but I am SOOOOOO taken by the beauty of Autumn...those trees, those leaves just leave me awestruck, breathless....standing there with my mouth wide open...and a word of  praise, thanks, and awe.....

And we forget that we are just as....no...more beautiful....we too are God's "work of art"!  Let's be in awe of each other.

AUTUMN BLESSINGS......

CELEBRATE!

We have had so many days to celebrate something special:  St Therese, the Little Flower on the 3rd; Angels on the 2nd; my birthday on the 1st; and today, the 4th  Francis of Assisi....the 7th Holy Rosary.  I best stop there.

It is good to have days to celebrate...they balance the ordinary and the dark days.  Balance is ALWAYS the key to being happy:  work, play and pray; give and be open to receive gratefully... now you think of other ways to keep in balance.

The beauty of the Autumn season is beginning to show.  I love to drive and just take in the wonderful artistic work of our God...it is truly breathtaking.  And it is amazing how the trees "know" just the when and the how. 

I hope you find....no, TAKE time to marvel and enjoy this aspect of our marvelous creative divine Artist. 

Special Days....

Today, the 14th is the feast of the EXALTATION OF THE CROSS.  We usually see the cross as a symbol of Jesus' death and so a painful memory....yet a grateful sense.  BUT, we know that the cross is a symbol, a reminder of our REDEMPTION.  This is s joyful memory.  How grateful we are for Jesus taking on our load upon himself and SAVING US.  So gratitude.

This feast was established way back (I do not know my history)....but you may recall St. Helena who discovered the true cross.  Why don't your google this....interesting.

Let's renew our gratitude for the CROSS....perhaps by being more intentional in making the sign of the Cross.  Perhaps looking at how we handle the little "crosses" of our dailyness.

THEN....tomorrow the 15, we celebrate the feast of the SORROWFUL MOTHER. ...and why would I be so excited about that?  It is the feast of our congregation:  we are the SISTERS OF THE SORROWFUL MOTHER.   Our sisters locally are getting together for dinner.

Another title is Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows.  We honor seven of Mary's sorrowful events....I'm sure there were more.  I'd like to share them with you.

1.  The Prophecy of Simeon...when baby Jesus was presented in the temple, Simeon said to Mary: your heart a sword shall pierce.
2.  The Flight into Egypt:  Joseph taking Mary and the child fleeing to Egypt to save Jesus' life.
3.  The Loss of Jesus for three days....on their trip to Jerusalem, the 12-year old disappeared...isn't that just like a 12-year old?
4.  Mary meets Jesus on his way to Calvary
5.  Mary is with Jesus as he is crucified and dies on the Cross
6.  Mary receives the body of her Son into her arms....(the Pieta)
7.  Mary buries her son   

These are the "mysteries" of the chaplet of the Sorrowful.  It consists of an Our Father
and seven Hail Mary's followed with a Glory Be...

Perhaps you can join us in this prayer...or the "Stabat Mater"...a long "story" prayer to Mary
See what you can find with google "Stabat Mater".

"Holy Mother pierce me through
In my heart each wound renew  
Of my Savior crucified....(from the Stabat Mater)

Join us in this celebration of gratitude to Mary, our Sorrowful Mother.