LIFE

If we are anxious to find absolute perfection in created things we cease to look for perfection where alone it can be found: in God.

~Thomas Merton
No man is an Island

To desire a spiritual life is, to desire discipline. #MERTON sounds like Wisdom to me...

The Visitation

On today,s great Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin I find Wisdom. With many examples brought to us on this day, one strikes me today as I read Conversation with God and I quote "today's feast reveals to us one aspect of Mary's interior life, her disposition of humble service and selfless love for whoever needs her help." Mary brought joy to her cousin, because she brought Christ. We must begin with ourselves.... Do we have Christ in us? When we do, we like Mary can bring Christ to others. Today let us remember that each encounter with Mary brings us a new discovery of Jesus. On this day I make my total consecration to Jesus through Mary, and I pray that Mary will always lead me to her Son, our Lord. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women.

The Angelus Bell

Veni Sancte Spiritus

Come, Holy Spirit, send forth the heavenly radiance of your light.
Come, father of the poor, come giver of gifts, come, light of the heart.
Greatest comforter, sweet guest of the soul, sweet consolation.
In labor, rest, in heat, temperance, in tears, solace.
O most blessed light, fill the inmost heart of your faithful.
Without your divine will, there is nothing in man, nothing is harmless.
Wash that which is unclean, water that which is dry, heal that which is wounded.
Bend that which is inflexible, warm that which is chilled, make right that which is wrong.
Give to your faithful, who rely on you, the sevenfold gifts.
Give reward to virtue, give salvation at our passing on, give eternal joy.
Amen. Alleluia.

The Angelus

Mary, we ask for your intercession that your Son, our Lord Jesus will continue to make our hearts burn for the will of Our Father to be done in our lives. Amen

Our Church

We Dare to Ask

Happy New Year... Here is a poem I wanted to share with you,

a prayer from Ted Loder...

We ask only a few things more, O God,

a few small, mustard – seed size, faithful, saving things:

to walk with you in each moment

without plotting for tomorrow,

and so to really consider the birds of the air,

the lilies of the field

and find the treasures hidden

in the round of the daily;

to learn by leaning in to your Spirit

to be present to others without preoccupation,

to engage without having to win,

to disagree without being judgmental,

to accept outcomes without despair

to succeed or fail without misplacing hope,

to tune to the bracing hum of the stars,

to fathom enough

without dismissing fathomless mystery

of your creation, our brothers and sisters,

and the grace and mercy and power

of your embrace that holds close,

each small one of us,

and everything all together;

in Jesus’s name,

Amen

There is wisdom here.....

Always,

Bill