Catholics
Comments
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sparrowhawk, you have a wonderful family. It is so Catholic to welcome international sisters by honoring their cultural traditions.
I will be leaving for Mass in an hour. I am up for lector, but the reading is long, and I don't think my voice will stand up to it. Having a plastic tube stuck down your throat for four hours leaves some sensitivity. She had no problem with the.request.
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Yes, I have a beautiful family. 😇 My sisters care for me and I for them. Of course, we sometimes have struggles, but who doesn't?
Today was very long. 8 hours in aged care, mostly doing individual visitation so a lot of listening. I find I am still tiring quickly since my surgery. Plus listening is draining...however, I love it!
I pray for you and for all here. Please pray for me. I have a job interview tomorrow...I am praying that the right person gets the job and for God's will to be done.
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sparrowhawk,
Take it easy if you can. Surgery takes a toll on your body; it needs time to heal. Best wishes for your job interview!
McBaker,
I'm a lector, too! Hope your throat is feeling better and that your healing is going well.
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Thank you 😊 The interview felt good. Interviewer was very casual and caring. I should have a call back next week.
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to our northern hemisphere sisters
from our southern aurora to your aurora borealis
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Amen! Joining with Astrid to wish you a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving! And loving mention of aurora (one of my favourite things ever).
Today I told my superior about my health. She had been on retreat so wasn't around. It was hard and I know she was stunned and worried. I still need to tell my parents more details, as some things I didn't want to write over email. I didn't know that telling people could be so hard. In a way I think this diagnosis, unexpected and troubling as it may be, is really helping my growth, empathy and strength.
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I have been learning that I am loved, that my family and parish family will not ignore me in my time of need. I am learning to trust people, and trust God. I am learning that housework can be set aside in times like this, and it is ok to be idle. I am learning self-discipline in self-care.
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well sparrowhawk,
I typed you a long reply last nite, then lost it, trying to insert a photo on my mobile phone.
darn! :-D
It is difficult telling family and friends...brother cancer is an exacting teacher. even the prospect of walking with him demands that you give more of yourself up to faith, hope and charity. Love and trust...always an opportunity to let go more and let Holy Spirit enfold you.
xx
the spectacular southern aurora...
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MCBaker and Astrid, your words have touched me so much today. Thank you. And thank you for the beautiful pictures. The sky, astronomy and similar things just fascinate me. I was on mission for three months this year in Asia, and while there I visited an observatory and space museum. It was simply amazing.
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I was extremely privileged to be on a Catholic Women's Retreat this weekend, starting Fridy evening and culminating in Mass for the Feast of Christ the King with Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin.
Had not been on a retreat since I was in school!
The archdiocese had contributed to the event, helping subsidise it so that it was incredibly affordable - $61/€55 for the whole weekend, including meals.
There were 250 women, with the biggest number being in their 20's and 30's, some with babies in arms.
There were some very young beautiful American Carmelite and Franciscan nuns who are working in Ireland. Some were involved in the music ministry over the weekend.
The Retreat organisers were a US Catholic Women's Ministry called Blessed is She and it was the first event of it's kind in Ireland. It was fully booked out months ago with a huge waiting list so I have to sincerely thank my son for telling me about it when he heard it was happening, as I might not otherwise have known, or might have been booking after it was full.
The first night we were given the quote
"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."
from St Catherine of Siena
There was a lot of prayer to the Holy Spirit for discernment and help.
We also thought about the revolution that took place at Pentecost - so much so that people thought the apostles were drunk and Peter had to say that
"These men are not drunk as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day!"
So, as the priest speaking to us said, the first words of Christian witness were: "We're not drunk!". But of course they were drunk - on the Holy Spirit!
There was so much in the weekend, as well as talks and workshops we had confessions and Eucharistic Adoration each night. We also had a chance to make a piece of art during one session.
We had to just paint unplanned, in the inspiration of the moment (LOVED IT!!!)
My inspiration was a combination of St Catherine/Phoenix and the Holy Spirit/Pentecost. Some women decorated a Word, or a piece of scripture. We all started with the same piece of paper and few basic colours (red yellow, blue, black, white) but each person's finished piece was unique. They made a breathtaking display in the Hall on the Saturday night. Fascinating the different things that had caught people's attention and came out in the art.
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Susanna, that is so beautiful! I seriously love your painting. And so glad you had such a great retreat experience. It sounds like you had a busy and enriching weekend.
Over the weekend I was very blessed to see my parents. I cooked lunch for them, we had time to talk and visited a nearby park. I think they were very surprised by my cooking! I even had to make an emergency meal the day before (due to too little food) and was told that was the very best! Funny how that happens!
I heard back about my job interview. They want me in for a second interview next week. I'm very grateful and entrusting it all to God and His will for me. Please pray for us all!
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thank you so much F.F. for your beautiful post
I have now subscribed to Blessed is She for scripture emails and news. Thankyou! I loved your drawing too. I saved it and then put it on my phone screen...I hope thaT is ok?
Best of luck sparrowhawk with Your 2nd interview.
Love to all. Xx
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oh..
I visited my friend Sister Corazon yesterday..she is with Daughters of Divine Zeal (I think FDZ) I met her at uni studying theology. They run a guest house for young female uni students here in Melbourne.
She gave me this beautiful gardenia from their garden..its fragrance is filling my little home and I wanted to share it with you, my online sisters.
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I can smell that gardenia from here!
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yeah!
aren't they gorgeous!
I guess I love all the white flower scents.
mmm daphne ...lily of the valley...jasmine...
bellissimo.
