Wednesday, April 29, 2009
WHY WE ATTEND MASS
The following video by Steve Silvia is a beautiful explanation of why we need to join together each week at mass.
As Catholic Christians we are called to be the eyes, and hands, and feet of Jesus here on earth.
I personally cannot do that without the mass.
I need the prayers, the Word, the fellowship, and the homily to guide me in what I ought to do.
I need the Holy Eucharist to nourish my soul so I may have the strength of my convictions to do what I ought to do.
Studies show that a good breakfast sets the pace for our day. How many of us would send our children to school each morning without a good breakfast?
Yet, we think nothing of sending our children out into the world each week without the nourishment their little souls need to keep them strong against all the temptations they will find there.
Go figure!
As Catholic Christians we are called to be the eyes, and hands, and feet of Jesus here on earth.
I personally cannot do that without the mass.
I need the prayers, the Word, the fellowship, and the homily to guide me in what I ought to do.
I need the Holy Eucharist to nourish my soul so I may have the strength of my convictions to do what I ought to do.
Studies show that a good breakfast sets the pace for our day. How many of us would send our children to school each morning without a good breakfast?
Yet, we think nothing of sending our children out into the world each week without the nourishment their little souls need to keep them strong against all the temptations they will find there.
Go figure!
WE ARE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
@padreporto on Twitter recommended this video. It is absolutely stunning!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
RECYCLE: ADOPT A SHELTER DOG
70 Australian Shepherds seized in Mason Michigan. Foster homes needed. Ingham Co Animal Control (517) 676-8370. The dogs were in bad conditions. Shelter is overcrowded and may need to euthanize them. Please help if you can!
AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
I sent the following text message to my secretary this morning: "Hi will be in shortly. Had to adjust my attitude first."
You see, I was out of balance...actually have been for several days...but this morning especially, I was clunking around like a washing machine with a pair of sneakers jostling about inside.
It wasn't pretty.
My mind was not in alignment with my heart and soul.
Despite an active prayer life, I needed something more.
I needed uninterrupted quality time to sit quietly with God and reassess my priorities, unclutter my mind from the detritus of the world, and allow my soul to surrender.
And, I needed it right then and there...it could not wait a minute more...my very being depended on it.
At the end of my "re-balancing" session, I literally was singing: "To You, O Lord, I Lift My Soul."
Indeed, for my very sanity that was what I had to do this morning before work.
How about you, are you in balance or out of balance?
Are you centered to your very core, or are you not really sure who you even are at this moment?
The answer is right before you: surrender.
Sit humbly with our God, listen quietly, re-balance, re-assess, rejuvenate, re-connect, be in the world, not of it.
Lift up your soul, and the attitude adjustment will follow!
You see, I was out of balance...actually have been for several days...but this morning especially, I was clunking around like a washing machine with a pair of sneakers jostling about inside.
It wasn't pretty.
My mind was not in alignment with my heart and soul.
Despite an active prayer life, I needed something more.
I needed uninterrupted quality time to sit quietly with God and reassess my priorities, unclutter my mind from the detritus of the world, and allow my soul to surrender.
And, I needed it right then and there...it could not wait a minute more...my very being depended on it.
At the end of my "re-balancing" session, I literally was singing: "To You, O Lord, I Lift My Soul."
Indeed, for my very sanity that was what I had to do this morning before work.
How about you, are you in balance or out of balance?
Are you centered to your very core, or are you not really sure who you even are at this moment?
The answer is right before you: surrender.
Sit humbly with our God, listen quietly, re-balance, re-assess, rejuvenate, re-connect, be in the world, not of it.
Lift up your soul, and the attitude adjustment will follow!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
HAPPY EARTH DAY!!
Beautiful pictures of our planet courtesy of Christoper Furtado...sit a spell...relax....enjoy...then make a commitment to be a better steward of the wonders of God's creation!
Some Suggestions:
Some Suggestions:
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
PRAY THE ROSARY - IT'S POWERFUL
Friends on Twitter.com: @CradleCatholic and @bjwalsh12 just let the twitterverse know about this powerful video:
Thursday, April 16, 2009
WELCOME TO NEW YORK, ARCHBISHOP DOLAN!
'WE SHOULD NEVER, EVER PASS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THE CHURCH; WE SHOULD NEVER PASS UP AN OCCASION TO SAY THE NAME OF JESUS, TO SPEAK ABOUT FAITH AND LOVE AND HOPE.'
From an interview between Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Brian Olszewski of Milwaukee's Catholic Herald. Archbishop Dolan was answering a question about his willingness to appear on "The Late Show" with David Letterman.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER...Or, Why I Think The Communion Of Saints Will Meet Me At The Pearly Gates With A Roll Of Duct Tape!
Yes, it's true. I believe totally and completely that when I die, the saints I know and love, will greet me at Heaven's Door with enough duct tape to gag me for at least a decade or two.
They need the rest, poor dears!
Each day, many times, and on a difficult day sometimes moment by moment, I am praying about something or someone. Now, the prayers of praise and gratitude, they are the easiest, and I bring them to the Lord constantly and usually by myself. However, when it comes to prayers of petition, I usually seek a little backup.
When I explain why we go to Mass to the children in the program, I tell them certainly, we can pray anywhere: at home, at school (yes, Virginia, we can still pray at school...silently or even soto voce: for no one has legislated our thoughts and heart songs, yet), on the sports field, and even in the shower (a good place to pray those prayers that make us cry!)
God is EVERYWHERE, hears us ANYWHERE, and does so, at ANYTIME.
