Crucifix willed to me from my Great Aunt Mary.

A wedding gift in the 1920's,

to her from Msgr. Keeley, her pastor of Saint Patrick's in Olyphant, Pa.

Thank God it is Friday!

This day for me seems to begin in the shadowed silhouette of a cross.

I arrive at this week's end with a weighted heart

for so many who are suffering,

through trials in health and challenges in life.

There is a mother friend of many children

who has been given the report of a questionable mammogram,

and faces a possible biopsy on Monday.

There is the young football player

who suffered a severe possible spinal cord injury last evening,

and a student who has cancer in my sons' school.

There are health issues in my own family

and trials in the lives of my children

that seem to have enhanced my garden priorities

to 'weed and feed'

in the ways of our Heavenly Family.

What is a mother to do?

In the early weeks of school,

I found myself bouncing out of bed by 5am.

There is much quiet, prayer time at such an hour,

when my husband departs early

and my children are too tired to stir.

In those early weeks, I found the grace, through prayer,

to teach my children 'to follow'

and to inspire them 'to lead'

in the ways of the Lord.

I have been faced with days this week of

less quiet time and more trial time.

One particular day this week,

I lamented that I hadn't been able to spend time with the Lord,

…just us two.

I seemed to spend my whole day searching for His gaze.

Suddenly, one of my sons, out of nowhere

came up to me and kissed me.

It was as if the Lord was showing me,

that He ...

finds me ...

through their love.

In all these mysteries in the Lord,

I take to heart the very advice I have been giving my children all week,

as they play with their friends across the street after school.

"Look both ways before crossing" has been my meditation,

as I seal every thought, trial, desire, and pray,

with the sign of His life, His Passion for love,

and His desire to make all things new.

By way of this Sign,

it is possible to rest in the light of His providence,

and to trust in the consolations of His mercy.

Sunday is just a promise away.

September 25, 2009

Sharon

The USS WASP WARSHIP

Norfolk, Virginia

Anchor's Away!

As our families are underway in school, we are all experiencing a submersion into family life. The early days of school remind me of that deep 'submarine' experience where the mission takes on the day in hidden purposeful directions. Although I personally prefer the 'cruise ship' experience, and sometimes feel we are on the 'Titanic' in these early days, the sacramental life has proven to keep our family cabin pressure in balance. As I come up for air, the rhythm of the Holy Rosary has kept this mom from hyperventilating! We’ve already had to visit our spiritual hyperbaric chamber in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we breathe the holy Breath of God, renewing our family life together. Our efforts to attend frequent Daily Mass began on the first day of school.

At O’dark thirty, on the first day of school, we rushed out to the closest Mass where our sons attend high school at Pope John Paul the Great. As we walked into the Chapel, much to our delight, we happened to chance upon Our Lord there to greet us, surrounded by candlelight! Father Matthew is offering Adoration each day before school for the teachers and students. Planned by Providence, our first event for the school year was to ‘dock’ our family there before the Lord, brought to us by Father Matthew.

The very first words of the school season spoken by Father Matthew as he reposed Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament caused us to rest in this timeless praise, “O Sacrament, Most Holy! O Sacrament Divine! All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment, Thine…

The phrase, ‘Every moment, Thine’ has become a source of reflection for me and has captured my heart’s desire for our family this school year. The Latin translation for this is ‘Sulum Moment Macies’. I pray for the grace to witness to the unfolding of this desire in our family life, day by day, “Be Every moment, Thine, O Lord!”

Another opportunity to attend Mass occurred on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We sat awaiting Mass to begin at the school Chapel, when the varsity football team arrived to attend Mass before practice. Father Matthew shared that he has never seen a Chapel so full on this feast day and never has he known of the varsity football team anywhere to attend. Father believed that Our Lady must have wanted them to be there. Father’s homily served to teach us well of the Most Bountiful God, expressed by Pope Pius the XII, in the Apostolic Constitution, Munificentissimus Deus, defining the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a 48 paragraph encyclical that unfolds new insights and sentiments, at every visitation.

As we have been sent forth from these Masses, each time I seem to be reminded that even as we complete our second week of school, only His grace is sufficient for the day. Our weaknesses and fallen nature do not prevent His passionate gaze of Love and Mercy on the smallest of efforts, when done in love. In His love, we live, we move, we sink, we cruise, we float, we dock, all in the vessel of family life. All done in the waves of His Church, with His Star of the Sea, Our Lady Mother to guide us along. Anchors Away!

September 11, 2009

Sharon

We've begun our second year with the

Pope John Paul the Great Catholic High School family.

Brendan and Jason are now at the school.

On the first day of school, September 2, 2009,

Father Matthew invited all students and families

to attend the blessing of this statue, made in Italy,

provided by a unanimous doner of our Patron,

the great one, Pope John Paul II.

As one walks into the school, a sense of blessing,

joy and invitation greets the wayfarer.

The plaque with Pope John Paul's words to young people

rests to the right of the statue.

The motto we embrace from our beloved Pope, is to "Be Not Afraid".

This scripture passage leaves me with so much of what

Pope John Paul expressed in his life of evangelization.

"Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch."

Luke 5:1-11