Oh dear; I'm about to go on Audrey overload

For as much as I love Audrey Assad, I have to admit that I don't own ANY of her albums. Isn't that the worst? A Christmas or two ago, I'd bought Fortunate Fall for my daughter. Then I "borrowed" the CD, and still haven't given it back. (She's OK with that, since she ripped the album into her iTunes library.)

To expand my Audrey repertoire, I've been listening to her tracks and playlists on YouTube, and loving everything I hear. Then I went to the iTunes Store and previewed all her tracks from all her albums, and I gotta say, I HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF THEM. That is all. This fantastic song is from her album Heart:



This is a great live version. Want the official video with lyrics? Go here. 

Do not be troubled; His eye is on the sparrow. Have a great day.

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest

But I suppose there are various ways to define "rest." One thinks of the phrase, "A change is as good as a rest," and today I will have to hew to that version. After Mass, we're heading north (45 miles) to visit my husband's parents for the afternoon. In the evening, Hubby is going to drive our teens back to the parish for youth group, but I'm staying in town to see Faure's Requiem (woot! All my life I've longed to see that performed). I hope to catch a ride back home with a friend. Fingers crossed that it will all work out, and that the weather will cooperate (yesterday we had a blizzard, so you never know.)

But back to the idea of "rest."  There is this concept of "Resting in the Lord," and it's something we should strive to do on a regular basis, whether it's Sunday or not. Most people I know (including yours truly) seem inordinately stressed a lot of the time; it just seems to be the way life is. And there are no signs of it letting up, especially as postmodern society gets more bizarre by the day. 

We need to "get away," which is, I suspect, why people who can afford it --and even some who can't-- take exotic vacations. Some people of faith take pilgrimages to various holy sites in the world; others go on retreat as often as they can. But sometimes you just can't get away...or can you? 

The answer is yes. It's called prayer. More specifically, contemplative prayer, which mainly just means sitting still and quiet and focussing on God. Which is kind of hard to do, especially if you are a restless sort of person, or if you have a million things to think and worry about. But my main aid in this pursuit is listening to calm worship music. It's a way to touch and commune with God without leaving your bedroom.

One of my favourite artists is Audrey Assad. If you don't know her music, seriously, look her up. She has lengthy playlists on YouTube (not that I recommend those for prayer, since they are interspersed with annoying ads). I have her album Fortunate Fall, but I'm going to acquire more--in fact all of them. I love her that much. She helps me connect with God, and that is no small feat. 

If you have time today (and please try) sit still and listen to this track. And meditate upon the words. 

Lover of my soul, even unto death...

Have a blessed Third Sunday of Lent. 

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More heaven

This is yet another song that my daughter has been practicing. She accompanies the junior church choir for Sunday Mass, and also when they compete in choral classes in the local music festival. It is for the latter that she is preparing this piece, although (I hope) the choir will also sing it during the Easter Triduum.

I love this song because of its inherent beauty, truth and holiness, but also because it was composed by a Canadian duo for World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, Canada. I will never forget that event, even though I could not attend (having recently given birth, which sort of chartecterizes most years of my life between 1988 and 2004). I watched it on TV, and Pope (now Saint!) John Paul II was of course in his declining years (health-wise), and the Canadian state TV network (CBC, a leftist outlet) were all cynical and critical and "oh he's so frail, he has to exit the plane with an elevator, yadda yadda yadda" and then the Holy Father left the plane of his own accord and WALKED down the stairs and rendered the reporters speechless. It was so satisfying.

The music for the Masses of WYD 2002 was just wonderful. I still get teary-eyed thinking about it, and I still watch reruns on YouTube. It was a moment in history--wish I could have been there.

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I had meant to post this on Monday

But... procrastination. I wonder if I'll ever overcome it? Maybe someday...

As I had mentioned last Friday, I attended the St. Therese Institute  Lenten conference in Bruno, SK. It was a fantastic and grace-filled weekend--all the more so because I was able to experience it with three of my daughters and several other good friends. And, as always, I made some new ones (friends, that is).

"Drive forth, O Lord, all darksome things"

Image: St. Peter's Church, Toronto

This is why we need poetry in our lives. Isn't that one of the best lines you've ever read? It comes from the opening hymn from Morning Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours). If you do not pray the LOTH, you should seriously consider it, because it's the next most legit thing to attending daily Mass. (Yes, it's even "better" than the daily rosary, and that is saying a LOT.) If you don't know what it is, or where to begin, read this book. Available in ebook format, so you can start within the next 10 minutes if you want. I can't overstate how important this form of prayer is in my life.

