From the archives: Fall Cleaning

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With the very first cool breeze and the trial run of the school buses rumbling through my neighborhood the week before school begins, I take my cue to make a clean sweep. Never one for school shopping, I forego the crush at Target and celebrate the new academic year by deep cleaning our “schoolroom” and everything else within my reach. I find comfort in ordering and organizing our materials. I love to haul big bags of trash out to the curb. There is something beautiful about a fresh place to begin anew.
My children have been known to catch the bug as well. The ones who are naturally orderly love to line up freshly sharpened pencils on a newly scrubbed desk in anticipation of year full of academic adventures. And even those who are not so inclined can be persuaded to turn over a new leaf in honor of the new school year. The calendar is inscribed with the new schedule of activities. The pantry and freezer are stocked with autumn staples. All is prepared for the year ahead.
What a perfect time for confession! We can all line up in the quiet sanctuary and, one by one, sweep our souls clean of even the smallest specks of dust. Particularly for little ones, there are no big messes, no mortal sins, just small bad habits which lie like a layer of fine dust between them and the brilliance of the Lord. Sweep it away! Begin again, fresh and ready and shining for God.
It is not necessary to clean my house so thoroughly every autumn. We can and do homeschool in a messy house quite frequently. It’s not necessary to carefully pencil in the activities; I’ve flown by the seat of my pants before (though I don’t recommend it). It’s not even necessary to plan meals and stock the pantry. The grocery store is only a mile away. And, some will tell you, it’s not necessary to go to confession more than once a year, particularly if all one has to confess are venial sins.
But, if we believe in the real grace present in the sacrament, if we acknowledge that the priest can says the words of absolution and the Holy Spirit will shine away even the smallest speck of dust on our souls, why would we stay away? Why we would not take to the seat of mercy even our smallest failures? Is it fun to clean? Do I like to crawl around on my hands and knees and ferret out every last little Lego and stray crayon? Do I enjoy vacuuming under the desks and chairs and cleaning keyboards? Not really. But there is an immense sense of peace when the job is well done. And the house stays cleaner longer. It’s easier to avoid the near occasion of sin when one begins with a spotless soul.
Most people don’t like the actual act of confessing. They are not happy about spilling every shortcoming and imperfection. They don’t relish the idea of exposing the dirt. But they leave that confessional looking visibly relieved. There are fewer creases in their foreheads. Their shoulders are lifted a little higher. They have the hope a clean slate offers. They know the grace of being forgiven. They have heard those beautiful words of absolution . Clean and fresh and new again, they go forth to embrace all the goodness this new season and our great God have to offer.

Grace for the First Day of Autumn

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Bountiful God,
as the season of fall begins, we are grateful
for the rich harvest of the earth:
for corn and wheat,
for apples and peaches,
for fish and fowl.
As the days grow shorter
and the nights turn colder
we rely on your love
to warm and sustain us.
As we are grateful for your gifts
make us mindful of others
and generous with what we have.
Bless this meal which we share
in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Amen.

From Let's Say Grace: Mealtime Prayers for Family Occasions Throughout the Year

Saint Francis de Sales Wrote me a Letter?

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This was posted on the 4Real Message board over a year ago. I missed it the first time, but it just popped up again. Since I'm really not in a writing or sitting mood, I thought I'd post it here, so that some of you might take from it the encouragement that I did.

Thy Will be Done: Letters to Persons in the World by St. Francis de Sales

"It does not surprise me in the least to learn that you feel somewhat
dull-witted and heavy-hearted; after all, you are with child. When your
delicate frame is heavy with its burden, weakened by its task, indisposed by
all manner of pains, you cannot expect to find your heart as animated,
vigorous and ready to act as it used to be, but all that in no way
prejudices the activity of the apex of the soul; it remains as pleasing to
God as if you were brimming over with all the cheerfulness in the world. In
fact, it is far more pleasing because it demands so much more effort and
strugggle. However, the doer derives little pleasure from it, because the
soul's activity lies beyond the feelings, and so does not afford the same
emotional delight.

"Dear child, we must not be hard on ourselves, or exact more than we have
to
give. When body and strength are impaired, we can only ask the will to
make acts of submission and acceptance of the travail, and add holy
aspirations uniting our will with God's. These are made in the apex of the
soul. As for our outward behaviour, we must plan what we have to do and do
it as best we can, and leave it at that, even though we have performed the
task grudgingly and with tired and heavy heart. If we are to rise above this
depression, dejection and despondency of soul, and turn it to use in God's
service, we must face it, accept it, and realize the worth of holy
self-abasement. In this way, you will transmute the lead of your heaviness
of spirit into gold, a gold purer far than any of your gayest, most
light-hearted sallies.

“Well then, be patient with yourself. See to it that your higher self puts
up with your lower. Make a frequent offering of the tiny creature to our
Creator's eternal glory, since he has chosen you to cooperate with Him in
forming your child. But take the greatest care of your health: don't put
yourself out or force yourself to pray at present. You must treat yourself
with the utmost gentleness. If it tired you to kneel, sit down; if you can't
pray for half an hour, pray for a quarter, or simply half that again.

"Dearest daughter, at Annecy, we possess a Capuchin artist who, as you may
imagine, paints pictures solely for God and the adornment of His house. When
at work, he has to concentrate so closely that he cannot paint and pray at
the same time. This worries and distresses his mind, yet in spite of it, he
sets to work with a will for the sake of the honour that it must bring our
Lord, and in the hope that his pictures will prompt many worshippers to
praise God and bless His goodness.

"Now, dear daughter, the babe being formed in your womb is to be a living
representation of the divine Majesty, but as long as your vigour and
physical strength are employed on the work, your spirits will inevitably
drop and grow weary, and you will be unable to perform your daily duties
with your usual zest and cheerfulness. Endure your lassitude and lower
spirits lovingly, and think of the honour God is to receive from your
finished work, for it is your own reproduction which will find a place in
the eternal temple of the heavenly Jerusalem, and will there give
everlasting joy to the eyes of God and angels and men. The saints will hymn
God's praises for what you have achieved, and you will join your voice to
theirs when you behold it. So be patient with the feeling of drowsiness and
dullness, and hold fast to Our Lord's holy will, who has thus ordained
things in His eternal wisdom."