But, we come together in a special way at Mass to praise and glorify and petition God in community. We pray with, and for each other, even as we bring our own personal prayers to the altar. There, too, we are nourished with the source and summit of our lives: the Eucharist which strengthens the convictions of our soul. How could He not listen when we come to Him for ourselves and others all at the same time?
"Love thy neighbor as thyself," after all.
Now, this is not to say that God will always answer our prayers in the way we think they should be answered. That's not how it works. And, that is why it is so important to add that same phrase that Jesus prayed even as He was asking in the Garden of Gethsemane for "this cup to pass."
The simple phrase I add to every prayer is this: "Thy will, not my will, be done!"
It is my acknowledgment, as it was Christ's, that all good comes from the Father in Heaven, and if I truly believe that, then I must give control of situations up to Him; not only because that is where control rightfully belongs, but, because it is the only way to find peace of mind, heart, and soul.
So, at Mass when the earthly communion of saints joins our prayer to the heavenly communion of saints, how could God ignore our pleas for assistance?
The short answer is: He will not!
Now, with that simple philosophy as my guide, when I am praying during the day, or moment by moment if it is one of those days, or late in the evening, or even as I prayed over my aunt as she lay dying in the hospital, (and Mass is not an option), I reach out to the communion of saints.
I don't just pray for the assistance of one or two, either, I ask them all to join in.
My prayer is usually this: "Please, _____________ intercede on my behalf with our Heavenly Father."
Of course, I first approach Christ.
Then, The Blessed Mother because, Jesus gave her to us as our true and eternal mother at the foot of his cross.
Saint Joseph, the patron saint of so many things: safe travel, peaceful death, fatherhood, family, those who work with their hands, etc.
Mother Cabrini, because she has been the patroness of my family since before I was born.
Saint Therese, the Little Flower, whose name I took at Confirmation.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Claire, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis Xavier, Saint John (Don) Bosco (patron saint of catechists), Saint Francis de Sales, and the list goes on and on.
With the officially recognized saints of the Catholic Church, I also reach out to my own father, brother, uncles, aunts, grandparents, even the great grandparents I never had a chance to meet, and a very special Deacon friend who passed way too soon.
I take very seriously Saint Therese's declaration that she would "spend...[her]... Heaven doing good on earth."
And, I have made a prayer habit of expecting ALL the saints, officially recognized or not, to do the same.
Therefore, I am certain, that on the day I die, they will welcome me with open arms, and then take measures to get a little peace and quiet.
They need the rest, poor dears!
Each day, many times, and on a difficult day sometimes moment by moment, I am praying about something or someone. Now, the prayers of praise and gratitude, they are the easiest, and I bring them to the Lord constantly and usually by myself. However, when it comes to prayers of petition, I usually seek a little backup.
When I explain why we go to Mass to the children in the program, I tell them certainly, we can pray anywhere: at home, at school (yes, Virginia, we can still pray at school...silently or even soto voce: for no one has legislated our thoughts and heart songs, yet), on the sports field, and even in the shower (a good place to pray those prayers that make us cry!)
God is EVERYWHERE, hears us ANYWHERE, and does so, at ANYTIME.
But, we come together in a special way at Mass to praise and glorify and petition God in community. We pray with, and for each other, even as we bring our own personal prayers to the altar. There, too, we are nourished with the source and summit of our lives: the Eucharist which strengthens the convictions of our soul. How could He not listen when we come to Him for ourselves and others all at the same time?
"Love thy neighbor as thyself," after all.
Now, this is not to say that God will always answer our prayers in the way we think they should be answered. That's not how it works. And, that is why it is so important to add that same phrase that Jesus prayed even as He was asking in the Garden of Gethsemane for "this cup to pass."
The simple phrase I add to every prayer is this: "Thy will, not my will, be done!"
It is my acknowledgment, as it was Christ's, that all good comes from the Father in Heaven, and if I truly believe that, then I must give control of situations up to Him; not only because that is where control rightfully belongs, but, because it is the only way to find peace of mind, heart, and soul.
So, at Mass when the earthly communion of saints joins our prayer to the heavenly communion of saints, how could God ignore our pleas for assistance?
The short answer is: He will not!
Now, with that simple philosophy as my guide, when I am praying during the day, or moment by moment if it is one of those days, or late in the evening, or even as I prayed over my aunt as she lay dying in the hospital, (and Mass is not an option), I reach out to the communion of saints.
I don't just pray for the assistance of one or two, either, I ask them all to join in.
My prayer is usually this: "Please, _____________ intercede on my behalf with our Heavenly Father."
Of course, I first approach Christ.
Then, The Blessed Mother because, Jesus gave her to us as our true and eternal mother at the foot of his cross.
Saint Joseph, the patron saint of so many things: safe travel, peaceful death, fatherhood, family, those who work with their hands, etc.
Mother Cabrini, because she has been the patroness of my family since before I was born.
Saint Therese, the Little Flower, whose name I took at Confirmation.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Claire, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis Xavier, Saint John (Don) Bosco (patron saint of catechists), Saint Francis de Sales, and the list goes on and on.
With the officially recognized saints of the Catholic Church, I also reach out to my own father, brother, uncles, aunts, grandparents, even the great grandparents I never had a chance to meet, and a very special Deacon friend who passed way too soon.
I take very seriously Saint Therese's declaration that she would "spend...[her]... Heaven doing good on earth."
And, I have made a prayer habit of expecting ALL the saints, officially recognized or not, to do the same.
Therefore, I am certain, that on the day I die, they will welcome me with open arms, and then take measures to get a little peace and quiet.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POPE BENEDICT XVI!!