We all have suffering and darkness in our lives, and we want God to take it away. Sometimes, the only prayer we can muster is, "God, help me; I can't deal with this crap."  But if we're going to pray that prayer, we might as well use beautiful language--not because God needs to hear it (he knows all the words, even the bad ones), but because we do.  God is everything that is true, good and beautiful. And good Art is the same thing. True Art leads us to God.

The LOTH is based on the Psalms, which contain some of the most beautiful words in the Bible.

The Bible also has a lot of cool metaphors. This one came from the Reading from Midmorning Prayer today: (1 Peter 1:13-14): "Gird the loins of your understanding..." Ha, I love that! In other words, 'Get it together, man!' Know what you believe; know why you believe it, and be ready to explain/defend it when asked/challenged.

By the way, I don't usually pray so many of the hours, so don't think I'm some kind of saint. In fact I was kind of cheating and listening to the LOTH audio while I tidied my bedroom this morning. It had become rather messy over the holidays. (You know it's bad when you get all the way through the podcasts of Morning Prayer, Office of Readings AND Midmorning Prayer, and you only cleaned half the room.) Disorganization, laziness and clutter: just a few more those darksome things that need to be driven forth from my life. Pray for me; I'll pray for you.
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Happy January First: Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

One of Bourguereau's lovely paintings.

Happy New Year! This is not going to be a long post, because it's still holiday time, and I'm spending it with my family. Did 2017 go by as quickly for you as it did for me? I can't believe how time is flying. You'd almost think I'm getting old or something. 

But stop for a minute (at least) and think about this--even if you're not Catholic: God chose to have a mom. You know, GOD, creator of the universe, who existed before and outside all time and space. That should tell us something about how important it is to be a mom. It's the most important job in the world. And Mary did hers to perfection (everything she did pointed to her Son). That is why we honour her.

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Guest post

Ha ha, not really. But I'm phoning it in this morning (i.e., not really writing the content of this post). I'm heading off to Mass, and then my hubby and I are doing a bit of shopping and checking in on his folks.

My guest blogger this morning is the Prophet Isaiah, and his contribution comes to us from the Reading of Morning Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. (Isaiah 11:1-5). It is one of my favourite Advent readings; part of it is inscribed on our family's Jesse Tree poster. (Which sadly, my children have 'outgrown.') If you have not read any Scripture yet today, here you go! Two birds with one stone, so to speak:

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
But with righteousness He will judge the poor,
And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth;

And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins,
And faithfulness the belt about His waist.

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He is my hero.

One of many, but I feel a special devotion to him. I watched a documentary, Messenger of Truth, about Blessed Jerzy (Yair-zhee, not "Jersey") last night on EWTN. It was stirring and sad, but also very hopeful. He was instrumental in bringing down Communism in the 80s, in Poland and beyond. As a beatified martyr, Bl. Jerzy provides not just inspiration, but saintly intercession in our own battles with lies and oppression.  I feel blessed to have lived during his lifetime, and to remember the events surrounding his death. 

We need his intercession more than ever before. 

Photo found here. 

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Baptism of the Lord

S. Ioannes Paulus, ora pro nobis

Such a wonderful feast. And I'm at home with a sick child. But for what it's worth, I'm watching the Solemn Mass from the Vatican on EWTN (yes, I know it's not the same thing). On the upside, I get to hear the Missa de Angelis and the Litany of the Saints sung (in Latin), and when was the last time I heard that in a church in Canada? Oh yeah, NEVER. But let's not complain about liturgy today.

Twenty-six babies are being baptized at this Mass (a tradition started by --who else?-- St. John Paul the Great). It's very heart-warming to see so many beautiful babies and their equally beautiful young parents (some of them are crying as they come forward for the pope's blessing--the parents, not the babies!). Can you imagine how cool that would be to have your baby baptised by the pope? The commentator on EWTN just said how uncommon it is for the St. Peter's to be filled with strollers and baby toys. That shouldn't be the case. Every Catholic church, every Sunday should be filled with baby strollers and toys and crying babies.
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O my God, this is so beautiful

I am not one to use OMG as an interjection. My subject heading is a prayer, but it is also an invitation to you. My heart is very full. I have lost my sister-in-law Joanne to cancer. Please pray for her husband and sons.

Do yourself a favour and go pray the Office of Readings. The opening hymn alone will lift your soul, but not as much as the sermon below.

