Reflections in the Snow

I've spent the past two days digging out from the big snow. Happily, the heavens dumped only about six inches unlike the massive snows of 2009 and 2010 when we were engulfed with about twenty inches of the white stuff. 

I remember well the 2010 storm and blogged about it at the time. My husband and I were out on the John Deere, snowplow in place, every 2-3 hours trying to keep our long driveway passable. At every round the driveway got narrower. Fortunately, the snow stopped before the width shrank to a path. Our long driveway made the clearing a Herculean task to free the car, but we succeeded. Definitely an accomplishment that we could not repeat today, fifteen years later!

Mind you, I'm not complaining. I enjoy snow (in moderation) and have many memories of rollicking with happy kids on unscheduled snow days when school was cancelled and all was right with the world.

On the Feast of St. Raphael, Pray for the Difficult People in Your Life!

I love St. Raphael! What a patron for all of us maneuvering this valley of tears. First of all, he heals physical ailments. He cured Tobit of his blindness, but only after a long trial for the dear old man. 

Sunday Meditation: Of Angels and Demons

Anyone as old as I am will remember the cartoons with Disney characters who have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other both whispering in his ears. I thought of that today during catechism class after Mass. We had a visiting Benedictine monk sharing about life in the monastery. At one point he discussed the thoughts and ideas and "voices" we hear inside our heads. He commented that we often think we're just talking to ourselves, but that isn't necessarily true. The Holy Spirit inspires those intent on doing God's will with holy thoughts. The demons, who are just as intent on our destruction as our guardian angels are on our salvation, love to tempt us. 

Give me a Warrior Angel, Not a New Age Wimp!

Angel with the Flaming Sword by Edwin Blashfield (1893)

I'm very fond of angels, especially my personal guardian angel. But, please, I want a real guardian not a wimpy angel like the ones portrayed by new agers who like girly imitations. They love a nicy-nice vision of a Pillsbury Doughboy God surrounded by wraith-like dancing angels more fit for Islam's "heaven" than for the real thing. They finger their crystals and listen to new age music from lotus positions dreaming of a heaven where all are welcome, unrepentant sins and all, where they can continue to mock God for all eternity. Silly angels and a marshmallow God! What an insult to truth! And what a shocking revelation they're in for on Judgment Day! Pray for them!

Give me a strong, young, masculine angel any day -- one with a big flaming sword!

I'm Back from Retreat, and Feeling a Longing Not to Be.

I miss my retreat already. There is something so wonderful about silence. All the ladies on the retreat were very good about keeping the silence this year, and it's amazing how it opens up possibilities to hear God. When your life isn't filled with chit-chat, the radio, social media, TV, blogging, etc. you can enter into the exhortation, "Be still and know that I am God." I'm longing for it to continue.

This year my re-entry into the noisy world was abrupt. I'm taking part in a conference on "end of life" issues and had to leave the retreat early. To go from complete silence to seeing old friends and meeting new ones, hearing stories discussing serious issues in the culture of death -- well...it's exhausting. I want to go back to the chapel and sit with the Lord and let the world go to hell in a handcart on its own without me.