How absolutely beautiful! I too thought of Moses today at Mass. I could not get the thought out of my mind that mothers are shepherdesses for their little flock. I pictured the old stone circle where the shepherd would sit in the doorway protecting the sheep at night. This to me represents the home. What happens in the home and what is allowed in or not is up to the mother. But then I pictured Zaporiah and her sisters who watched the flock. When Moses came to the well and protected the shepherdesses from the thieves. See us mothers need to be protected too in our vocation of caring for our little flocks. Christ is our first Shepherd, I pray that in our husbands, priests, and Bishops they increasingly aid us in raising "the world (we) will not see" up to Christ. Amen.
I have always felt that Maxime de la Rocheterie's description of Marie-Antoinette is one of the best: She was not a guilty woman, neither was she a saint; she was an upright, charming woman, a little frivolous, somewhat impulsive, but always pure; she was a queen, at times ardent in her fancies for her favourites and thoughtless in her policy, but proud and full of energy; a thorough woman in her winsome ways and tenderness of heart, until she became a martyr. ( The Life of Marie-Antoinette by M. de la Rocheterie, 1893) Marie-Antoinette spent the first fourteen years of her life in Austria, worshiping in Rococo churches and listening to the music of Haydn and the Italian composers. Architecture and music in that time and place celebrated the glory of God in the beauty of His creation. As Queen, her desire to promote beauty around her, especially in the lives of those whom she loved, was an outgrowth of the culture in which she was raised. She loved theater, acting, o...
This popular prayer, a favorite of many Catholics, dates back to the 15th century and takes its name from the first Latin word of the prayer, "memorare," which means "remember." The Memorare is of unknown authorship, although it has been attributed to St. Augustine (354-430), St. John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) and, with more reason, to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153). St. Bernard's sermons on Mary were famous, and it was his Cistercian monks in the monastery of Citeaux in the 12th century who popularized the name "Our Lady" for Mary. The Memorare has also been attributed to the French cleric Claude Bernard (1588-1641), known as the "poor priest" of Paris, whose homilies contain passages that echo its words. No matter who wrote this prayer, it was Father Bernard who did much to popularize it, teaching it in hospitals and prisons, where Mary's intercession was effective in working miracles of grace. The first manuscript of the Mem...
August 11 is the memorial of St. Clare, one of my favorite saints. She was the first woman to follow the life of radical poverty practiced by St. Francis of Assisi and is the co-founder of the Poor Clares. Although I am not a Franciscan, I have had Franciscan friends, clergy, and spiritual directors instruct me on the beauty of St. Clare's spirituality. I have also learned a great deal from reading about her over the years. Clare and Francis (2007) is a film which depicts the fascinating story of her dramatic conversion and surrender to the will of God. St. Clare is the patron saint of television. She is also the patron of eye disorders, embroiderers, good weather, and telephones. The Contemplative Life The Lady Clare was born into a noble family in Assisi in 1193 and was admired for her great beauty. When she heard Francis of Assisi preach his Lenten homilies at the Church of San Giorgio, she was captivated by his words. At age eighteen, she heard him say: "When the...
How absolutely beautiful! I too thought of Moses today at Mass. I could not get the thought out of my mind that mothers are shepherdesses for their little flock. I pictured the old stone circle where the shepherd would sit in the doorway protecting the sheep at night. This to me represents the home. What happens in the home and what is allowed in or not is up to the mother. But then I pictured Zaporiah and her sisters who watched the flock. When Moses came to the well and protected the shepherdesses from the thieves. See us mothers need to be protected too in our vocation of caring for our little flocks. Christ is our first Shepherd, I pray that in our husbands, priests, and Bishops they increasingly aid us in raising "the world (we) will not see" up to Christ. Amen.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I love what you wrote... I hope to spend some time with it tonight in prayer and meditation. Thank you so much! - Nancy S.
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