The priest in my home town gave two very beautiful homilies, at Joanne's vigil prayers and the next day at her funeral. Of the many wise and inspiring and true things he said, this one has stayed with me the longest: "Joanne enriched our lives."

Riches: how most of us hanker after them. Coincidentally (or not) our family was recently in Banff, the lovely national park in Alberta (pics to follow at some point). We hiked the mountain trails and saw much beauty. We also toured some very ritzy hotels, and I think it left some of our kids feeling kind of wistful, as they saw how the "rich" live. Well, kids, there's more to life than soaking it up in a swimming pool in the mountains and dining at a five-star restaurant and buying souvenirs (original art, gems, so forth) worth $20,000, but it all looks rather dreamy to teenagers who get told every so often in daily life, "We can't afford that."

After Father's comment (actually, during the Communion meditation hymn) at the funeral, I realized: Love is the only wealth. If you do not love, you give nothing. If you are not loved, you have nothing. Love is the only wealth. 

Of course, I have always known this. But sometimes you just need to be hit between the eyes and stabbed through the heart with the profundity of this truth.

The best news is, we are all rich beyond measure, because we are all loved, deeply and passionately, by God.

And then today, I read this sermon on Love in the Office of Readings.

From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot

I love because I love, I love that I may love

Love is sufficient of itself, it gives pleasure by itself and because of itself. It is its own merit, its own reward. Love looks for no cause outside itself, no effect beyond itself. Its profit lies in its practice. I love because I love, I love that I may love. Love is a great thing so long as it continually returns to its fountainhead, flows back to its source, always drawing from there the water which constantly replenishes it. Of all the movements, sensations and feelings of the soul, love is the only one in which the creature can respond to the Creator and make some sort of similar return however unequal though it be. For when God loves, all he desires is to be loved in return; the sole purpose of his love is to be loved, in the knowledge that those who love him are made happy by their love of him.

The Bridegroom’s love, or rather the love which is the Bridegroom, asks in return nothing but faithful love. Let the beloved, then, love in return. Should not a bride love, and above all, Love’s bride? Could it be that Love not be loved?

Rightly then does she give up all other feelings and give herself wholly to love alone; in giving love back, all she can do is to respond to love. And when she has poured out her whole being in love, what is that in comparison with the unceasing torrent of that original source? Clearly, lover and Love, soul and Word, bride and Bridegroom, creature and Creator do not flow with the same volume; one might as well equate a thirsty man with the fountain.

What then of the bride’s hope, her aching desire, her passionate love, her confident assurance? Is all this to wilt just because she cannot match stride for stride with her giant, any more than she can vie with honey for sweetness, rival the lamb for gentleness, show herself as white as the lily, burn as bright as the sun, be equal in love with him who is Love? No. It is true that the creature loves less because she is less. But if she loves with her whole being, nothing is lacking where everything is given. To love so ardently then is to share the marriage bond; she cannot love so much and not be totally loved, and it is in the perfect union of two hearts that complete and total marriage consists. Or are we to doubt that the soul is loved by the Word first and with a greater love?

Joanne loved like that. Her face literally glowed with the love of Christ. She enriched our lives. She died a wealthy woman. If I can attain half her holiness and joy, my life will not have been lived in vain. Pray for us, Jo. 

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"Full and clear ring out thy chanting"

Lex orandi, lex credendi (as we pray, so we believe). When our language --and poetry and song--are  dumbed down, so is our faith. (Thanks, Carey Haugenhaaschutte.) I came upon the following hymn by way of Morning Prayer (Divine Office.org). I like listening to/praying with the podcast sometimes, and thus have I discovered no end of sublimely beautiful hymns (which, I shamefully admit, I sometimes skip when reading the Office). This hymn is by St. Thomas Aquinas, and I invite you to take the time not only to read it, but meditate upon it. Not only is it exquisite poetry, but it is also a profound catechesis on the Eucharist. (You know, just like Thank You, God, For Giving Us Us--not.) The podcast's sung version, by the Choir of Christ's College, is done in chant and well worth a listen.  It's not a tune you'd whistle around the campfire; it's meant to usher your soul into the presence of the Almighty. Mission accomplished, and that's not bad for a Tuesday morning. Enjoy.


Laud, O Sion thy salvation

Laud, O Sion thy salvation, laud with hymns of exultation, Christ thy king and shepherd true. 
Spend thyself, his honour raising, who surpasseth all thy praising; never canst thou reach his due.

