Christ’s Rose

It’s Tuesday again! This week’s quote is:

Mark 1:31a
So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up

Which is a bit spine-tingly, as on the way to work this morning, I was listening to Jennifer Knapp’s CD, Lay it Down…the song When Nothing Satisfies in particular, the lyrics of which say:

When it rains or it shines on this pillow of mine
I will lift up my head to the sky
So I have chance to see
Where my hope has come from
Know there’s nothing that I can’t abide

When Nothing Satisfies You
When nothing satisfies you
When nothing satisfies you
Hold my hand

Send forth Your Light Lord,
And send forth Your Truth
Let them guide me to Your Holy Place
Then will I go to the Altar of God
To my Joy, my Delight and my Strength

When Nothing Satisfies You
When nothing satisfies you
When nothing satisfies you
Hold my hand

Why are You so downcast o my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God
My Savior, my King
My Savior, my King

When Nothing Satisfies You
When nothing satisfies you
When nothing satisfies you
Hold my hand

…and as I was listening, I was thinking to myself “what does it mean to hold God’s hand?”! I thought of a child, holding a parent’s hand whilst crossing the road, and the sense of safty that conveys; I thought of reaching out to grab someone’s hand in a situation of fear, for reassurance; I thought of holding the hand of the man I love, just wanting to touch and be close to him; I thought of clasping the hand of a grieving friend, who is just holding on tight, for dear life; I thought of the hand of rescue, pulling someone out of deep waters. All powerful images of hands, all powerful images of relationships ~ and all powerful images of God.

God may not literally physically use His hand to reach down to us and lift us up, but we can sometimes feel the power of His Holy Spirit up-lifting us, and bringing us to our feet from a place of despair down there on the ground. When we are tired and utterly bone-weary, He gives us that helping hand of faith which sets us on our feet again. Sometimes He even sends a real person, with the human touch, to take our hand when we need someone to cling to. Such graces belong to us, His children.

Do you feel His hand lifting you to your feet today? Or will you be the hand of friendship for another person…over to you, if you would like to participate “In Other Words”:

• Celadon Pool 2
• Diurnata
• Ukok’s Place
• Mother’s Pride
• Dymphna’s Well

A young teenager, a devout Catholic and altar boy, from a devout family, was stabbed and killed in a bakery this week, after being challenged to a fight by a stranger, and refusing. The other boy stabbed him in the neck with broken glass, and Jimmy died bleeding in his brother’s arms. The report is here.

This tragedy and loss is made all the more poignant by the words of his Mother, Margaret:

Mrs Mizen, the mother of a further eight children, said that she refused to be bitter or filled with hate despite her son’s murder.

“People keep asking me ‘why are you not angry’, but there’s so much anger in this world. It’s anger that killed my son,” she said.

Would we be able to be such a great witness to Christ’s redeeming love in similar circumstances? I don’t think I can say “yes”, but then we don’t know what graces God bestows on us just at the time we need them. I remember too Abigail Witchalls, another devout Catholic who was stabbed in the neck whilst pregnant, and paralysed. Her faith carried her through the terrible ordeal, as she hovered on the brink of death. She later gave birth to a healthy son. Neither she or her family have ever spouted words of anger or hate against the man who attacked her.

Christians are called to react differently, to not lash out in hate; to seek justice but not revenge; to pray for good in circumstances which defy reality. Neither Margaret Mizen nor Abigail Witchalls are Saints (yet!) but God has granted each of them the grace to respond in love, just at the time they need it. His mercy is great, and so will be their reward, good and faithful servants. Pray for them! And pray for Jimmy Mizen…

Into your hands, O Lord
we humbly entrust our brother Jimmy.
In this life you embraced him with your tender love;
deliver him now from every evil
and bid him enter eternal rest.

The old order has passed away:
welcome him then into paradise,
where there will be no sorrow, no weeping nor pain,
but the fullness of peace and joy
with your Son and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever.

Amen.  

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon him.

…I need some today! I woke up feeling nauseous and under the weather, and had to delay going into work. I am here now, but feeling rather under par and fragile. Thank You God that my diary is not too full for today, so it is easier ~ yet there are still things to be done! My Monday motivation therefore is just about today! These are the things I need to do (aswell as seeing my clients, of course!):

• Prepare a display on “Happiness, health and well-being”
• Complete statistics for the month of April
• Begin a report on accomodation needed for a possible [unwanted!] office re-location
• Envelope, address and mail at least a dozen letters!
• Get through the day as best I can…

Hope you manage to get motivated, too…

…I love their lava lamp!

Click the lamp to pray!

I have this week had a very clear nudge from God to wake in the night and pray the Office of the “little hours”, the night watch prayers. Last night was my first attempt, and it was strange to wake up to the alarm at 3pm, and to have to rouse myself enough to read the prayers in my pocket copy of The Divine Hours. Gosh, it’s really hard to open my eyes and actually focus properly at that time! I’m not sure at all why God wants me to do this, but there must be a reason, other than just being someone who is awake when most others around me are fast asleep…someone, somewhere at that time will need prayer! And some of the prayers of the “little hours” are very beautiful…

Whilst praying, I thought of everyone who was up at that time ~ night workers, nurses, doctors. Also the sick and suffering, unable to sleep; mothers with young babies; those awake with anxiety. I offered up my prayers for them.

Otherwise, I have been very busy completely transforming my garden (well, just a small back yard, really, but it has aspirations to be a garden!) which we have neglected for a number of years. It’s hard work, which physically I am not used to, and I ache just about everywhere, especially my back and legs from bending and crouching. But it’s a good ache! And it’s coming along! I feel so excited about it, and hope to soon have a lovely area in which to sit and reflect, and for my grandchildren to play…when it’s done, I’ll post photos!

Oh, and finally, I’ve had the results of my latest CT scan…as the letter says; “No features of concern, which is extremely encouraging” ~ isn’t God good?! 

If you click the candle above, it will take you to the Rose Garden, a small forum I ownn and run. We are a small, caring community of Christian women, who meet together to share our day, chat, pray, and occasionally (gently) discuss issues that are of importance to us. It’s not the busiest place on the web, but that’s the way I like it…it is small enough for us all to get to know each other, and become good friends.

If you feel this might be for you, then click the candle and join us! You can only read the Welcome Forum as a guest, but once signed up, you can access all areas! We are an ecumanical forum, with Ladies from a few different denominations ~ Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Orthodox ~ and we aim to get along fine and accept each other with our differences! Oh, and Ladies only need apply! Once signed up, I will contact you and ask a few questions before activating your membership

Hope to see some of you there!

It’s been a week since I last caught up with you! Where does the time go?

Real life sometimes has to take precedence over blogging, especially with the arrival of a new baby, and suffice it to say that I have been spending a lot of time with my new grand-daughter. That really doesn’t leave very much room for other thoughts, and for once, I come to my blog with an empty head…

So, I’ve been on the hunt for a Tuesday meme, to get the creative juices flowing, and to give my readers something to , err…read? So , here it is! I have taken this meme from Amy at In Pursuit of Proverbs 31 It’s called “In Other Words”, and the purpose of the Meme is to take the quote given, and express it in your own words…this is straight from heart to keyboard, let’s see where it leads!

This week’s quote is:

…and, if I’m honest, this quote this morning has made tears spring to my eyes. I am deeply upset today about my terribly dysfunctional relationship with my Mother, and my hurt, angry and wounded reaction to her. On top of this, there is my own sinfulness, which today is staring me in the face like a huge ink blot on the page of a new day…mea culpa! I am, in this respect, in a horrible place right now! Sick of being hurt, and the feeling that I never want to let the barriers down with my Mother again, ever! I cannot do it, I simply cannot do it. I am full of sadness, and full of fury…

So what does this have to do with the verse from Hosea? Well, the reason it made me cry is because of the tenderness encapsulated by those few words. Tenderness is something I long for, but receive very little of. My husand is lovely, but he is practical, not tender. To be honest, if you are the nurturer in the family, as I often am, then you give out tenderness but don’t always receive it in return. And tenderness is hard to receive from friends, because it involves letting down barriers which leave you feeling vulnerable and fragile. I know I’m having real trouble doing that right now, and in finding someone I trust enough to do it with!

That leaves me with God alone; the God who speaks tenderly to me. He allures me out of my daily grind, my daily pain. Allure: enchant, entrance, captivate. He woos me with love and tenderness. He draws me to Himself like an object of value, precious, yes ~ more preciuous than rubies! He leads me into the desert, away from the marketplace, to the quiet places away from distractions and noise, and the barbs and arrows of life which wound me. When He has me on my own, He lies beside me and holds me in His strong arms, and whispers tender words of love to me, and I am restored. But I have to be willing to let go of what holds me to this world: sin; resentment; pride; selfishness; self-gain. I cannot carry these things into the desert, but must first let go of the chains that bind me, and go empty handed to my Lover.

On another level, the story of Hosea and Gomer is the story of forgiving the unfaithful, just as one day I will have to forgive my unfaithful mother, who passes me over in her selfishness.

Lord, help me to do this…I can’t do it alone!

Prayer is not asking.
Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God,
at his disposition,
and listening to his voice in the depths of our hearts.

~ mother teresa ~ 

I went through a bit of a crisis in prayer recently, but this quote sums up very well for me the place I have ended up in. I have never been a great advocate of the “shopping list” style of prayer, which seems to be prayer at its most superficial. The kind of prayer I find, that speaks to my heart, is the simple contemplating of God.

That doesn’t mean I don’t ever offer petitions to God, or intercede on behalf of others. In fact I think it is a great service we can offer as Christians to pray for those who have no faith and cannot pray, or those who have no-one to pray for them. But this kind of asking prayer has to be held within a wider, deeper relationship with God.

