Lyla Marie

Welcome to the world, you innocent child of God.  May He watch over you with His loving hand through the wisdom and guidance of your parents and with the joy of your sister.  From start to finish, keep these words from Ralph Waldo Emerson in mind:

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success."

To Xylia Anne

On this special day when she becomes a big sister ...

"A page is turned in this world to reveal a little girl
With a heart that's bigger, as it is unfurled
By the language in her soul, that's teaching her to grow
With a careful cover of love that will not fail."

by Bebo Norman

Big Fish

In the film Big Fish, narrator Edward Bloom says,

"If goldfish are kept in a small bowl, they will remain small. With more space, the fish can double, triple, quadruple in size."

I think that is what is happening to my mind in the desert.

Resurrection

It’s quieter, says I,
Than any but the first,
When things became
Something from nothing.
When there was no time.

It stops, time does.
He sleeps wounded
And awakes unharmed
Like he was before creation
When there was no time.

He rises, he does,
With the breath of God
That called into being
All that was not
When there was no time.

He looks, and I am framed
By the wound in his hand.
He smiles through it and I fly away
To tell my wren-like friends.

© 2010 ES Kraay

It's a gift, not a reward ...

As we approach Good Shepherd Sunday, my spiritual mentor Father Alexei Michalenko offered me this.

"God's love for us as manifested in Jesus is a gift, not a reward.
It's grace, not a salary."

An Angel from God

I met an Angel this week. I went to the chapel on Monday afternoon to pray for a special intention. Normally, I would have gone to the outdoor chapel, the Stations or the Labyrinth, but on this day – it was very windy – I decided to go to the chapel. I sat alone by the windows, or thought so, to read my afternoon prayers – Celtic, Merton and Psalms – and heard a quiet sniffling in the back row. I glanced over and saw a beautiful young lady sitting by herself in contemplation. When I finished my prayers and stood to leave, I knew I had a choice: I could walk out and leave her to her painful meditation, or I could say something. As I approached the door, Luke’s often used words entered my mind. I stopped and turned toward the girl. “Do not be afraid,” I told her, “It will be alright.” She raised her weeping eyes, smiled and said, “Thank you.” I know she was an angel sent to tell me the very thing I told her.

"The angel said to him, "Don't be afraid,Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard."

Luke 1:13

Another Breastplate from St. Patrick

"I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels ...

"I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock."