Breaking bread

Breaking bread

I love that expression.

Last night we had a gathering of the women who made Cornerstone XII

It was pot luck.

We began with bread prayer.

We passed the loaf to each other, and as we broke off a hunk, we reflected on our Cornerstone experience

Gathering in this way moves me greatly.

It reminds me so, especially in Lent,

of the way Jesus met with people,

taught them, and prayed with them.

..And shared a meal.

He sat with women just like us and spoke of the Father's love.

We gather in his name

and eat

The wine and bread.

Even this unconsecrateded meal is holy

because it is done in prayer and with faith

Dear Lord, thank you for your blessings,

be with us on our journey through Lent and beyond.

Bless the Mt. Carmel women

and help us to enkindle your spirit by

sharing your word

and the bread and the wine

often

whenever and wherever we gather.

Amen

The Law

Today the readings are about the law.

Keeping the law and teaching the law.

I work with lawyers-

it's not that kind of law.

it's the law of life

that we need to teach and respect

in order to live in harmony with each other.

The law of living.



Forgiveness

OLMC window woman with the jar

In the Gospel today Jesus tell us to forgive 70 times 7 times.

It's a very hard instruction to follow

even if you were inclined to.

Could I forgive someone over and over and over?

Forgiveness is a virtue.

It is a quality to strive for.

Father Ron said it plainly today-

forgiving wrongs is hard.

But not impossible.

It is possible with God's help.

 

Dear Lord,

I ask for your help

to turn my heart to you.

If I do so

I will be able to try to unbind wrongs,

and if I do manage to turn my heart to you

I can forgive,

and then in turn be forgiven.

Amen



Water

 Where is the living water?

For us it starts here

I was thinking today that the choice of my baptism was not mine.

I was lucky enough to have my faith handed down to me,

Unlike the early Christians

who started it all,

-many who suffered

for what I was given.

Are the banks of the Saddle River so different from the Jordan?

In the gospel today Naaman is told by the Prophet to wash in the Jordan 7 times.

If I was told by a prophet to wash here, would I go?

Or would I be angry like Naaman,

thinking there a bigger and better rivers?

Or would I realize that it is not the river,

but the water itself

that will heal me

Because it is God's living water

in which I would wash

that would make me

whole

and

holy.

Woman at the Well

Jug of water

The Woman at the Well

The woman at the well, an outcast
alone
fetching water in the heat of the day
Jesus at the well, soon to be outcast
alone
asks for water in the heat of the day.

The woman engages Jesus
and this chance encounter
becomes an examination of character
but not a condemnation
or an isolation.
Instead the woman asks for the living water that is offered.

The Eucharisitc prayer speaks of the seeds of faith already planted for the Samaritan woman.
She is at the water and uses it to blossom that faith.

Others are skeptical.
The disciples ask in disdain "why are you speaking to this woman?"
But Jesus has chosen his new disciple well.
She is the least of the Samaritans
yet she is chosen above all
and speaks with such conviction
"that many Samaritans of that town began to belive in him because of the word of the woman who testified"

If the Samaritan woman, with all her failures could be saved because of her faith,
I, with all my failures, can be saved too.
The Samaritan woman had a fire within, that made her stand up to Jesus
and allowed her to converse
to ask her questions
and to come believe.

I pray for the fire within
and the courage of Samaritan women
who speak
of the God who loves us.

Amen

Return of the Prodigal Son- Jesus, Rembrant and Nouwen

Yesterday my dear friend Alba dropped off this book

The Return of the Prodigal Son

by Henri Nouwen

She told me about it over lunch earlier this month, and said she would give it to me.

To know Alba is to know she is spiritually connected.

Which is why and how this book was given to me to begin reading last night

-not by chance, but by a special messenger

as preparation for the Gospel today.

We all know the story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son- the spoiled younger brother who squandered his father's fortune, and who returned home after suffering hard times,

to be welcomed with love and joy

by his father

with unconditional forgiveness.

Henri Nouwen came upon the beautiful painting of the Return of the Prodigal Son, painted by Rembrandt, first as a poster- and even that reproduction impressed him deeply. 