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What a beautiful gardenia! I'm also a huge lover of white flowers and their scents! This is a bouquet I received today.
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Astrid and MCBaker I am smelling it too
Astrid I am only delighted for you to use my picture! If you would like a high res version just PM me your email and I will email it to you or if you use dropbox I can put it up there for you. I was only thinking this morning that I might make some t-shirts with it and the St. Catherine of Siena quote.
"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."
I was also looking back over the posts and I saw the post by RedemptiveSufferere where she wrote about a podcast she listened to and she said
"God can use something like a cancer diagnosis to fuel and shape our dreams into something bigger and more beautiful than we could have ever imagined. One of the hosts reminded listeners that a great place to start when trying to resurrect our dreams is to invite the Holy Spirit to come and speak to us."
I do really feel that I would not be where I am today without all that has happened since DX. Not saying I have it made or anything close to made, believe me. Just feel that maybe I am one or two steps further on the road that takes a good direction than I would have been as my previous self. I feel an awful lot of good things came into my life since DX and that these "angels" have unleashed my spirit and the gifts God gives me far more than I could ever have achieved without their help. Compared to my previous self I am on fire. I know compared to the heroic Saints I am a barely flickering match in a howling gale but it is a huge improvement on my former self, and sheds enough light to let me see I need to ask for more help and He will help.
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SparrowHawk, what a beautiful bouquet and I trust the Spirit will be in all that happens connected with the job posting. XXX
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beautiful posts F.F. just wonderful inspiring words. Thank you.
I am really happy with the phoenix as is..it looks great on my phone. The t shirt idea sounds great.
"I know compared to the heroic Saints I am a barely flickering match in a howling gale but it is a huge improvement on my former self..."
Nailed it. This is me too.
Love the bouquet Sparrowhawk. What a lovely gift.
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cleaning out my desk drawer...(spring clean time :-D)
I came across a scrap of paper...
virtue is brought to perfection in illness (from the legend of st clare)
looking it up, I see it comes from
2Cor 12:9
English: And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Latin: Et dixit mihi: Sufficit tibi gratia mea: nam virtus in infirmitate perficitur. Libenter igitur gloriabor in infirmitatibus meis, ut inhabitet in me virtus Christi.is this not exactly what we have been discussing FF? how it has made us better, and more faithful, open, willing to let go to the Holy Spirit...
just as was written by Paul all those years ago.
this is a wonderful gift for us today. I believe Holy Spirit is letting us know His presence right here with us.
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AMEN!
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Several months before my diagnosis, I went to a Catholic retreat and while there heard what I believe was the Holy Spirit whisper to me, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." He repeated those words to me. I dismissed them until the final day when I opened up my Bible and began reading with some spare time I had. I was lead to open to the book of Nehemiah. I read from the beginning until I stopped at Ch. 8 vs. 10. What do you think I read? "The joy of the Lord is your strength."
There was a message in there for me. Obviously, my cancer was present, though I wouldn't have it diagnosed for another 3.5 mos. The Lord knew it was there. But He also knew that I had lost much of my joy and that would be the VERY thing I would need for my journey ahead! Well after my diagnosis, in hindsight, I thought, "WOW!" You expect me to have joy! If the Lord expects it, then it's attainable. Praise God!
Now, I'm not always joyful, but I have more joy and more peace when I start my day with Him and remain in Him. And like FF & Astrid have said, I think my self today is a better version of my pre-DX self. Only the Lord can work all things together for good - and for His glory - in the way that He does it. It's mind-blowing, really.0 -
amen sister.
Your post brought me quiet joy today R.S.
How blessed to have such direct guidance.
These little miracles are amazing to me.
I remember I was living up in Byron Bay and my daughter was very young. I started getting these inner whispers of 'you have cancer' and I would see myself wearing this funny wool nepalese hat with long wollen braids that hang down the sides. It was so peculiar. I was not ill in any way. (I thought)
This went on for around 10 months or so. We moved back to Melbourne, my daughter started Grade 2. I first got very bad pneumonia in the left lung, which only hurt when it went to the lining with pleurisy.
I think a year or less after that I felt that little pea sized lump...
Holy Spirit.
Thank you.
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Astrid and RedemptiveSufferer, truly wonderful stories of the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
On my recent retreat there was an American lady who shared the story that she (for the last few years) asks God, near the end of each year, for a word to guide her, to be aware of, to notice in the year ahead. In about October last year she received the word "present" for 2018. Of course she thought it meant being in the present, being fully present etc. But she immediately received the message that this was not what was meant. She took out her virtual dictionary (Google, on her phone) to discover the second meaning of present = gift. Where she comes from it is much more common to say gift. This year she has been going through, noticing each day the "present" that God sends her. I thought the fact she even had to look up the word the spirit gave her was such testimony that it did not come from her subconscious alone.
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that is pretty neat.
I learn so much from others sharing their journeys.
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I put my devotions apps all in one file. Made a collection of auditory rosaries. I have a notepad for things to do by my side. I will overcome this attention deficit issue.
I have a mild neurological problem, and four times in my life it has become significantly debilitating. It negatively affected my feelings about myself, including a resentment of athletic people. Between one and two years ago it came again. Only this time there was no apparent precipitating event. The neurologist had difficulty getting my insurance to ok a head-to -hips MRI. He used the word cancer in one of his reports. His concern was that the precipitating event was cancer. Suddenly, I am grateful for my neurological difference.
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perfect.
Thankyou.
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The perfect Advent hymn. It has such a poignancy and longing. (Truly beautiful memories from my primary school days of the advent wreath being brought into the darkened school assembly hall as Veni Veni Emmanuel was sung.)
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