Pope Benedict XVI celebrates his 82nd birthday today, April 16
and the fourth anniversary of his election as Pope on April 19.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
THE WORLD'S NEWEST SHINING STAR!
SUSAN BOYLE...47 YEARS OLD...SINGLE LADY...1 OF 9 CHILDREN...CARED FOR HER MUM UNTIL HER DEATH AT 91...CAT'S NAMED PEBBLES...DEVOUT CATHOLIC...VOICE OF AN ANGEL:
WATCH SIMON'S EYEBROWS :-)
GOD BLESS, HER! WHAT A GIFT!
HERE'S MORE FROM 1999:
WATCH SIMON'S EYEBROWS :-)
GOD BLESS, HER! WHAT A GIFT!
HERE'S MORE FROM 1999:
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
AUNTIE DEE
My grandfather, her garden, her cats, and apparently QVC and HSN
were Auntie Dee’s main focus in life.
While her brothers and sisters left home to begin new lives, Auntie Dee
stayed at home…singlehandedly taking care of my grandfather until
his death at 94 years of age.
Feisty and a bit eccentric, Auntie Dee had an inspiring love for Saint
Joseph. Each March she would remind us all to start the Novena.
Even this year, as she lie in the hospital after yet another surgery,
she said to me: “Oh, Rosemarie, I forgot the Novena.”
I reassured her it was fine, that the angels said it for her this year, and Saint Joseph certainly understood.
Friday afternoon, after I had spent the day praying for and over Auntie Dee, giving her the permission the doctors and nurses said I must to help her leave her agony in this world, and enter into the peace of Jesus’ loving arms: I went to her house to feed the cats.
While I was there, I extinguished the light by her treasured statue of Saint Joseph.
I think this is the first time the light has been off in my lifetime.
God Bless you, Auntie Dee. I love you!
were Auntie Dee’s main focus in life.
While her brothers and sisters left home to begin new lives, Auntie Dee
stayed at home…singlehandedly taking care of my grandfather until
his death at 94 years of age.
Feisty and a bit eccentric, Auntie Dee had an inspiring love for Saint
Joseph. Each March she would remind us all to start the Novena.
Even this year, as she lie in the hospital after yet another surgery,
she said to me: “Oh, Rosemarie, I forgot the Novena.”
I reassured her it was fine, that the angels said it for her this year, and Saint Joseph certainly understood.
Friday afternoon, after I had spent the day praying for and over Auntie Dee, giving her the permission the doctors and nurses said I must to help her leave her agony in this world, and enter into the peace of Jesus’ loving arms: I went to her house to feed the cats.
While I was there, I extinguished the light by her treasured statue of Saint Joseph.
I think this is the first time the light has been off in my lifetime.
God Bless you, Auntie Dee. I love you!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
DOLPHIN BUBBLES
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
(Maker of Heaven and Earth, 1-4) Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895)
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
(Maker of Heaven and Earth, 1-4) Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895)
A LITTLE EASTER BUNNY HUMOR...
From http://www.offthemark.com...
Mrs. Easter Bunny is a little cranky. I would love a room like this! ;-)
Mrs. Easter Bunny is a little cranky. I would love a room like this! ;-)
Saturday, April 11, 2009
It Is Finished...
DONATA (DORA) T. GROTTANO
FEBRUARY 17, 1924 - APRIL 11, 2009
MAY SHE FIND PEACE AND ETERNAL COMFORT
IN THE LOVING ARMS OF OUR SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST
FEBRUARY 17, 1924 - APRIL 11, 2009
MAY SHE FIND PEACE AND ETERNAL COMFORT
IN THE LOVING ARMS OF OUR SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST
Friday, April 10, 2009
Jesus And The Urban Abbey
Now, I know some will tuck this story under: "Oh, she was distressed and not fully comprehending what was going on." BALONEY! She was fully comprehending the conversation but seeking spiritual support from someone who is obviously pastorally challenged in these situations.
And so, here is the transcript of my telephone call with the Religious Brother who is the chaplain of the hospital where my aunt lay dying.
Telephone rings....caller id says it is the hospital.
Me: Hello.
Brother Robert (name has been changed to protect the pastorally challenged): Hello, is this Dora Grottano?
Me: No, this is her niece, Rosemarie. Is this Brother Bob?
Brother Robert: This is Brother Robert. (Should have known this was not going to end well. Operator said he was Brother Bob.) I have the wrong name here, thought I was calling Dora Grottano.
Me: No Brother Robert, Dora is my aunt and she is in the hospital. I am on my way to sign the forms to stop all treatment and place her in comfort care and hospice. I was wondering if you would be able to meet me and be there when the treatment was removed.
Brother Robert: You want me there? Why?
Me: For spiritual support.
Brother Robert: Well, the patient chooses a healthcare proxy and that is the person that you should be speaking to.
Me: I AM the healthcare proxy.
Brother Robert: Then what do you need me for? The Church teaches that you do not have to use extraordinary means of care when a patient is near death. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...
(Sorry...I tuned out when the lecture began...I too have a Master's Degree in Theology and I know what the Church teaches. In fact, I had been on the phone earlier in the morning with our Deacon who reinforced for me that I had Church teaching down correctly.)
Me: Yes, Brother Robert, I am the Director of Religious Education at So and So Parish and I am aware what the Church teaches. I also spoke with our Deacon this morning who reinforced for me that I am in accord with Church Teaching. I would just be more comfortable that, along with medical support when the wires are removed, there be spiritual support as well.
