Lord, Hear Our Prayer

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The internet is a formidable force for bringing the comfort and consolation and hope of the Lord to all of us. It can be an incredibily powerful medium for community. There is an unfathomable resource for prayer here. We have on the 'net the privilege of praying for people and of being witness to the miracles brought forth when fervent, faith-filled people pray for one another.

Let's be that community of hope and faith for one another.

How about this idea? What if I pop in here every weekend, share Sunday's gospel and talk a wee bit about how we can live it and pray it in our homes? And then you tell me how we can pray for you that week? Deal?

{And please, do return and let us know how prayer is bearing fruit.} 

Gospel

Luke 9:11B-17

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,
and he healed those who needed to be cured.
As the day was drawing to a close,
the Twelve approached him and said,
"Dismiss the crowd
so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms
and find lodging and provisions;
for we are in a deserted place here."
He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves."
They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have,
unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."
Now the men there numbered about five thousand.
Then he said to his disciples,
"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty."
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing over them, broke them,
and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
they filled twelve wicker baskets.
~ ~ ~
Think
Put your soul every morning in a posture of humility, tranquility, and sweetness, and notice from time to time through the day if it has become entangled in affection for anything; and if it be not quiet, diengaged and tranquil, set it at rest." ~St Francis de Sales
Pray
Dear Lord, give me the voice of Mary. May I speak all things in sweetness and love.
Act
What was the last thing you said to someone? Examine the words, the tone, and the gestures you used. Would anyone describe them as gentle? If not, aim for improvement.

 

From Small Steps for Catholic Moms, set to be published again in the fall by Ave Maria Press.

Needle & thREAD

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Hello! Sewing this week is dedicated to making tops for the girlies. When I wandered through the stacks of fabric stashed in the sewing room, my eyes were riveted on my Anna Maria Horner shelf. My heart has so been with Anna these days. As she mourns the loss of her mother, she awaits the birth of her daughter. What better way for me to spend the day praying for her than to delight in those lovely voiles I'd set aside for "something special?"
    I admit I'm a little nervous. Voile is definitely slippery and the cutting took longer than usual. And it's a bit "fancy" for everyday for Katie, but she loves the fabric and there was nothing else I wanted to sew. Nothing in the world. Won't you all pray along with me for her?
    Reading? We're all about Shakespeare. I'm taking my Shakespeare Fridays plans (there's a detailed reading list if you click the link) and coming alongside Christian while he does a college Shakespeare course. I'm really, really excited about this because all my kids are the perfect ages to make it work. Pictured above are some of the books for Christian's class. His textbook is Screening Shakespeare. He's reading Othello, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, and Midsummer Night's Dream. And he's watching these movie versions (some of which aren't going to happen for my little ones;-):

Romeo and juliet 

from Shakespeare's Storybook

I've long loved my own Shakespeare plans and I'm so happy to be revisiting them. This is Christian's last few months as  part of our learning community before he heads off to college, so why not make it a Shakespeare Summer?
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What about you? Reading? Sewing? How do you keep your kids reading through the summer? 

needle and thREAD

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Mommy, I love you!

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Sarah, my 4-year-old, has this quirky habit of blurting, “Mommy, I love you!” or “Daddy, I love you!” at random moments throughout the day. By our estimates, she does it 20 times or more every day. It’s endearing and pretty darn cute, but sometimes it causes consternation. Is this blurting appropriate? If she were saying something else, would we be worried?

So, I started paying careful attention to when she says it. After about a week of noting the times and locations, I’ve noticed a few things. Some of them still seem random; she just has to get that out there. Some of them are very deliberate. If I am stressed, if we are hurrying to get somewhere, if I’ve just lost my temper with one of her siblings (or with her), if I’m exceptionally cranky, Sarah gets in my face and says, “Mommy, I love you.” Every single time. Please read the rest here.