A Thought While on Retreat

Sisters and readers -- I'm on a Kairos retreat with my students until Thursday, but today I wanted to leave you with a simple post to link you to a letter from Archbishop Dolan of New York on the importance of keeping the Sabbath holy. It was a real wake-up call for me to prioritize my life and to be intentional in refraining from too much technology, work, or errands on our day of rest. We should not just rest to relax, but rather rest in the Lord. Thank you, Archbishop (and my friends who passed it along to me), for an important reminder. It's really beautiful and worth its length. We are so blessed with wonderful shepherds.

Prayers for you all while I'm on retreat!

Humble Hope

“To God who has so abundantly blessed the church through the Dominican Order; may the Order of Preachers, under the mantle of the Mother of God, continue to flourish in fraternal love purified in obedience to the truth.”
--Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia, O.P.


(HT: Whispers)

Thoughts for the Godmother

I was at the baptism where Julian became a Godmother, and I have to admit, I was praying more for her than for little E.

A few years ago I attended another baptism, and afterward the baby, Peter fell asleep in my arms. His mother took him from me after he woke up (he was so small it didn't bother me at all and I held him for over an hour), and she looked at me with wide eyes and said: "Isn't that exciting? A saint fell asleep in your arms! I am always amazed by that!"

The gospel reading at the baptism, which was administered by a jolly deacon in the local parish, was (fittingly) from Mark's Gospel:

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them. (Mark 10:13-16)

Julian's goddaughter is a living saint now, too--beautiful, sinless, and full of grace. May her innocence witness to us, and teach us to be like a child in the lap of our Heavenly Father.

In the rite of baptism we pray for the Godparents:

--Make the lives of his (her) parents and godparents examples of faith to inspire this child. Lord hear us.
--Keep his (her) family always in your love. Lord hear us.
--Renew the grace of our baptism in each one of us. Lord hear us.

Renew that grace in us, Lord! Renew it in her parents and god-parents most of all!

(Painting: Suffer the Little Children to Come Unto Meby Lucas Cranach the Elder)