Brother Robert: Uuuuuummmmmmmmm, I really don't understand what you are looking for.
Me: An annointing for my aunt and spiritual support.
Brother Robert: Your aunt already had an annointing.
Me: Oh, she did. I had asked for one several days ago...I wasn't sure if she had received it. Okay.
Brother Robert: So what you really want is a member of the clergy there when the treatment is stopped.
Me: Yes.
Brother Robert: Uuuuuummmmmm, well I guess I can do that...if I'm not too busy at the time. I tell you what, when you get here have me paged, and if I am available I will come up.
Me: Thank you, Brother Robert.
Now, fast forward to the hospital:
DO YOU THINK I HAD HIM PAGED???
I enter my aunt's room...she is in a private room now...coincidentally(?) the same one I was in when my younger son was born. I begin to pray for my aunt and ask Jesus to be present to us (figuring He must be less busy on Good Friday than the good Brother Robert). Within seconds, I receive a text message from TheUrbanAbbey on Twitter. The message said: "So sorry to hear about what you're going through w/your aunt today. Must be hard...will be praying for both of you."
Apparently, Jesus was not as busy today as the good brother. And, He knew exactly what it was I was requesting: one of his emissaries to stand in support of my aunt and I.
It was really...very...simple!
And so, here is the transcript of my telephone call with the Religious Brother who is the chaplain of the hospital where my aunt lay dying.
Telephone rings....caller id says it is the hospital.
Me: Hello.
Brother Robert (name has been changed to protect the pastorally challenged): Hello, is this Dora Grottano?
Me: No, this is her niece, Rosemarie. Is this Brother Bob?
Brother Robert: This is Brother Robert. (Should have known this was not going to end well. Operator said he was Brother Bob.) I have the wrong name here, thought I was calling Dora Grottano.
Me: No Brother Robert, Dora is my aunt and she is in the hospital. I am on my way to sign the forms to stop all treatment and place her in comfort care and hospice. I was wondering if you would be able to meet me and be there when the treatment was removed.
Brother Robert: You want me there? Why?
Me: For spiritual support.
Brother Robert: Well, the patient chooses a healthcare proxy and that is the person that you should be speaking to.
Me: I AM the healthcare proxy.
Brother Robert: Then what do you need me for? The Church teaches that you do not have to use extraordinary means of care when a patient is near death. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...
(Sorry...I tuned out when the lecture began...I too have a Master's Degree in Theology and I know what the Church teaches. In fact, I had been on the phone earlier in the morning with our Deacon who reinforced for me that I had Church teaching down correctly.)
Me: Yes, Brother Robert, I am the Director of Religious Education at So and So Parish and I am aware what the Church teaches. I also spoke with our Deacon this morning who reinforced for me that I am in accord with Church Teaching. I would just be more comfortable that, along with medical support when the wires are removed, there be spiritual support as well.
Brother Robert: Uuuuuummmmmmmmm, I really don't understand what you are looking for.
Me: An annointing for my aunt and spiritual support.
Brother Robert: Your aunt already had an annointing.
Me: Oh, she did. I had asked for one several days ago...I wasn't sure if she had received it. Okay.
Brother Robert: So what you really want is a member of the clergy there when the treatment is stopped.
Me: Yes.
Brother Robert: Uuuuuummmmmm, well I guess I can do that...if I'm not too busy at the time. I tell you what, when you get here have me paged, and if I am available I will come up.
Me: Thank you, Brother Robert.
Now, fast forward to the hospital:
DO YOU THINK I HAD HIM PAGED???
I enter my aunt's room...she is in a private room now...coincidentally(?) the same one I was in when my younger son was born. I begin to pray for my aunt and ask Jesus to be present to us (figuring He must be less busy on Good Friday than the good Brother Robert). Within seconds, I receive a text message from TheUrbanAbbey on Twitter. The message said: "So sorry to hear about what you're going through w/your aunt today. Must be hard...will be praying for both of you."
Apparently, Jesus was not as busy today as the good brother. And, He knew exactly what it was I was requesting: one of his emissaries to stand in support of my aunt and I.
It was really...very...simple!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
MY TIME AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS
Death and I are no strangers. I was six when my then 18-year-old brother died three days after he had been in a car accident. I was thirteen when my uncle fell ill at work and died the following day. Six months later, I was fourteen when my aunt, his wife, didn't wake up one morning and the doctor said she had literally died of a broken heart. I was leading my son's cub scout den one wintry Saturday afternoon when the call came that my father had suddenly stopped breathing in his home; and, in the intervening years, I had lost two babies to miscarriage. No, death and I are not strangers.
The thing is, the death that I am used to is a sudden, shocking, gut wrenching kind that throws you off balance, into shock, and into a state of auto pilot as you navigate the twists and turns of choosing caskets, planning the wake and funeral, ordering flowers, and finally burial of our beloved. The kind of death that doesn't really hit you until the last casserole is finished, and the task of moving forward has begun.
The death I am meeting this week is so very, very different, and so very, very, very unkind.
This week, I am meeting firsthand, for the very first time in my life, the death of unrelenting pain and suffering. The kind of death that is seemingly as difficult to watch as it is to endure. The kind of death that leaves the patient writhing in pain and the loved ones drenched in a pain all their own: a pain borne of compassion, empathy, and a powerlessness that just tears your heart in two. The kind of death that Christ suffered on the cross, and the Blessed Mother, the disciple he loved, and those followers that hung around, witnessed at the foot of that cross.
