a very good year

The mercy of God is poured out upon us, making us just and giving us peace. This is a time for the Church to rediscover the meaning of the mission entrusted to her by the Lord on the day of Easter: to be a sign and an instrument of the Father’s mercy.” — Pope Francis

The pope has announced a Jubilee Year of Mercy to encourage the faithful to “welcome the numerous signs of the tenderness which God offers to the whole world.” He said that these signs of God’s tenderness are especially offered to the suffering, the alone, the abandoned and those “without hope of being pardoned or feeling the Father’s love.” 

A Jubilee Year holds special significance in Catholic tradition as a time of joy, remission, or universal pardon. The “year” will begin Dec. 8, 2015, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, and conclude on the feast of Christ the King, Nov. 20, 2016. About a year intended to be a deliberate and joyous celebration of mercy, the pope has said he is “convinced that the whole church will find in this jubilee the joy needed to rediscover and make fruitful the mercy of God, with which all of us are called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time.”

That’s a lofty goal — to extend mercy to every man and woman. We begin at home, because often it is most difficult to extend genuine mercy within our four walls. Please read the rest here.

in the morning...

THINK

And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed.  And Simon and those who were with him followed him,  and they found him and said to him, “Every one is searching for you.” Mark 1:35-37

PRAY

In the morning, please sit with me, God. Open my heart to your Word so that your grace floods my soul and it is what fuels my day.

ACT

Before you talk to anyone in the morning, listen to God. This one practice of a time set aside to pray in your own lonely place can transform your life. It can turn the chaos of your inner running dialogue with your critical self into a quiet conversation of grace with your Creator that replays itself all day long. Set the alarm a little early and put yourself in the presence of God. When your family comes looking for you, let them find you in prayer.

Some more thoughts on Mornings with Jesus:

How to think about those "interruptions."

Passing on a legacy of morning time in prayer

Which Bible and how does it look?

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If #morningrun blesses you, please share the image so that others can find us here?

Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another. We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.

I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.

Push me into the spring

Song of Solomon 2:12

THINK

The miracles that have already happened are, of course, as Scripture so often says, the first fruits of that cosmic summer which is presently coming on. Christ has risen, and so we shall rise. St Peter for a few seconds walked on the water; and the day will come when there will be a re-made universe, infinitely obedient to the will of glorified and obedient men, when we can do all things, when we shall be those gods that we are described as being in Scripture. To be sure, it feels wintry enough still: but often in the very early spring it feels like that. Two thousand years are only a day or two by this scale. A man really ought to say, ‘The Resurrection happened two thousand years ago’ in the same spirit in which he says, ‘I saw a crocus yesterday.’ Because we know what is coming behind the crocus. The spring comes slowly down this way; but the great thing is that the corner has been turned. There is, of course, this difference, that in the natural spring the crocus cannot choose whether it will respond or not. We can. We have the power either of withstanding the spring, and sinking back into the cosmic winter, or of going on into those ‘high mid-summer pomps’ in which our Leader, the Son of man, already dwells, and to which He is calling us. It remains with us to follow or not, to die in this winter, or to go on into that spring and that summer. C S Lewis God in the Dock (emphasis mine)

PRAY

This spring has been slow to fully flower, God. There is the pull to sink back into the cosmic winter. And yet, the earth is bursting forth with unrelenting hope. If I just let myself look, I see it around each corner--the greening of the leaves, the flowers standing steadfastly in the chilly air (and perhaps lasting a bit longer for it), song bursting forth from birds happy again in our trees. Keep calling me! And push a me a bit, too, on into the spring...

ACT

Get dirt under your fingernails today or jump in a puddle or blow bubbles or sit outside at a cafe. Do something that absolutely, determinedly celebrates spring. And if you are a friend from another hemisphere, well, then, celebrate the real new life that is the Resurrection, even as your autumn gathers...Whatever you do, it's the season of singing and it has come!

~*~*~*~

If #morningrun blesses you, please share the image so that others can find us here?

Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another. We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.

I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.

in awe at your wonders

THINK

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy. (Psalm 65:8)

PRAY

Sing to me in bold letters and italics, God. I want to hear You burst into song. There you are, in the sunrises and the sunsets and the trees suddenly turned green. Let me be ever more aware, ever more in awe. 

ACT

Karoline asked me to take the long way home the other day. She wanted to watch the sunset over the lake. I readily agreed and we pulled over to take in the light show. I gave her my phone and told her she could take as many pictures as she wanted. She did and they are gorgeous, but they don't begin to capture the real thing. 

This weekend, be filled with awe at His wonders.

photo credit: Karoline Foss

~*~*~*~

If #morningrun blesses you, please share the image so that others can find us here?

Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another. We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.

I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.

The Gift of a Meal

I'm sharing over at Blessed is She today. Take a #morningrun over there and then come back here. I've got a recipe for that long-remembered salad. 

Vinaigrette

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Salad

1 bag (10 oz) mixed baby greens or Italian-blend salad greens

1 medium Granny Smith apple, chopped (1 cup)

1 cup seedless red grapes cut in half

1/2 red onion sliced very thinly

2/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese (2 oz)

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

In a small bowl, beat vinaigrette ingredients which a wire whisk until smooth. In a large bowl, toss salad ingredients with vinaigrette just before serving.