Brideshead Revisited

One of my all-time favorite novels is Brideshead Revisited.

I caught him with an unseen hook and an invisible line which is long enough to let him wander to the ends of the world and still to bring him back with a twitch upon the thread.  (Chesterton, from the Father Brown story "The Queer Feet" - famously quoted by Lady Marchmain in Brideshead Revisited)

John the Baptist ate bugs

The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, remember,

Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer...
And Lazarus was dead!

Quote of the Day

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

~ Romans 1:18-20

What are you striving for so hard?

From today's responsorial psalm:

He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
to seat them with princes,
with the princes of his own people.

R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.

Makes one think ...

A prayer for you (just because!)

May today be all you need it to be.

May the peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight, and conquer all your fears.

May God manifest Himself today in ways you have never experienced.

May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered.

I pray that faith enters a new height for you; I pray that your territory is enlarged.

I pray for peace, healing, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, true and undying love for God.

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should.

Quote of the Day

"I believe the Bible .. from Genesis to Maps."

Zig Ziglar

Abide with me

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away; change and decay in all around I see; O thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need thy presence every passing hour. What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power? Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless; ills have no weight, and tears not bitterness. Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

A Song to David (excerpt)

But stronger still in earth and air,
And in the sea, the man of prayer,
And far beneath the tide:
And in the seat to faith assigned,
Where ask is have, where seek is find,
Where knock is open wide.

-- Christopher Smart (1722–1770)

Quoted The Private Patient by P.D. James. Read the whole poem on Bartleby.

Are you worried about the world?

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27)

A lot of us have our stomachs churning over the global financial meltdown, politics, and other temporal casualities of Life on Earth. But we can choose not to let it all grind us down. Even if the world goes to hell in a handbasket (as it always seems to be doing) we have an invitation from Jesus to stay close to Him, keep focused on the Kingdom, and be at peace.

Fellow Christians, are you listening?

That would be an ecumenical matter

Homework for Transformation Class

I finished my homework for tomorrow's weekly class today. I started earlier in the week, but when I went back to it a few days later, I discovered that I had actually done the Bible readings scheduled for next week. I skipped Adam and Eve and Job and went right into Moses and Balaam. I love the whole Exodus story so perhaps that is why I didn't detect my obvious oversight. I just got right into reading all about Moses chatting with God. What a trip that must have been. In every possible way.

The Hour of Silence I knew would be my biggest challenge. When my voices switch off, so do I. I slept through 40 minutes of it, probably. However I maintained silence for as long as I could after I came to again, and engaged in some gentle activity to keep me awake.

One of our readings was from Thomas Merton about how there are no shortcuts to spiritual growth. So true!