As I stood at my aunt's bedside today, watching powerlessly as she writhed and moaned in a pain only she can know, I saw Christ. As her little body clenched, and her throat moaned with each new wave of pain, I recognized the same suffering that our Lord endured to free us from our sins, even, as my aunt has ceased to recognize me. As my aunt pulled at the light little blanket and hospital gown, whose even barely recordable weight was too much on her pain-riddled body, and her arms jerked outward trying to find release, she lay on that bed as Christ lay on the cross, naked and outstretched, as they nailed his arms and legs in place. As she rubbed her frail little fingers over her parched lips, I saw Jesus on the cross saying, "I thirst."
Yes, today, I witnessed Christ's suffering in the person of my aunt. It is very nearly too much for me to bear.
As I stood at the foot of my aunt's cross, her hospital bed, I prayed so many things at once. First, that the nurse (this one a true angel of mercy) would hurry with the pain medication the doctor has prescribed at three hour intervals. Second, that God in His infinite mercy would put an end once and forever to my aunt's unrelenting pain and suffering. Third,that my aunt will find peace in our Heavenly Father's Presence when her journey is finally done.
It dawned on me that these same kind of prayers must have been prayed by Jesus' loved ones, too. How shocked Mary must have been at the soldier mockingly giving Jesus a sponge soaked with vinegar. Because her kidneys have shut down, and there is a fear of aspiration, I too was shocked to learn that that mainstay of hospital comfort, the ice chip, is out of the question for my aunt. I thought maybe a wet cloth, but was cautioned that the infection coursing through her body is highly contagious, and that I should refrain from touching her, and even then, sanitize my hands promptly upon leaving her room or risk bringing the infection home with me. In some small way, I knew how Mary must have felt when she was not allowed the simple courtesy of comforting her beloved son.
This death that I meet this week, just as Jesus' death was so long ago, is one of unbearable indignity. A death so horrific that Our Lord Himself cried out: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"
Yet, it is through Christ's passion and suffering, and ultimate indignity that I find strength in the fact that God has not forsaken my aunt or I in this, our last earthbound journey together. It is in the promises of Christ that I find the peace in my heart to know deeply and completely that when my aunt breathes her last she will be in the arms of Our Savior and at peace at long last.
So, as the morphine began to do its job, I told my aunt, I loved her, and that we would do everything we could to ease her suffering and pain. And so tomorrow, comfort care and in hospital hospice will begin.
It is in the hands of the Risen Christ whom I know, and love, and have my being, that I faithfully place my aunt's eternal soul, knowing that when her unrelenting pain and suffering are over she will be joined for all eternity with Him in paradise.
Until then, May God's Will Be Done.
The thing is, the death that I am used to is a sudden, shocking, gut wrenching kind that throws you off balance, into shock, and into a state of auto pilot as you navigate the twists and turns of choosing caskets, planning the wake and funeral, ordering flowers, and finally burial of our beloved. The kind of death that doesn't really hit you until the last casserole is finished, and the task of moving forward has begun.
The death I am meeting this week is so very, very different, and so very, very, very unkind.
This week, I am meeting firsthand, for the very first time in my life, the death of unrelenting pain and suffering. The kind of death that is seemingly as difficult to watch as it is to endure. The kind of death that leaves the patient writhing in pain and the loved ones drenched in a pain all their own: a pain borne of compassion, empathy, and a powerlessness that just tears your heart in two. The kind of death that Christ suffered on the cross, and the Blessed Mother, the disciple he loved, and those followers that hung around, witnessed at the foot of that cross.
As I stood at my aunt's bedside today, watching powerlessly as she writhed and moaned in a pain only she can know, I saw Christ. As her little body clenched, and her throat moaned with each new wave of pain, I recognized the same suffering that our Lord endured to free us from our sins, even, as my aunt has ceased to recognize me. As my aunt pulled at the light little blanket and hospital gown, whose even barely recordable weight was too much on her pain-riddled body, and her arms jerked outward trying to find release, she lay on that bed as Christ lay on the cross, naked and outstretched, as they nailed his arms and legs in place. As she rubbed her frail little fingers over her parched lips, I saw Jesus on the cross saying, "I thirst."
Yes, today, I witnessed Christ's suffering in the person of my aunt. It is very nearly too much for me to bear.
As I stood at the foot of my aunt's cross, her hospital bed, I prayed so many things at once. First, that the nurse (this one a true angel of mercy) would hurry with the pain medication the doctor has prescribed at three hour intervals. Second, that God in His infinite mercy would put an end once and forever to my aunt's unrelenting pain and suffering. Third,that my aunt will find peace in our Heavenly Father's Presence when her journey is finally done.
It dawned on me that these same kind of prayers must have been prayed by Jesus' loved ones, too. How shocked Mary must have been at the soldier mockingly giving Jesus a sponge soaked with vinegar. Because her kidneys have shut down, and there is a fear of aspiration, I too was shocked to learn that that mainstay of hospital comfort, the ice chip, is out of the question for my aunt. I thought maybe a wet cloth, but was cautioned that the infection coursing through her body is highly contagious, and that I should refrain from touching her, and even then, sanitize my hands promptly upon leaving her room or risk bringing the infection home with me. In some small way, I knew how Mary must have felt when she was not allowed the simple courtesy of comforting her beloved son.
This death that I meet this week, just as Jesus' death was so long ago, is one of unbearable indignity. A death so horrific that Our Lord Himself cried out: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"
Yet, it is through Christ's passion and suffering, and ultimate indignity that I find strength in the fact that God has not forsaken my aunt or I in this, our last earthbound journey together. It is in the promises of Christ that I find the peace in my heart to know deeply and completely that when my aunt breathes her last she will be in the arms of Our Savior and at peace at long last.
