Genuflection

A moment of realisation
Every time I pause
~In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit~
I give myself another chance...
a renewal, a returning
a conversion of heart.

... for example,
if I launch into food,
I eat to serve the idol Hunger,

if I launch into any activity without first acknowledging
Your presence
Your Lordship
I am in danger of serving a legion of idols -
pride, impatience, selfishness, indifference, haste...

the simple stopping and remembering our Love
the activity becomes

"inYou, with You and within You
In the unity of the Holy Spirt
All honor and glory is Yours Almighty Father
for ever and ever."

Amen

Its nice when another explains what I don't understand...

I flounder when I try to explain why I am Catholic.

Here is a blog, which made my heart leap in recognition and gratitude...  The details, the prompts may be different (Thomas Merton, St Augustine, C.S.Lewis, Medjugorje, the Rosary, TLIG) but the falling in love analogy is quite touching... I couldn't understand why I'd cry sitting watching and not participating in receiving the Eucharist.

http://badcatholicblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/whats-it-like-being-catholic.html?showComment=1317347911563#c5388734663377845653

And then of course, there was a throw-away comment from a beloved Jewish philosopher, Gilbert Main: "You should read the Bible like a novel - its quite a good read!"  So I did (took a year), from Genesis to Revelations, like a novel.   Surprised by the stirring stories, drank in the poetry, skimmed the tedious bits, until I came to the gospels... The jewels in the crown! Matthew- so muscular, Mark - so dry, Luke - so poetic, delighting in the women, and John - the jewel of jewels, dark, humble, deep waters, filling out the other gospels with heart-rending details. Through Acts, as Peter and Paul argued about circumcision, etc. I almost wanted to shout at them, "You've already forgotten your Lord's simplicity in your petty squabbles!"  Traced the journeys of the Acts on maps, skimmed uncomprehending the Letters, and marvelled at the pulsing time-warp of Revelations.

Now I read the Bible with the Church, daily readings which beautifully link all three parts, Old, New and Acts/Letters. Daily readings which take me on a more leisurely three-year cycle through the Good Book. I read around the prescribed texts, read a whole book in a sitting, drinking up again, delving deeper. And the Lord whispers sound counsel, reveals during the day, during Mass, informs my life.  What does this mean? I ask. And the answer comes, in reflection, in the detail of the day.

God bless.

Cyber-Aunt

Welcome to the newest member of our precious two-year-old facebook group,
St Anthony's Lost and Found. Adele.
We have met her mother and father before she was born, and grown into cyber-aunt/uncles through their wedding plans, pregnancy, and now celebrate a beautiful birth!

I have wandered into many different cyber-groups, but St Anthony's wee corner continues to be a haven. We are a private group, and formed from four original members, who met through the Crazy Catholic discussion group. Now there are about thirty, and even though we are in the four corners of the world, I consider them a special part of my life.  We have shared our faith, concerns, and the ups and downs of our little lives.  Sometimes we have wandered and thought it had faded, but we return to find the same refreshing honesty and faith. 

God bless. Thank you for cyber-space, even for one little pearl of a group amongst much chaff.

God bless...

Point taken Lord

"If you left your family in dissaray just to come here, you did a wrong thing. Do your dishes, put your children to sleep, don't leave anyone at your home frowning. Not because God comes second, but because God comes first. Your families are from God, and so are your duties in the family."
Comment from http://badcatholicblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-love-girl.html

Noisy love!