Sing to-day, the mystery showing of the living, life-bestowing Bread from heaven before thee set
Even the same of old provided, where the Twelve, divinely guided, at the holy table met.

Full and clear ring out thy chanting, joy not sweetest grace be wanting to thy heart and soul to-day.
When we gather up the measure of that supper and its treasure, keeping feast in glad array.

Lo, the new king’s table gracing, this new Passover of blessing hath fulfilled the elder rite. 
Now the new the old effaceth, truth revealed the shadow chaseth, day is breaking on the night.

What he did at Supper seated, Christ ordained to be repeated, his memorial ne’er to cease. 
And, his word for guidance taking, bread and wine we hallow, making thus our Sacrifice of peace.

This the truth to Christians given; bread becomes his flesh from heaven, wine becomes his holy Blood. Doth it pass thy comprehending? Yet by faith, thy sight transcending, wondrous things are understood.

Yea, beneath these signs are hidden glorious things to sight forbidden; look not on the outward sign.
Wine is food and bread is broken; but in either sacred token Christ is here by power divine.

Whoso of this food partaketh, Christ divideth not nor breaketh; He is whole to all that taste. 
Wherefore upon this day receiveth, for the thousands will believeth, one’s real food that cannot waste.

Good and evil men are sharing one repast, a death preparing varied as the heart of men; 
Yet fore death shall be awarded, as their days shall be recorded which from their beginning ran.

When the sacrament is broken, doubt not in each severed token, hallowed by the word once spoken, resteth all the true content; 
Nought the precious gift divideth, breaking but the sign betideth, he himself the same abideth, nothing of his fullness spent.

Lo! the Angels’ food is given to the pilgrim who hath striven; see the children’s bread from heaven, which to dogs may not be cast; 
Truth the ancient types fulfilling, Isaac bound, a victim willing, paschal lamb, its life-blood spilling, manna sent in ages past.

O to Bread, good Shepherd, tend us, Jesu, of thy love befriend us, thou refresh us, thou defend us, thine eternal goodness send us in the land of life to see;
Thou who all things canst and knowest, who on earth such food bestowest, grant us with thy Saints, though lowest, where the heavenly feast thou showest, fellow-heirs and guests to be. 

Amen. Alleluia.

Trinity Sunday

I have such good childhood memories of the parish in our small home town. I can still remember how packed the church was, pretty much EVERY Sunday. And I remember all the men coming in suits and ties, and parking their Frank Sinatra hats at the back, and the entire congregation singing hymns--yes, real hymns. (I especially remember my dad's booming joyful voice singing these hymns.)

But of course it wasn't about us. In those days we still thought church had something to do with worshipping God. It's a great comfort to hear these hymns after all these years of "Peace is Flowing Like a River," and "Thank You, God, For Giving Us Us," and "Break Not the Circle of Enabling Love" (honest, I didn't make that last one up; it's real).

"O God Almighty Father" (sung by regular folk, but lovely):



And... "Holy! Holy! Holy!" (King's College Choir):

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Due to lack of time

A St. Paddy's Day greeting and prayer, shamelessly stolen from Aunty Jerann's feed on Facebook.
Top o the mornin to ye!

What's so Laetare about it?

Pope-Emeritus Benedict

wearing the traditional rose-coloured vestments

 for Laetare Sunday 

(not a recent photo, of course)

Today, the 4th Sunday of Lent is traditionally known as Laetare Sunday, or "Rejoicing Sunday" (and also by some other names). There is a nice explanation at Fathers for Good, an initiative of the Knights of Columbus.

Our parish priest who is (rejoice!) finally well enough to say Mass gave a very beautiful homily today. The central message of Christianity, he said (and I paraphrase, because I did not --regrettably-- have a recording device handy. The homily was that good) is that we are "forever loved by God." 

Wow, just let that sink in for a minute. We are FOREVER loved by God. That means always and everywhere. We always have been loved, even before we were conceived, all through every moment of our lives; all through our sins and failings--past, present and future. We are loved now, today, at this moment; we will always be loved. How much? This is how much (from the Gospel reading for today):

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 

Yeah, I don't have to give you that citation; you know it (John 3:16), the one bible verse that everyone on the planet knows. We know it so well, we almost treat it as a cliche. But don't. It's pretty mind-blowing that God would give up his only Son for us. It's amazing enough that God would love us (as He does) despite all our sins and failings, but even more amazing that he cares enough to want to TAKE ALL THAT NEGATIVE CRAP AWAY FROM OUR LIVES.