So, as the morphine began to do its job, I told my aunt, I loved her, and that we would do everything we could to ease her suffering and pain. And so tomorrow, comfort care and in hospital hospice will begin.
It is in the hands of the Risen Christ whom I know, and love, and have my being, that I faithfully place my aunt's eternal soul, knowing that when her unrelenting pain and suffering are over she will be joined for all eternity with Him in paradise.
Until then, May God's Will Be Done.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Pope: Easter Triduum "Fulcrum" of Liturgical Year
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 8, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI reflected on the Easter triduum at the general audience today, which he called the "fulcrum of the entire liturgical year."
Holy Week, the Pope said, "offers us the opportunity to be immersed in the central events of Redemption, to relive the Paschal Mystery, the great mystery of the faith."
"How marvelous, and at the same time amazing, is this mystery," the Pontiff said. "We can never meditate this reality sufficiently. Jesus, though being God, did not want to make of his divine prerogatives an exclusive possession; he did not want to use his being God, his glorious dignity and power, as an instrument of triumph and sign of distance from us."
"On the contrary, 'he emptied himself' assuming our miserable and weak human condition."
Benedict XVI noted that the Easter triduum begins Thursday afternoon with the Mass of the Lord's Supper: "The Church commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, the ministerial priesthood and the new commandment of charity, left by Jesus to his disciples."
Holy Thursday, he said, is "a renewed invitation to render thanks to God for the supreme gift of the Eucharist, to be received with devotion and to be adored with lively faith."
Good Friday, the Pontiff continued, is the "day of the Passion and crucifixion of the Lord. Every year, placing ourselves in silence before Jesus nailed to the wood of the cross, we realize how full of love were the words he pronounced on the eve, in the course of the Last Supper."
"Jesus willed to offer his life in sacrifice for the remission of humanity's sins," the Holy Father reflected. "Just as before the Eucharist, so before the Passion and Death of Jesus on the cross the mystery is unfathomable to reason. We are placed before something that humanly might seem absurd: a God who not only is made man, with all man's needs, not only suffers to save man, burdening himself with all the tragedy of humanity, but dies for man."
"Christ's death recalls the accumulation of sorrows and evils that beset humanity of all times: the crushing weight of our dying, the hatred and violence that again today bloody the earth. The Lord's Passion continues in the suffering of men."
He added, "If Good Friday is a day full of sadness, then it is at the same time all the more propitious a day to reawaken our faith, to strengthen our hope and courage so that each one of us will carry his cross with humility, trust and abandonment in God, certain of his support and victory."
"Hope," said Benedict XVI, "is nourished in the great silence of Holy Saturday, awaiting the resurrection of Jesus. On this day the Churches are stripped and no particular liturgical rites are provided. The Church watches in prayer like Mary, and together with Mary, sharing the same feelings of sorrow and trust in God."
"Justly recommended is to preserve throughout the day a prayerful climate, favorable to meditation and reconciliation; the faithful are encouraged to approach the sacrament of penance, to be able to participate truly renewed in the Easter celebrations."
Following the "recollection and silence of Holy Saturday" is the solemn Easter Vigil, which the Pope called the "mother of all vigils."
"Proclaimed once again will be the victory of light over darkness, of life over death, and the Church will rejoice in the encounter with her Lord," he added. "We will thus enter into the climate of the Easter of Resurrection."
Holy Week, the Pope said, "offers us the opportunity to be immersed in the central events of Redemption, to relive the Paschal Mystery, the great mystery of the faith."
"How marvelous, and at the same time amazing, is this mystery," the Pontiff said. "We can never meditate this reality sufficiently. Jesus, though being God, did not want to make of his divine prerogatives an exclusive possession; he did not want to use his being God, his glorious dignity and power, as an instrument of triumph and sign of distance from us."
"On the contrary, 'he emptied himself' assuming our miserable and weak human condition."
Benedict XVI noted that the Easter triduum begins Thursday afternoon with the Mass of the Lord's Supper: "The Church commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, the ministerial priesthood and the new commandment of charity, left by Jesus to his disciples."
Holy Thursday, he said, is "a renewed invitation to render thanks to God for the supreme gift of the Eucharist, to be received with devotion and to be adored with lively faith."
Good Friday, the Pontiff continued, is the "day of the Passion and crucifixion of the Lord. Every year, placing ourselves in silence before Jesus nailed to the wood of the cross, we realize how full of love were the words he pronounced on the eve, in the course of the Last Supper."
"Jesus willed to offer his life in sacrifice for the remission of humanity's sins," the Holy Father reflected. "Just as before the Eucharist, so before the Passion and Death of Jesus on the cross the mystery is unfathomable to reason. We are placed before something that humanly might seem absurd: a God who not only is made man, with all man's needs, not only suffers to save man, burdening himself with all the tragedy of humanity, but dies for man."
"Christ's death recalls the accumulation of sorrows and evils that beset humanity of all times: the crushing weight of our dying, the hatred and violence that again today bloody the earth. The Lord's Passion continues in the suffering of men."
He added, "If Good Friday is a day full of sadness, then it is at the same time all the more propitious a day to reawaken our faith, to strengthen our hope and courage so that each one of us will carry his cross with humility, trust and abandonment in God, certain of his support and victory."
"Hope," said Benedict XVI, "is nourished in the great silence of Holy Saturday, awaiting the resurrection of Jesus. On this day the Churches are stripped and no particular liturgical rites are provided. The Church watches in prayer like Mary, and together with Mary, sharing the same feelings of sorrow and trust in God."