He later had the incredible opportunity to see the painting in person,

which is quite remarkable, given it is at the Hermitage in Russia.

At the Hermitage he was able to sit before the painting for hours where and let it inspire him.

It led him to incredible spiritual insights as he journeyed through life.

I have only started the book, but know I am meant to read it this Lent.

I realize these forty days are my journey within my journey.

Forgiveness and love

echo

&

echo 

I too will contemplate the Rembrandt painting.  Unlike Nouwen I did not get the Hermitage as planned on my one trip to Russia in 1991, interrupted by a coup that precipitated the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Annunciation

The Feast of the Annunciation

The cover of the Magnificat

tells the story

as beautifully as the Bible.

The Annunciation with Flowers, Carlo Maratta (1625-1713)

A special feast for women?

I think so.

Hail Mary

..the angel greets Mary- Hi Mary, Hello Mary

was she startled?  was she afraid?

I have often imagined the Annunciation in my mind, and I think the Angel Gabriel could have been intimidating to Mary.  How he hailed her would make a world of difference.  Was it softly, or boldly? 

 In the painting Maratta makes the angel look very feminine.

  It would have been a smart move to send a woman for this task.

Full of grace

The flowers in the painting are a "garland of grace"

Mary had to have experienced God's grace deeply

before this moment

to have been chosen

The Lord is with thee

God is with you

Blessed are thou amongst women

-of all the women 

-of all the generations

Mary

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus

could you have known then, .Mary

what this would mean?

we all have great expectations of our children from the moment of conception.

this conception came with ultimate pain a mother could bear-

death of a child.

Holy Mary, Mother of God

all mothers are holy

-the mother of Jesus, Mother of God, exceptionally so

Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death

Mary, you have suffered

as a woman

as a mother

we bond with thee in understanding

the joy and the grief

and ask that you be with us,

your sisters

now and when we need it most
Amen

Canticle of Mary

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;

he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed;

the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.

He has mercy on those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm

and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

Casting down the mighty from their thrones

and lifting up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away empty.

He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,

to remember his promise of mercy,

The promise made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and his children for ever. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,

       and to the Holy Spirit,

        as it was in the beginning, is now,

     and will be for ever. Amen

I made my way today in the snow.

It was not deep- it was nice

Ahead of me were 2 sets of tracks

and I thought- who was up so early and where were they headed?

After a bit I realized the tracks were coming and going,

and were probably the same person.

Even in the darkness, when there is not a soul in sight

we are not alone.

These tracks are such a reminder of God's presence

through others.

some of these others we see-

 some we don't.

In the silence and stillnes of the morning

I am given a powerful reminder

of God's presence.

 and I am the lucky one

to have so many others

on the same path

where I meet them at 6:30



Doing the Dishes

 One of the things about being an EM is doing the dishes

These special dishes

In the reading today Jesus asks

"Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"

As Father Tom consecrated the wine

I thought- it's difficult to drink of chalice as the Lord

No, I can't drink of that same chalice

"My chalice you will indeed drink" said the Lord

 I am given this great gift

of partaking of the wine

to be in communion with the Lord

not because I am deserving

but to let the goodness and the love of the Lord

Influence and strengthen me today

and to help me live up to that

expectation of being a Catholic

inside



Sacred Linens

Handmade

by a handmaid of the Lord

Yesterday one of the parishoners delivered perfectly laundered linens

that we use for mass to the Sacrisity. 

It is a labor of love to wash and press them so perfectly.

God bless the laundress!

This morning Marianne Titus was given a small pile of new

beautifully embroidered linens that were just finished.

I think of the threads it took to make this beautiful cross

and the time it took

and know it was done with love

and as an expression of faith.

the sewer was very talented

and chose to use her gifts this way.

I always wished I had this talent

and the patience it takes to make something so beautiful.

God bless the sewer!

At mass this morning I pray especially for our Cornerstone sisters

who are making a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

they will embark today.

May God bless you on this journey

Kathy, Jill, Louise and Annete!

Monday

As I walk this morning I am reminded of the homily yesterday.  It was filled with such hope.

