The Unprofitable Servant: Tuesday Hit and Hurry

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Tuesday Hit and Hurry

The Boy is doing very well at his new job at the bakery. He has to be at work by 7am on Saturday mornings, no easy feat for a kid who loves to sleep, but he gets himself up and off without any prompting from us. Now if he would only do the same on Sunday mornings when it's time for Mass. It's been such a gift for him to have this little job, to feel he's productive and to have a little money of his own. Matt keeps asking me how he's going to be able to manage money when I'm gone and I keep assuring him that his sisters will be here to help him when I no longer am.

We bought the house we're living in from Jewish friends of ours who rented it out for years to a couple with 11 kids. The oldest son had a brain injury that required constant supervision and they once confided that the reason they wanted to keep having children for as long as they were able was so they could ensure that there would always be a sibling to look after him. I try to keep that family in my prayers but I confess I don't always remember to do so.

The rodents are alive and well. Apparently, as Julie pointed out to me some time ago, rats need to be bathed, so last night was the first time Rebecca attempted this feat. I was horrified to see the spotted one LEAP out of the tub several times and right onto her arm. I didn't know rodents could fly! Thankfully, I was not landed upon by either of them because I surely would have died.

I know a lot of bloggers have been feeling lately as though they are reaching for things to write about. I have that feeling myself. I've noticed I've lost a few followers. Not sure why, but I think its' good for me. I can't say it enough times that it's too easy to get caught up in stats and when that happens, I know that I have no longer made Jesus the focus of this enterprise, small as it is. So in a special way, thanks to those who have dropped from my roll. A little humility is a good thing.

Rebecca was given permission to begin taking photographs at the TLM at our church. I look forward to sharing her work with you, with my pastor's permission of course. I'm so grateful that we have this beautiful Mass to look forward to each week and I just wish more people would take advantage of the opportunity to avail themselves of it.

I have to say that for all the jokes I make about my husband, things seemed to have improved vastly between us since I returned from Italy. We are closer and I'm not as apt to let the little things he does drive me crazy. In fact, we have had a few near-disasters in the past month, including a foreclosure notice on the house, this as a result of my check being stolen from the collection plate and the fact that I forgot to let the mortgage company in on the fact that I have a new bank account. Oh, and I forgot to mention that my former employer is suing me for the price of tuition, when in fact I was required to take the courses that I did and never took a dime of tuition money in the previous 12 years that I worked there. If the Lord sees fit, He will deliver me from this trial and if it's my responsibility to pay this back, He will make that apparent too. I believe this unity and new-found sense of calm is one of the graces received through my prayers during the pilgrimage.

Things are far from perfect and they always will be and that's OK. The only perfection will be found in Heaven, God-willing.

7 comments:

Kathy Felsted UsherOctober 25, 2011 at 6:55 PM
I am so glad the little rats are doing well. A bath! I never would have imagined you'd have to do that. I assumed they could groom themselves, or each other. How wonderful your son is at the bakery! Don't worry about the followers, sometimes they come and go. I'm just concerned about one that disappeared from a few of us at the same time.
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TLWOctober 25, 2011 at 7:20 PM
Kathy, hmmm, I didn't realize that. Now I know who at least one of them is. I hope she's ok. We will keep her in our prayers.

yes, the rats are constantly grooming each other and anyone else they come into contact with. I think Gigi our little pug mix would like to befriend them, so we are introducing them through the safety of the cage. One of the rats reached out and grabbed her toe and tried to haul into the cage. When that failed, she just groomed for Gigi instead. Too funny!
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MannyOctober 25, 2011 at 8:32 PM
I'm not sure if I'm not registering as often on your stats. I still can only comment when I log in through Firefox. It seems to be like that for blogs that have that security word we have to write once we post a comment. What's the point of that security word? Anyway, the blogs where a separate panel pops up (like in Shadowlands') I can comment. Very weird. And I still can't get into my blog, no matter what I try. That's very annoying. I wish they could make this blogging system easier to understand.

See, your pilgrimage did you lots of good. Actually what's a husband good for if he's not annoying. ;) If you met my wife I'm sure you two could trade lots of stories...lol.

God bless your son. I hope he does well.
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TLWOctober 25, 2011 at 8:37 PM
Manny, that's an anti-spam word to make sure a living person is leaving the comment. Unfortunately, there are some sickos in this world who like to leave obscenities and pornography as comments and that's why I always have moderation on. Shadowlands seems to have taken down her blog and dropped out of sight. We should keep her in our prayers.

I'm sure you're wife is a SAINT, just like ME LOL!
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Kathy Felsted UsherOctober 25, 2011 at 10:03 PM
My son, a computer engineer, seems to think that blogger is not using a standard ummmm, something- like html template design???? Well, anyway, it's a compatibility issue. I have the same problem. If I use Chrome (or Firefox I have also heard before) I can log in and comment. Internet explorer, not. I'm anon if I use that.
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MannyOctober 26, 2011 at 8:30 PM
Oh is it an anti spam thing? Thanks. Yes, I have the same issue that Kathy describes. I haven't used Chrome (heard negative things about it) but it does work with Firefox. It still doesn't explain why Explorer works for blogs without that anti-spam thing. Still can't get into my blog with anything. It seems to be something on my computer.

Yes, I've noticed Shadowlands and she is in my prayers. It was my coming across Shadowlands' blog that introduced me to this world of Catholic bloggers. So she has a special place in my thoughts.
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AllisonOctober 27, 2011 at 3:31 PM
Looking forward to the TLM pictures.

People often ask me about it on my blog. But,I too have asked each pastor and they have realized the necessity to preserve and capture these images of beauty. Most times, I sit in the choir loft, with a zoom lens. My camera doesn't require a flash, it will take pictures in low light and has a near silent shutter.

She'll be photographing true beauty.
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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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God Bless You!

The Unprofitable Servant

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Tuesday Hit and Hurry

7 comments:

Mary, Queen of Peace

St Michael the Archangel

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

St. Teresa Benedicta of The Cross