"Justly recommended is to preserve throughout the day a prayerful climate, favorable to meditation and reconciliation; the faithful are encouraged to approach the sacrament of penance, to be able to participate truly renewed in the Easter celebrations."
Following the "recollection and silence of Holy Saturday" is the solemn Easter Vigil, which the Pope called the "mother of all vigils."
"Proclaimed once again will be the victory of light over darkness, of life over death, and the Church will rejoice in the encounter with her Lord," he added. "We will thus enter into the climate of the Easter of Resurrection."
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Mary's Way of the Cross, Narrated by Angelina, Written by Richard Furey
WE ADORE YOU OH CHRIST AND WE PRAISE YOU BECAUSE BY YOUR HOLY CROSS YOU HAVE REDEEMED THE WORLD!
Holy Thursday
A beautiful explanation and demonstration of the meaning of the Washing of the Feet at the Mass of the Lord's Supper celebrated on Holy Thursday:
Lord Jesus, Help us to follow You and come down off our pedestals to love one another unceasingly. Amen.
Lord Jesus, Help us to follow You and come down off our pedestals to love one another unceasingly. Amen.
Monday, April 6, 2009
A Holy Week Prayer From Saint Ignatius
Even as we anticipate the Joy of Easter, may we enter into Holy Week with our hearts aligned with Saint Ignatius as we pray:
"...for the gift of being able to feel sorrow with Jesus in sorrow, to be anguished with Jesus' anguish, and even to experience tears and deep grief because of all the afflictions which Jesus endures for me."
"...for the gift of being able to feel sorrow with Jesus in sorrow, to be anguished with Jesus' anguish, and even to experience tears and deep grief because of all the afflictions which Jesus endures for me."
SOUL WOW
The Catholic Church has hundreds of priests in the Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island areas ready to listen to your confessions today, Monday, April 6, 2009. So, just bring a contrite heart and you, too can get that almost baptized feeling.
Visit www.soulwow.com
Sunday, April 5, 2009
RESURRECTION COOKIES
Here is a great way to share the story of Easter with your children. There are several different recipes out there but I like this one the best. Make them on Holy Saturday Evening.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
ziplock type baggie
wooden spoon
masking tape
Bible
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Place pecans in ziplock baggie and let children beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Set aside.
Explain that after Jesus was arrested, the Roman soldiers beat him. Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into a mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life.
Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
Add a pinch of salt to the mixture.
Explain that the salt represents the salty tears Jesus' followers shed after his death. Read Luke 23:27.
Add 1 cup sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Galatians 2:20.
Beat all the ingredients except the nuts with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks. (12-15 minutes).
Gently fold in the broken nuts.
Drop by measuring teaspoonfuls onto a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.
Place the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door, and turn the oven OFF.
Seal the door with masking tape.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.
Now go to bed!
You may be disappointed leaving the cookies in the oven overnight. That's how Jesus' followers felt when he died and was buried.
Read John 16:20-22.
On Easter morning, open the oven door and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and hollow center. On the first Easter morning Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Jesus is ALIVE!
Read Matthew 28:1-9.
Explain to the children that now it is up to us to share the Good News!!
Ingredients:
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
ziplock type baggie
wooden spoon
masking tape
Bible
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Place pecans in ziplock baggie and let children beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Set aside.
Explain that after Jesus was arrested, the Roman soldiers beat him. Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into a mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life.
Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
Add a pinch of salt to the mixture.
Explain that the salt represents the salty tears Jesus' followers shed after his death. Read Luke 23:27.
Add 1 cup sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Galatians 2:20.
Beat all the ingredients except the nuts with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks. (12-15 minutes).
Gently fold in the broken nuts.
Drop by measuring teaspoonfuls onto a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.
Place the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door, and turn the oven OFF.
Seal the door with masking tape.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.
Now go to bed!
You may be disappointed leaving the cookies in the oven overnight. That's how Jesus' followers felt when he died and was buried.
Read John 16:20-22.
On Easter morning, open the oven door and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and hollow center. On the first Easter morning Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Jesus is ALIVE!
Read Matthew 28:1-9.
Explain to the children that now it is up to us to share the Good News!!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
LEVEL 6 STATIONS OF THE CROSS PRESENTED APRIL 3, 2009
LAST NIGHT, OUR LEVEL 6 BOYS AND GIRLS PRESENTED THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS FOR OUR PARISH FAMILY. I FIND THIS A VERY MOVING WAY TO ENTER INTO HOLY WEEK. THE BOYS AND GIRLS, UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF OUR CATECHISTS AND OUR STATIONS COORDINATORS DID A WONDERFUL JOB. HERE ARE SOME PICTURES. ENJOY!!
PONTIUS PILATE
JESUS TAKES UP HIS CROSS
JESUS MEETS VERONICA
JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME
JESUS MEETS THE WEEPING WOMEN
JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS
JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS
JESUS IS PLACED IN THE TOMB
THE ROMAN CENTURION GUARDS THE TOMB
AND, PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PICTURE OF THE EVENING...GIVEN MY UNIQUE SENSE OF HUMOR:
ONE OF THE WEEPING WOMEN SMILING AND TALKING ON HER CELL PHONE BEFORE THE PRESENTATION BEGAN! PRICELESS!! ;-)
PONTIUS PILATE
JESUS TAKES UP HIS CROSS
JESUS MEETS VERONICA
JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME
JESUS MEETS THE WEEPING WOMEN
JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS
JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS
JESUS IS PLACED IN THE TOMB
THE ROMAN CENTURION GUARDS THE TOMB
AND, PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PICTURE OF THE EVENING...GIVEN MY UNIQUE SENSE OF HUMOR:
ONE OF THE WEEPING WOMEN SMILING AND TALKING ON HER CELL PHONE BEFORE THE PRESENTATION BEGAN! PRICELESS!! ;-)
Friday, April 3, 2009
WHOM DO YOU LOOK LIKE??