That is what I feel this morning, in the deep darkness of the morning.

As it turns to rain I am realizing that commitments are not easy- they take resolve to see through.

for me this resolve and strength comes from somewhere other than myself.

It is from the highest power-

from God.

I trust that I will be empowered

through my faith

to keep walking in the dark

to the light of Christ

that I will find

richly

at the mass this morning

Word of God

Second Sunday of Lent

It strikes me today that Sunday is so opposite for me.

I decide to walk to church today even though I usually take Sunday off.

But today is the first day of Spring and at 6, it's lovely out.

As I walk I realize that I start my Lenten weekdays with 6:30AM mass,

and on Sunday I am going to the 6:30PM mass.

I go because my daughter sings.

I am the commentator tonight

At 6:30 the Youth are the Lectors,

so I am a Lector without a mass- for 2 more years.

Being a Lector is something I really miss

I stopped in the Sacristy and the Book was there.

It's so beautiful, inside and out

and I was able to admire it

and think about what it means to me.

The Word of the Lord

We have Father Ron tonight

and the new Youth Mass Music Director, Keith Guthrie

has some new music for us.

We practice singing some of the choruses before we start.

It's a good mass.

The homily is inspiring.

The Gospel is the Transfiguration story

and Father Ron tells us that we see Jesus as he really is-

radiant, full of light

and able to help us.

And that when we partake of the Eucharist, we will be transformed like Jesus

and will have the light too.

And that is what will get us through this Lent

and through this troubled, uncertain time

Amen

Feast of Saint Joseph

We celebrate the Feast of Saint Joseph today.

Father Sean wears a white vestment

and the mass is for a Joseph.

Two Josephs are at the mass.

Father Sean tells us that in all the bible Joseph never speaks a word

His faith is through his actions

And he became the Father of Jesus

suffering with this great task.

There is a tradition that says Mary never told Joseph

of the angel's visit.

And when Jospeh finally finds out, and asks Mary why she did not tell him

 Mary says it was not her place to interfere with his faith

that he had to come to it on his own.



Joseph modeled a Father's love and care of his family for us.

Our prayers are for our Fathers and families

May the concern and protection of Joseph be with us

today and each day.

God bless Josephine on her feast day, and bring her safely home.

I hope to each a zeppole today

I will break bread and be with my family today.

Blessings on us all

Fasting Friday

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

The St. Patrick and Brigid window are catching the first light of day.

By now the Irish have begun a day-long celebration.

I am with them in spirit-

Celtic Spirit

Having made a pilgrimage to Ireland on St. Brigid's

I have experienced the faith and the ancient rituals and traditions that come with the Irish commemorating their faith-bringers.

their celebrations always have music

and I have my favorites- Eileen Ivers and Liam Lawton- cued up all day.

May the blessings that fall on you more be more plentiful than the rains of last week

and may they linger....

and bring you happiness

remembering

 The day we are born is celebrated

The day we die is remembered

I was born in March

My mom went to heaven in March

The mass this morning was for Maria Gozdz- my mom

I pictured her all day long as happy and free,

in the company of her family

from whom she was parted at age 16.

She was taken from her home in Poland by the Germans

It was 50 years before she returned to her family

and now she can be with them with no boundaries or countries in between

I noticed the statue of Anne and Mary today-

mother and daughter

It was a blessing for me to have my mom with me,

to have her shower my kids with her love and cae

and have them shower her back with their love and care

God Bless you Mom

thank you for my life

I like my routine, although it's barely a week old.

Get up, get out, walk to mass.

today my routine is all messed up

I have to go to NY

I get up earlier than early

I love going to mass.

I love the ritual.

This is the best part of my day.

I am quiet

I am at peace.

DarkMonday

"What you do for the least of my sisters, you do for me.."

What have I done for my sisters?

and brothers?

I know of needs here in Ridgewood

what can I do Lord?

I hear you Lord

Eve

The first reading was going so well.  God created Adam and Eve and they lived in such a lovely garden. And in the middle was the Tree of Life.

