I heard this song for the first time on our drive back from the beach. I caught Mary Beth's eye in the rearview mirror and we mutually understood a slideshow was on the way. Bailey and Mary Beth were up way too late last night, editing. You've got our prayers, buddy. Here's our wish.
St. Monica is commemorated on August 27. A holy woman who spent a great deal of her life on her knees in tears, she was the wife of a cruel, pagan husband and a wayward son. She prayed unceasingly for them. At the end of his life, her husband did convert to Christianity. Her son, after gallivanting about and leading a life of sin, was baptized in Christ and became the great St. Augustine.
In the past few days, I have heard from so many tearful mothers. They are sending sons and daughters out into the world. Some of them are letting go just a little bit--a bus ride to kindergarten, a bike ride alone, a week away at grandparents. Others are sending their children hundreds or thousands of miles away to live apart from them. These kids aren't, for the most part, wayward young Augustines. Yet, mothers everywhere understand the tearful imploring of St. Monica for God's protection and provision for her child. I've promised the mothers who have written that I will pray for them and for their children and I've asked them to pray for me and mine.
Isn't it a beautiful thing that the Church draws our attention to St. Monica at this time of year? Just as I can pray for you and you can pray for me, St. Monica, eternal soul in heaven with the Father, can pray for us both.
Exemplary Mother of the Great Augustine,
You perseveringly pursued your wayward son Not with wild threats But with prayerful cries to heaven.
Intercede for all mothers in our day
So that they may learn To draw their children to God.
Teach them how to remain
Close to their children, Even the prodigal sons and daughters Who have sadly gone astray.
Dear St Monica, troubled wife and mother,
Many sorrows pierced your heart During your lifetime. Yet you never despaired or lost faith. With confidence, persistence and profound faith, You prayed daily for the conversion Of your beloved husband, Patricius And your beloved son, Augustine.
Grant me that same fortitude,
Patience and trust in the Lord. Intercede for me, dear St. Monica, That God may favorably hear my plea For
(mention your petition here)
And grant me the grace
To accept his will in all things, Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, In the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen.
Right now, I have no grand plans for this Feast. We'll pray the novena, light a candle. celebrate Mass, and have a nice tea time. St. Monica, pray for us!
This icon is by the hand of Nicholas Papas.
I mentioned yesterday that I am reading Safe People: How to find relationshipsthat are good for you and avoid those that aren’t. Several people wrote to ask about it. Perhaps the best way to summarize is to offer the list of traits of unsafe people. The authors help the reader to see any of these traits in herself, as well as delineating how to relate to other people who have these traits.
Here's a list of red flags (of course, no one has them all and we all have at least a little of some).This list serves as good check on the character of your friends or a mirror with which to see your own relationship flaws:
1. They think they have it all together instead of admitting their weaknesses.
2. They are religious instead of spiritual.
3. Unsafe people are defensive instead of open to feedback.
4. They are self-righteous instead of humble.
5. They only apologize instead of changing their behavior.
6. They avoid working on their problems and growing in virtue.
7. They demand trust instead of earning it.
8. They believe they are perfect instead of admitting their faults.
9. Unsafe people blame others instead of taking responsibility.
10.Unsafe people lie instead of telling the truth.
11. They are stagnant instead of growing.
12. Unsafe people avoid closeness instead of connecting.
13. Unsafe people are only concerned about "I" instead of "we."
14. They resist freedom instead of encouraging it.
15. They flatter us instead of confronting us.
16. Unsafe people condemn instead of forgiving us--they confront not to correct and forgive but to condemn and punish.
17. Unsafe people don't relate to us as equals.
18. They are unstable over time instead of being consistent.
19. They are a negative influence on us, rather than a positive one.
20. Unsafe people gossip instead of keeping confidences.
One of those rare, life-changing books that you pass on to the people you love.
Outside My Window
“Downtown” McLean, Virginia. I’ve set up
at a Starbucks this morning and I'll be back here again this afternoon. Mary
Beth and I decided that it was really silly to drag everybody to soccer camp
this week. They’re happier at home. So, I’m here alone for two hours this
morning and again this afternoon. I’m thinking this could be an exceptionally
productive computer week.
I am Listening to
It’s noisy here! People talking,
background music, traffic noise, and the espresso machine and blenders.
I am Wearing
A pale green embellished t-shirt, khaki
skimmers, flip flops, and silver and pearl drop earrings.
I am so Grateful
for
~the hope of new beginnings.
~the dear friend who called me between
the Romaine lettuce and the avocados at Costco. Somehow, she knew I was
thinking “Paddy can make one more Caesar salad before he goes, but these
avocados won’t be ripe in time for him to make guacamole.” And so, the rest of
my shopping trip was blessed with understanding, good advice, and the wisdom of
the Church Fathers.
~ Homecomings. Not sure I’ve ever been
so glad to have Mike home as I was yesterday.
I'm Pondering
"The child breathes the atmosphere emanating from his parents; that of the ideas which rule their own lives” (Charlotte Mason, Vol. 2, p. 247).