A few years ago I was standing on line with my older son, waiting at the checkout counter in a local department store. A young man and his girlfriend came up behind us deep in conversation. Just about every other word out of this young man's mouth was the "f" word. He used that word as noun, verb, adjective, and adverb. I had never known just how flexible that word could be before that day.
At first, I moved up a few inches away from the boy. But, he just moved up closer. My son was watching me and leaned over and whispered to me: "Don't do it." You see, my older son knows that I believe that it really does "take a village" to raise a child. And, he also knows that I am not a shrinking violet when it comes to telling children to behave. He just wishes, for my safety, that I didn't see EVERYONE as a CHILD in these situations.
The young man for his part was still carrying on his expletive enhanced conversation. I turned casually to get a look at him. He wasn't scary looking at all! In fact, he was wearing around his neck, and hanging low on his chest the LARGEST CRUCIFIX I had ever seen anyone ever wear. I didn't say anything, I just gave him THE LOOK. Now, all children know THE LOOK. This young man was no different. He looked at me, recognized it, and for at least the next five minutes while I was being checked out corrected his speech.
After that incident, I put together a new lesson for my Confirmation Preparation Classes. You see, after I had turned around to look at the young man, the most offensive thing about him ceased to be his inappropriate language and instead, became his inappropriate language while appearing to the world as a devoted follower of Christ! So, I tell the boys and girls that when we put the crucifix or even a plain cross around our neck we are telling the world something important about ourselves and our beliefs. When our words and actions contradict our appearance, we are saying even louder, something very different.
I thought about this young man again the other day, when an acquaintance on Twitter made a comment about a quotation I had posted. The quotation was attributed to St. John of God. My acquaintance had reposted the quotation with the assertion that " we should put 'of God' @ the end of R names." I thought about that a moment and realized that if we could and did maybe the world would be a much better place. Maybe if we were constantly reminded every time we signed our names that we are "of God," we would behave differently and sin would be no more. That is, if our walkin' and talkin' thereafter ALWAYS reflected our new important description.
Today, I received the following e-mail:
"A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a holding cell.
After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects. He said, 'I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him.'
I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk; naturally...I assumed you had stolen the car.'"
All of this really makes me think.
So, my question is this:
WHOM DO YOU LOOK LIKE?
DO YOU LOOK MORE LIKE JESUS?
OR, DO YOU LOOK MORE LIKE A THIEF?
At first, I moved up a few inches away from the boy. But, he just moved up closer. My son was watching me and leaned over and whispered to me: "Don't do it." You see, my older son knows that I believe that it really does "take a village" to raise a child. And, he also knows that I am not a shrinking violet when it comes to telling children to behave. He just wishes, for my safety, that I didn't see EVERYONE as a CHILD in these situations.
The young man for his part was still carrying on his expletive enhanced conversation. I turned casually to get a look at him. He wasn't scary looking at all! In fact, he was wearing around his neck, and hanging low on his chest the LARGEST CRUCIFIX I had ever seen anyone ever wear. I didn't say anything, I just gave him THE LOOK. Now, all children know THE LOOK. This young man was no different. He looked at me, recognized it, and for at least the next five minutes while I was being checked out corrected his speech.
After that incident, I put together a new lesson for my Confirmation Preparation Classes. You see, after I had turned around to look at the young man, the most offensive thing about him ceased to be his inappropriate language and instead, became his inappropriate language while appearing to the world as a devoted follower of Christ! So, I tell the boys and girls that when we put the crucifix or even a plain cross around our neck we are telling the world something important about ourselves and our beliefs. When our words and actions contradict our appearance, we are saying even louder, something very different.
I thought about this young man again the other day, when an acquaintance on Twitter made a comment about a quotation I had posted. The quotation was attributed to St. John of God. My acquaintance had reposted the quotation with the assertion that " we should put 'of God' @ the end of R names." I thought about that a moment and realized that if we could and did maybe the world would be a much better place. Maybe if we were constantly reminded every time we signed our names that we are "of God," we would behave differently and sin would be no more. That is, if our walkin' and talkin' thereafter ALWAYS reflected our new important description.
Today, I received the following e-mail:
"A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a holding cell.
After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects. He said, 'I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him.'
I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk; naturally...I assumed you had stolen the car.'"
All of this really makes me think.
So, my question is this:
WHOM DO YOU LOOK LIKE?
DO YOU LOOK MORE LIKE JESUS?
OR, DO YOU LOOK MORE LIKE A THIEF?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
THE MOUSETRAP
This is a cute story I received in my email today:
A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.
What food might this contain the mouse wondered?
He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said, "'There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.
But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.
So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.
MORAL OF THE STORY: EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY, AND OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON. WE MUST KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER AND OFFER ENCOURAGEMENT AND HELP IN ALL THINGS.
A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.
What food might this contain the mouse wondered?
He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said, "'There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.
But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.
So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.
MORAL OF THE STORY: EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY, AND OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON. WE MUST KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER AND OFFER ENCOURAGEMENT AND HELP IN ALL THINGS.
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