Special Mother

First of all...today is a beautiful day weather-wise.  We have had HOTTTT and HUMID....hello this is WI summer!  But today is truly a day to enjoy and be grateful....soon we will be seeing COLOR and then....snowflakes!  I can wait!

The "special mother"...today is St. Monica, mother of Augustine, the wild one.  For YEARS, I think I heard once 30 years...am not sure about that...but it was a LOOONNNGGG time Monica prayed for the conversion of both her husband and her son.

The power of prayer and patience: both were converted, and as we know Augustine became the great St. Augustine, whose feast we celebrate tomorrow. 

Quoting from "Give Us This Day": Augustine became one of the great architects of Christian theology.  In the vast library of his works he left his mark on virtually every aspect of Christian  doctrine.  Yet if he had left no other legacy than his autobiographical "Confessions" this book alone would assure his place in the history of Christian spirituality  In "Confessions" he reflected on the meaning of his life in light of the pivotal turning point: his conversion..."

You may recall his famous: "You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."

If Augustine could change, there's hope for us all, no matter how we may "stray"....trust!

And Monica, the special mother teaches us "how to deal with people who do not meet our expectations, to be forbearing and nonjudgmental..."  Quite a challenge!

And remember: "My grace is sufficient for you." and for me. 

Home again....

I thank the Lord for the safety of all my travels.  Went home (NM and CO) for a family wedding.  It was wonderful to see the many family and friends I had not seen for quite some time.

The wedding was a Spanish wedding...Mass in Spanish, guitar hymns...with a beat!  Happy beat!

The dancing was wonderful too.  I love to dance, so I naturally had a good time.

Then returned to Pueblo for a few more days with my brother and his family, after which they drove me to Denver to spend time with my other brother....again THANK YOU, GOD!

Am back home now....psyching myself up for returning to work tomorrow!!!

Lots to get back to....

Special Lady

Today is the feast of St Mary Magdalene....my special lady!

Actually the special lady of the Church..She is the APOSTLE TO THE APOSTLES.The one Jesus SENT to announce the Good News of the resurrection.  Jesus told her to "go to my brothers and tell them..." The first to see the risen Jesus! A woman! The one he entrusted to take the Good News! A woman! Who said she was not an IMPORTANT lady....

It's unfortunate that in 591 Pope Gregory I identified Mary Magdalene as the repentant prostitute, the sinful woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears and dried then with her hair and anointed them with oil. This Pope did her a disservice as she is MORE than this...as we see in the Gospel. The one Jesus chose to a appear to FIRST...and then to asked to be the bearer of resurrection news! THe first proclaimer of the Good NEws! All this specialness: a woman!How happy and grateful we women ought to be! And I love how Jesus called her by name...and calls each of us as well.

How do we repond?

Let's be bearers of Good News....

Good thinking....

A beautiful day today....we had two "chilly" for WI summer days.  What  a difference the sun makes!

Just found the following and thought it was good to share:

If you are depressed, you are living in the past.
If you are anxious, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are living the present.

Thought that was right on....where are you...most of the time?

Hope and pray....at peace!

Mini-vacation

Some people go abroad...I go to green Bay, just miles north...no big deal, really.

I just had the "get-away bug"!  But where?  Especially for just the weekend.  Did search possibilities.  I am not a shopper, so the  popular area north of us is not for me....primarily shops, and lots of them, but I get bored LOOKING at all I really do not need...may want.

So after some googling I decided on Green Bay.  One of my Sisters agreed to go along.  For two days we slowed down, toured some interesting places, and just enjoyed God's beauty.

On my return, my "bug" was still active, so I actually went to Bastille days which I had NEVER attended...LOTS of people, booths, music, and, of course, French food.  Was there for about an hour, ran into friends from some of my former life, which was great.

It is good to do the unexpected, be spontaneous, and just surprise yourself.

Now I am preparing to go on retreat next week...my annual "spiritual get-away"...will return renewed, refreshed, and having had a spiritual shot in the arm....actually in my whole being!

Do you go on retreats?  The best thing you could do....treat yourself!

July 4th....

July 4th!  What is this day about anyway?  What do we really celebrate?  Commemorate?

Fireworks?  Cookouts?  Free day?  Long weekend?

How many of us are consciously aware, not only AWARE....but ALIVELY AWARE, of the WHY and the WHAT of the 4th of July.

We pause, we stop....we celebrate...why?

And should not each day be a celebration of the 4th of July?

weekend....

Am looking forward to the weekend...going to the BIG city of Oshkosh!  Business and play...and the drive should be good.

From Dorothy Day:  when you love people, you see all the good in them...all the Christ in them.  God sees Christ in us and so we too should see Christ in others....nothing else....and love them.

Great quote....wonderful idea...quite the challenge...but we try!

BLESSINGS.......