I have no rest til I rest in thee

I was excited for St. Monica's feast day yesterday.  She's a great reminder for me to never stop praying for our children to return to the faith.  St. Augustine her son....a great sinner yet a great saint... teaches us that there is always hope for us to return to the Church.  He quoted...'Lord make me good but not yet.'  I laugh to myself every time I'm reminded of him saying that.  Later he say's... 'Lord I have no rest til I rest in thee.'  Thank goodness for his mother praying relentlessly for his conversion.  He's one of the four doctor's of the Church.  St. Augustine pray for us.  

Mary Queen Of The Rosary....Pray For Us

Growing up....I witnessed my mom having a great devotion to Our Lady .  She was faithful to the rosary.  She took (dragged) me to novena's.  She didn't talk a lot about Mary but I knew Mary was in her heart by observing her.  I didn't have a devotion to Our Lady like my mother.  I thought...I had the "ins" with Mary through my mother!

Fast forward many years to now.

At the end of my mom's life when she was in the hospital...I would visit the hospital chapel and pray ten Hail Mary's.  It's all I could do since I didn't know how to pray the rosary.  After my mom passed away...I started to pray the rosary.  Praying it has given me peace and has brought me closer to Jesus.  It feels right.  

After my mom passed... I asked Mary to be my mother.  That too felt right.  Now...I look to her for guidance.  My youngest went off to college and I'm confronted with a quiet empty house.  I think of Mary when her Son left to start his public ministry.  How quiet her home must have been.  Can you imagine the loneliness she must  have felt...the Son of God leaving her....the most perfect Son?  Can you imagine the things the Son of God had taught her?  He was the most perfect loving child.  He loved her the most over any human being.  How alone she must have felt.

She always accepted the will of God.

She was the first disciple to her Son and the most perfect mother.  Saint John Paul II describes Mary's crowning moment was standing at the foot of the Cross next to John the disciple.   John, He says, "Woman, behold, your son."  Then, to John, "Behold, your mother" (John 19:26-27).  With these words...Jesus gives Mary as Mother to each and everyone of us.

In a way I did have the "ins" with Mary through my mother.  I got to know her through my mom.  Although...I had always had the "ins" with Mary through our loving Father.


Note:  James Foley the young man that was beheaded prayed the rosary in captivity.  When he was home after his first captivity... he described how he prayed the rosary on his knuckles.  He prayed the rosary because he witnessed his mother and grandmother praying it.  The rosary is a beautiful way to bring us closer to Jesus Christ.  I'm sure it brings his family and the rest of us comfort knowing that he prayed this powerful prayer.  There really is no greater weapon against evil...not even the hatchet that beheaded James Foley.


Queen of the rosary....pray for us.

So.....

So it's been a while since I've posted.  Within the last year or so... we have relocated to a different state for a job transfer....one daughter graduated from college and has started her second year as a teacher.  Another daughter has graduated from high school and she's starting her second year of college.  My husband and I have finished renovating our cottage and we've started to rent it out to vacationers.  We have spruced up our new (older) house and it's starting to feel like home.
Finding a new parish for us was different this time.  In the past we pretty much went to the nearest church for mass.  This time we shopped.  Shopping for a parish was not the norm years ago and I don't know if it is now.  Usually...one would belong to the parish that was closest to their home.  This time we knew what we were looking for in a parish.  When we attended our first mass there...we knew we were home.  The first row was occupied by 5 nuns in full habit.  There were at least 6 alter boys with white gloves on (in fact, girl alter servers are not allowed), incense and chanting.  Holy Eucharist is received on the tongue and kneeling down all part of a traditional mass.    A few of those past alter servers are now in the seminary and recently one of those young men just passed a way.  A few weeks ago... one young parishioner took her vows as a sister.  Our priest is a convert and he's young and on fire!  We have perpetual adoration for two days a week.  We are blessed to have found a Church that doesn't practice watered down Catholicism.  We are blessed.

St. Joseph The Worker

"Do not lose hope; St. Joseph also experienced moments of difficulty, but he never lost faith and was able to overcome them, in the certainty that God never abandons us." 

~Pope Francis

 

 

 

St. Ephrem Of Syria

"What a wonder is Mary! The Lord entered her, and became a Servant; the Word entered her, and became silent within her; Thunder entered her, and His voice was still; the Shepherd of all entered her, and He became a Lamb in her, and came forth bleating."

–St. Ephrem of Syria

 

 



Simon of Cyrene

 

Simon of Cyrene was forced to help Christ carry the cross on that long dusty road to the top of the mountain.  Simon reluctantly came into the faith but ended up finding it sweet.  His two sons Rufus and Alexander became bishops of the early church. 



Mercy

 

You made all of the delicate, inner parts of my body, and knit them together in my mother's womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  It is amazing to think about it.  Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it.  You were there while I was being formed to utters seclusion.  You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. 

Psalms 139:13-15

 

A difficult pregnancy can seem impossible at the time.  Isn't life the most profound gift you can  give someone? 

 A woman's remorse may happen later on in her life.  God's love, mercy and forgiveness is always there.  My Catholic faith teaches me this.  I'm thankful that the Catholic Church defends life.   

 The only way to save babies is by saving mothers.  When a mother feels the mercy of God then can she be merciful to her unborn child.

After all....aren't the unborn...temples of the Holy Spirit too?

 

 



Wishing You a Blessed New Year

Hoping you feel and see His presence in everything.