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June 9,
2008

Moon Shadow

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Thoughts from Sister Patricia




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Quote for the Day:
When I am incapable of praying,
I want to keep telling him that I love him.
It?s not difficult, and it keeps the fire going.

St. Therese of Lisieux
Quote from the book, "101 Inspirational Stories of the Power of Prayer"


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Nice Sunday. Went and picked my mom up to bring her to the monastery for dinner. She was taking a nap and I went in to her room and she looked up and said, "OH! It's my little Patty!" Which I thought was rather nice - as often times I'm not sure she knows exactly who I am. She explained to the lady who was helping her... "This is my little Patty, I've known her since she was, oh, about this high," and she showed a height of a couple feet with her hand. Then we left and got in the car and were heading down the road to the monastery... and mom, to make a little small talk, says, "And how is your mother?" And I take my eyes off the road for a moment and look at her and say, "Oh, she's doing pretty good." She didn't ask for any more details which I thought as a good thing.

We stopped at the Dutch Bros for a couple of cocoa's with whip cream. Yum.. and continued on our way. Tomorrow my sister Euli is supposed to be coming for a visit. I wonder if she has known her for as long?

Today I learned just how mixed up I can be in communicating. I had been nursing some hurt feelings against this one sister for a few weeks. Nothing major.. just something I felt I had been wronged about but it was about time the air was cleared on it because it was starting to grow out of proportion. (On my side - of course she didn't even know I was upset) anyway we talked everything out and I come to find out it was all total miscommunication. I thought she was answering a question to something she thought was a totally different question entirely. How's that for clarity? We decided from now on that if something was really important that I wanted a clear answer to ... I would write it out and present it to her - because obviously my dear Watson - I write better than I talk! I do have difficulty with that sometimes to of course but that's another topic.

Anyway I have been laughing at myself for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe I would do better that way with confession too, eh? Of course, God is much better at reading hearts and everything else so he does have a better advantage.

Oh! and just one more thing to share before I wrap this up and call it quits. I've been reading this book about communication and it was talking about body language....which of course we have all heard is important.. but anyway it was saying that in this one survey they did of 2000 sales people.. not one of the sales went through if the person's legs were crossed. It didn't matter if they explained it by saying they were cold, or whatever.. the fact of the matter is that out of 2000 cases - every time they got a no response. Well, this started me thinking because lately when I've been talking to God about things... I've just felt more comfortable crossing my legs and sometimes pretty tight. In fact I was even talking to God about it.. sorry, but right now I just feel much more comfortable this way.... And it was sort of like a punch - "Hmmm, maybe I'm not as open to God right now as I think I'm thinking I am!"

Lah de dah... lah de dah.... God has such problems with his kids don't you konw?

Blessings of Peace and all Good,
Sister Patricia


Day Four


Memorare Novena
Petition:
For all those who are addicted and for those who suffer with them.

Pray Nine Times:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help,
or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come,
before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.



Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

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101 Inspirational Stories
of the Power of Prayer

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More things
are wrought by Prayer
than this world dreams of—

ALFRED LORD TENNYSON

God Heard Me
Mary Louise Noroski
Woodland Hills, California

When I was about seven years old, my mother became extremely ill with lung problems. I was unaware of the exact diagnosis but I knew it was something very serious.

One afternoon she was lying in bed and I was alone with her because my father had taken my two brothers out for groceries. After a time, my mother became very pale and tried to tell me that she was unable to breathe.

She started to gasp and panic. Immediately, in a reassuring voice, I tried to calm her by asking her to relax and just breathe, very slowly and evenly, which she proceeded to do.

To read the whole story, Continue

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/monasticmoments/archives/140702.asp

From the book 101 Inspirational Stories of the Power of Prayer
Joy from Meditation
Rejoice in Me
by Msgr. David E. Rosage

Fear But No Fear

Psalm 145:19
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him,
he hears their cry and saves them.


When Scripture uses the word "fear," it does not denote the emotion of anxious concern nor a dread of some lurking danger. Rather, fear means a profound reverence and respect for God's might and power. When we say that we fear God, it means that we stand in awe and admiration of the overflowing love and the abundant goodness which our gracious God continues to pour out upon us.

When we reverence God in this fashion, he will fulfill our every desire, especially the longing we have to be with him for all eternity.

Jesus assures us this reverence will be blessed:
"Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness;
they shall have their fill." (Mt 5:6)

Joy in Eating!
Healthy Eating from Barbara George

Elder Care Diet Tips
Your resource for hints on nutrition and health;
a place to learn and a place to share!

Visit Barb's Blog to leave comments and find more great tips.



Joy from Home
A Smile from Home - Danielle Bean

Today's Thought

Visit Danielle's Blog to see
pictures and links to go with this text.


Birthday Blessings


Today is my birthday. I am turning 36. I think.