That's what struck we about Father's homily today. He repeated that phrase a couple of times: "He takes it away..." He takes away all our pain, sin, suffering. He takes it away. Ponder on that the next time you say the Lamb of God at Mass. He takes it away. By his suffering, death and resurrection, Jesus gives us the gift of eternal life. All we have to do is believe in him and follow him.

And that's worth rejoicing over. Have a blessed remainder of the Lenten season, as we enter the final weeks before Easter.
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No wonder my prayer life seems to yield so little at times

I'm sometimes rather selective about how I pray. And St. Peter Chrysologus rather lays it out: you can't pick and choose; you have to go for the full meal deal.

(from the Office of Readings for yesterday, March 10.)


From a sermon by Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop
Prayer knocks, fasting obtains, mercy receives

This is not new: it was once called "the extended family"

But it's still great to see, and in the Netherlands, of all places (where you'd kind of expect mandatory euthanasia instead).

Dutch students choose to live in nursing homes rent-free (as long as they keep the residents company)

So-called “intergenerational” projects are also springing up elsewhere in Europe...

which is great to hear. Maybe one day, Europe will even rediscover the "family." Sounds like a model well worth copying.

h/t End of your arm
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The next time you have a bad day

Or if you ever feel dissatisfied with your figure, face, hair, arthritic hands, or even (as I did the other day) whine that you don't like having to wear reading glasses... pray for the courage that this woman has.

Nash jokes about sometimes feeling like a science project.

But the 61-year-old daughter of an Air Force veteran said she gets real satisfaction out of letting the doctors use her for research, and sees it as an opportunity to help wounded soldiers and 'do something good out of all of this bad.'

God bless her, and the amazing medical team who continues to help her. 

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Today's Gospel

John 2:13-25: where Jesus unexpectedly shows up at the  annual diocesan $300 a plate fundraising banquet temple. We were reminded this week to take part in Share Lent (though now--quelle surprise!-- Development and Peace has expanded it to Share Year Round. They despise rich captialists, but are always happy to take their money). A letter was read that quoted a Brazilian bishop who used "root causes" and "solidarity" in the same paragraph. He lost me at "root causes."

The bishop from Brazil lauded his local Pastoral Land Commission, which is “acting against hunger, violence and the concentration of ownership of land, all of which oppose God’s plans for a more just and compassionate world.”

I'm curious to know how that 'concentration of ownership of land' comment went over with the ladies and gentlemen in the pews who would be considered "big farmers." I'll bet they had no idea that they were opposing God's plans for a more just and compassionate world. Oh well, they can make it all better by giving generously to D&P. (I'm glad the Church stopped selling Indulgences.) 

I am all for peace, justice and development, but the path to that is not via socialism and/or bureaucracy. 

Besides, when it comes to D&P, I'm still not quite over this. I prefer to donate to Catholic charities that have not, do not, and will not, ignore church teaching.
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Like that guy St. Paul said

In today's Second Reading (Romans 8:31-39)

[31] What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who is against us? [32] He that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how hath he not also, with him, given us all things? [33] Who shall accuse against the elect of God? God that justifieth. [34] Who is he that shall condemn? Christ Jesus that died, yea that is risen also again; who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. [35] Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? or distress? or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or the sword?[36]  (As it is written: For thy sake we are put to death all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.) [37] But in all these things we overcome, because of him that hath loved us. [38] For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1. Milad Makeen Zaky 2. Abanub Ayad Atiya 3. Maged Solaiman Shehata 4. Yusuf Shukry Yunan 5. Kirollos Shokry Fawzy 6. Bishoy Astafanus Kamel 7. Somaily Astafanus Kamel 8. Malak Ibrahim Sinweet 9. Tawadros Yusuf Tawadros 10. Girgis Milad Sinweet 11. Mina Fayez Aziz 12. Hany Abdelmesih Salib 13. Bishoy Adel Khalaf 14. Samuel Alham Wilson 15. Worker from Awr village 16. Ezat Bishri Naseef 17. Loqa Nagaty 18. Gaber Munir Adly 19. Esam Badir Samir 20. Malak Farag Abram 21. Sameh Salah Faruq Pray for us .

From our growing "They're gonna get to heaven before I do" file

Because he's using his talents, and how. His question choked me up, "What can you do?" Because I can do a lot. And so often, I don't. God forgive me.