Monday Morning Musings

Where will the road take you this week?

Ah...the beginning of a new week. I guess actually yesterday was the beginning. Sunday offers the view from the city on the hill for the next seven days of the journey. Do we look forward to it with pleasure? Do we see a road covered with thorns and brambles or a straight path bordered by glorious gifts of nature? Here are my own random thoughts for the day.

• Life is often challenging, no surprise in this "valley of tears." I was holding a new baby after Mass yesterday. Little Pio is only a little over a week old. His sister who I think is nine was holding him with such an air of motherly protection, but she gave him up to me to fondle for a few minutes. There is nothing like a new baby to give one hope. As Charles Dickens wrote in one of his novels (I think it was The Old Curiosity Shop), "It is no small wonder that these who are so fresh from God love us." That is a truth indeed!

• I recently received advice in Confession to meditate on the passion. And so my morning prayer for the next....who knows how long....will be to go through each of the passion narratives and relate them to my own life. Beginning with Matthew 26 this morning, I considered how the evil one is conspiring in my life like the Pharisees conspired against Jesus. They wanted to kill Him, but my enemy, the devil, wants to kill the life of my soul, and he will use anything and anyone to do it. I've known several angry, bitter old women and I don't want to become one. Holding babies is certainly an antidote and I'm looking forward to holding a new grandbaby next summer. I can also imagine holding my first great grandbaby in the Spring, but that's unlikely since he will arrive in Texas. We don't fly these days and the drive is becoming unrealistic for two old people who live 1200 miles away in Virginia.

• There's a heavy frost this morning which makes me shiver. I'm not fond of winter, but I enjoy the holidays. Thanksgiving is my husband's favorite holiday, but ours will be low key this year since our children have other plans. Our youngest may come with her family, but she is so sick with her pregnancy that she may not be up to it. She will definitely not be fixing the feast, since cooking smells make her sick. We usually cook the turkey outside in the Weber. At any rate, Thanksgiving may be a lonely celebration which makes me wonder if there are any people alone who would like to feast at our table. One thing that gives me great pleasure is hospitality. So my radar is up for filling up the table.

• My favorite holiday (holy day) is Christmas with all the preparations leading up to it. I love the daily addition of decorations during Advent. "The people in darkness have seen a great light." And so I add something during those four weeks. An Advent table arrangement with my statue of Mary (pregnant on a donkey) and Joseph on the way to Bethlehem comes first. We will put up the tree early with Jesse Tree ornaments and only complete it near Christmas. I love to put up the outside manger scene early to remind people of the "reason for the season." We will set it up in early Advent (hopefully on a warm day) and it will remain until after the Epiphany. Then there are all the decorations that remind me of my family: the wreath and Christmas tree my sister made, the manger my dad made, all the treasures created by our children, grandchildren, one of my aunts and my sweet sister-in-law and her daughter. Christmas and the days leading up to it really are a walk down Memory Lane. 

• As for today, it will be a day of service. We are going to help our pregnant daughter with several hours of housekeeping and then bringing the children over for an afternoon of home schooling, math tutoring, and games. After that we will go out to dinner. Since their mom can only eat a few things at present, meals at their house are a bit boring and they look forward to their weekly night out with Grandma and Paka. We look forward to it as well. Nothing helps to keep you young like spending time with children

May we all have a great week loving the Lord and serving according to His purpose. May Jesus Christ be praised!