The Unprofitable Servant: August 1st

Monday, August 1, 2011

August 1st

Today is the Boy's 17th birthday. We officially celebrated yesterday with a cook-out with the grandparents and his aunt and uncle. He was born on a Monday evening at 8:01 after a labor so brief, I was sure I would give birth to him in the car. At least on "my side" of the family, we finally had our boy. Happy Birthday, Matthew!

Today was also the first day of the new job that I sincerely hope will be my last until I retire. I can tell you there is a quite a bit of difference between getting to a 6:30 am Mass that is 10 minutes from my house compared to one that is 40 minutes away. Between nerves about the new start and a disobedient little pug-mix who decided to get in bed with us last night, I didn't get very much sleep and felt quite bleary-eyed. The most amazing sight brought me into focus, the view of the sun rising in the early-morning sky.

Mass was appropriately reverent and quiet. I couldn't tell if most of the folks work for the hospital or live near-by. Doesn't much matter. They will be my new silent companions on my journey of faith, God-willing, and I felt very fortunate to have this opportunity, not only to work for my friend but in such a beautiful unabashedly Catholic setting. I had plenty of time between when the Mass ended and when my orientation program began, so by 7:30am, I prayed all my usual rote prayers, plus some. It was a peaceful way to start the day.

Tomorrow I will have to try to get a photo of the statue of Mary with the Infant Jesus in her arms that sits in the center of the campus, surrounded by beautiful summer flowers. I found it a bit unusual from other usual depictions in that the Holy Infant seems to be slightly fussy, kicking in His mother's arms and tugging at her veil. She has an almost amused expression on her face as she looks at Him. It still fills with me awe that God the Father chose a woman to bear His Son and that this Son of God needed Mary for His humanity.

My own son has had his share of suffering already in his short life. He's in a good place right now, but it wasn't always that way, thanks to the cruelty of other children and sadly, some adults. Sometimes, it's too much to think about all that he has to bear; but I have only to look to Mary and ask why God would think so much of a lowly wretch like me to give me a small sample of what it is to bring a child into the world and then see his goodness outright rejected.

6 comments:

Kathy Felsted UsherAugust 1, 2011 at 8:22 PM
Happy birthday to your son and congratulations on the first day of your new job!
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TLWAugust 1, 2011 at 8:27 PM
Thanks Kathy! How's the foot coming along?
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Mary ChristineAugust 1, 2011 at 8:50 PM
Happy Birthday to your son. He is blessed to have such a mother.

My son's birthday is next week. Can't even believe he is going to be 35. It seems like yesterday that he was a tiny baby in my arms.
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Richard CollinsAugust 2, 2011 at 2:30 AM
Yes, Happy Birthday to Matthew, I have a Matthew also.
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PatriciaAugust 2, 2011 at 10:03 AM
Hi Joyce. I'm waiting for a photo of that statue of the Madonna. It sounds truly charming. Hope your first day of work went great for you. You were definitely in my prayers. I'm so so sorry for the cruelty your son has endured. Cruelty frightens me more than most other human failings. It seems so deliberately evil. I know your heart hurts. May all things work together for good for your son who has borne so much. Blessings to you and your family.
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CarolineAugust 2, 2011 at 2:21 PM
Happy Birthday to your son who has such a wonderful mother to love him in the spirit of Mary.
I pray all the work of your hands be blessed in this new job and that many will come to know Christ because of your presence there.
Blessings Joyce
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Mary, Queen of Peace

Ever glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Mercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart whilst thine only Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for thee, grieving in thy grief, whilst from His cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, St. John, take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and necessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries, of every kind whatsoever. Thou art the Mother of Mercies, the sweet comforter and only refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and afflicted. Cast, therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable, forlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since, in just punishment of my sins, I find myself encompassed by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, wither can I fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal protection? Attend, therefore, I beseech thee, with an ear of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. I ask it, through the bowels of mercy of thy dear Son; Through that love and condescension wherewith He embraced our nature, when, in compliance with the divine Will, thou gavest thy consent, and whom, after the expiration of nine months thou didst bring forth from the chaste enclosure of thy womb, to visit the world, and bless it with His presence. I ask it, through that anguish of mind wherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on the Mount of Olives, when He besought His eternal Father to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future passion. I ask it, through the threefold repetition of His prayers in the garden, whence afterwards, with dolorous steps and mournful tears, thou didst accompany Him to the doleful theatre of His death and sufferings. I ask it, through the welts and bruises of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garment, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots. I ask it, through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted; the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience. I ask it, through His bitter tears and bloody sweat; His silence and resignation; His sadness and grief of heart. I ask it, through the blood which trickled from His royal and Sacred Head, when struck with the sceptre of a reed and pierced with His crown of thorns. I ask it, through the excruciating torments He suffered, when His hands and feet were fastened with gross nails to the tree of the cross. I ask it, through His vehement thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and gall. I ask it, through His dereliction on the cross when He exclaimed, "My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?" I ask it, through His mercy extended to the good thief, and through His recommending His precious soul and spirit into the hands of His eternal Father before He expired, saying, "It is consummated." I ask it, through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His Sacred Side when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us. I ask it, through His immaculate life, bitter passion and ignominious death on the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the Temple, the earthquake, and the darkness of the sun and moon. I ask it, through His descent into hell, where He confronted the Saints of the old law with His presence, and led the captivity captive. I ask it, through His glorious victory over death, when He arose again to life on the third day, and through the joy which His appearance for forty days after gave thee, His blessed Mother, His Apostles, and the rest of His Disciples; when in thine and their presence He miraculously ascended into heaven. I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, infused into the hearts of His Disciples, when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues, and by which they were inspired with zeal in the conversion of the world, when they went to preach the gospel. I ask it, through the awful appearance of thy Son, at the last dreadful day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world, by fire. I ask it, through the compassion He bore thee in His life, and the unspeakable joy thou didst feel at thine assumption into heaven, where thou art eternally absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections. O glorious and ever blessed Virgin! comfort the heart of thy supplicant, by obtaining for me, (Mention your prayer intention here...) And as I am persuaded my Divine Saviour doth honour thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing, because thou asketh nothing contrary to His honour, so let me speedily experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and His filial loving heart, who mercifully granteth the requests and complieth with the desires of those that love and fear Him. Wherefore, O most blessed Virgin, beside the object of my present petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart, unfeigned tears of compunction, sincere confession, condign satisfaction, abstinence from sin, love of God and my neighbour, contempt of the world, patience to suffer affronts and ignominies, nay, even, if necessary, an opprobrious death itself, for love of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Obtain likewise for me, O sacred Mother of God, perseverance in good works, performance of good resolutions, mortification of self-will, a pious conversation through life, and, at my last moments, strong and sincere repentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence of mind, as may enable me to receive the last Sacrament of the Church worthily, and die in thy friendship and favour. Lastly, obtain through thy Son, I beseech thee, for the souls of my parents, brethren, relatives and benefactors, both living and dead, life everlasting, from the only Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Lord God Almighty, to Whom be all power now and forever. Amen.

Prayer of St. Bonaventure

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and super substantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.
May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fullness of the house of God;
may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.

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The Unprofitable Servant

Monday, August 1, 2011

August 1st

6 comments:

Mary, Queen of Peace

St Michael the Archangel

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

St. Teresa Benedicta of The Cross