I am Reading
Safe People: How to find relationships
that are good for you and avoid those that aren’t
It’s an excellent, insightful book. My
friend Linda gave it to me in August of 2003. I wish I had read it then. It’s
all about healthy relationships and how to both choose good friends and be a
good friend. I think it’s a good read for late teenagers and twenty-somethings,
too.
I am Thinking
Truth be told, I’m thinking incessantly
about Paddy and the opportunities and the discerning that lies ahead of him.
But for the next week, I’m going to do my pondering in my heart.
I am Creating
Blog posts, this week, I think. I’m
trying to put a positive spin on Soccer Camp Week and maybe blog ahead a bit,
knowing that things will be very busy in the weeks to come and that I’ve not
been able to find much blogging time in the last few months. We’ll see what
four hours a day for five days does for me. Of course, I’m also still being
called by the addictive compulsion to keep creating plans at the CM Organizer,
so that will share time with the blog.
On
my iPod
Redwall
from Audible.com! Yippee! This is Redwall read by Brain Jacques, who really
wrote this book for radio. It’s a wonderful literary experience, even for those
of us who usually have trouble
with talking rodents. I can’t say enough about these books. They launched
Michael into a literary world when he was ten—he went from being a tentative
reader to being a voracious reader and from being a terrible speller and
barely-writer to being prolific and eloquent.
Towards a Real
Education
Each of the little boys is getting an
hour and a half of read aloud time, listening to Redwall back and forth from
soccer camp. That counts.
Of course it does.
Towards
Rhythm and Beauty
This is the week we all learn if my
checklists in the home management notebook will really work on their own. My
children are home with the lists. I’m here with a grande soy latte. Wonder how
the house is running?
To Live the Liturgy
I so wish this weren’t the week Fr.
Taylor was going to be gone all week. I so wish it…
Big week.
I
am Hoping and Praying
For Patrick Hart and his family. Patrick and Michael were
little boys together. His mother Kathy is a kindred spirit and has long been
one of the most amazing examples of grace and strength in the face of tragedy
I’ve ever known. Patrick has recently been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease and is fighting for his
life. Please, please pray with me! They need a miracle. Another miracle. But
Kathy Believes in Miracles.
In the Garden
Some volunteer Morning Glories popped up out of nowhere
while we were at the beach. I love these flowers—they speak my language. I can
so relate to sweet, simple blossoms that bloom bright and early with all sorts
of hope and beauty and delight in the day and then start to fade by early
afternoon and go to sleep very early. Karoline loves them, too, and tells us that
they are how God says, “Good Morning!”
Around the House
I wonder why I thought it necessary to
clean before 6 college soccer players camped in my house? Now, my house looks
exactly like 8 teenaged and early twenty boys were there, along with the 6
other children…
From the Kitchen
I did
some big cooking this weekend (along with my B&B duties) so that I have
freezer meals good-to-go this week. It reminded me of back when I did
once-a-month cooking. It might just be time to revisit that this fall.
One of My Favorite
Things
Ann Voskamp’s blog. She reads my heart. Yes, my friend. We’re focusing
on beginnings. Thank you for the beautiful reminder.
Sarah
Annie this week
She is my
sweet Morning Glory. Up early, she loves her quiet nursing time and then
breakfast with me, followed by sitting on the porch and watching the birds eat
breakfast, followed by breakfast with Daddy. What joy she brings to the day’s
beginning.
A
Few Plans for the Rest of the Week
Michael
left for pre-season camp yesterday.
The
little boys have camp all week.
Patrick
takes summer soccer camp to unprecedented heights. Please pray for him. Thy
will be done!
Picture thoughts:
Every week, Ligit sends me a report on searches and stats. I usually just delete it without even looking at it because I have serious number aversion. Today, I looked. In the report, there is a list of items people searched and found no results. So...because I hate fruitless searches, let me help you:
Saint Dolls Sarah Anne. We've had that one before. Lots and lots of times. Sarah Annie's birthday saints can be found here.
Musical Toy. No clue, really. But I'm thinkin' maybe what we affectionately call "Dooba Blocks?" We don't have many musical toys...
St. Faustina CD is from the same people who brought the St. Therese rosary into my life. You can find that here.
Lavender Play dough: This one was weird. I knew exactly where the post was but, even when I search the title or the date, I can't get Ligit to show it and I can't get a permalink to pop up readily and I'm running out time. So, go to "Summer of Grace" (click from the category cloud on the right) and scroll down to "How to Calm a Cranky Afternoon."
Mirical. Ah. Miracles. We've had many. Write and tell me which one you were remembering.
Now that I've satisfied my inner research librarian (winking at you Leah;-), I'm off to start my soccer day. Back later with a Daybook from Starbucks!
I'm Elizabeth. I'm a happy wife and the mother of nine children. I grab grace with both hands and write to encourage myself and others to seize and nurture the joy of every day. I blog here with my daughter, Mary Beth, a wholehearted young lady on the brink of adulthood.
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