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