I have the hardest time remembering my age. People ask me sometimes and I stammer while I try to do the math and invariably wind up asking one the kids to figure it out for me. It’s not that I’m running from my age — quite the opposite, in fact. I embrace it.

I remember the summer ten years ago when I was pregnant with Ambrose. Every day, while Dan worked landscaping at a local golf course, I would take 3-year-old Kateri and 2-year-old Eamon into the front yard of the small Cape we rented and let them play in the kiddie pool. I would pull a lawn chair up to the edge of the pool and sit my big, pregnant, sweltering self down there to soak my feet.

One day, when we were set up in this agreeable fashion, a car slowed as it passed us on the road nearby. A young woman leaned out of the window and shouted at me, “Wooooo! You go, girl!”

It was only then that I considered how ridiculous a largish pregnant woman might look while wading in a kiddie pool alongside a couple of preschoolers. My shouting fan made me smile.

Yesterday afternoon, Dan took some of the older kids fishing while others of us stayed behind. The little kids splashed and played in the kiddie pool. The air was heavy with heat and the hazy sun warmed my skin as I sat poolside with a book.

When pool play was over, I wrapped Daniel in a towel and brought him inside to dress him in a fresh diaper and a clean, dry T-shirt before naptime. As I carried him upstairs toward his bed, he hooked his legs around my middle and patted my face with a small, fat hand. His baby flesh was cool, smooth, and fresh.

After settling him, I returned outside and stood on our front deck. Wet towels littered the yard. Two escaped roosters strutted in the green field. As they scratched and pecked the ground for insects, they carried on a cackling, crowing conversation.

I stooped to gather the towels, but then paused for a moment to listen. I heard not only the roosters, but also the liquid twitter of swallows that are busy building homes in our bird houses. I heard the animated chatter of small children inside as they changed out of wet suits and planned their next afternoon activity. And I heard the words of my long-ago fan echoing in my ears.

“You go, girl!”

36 years have brought me here. And it’s an awfully nice place to be.



Joy from Rome
Greetings from London with Sister Janet Fearns, FMDM

Pause for Prayer

Visit Janet's Blog to see pictures to go with this text.

On a personal note…


Sunday afternoon

100_2054.JPG Admittedly it was Sunday afternoon, with the warm sun shining brightly and enticingly over the Thames, inviting even the most reluctant soul out-of-doors and, admittedly, St. Benet’s church is inconspicuous, the haunt of the Welsh-speaking Church of Wales (even if in London), but the door stood open invitingly.

Curious because its name suggested considerably greater antiquity than its architecture would have implied, I decided to explore.

The minister and his congregation were putting their heart and soul into the celebration of Evensong…but the congregation consisted of one lady and an unseen organist.

The trio offered a laudable example of commitment and perseverance. It must take a fair amount of faith and willpower to continue in such a situation. What happens if one person does not come to church? What if the minister himself is, for some reason or other, unable to participate? Presumably Evensong would have continued in the absence of an organist, but if a congregation is only three people, there are not many options available to the parish. There are not many people in London who speak Welsh and so the numbers of those attending any church services are always going to be small.

Yet small is beautiful. Tucked away, out of sight of the passing world, there were three people praising God on a Sunday afternoon. May God bless them…

And may he bless you, too.
Sr. Janet

Joy from Church
Spiritual Blessings from Father Rory Pitstick

A Virtual Retreat
Reflections following the Daily Liturgical cycle

Visit Fr. Rory's Blog

Monday

1 Kgs 17: 1-6
Ps 120(121): 1bc-2.
3-4. 5-6. 7-8
Mt 5: 1-12


Daily Readings
Jun 9 Mon: Ordinary Weekday/ Ephrem of Syria, d, dr


From today's readings: “You shall drink of the stream, and I have commanded ravens to feed you there.... Our help is from the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth.... Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven!”

True Blessednesss


A great overture was sounded once on a hill in Galilee - it was the fanfare of the Beatitudes, which was the beginning of the Lord’s great Sermon on the Mount. At first, the words sounded unbelievable - how could anyone honestly say “Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they who mourn, blessed are the meek...” In the eyes of the world, such people certainly are anything but “blessed!” Yet the fishermen and farmers who first heard these words, and down through the ages, many many people placed their faith in these words; many people, with their quiet honesty and integrity, have adopted this beautiful overture as their own theme song, not because of intrinsic appeal of the words themselves, but because of the integrity, the charisma of the Lord Jesus Who spoke these words.

For He proclaimed these words (and all that He taught), not just with His lips, but with His entire life. So, in fact, if we didn’t have the concrete example of the life of Jesus (echoed, as it is, in the lives of the saints who modeled their lives on His example) it would be foolish to give any credence to anything as clearly counter-cultural as these beatitudes.

But we do believe the beatitudes, not because they’re any secret of success for getting ahead in this world, but because our blessed Lord assures us that such blessedness is the best way to get a head out of this world.....


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