Paradise.  And then this other tree with the delicious apple and the restriction- eat anything else you want and see, except from this one tree.

What I don't like about the story is that Eve is the villain.  She could not resist the tempting of the devil. 

She fell for it.  The words led her astray, and she ate the fruit. 

When it comes to being tempted by food, I can relate. 

Is that why I didn't care for the story?  I related to Eve too much? 

Then of course Eve gives some to her husband- she's the villain again,  the temptress with the first sin.

We all face temptation and we all become tempters. 

In his homily today Father Ron asked us to close our eyes and look at our temptations.

In that quiet it was easy to do.  He gave us plenty of time.

I saw my temptations plainly and clearly.

The homily ended with the question-

"now what are you going to do about it?"

I have this Lent to face it and to figure it out.

Celtic thoughts

A wonderful recent Mt. Carmel evening event was The Great Encircling:  The Vision of Celtic Spritituality- a talk and prayer given by Sr. Kathleen Deignan. 
Sr. Kathleen said that a great influence on Celtic spirituality was that of the monks who lived in the desert. 
Theirs was a simple, quiet, solitary spirtuality brought from the arid East to lush Ireland. 
I am reminded of the caves and the desert dwellings of the early Christians.
The cacti around our altar are speaking of the dryness of faith in this season before Easter.


Yesterday the town was flooded because of a deluge that brought torrents of rain the night before.
It was too much at once. 
There is a balance between the dryness and the floods where we are able to nuture ourselves with the kind of Celtic Spirituality that arose from the aridness of the desert.
Even in the desert there are flowers and plants.  How do they eek out their existence in that dryness?
I think when there is little to nuture us in faith, we draw from our foundations and hang on. 

One way we can do this is by turning to faithful prayer.
At Cornestone XII this year we prayed the rosary.
I used my mother's beads that I always carry in my purse (but never prayed).
I was greatly moved.
 Recently I have awakened at night and have been unable to get back to sleep.
  It was suggested to me that I pray.
I was reminded of that old, old method of prayer that I never turned to- it was just not my way.
I put My mother's rosary under my pillow that night, and when I awoke (at 4 AM)  
I started the rosary, keeping those beads under my pillow.
It was able to fall peacefully back to sleep. 
  I pulled from the foundation of faithful prayer in my time of dryness and need.
   It was my mother's special well of prayer,
that was always full.
I thought it was old-fashioned- until I tried it and was so deeply moved. 
I keep mom's rosary under my pillow now.

This Lenten season already shows signs of spring and the newness of life.

Power of God

I am reminded today of the power of God

It is not power of the devastation of Japan, or the raging HoHoKus as it flows through our Village.

It is the greater power that will see us through these calamities.

It is the survival of living things that reveals how great the earth is

and how God remains steadfast, even beneath and beside raging waters.

The first flowers I see this year are on this very day of flooding.

They are here, survivors of the torrential waters.

did they escape because they were out of harms way?

or did they unfold as the waters receded?

and just on the other bank of the HoHoKus, there are more lovelies.

thank you God, for showing me these.

May they be a symbol of life midst devastation and loss 

Thursday

I think of the cross. I like this cross.  It is empty.  It is symbolic.

  I am an observer... a traveler on the road with Jesus.  I am not ready to see the pain and the suffering.  But I am ready to take the journey.  I am ready to walk towards faith and all the love and good that resides there.  I am listening for new lessons.

Ash Wednesday

Can Lent be a season of joy?

  I never thought so.  But this year I have been waiting for Lent.  Waiting to start.  Waiting to change, to do. 

And I feel a joy inside that has not been there for a long time.

I think it may be hope.  Hope in spite of the economy, in spite of the worries, in spite of the changes that hover constantly. 

The readings for today are inspiring. 

Remember, you are dust and to dust you shall return.  I like that.  To have come into this earth by miracle, and to leave without disturbing the ecology and the balance....

That too gives me hope.

Preparation

It is the day before- Mardi Gras... a day of celebration and anticipation. And this is how it is with me. The night was prayerful- a Cornerstone meeting filled with light. It is this light that I walk with for the next 40 days.