So instead of praying “Lord please heal x of y” or “Please send z a new car”, I would rather pray “Lord, may Your will be done” and leave the choice up to Him. Then time is left to simply spend in His presence, and become attuned to His voice. In such a place, we can lift others up in a more heartfelt way, and place them into the care of His loving hands without the need for any agenda of our own. Or we can entrust them to Jesus, or to His Mother, Mary, or any of the Saints who are there in God’s presence and able to better intercede on our behalf.

Mother Teresa is right…true prayer is not about asking, but about trusting and listening and placing ourselves at God’s disposal.

Is it Monday already…? !!

The rules of the game are simple enough…just list 5 things you wish to achieve during the week ahead and hopefully get motivated!

• Well, I have completed one of last weeks tasks, and sorted out lots and lots of my old clothes which don’t fit, or I know I will never wear again (really, honestly, truly!) and they are going to charity tomorrow. I thought it deserved a mention again this week! My wardrobe is now half empty, and I have a bag full of useless empty coathangers and far less outfits, but somehow it all feels lighter. Most importantly, I am no longer living in the hope of one day fitting into those size 10 jeans again! I can be me!
• This week, I am going to Chester to buy myself a pair of jeans in a size that fit!
• This week, I have at least two proper (ie pen and paper) letters to write. One to my friend Ali, one of my long standing penfriends and another to my friend Tabitha who is still laid up with a very painful back,.. . If you’re reading this, please pray for her!
• This week, I intend to reconnect with my creativity, which I have negelcted lately. I’m not sure how…maybe through a piece of art, or by writing a poem, but I am stagnating, and not happy about it!
• This week, I am going to pray the prayer “Here I am Lord, send me…” every morning, and so be open to God’s Holy Spirit, wherever He may lead me!

Just copy this meme if you feel so inclined!

Morning Sun by Edward Hopper (1952)

“Waking up this morning, I smile.  Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.  I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

This time last year, I had hoped to be running the Race for Life myself! Alas, I am not quite physically fit enough yet, and still expereincing odd twinges, painful joints and unfortunately some bladder problems *sigh* But never-the-less, I haven’t forgotten those who ran their races for me last year, as I waited anxiously to hear my pathology results. I was one of the blessed ones in that respect, but many are not, and the Race For Life is to raise money for those suffering from cancer.

So, as you cannot sponsor me, will you please sponsor this lady, Suzy @ Diurnata. Go on ~ be generous!

Suzy racing last year!

Well, I have my six monthly scan this afternoon, hopefully to give me the all-clear once again, please God! I don’t particularly enjoy the procedure, partly because it involves canulas and needles, but also because it’s a long process, I have to drink 2 pints of foul dye, and hopsital gowns are distincly unflattering!

I make it easier for myself by various means. Of course through prayer and my Rosary ring, but also through very practical means. Like wearing Clarins Eau Ressourçante so I smell delicious, and having the loveliest kimono dressing gown to wear over my hospital one (pink with daisies on it) and doing the full works with the make up. All small acts of vanity, but helpful none-the-less, in that I at least feel glamorous in a situation which I have little control over. The last thing I want to appear is dowdy and ill…

But please pray for me?

A bit of light relief!

You Are a Cashew

You are laid back, friendly, and easy going.
Compared to most people, you have a very mild temperament.
You blend in well. You’re often the last person to get noticed.
But whenever you’re gone, people seem to notice right away!

Take the test yourself: what nut are you?

If you are interested in exploring Proverbs 31:10-31, please visit my other blog Blooming at Home and join in!

The Virtuous Woman by Edward Burne-Jones

Can I ask a personal question?

Do you get lonely?

Well I do, quite often, and it is one of the hardest things to admit. Loneliness makes one think of Eleanor Rigby, sad old people who die unnoticed, kids at school who don’t have any friends, people who are marginalised and on the edge of our society. But that is a false picture. Loneliness is not reserved for groups of easily labelled people. Chances are everyone you bump into today will have felt loneliness at some time in their life, even the successful co-worker who seems the model employee and everybody’s friend. Like depression, it is a hidden ailment, and one we are apt to feel ashamed of…

I’m not always sure how to deal with these feelings of loneliness and isolation. Whether to try to fix them, or whether God wants me to sit with them and make some use of them. Perhaps it is quite deliberately engineered by God in order to turn me away from people-comfort and instead nudge me to rely on God-comfort. I know that during my lonely times I am tempted to go back to places that I know are not good for me because I can feel quite desperate for some human company. Right now, I am holding back, but it’s not easy.

I pray for you too, if you are lonely…please share your encouragement with me!

Lord Jesus Christ, I am assailed by a spell of loneliness. All of a sudden it is as if I am totally alone, without anyone in the world. It is a terrifying feeling, Lord; help me to overcome it. Let me realize that I am never really alone if I am united with You—for You are always with me. At the same time, remind me that I also have need of others, for I am a social being. And there are many people whom You have brought into my life to help me on my way to eternity. Teach me to see that we need one another if we are to make a go of our lives and complete the tasks You have given us. Amen.

St. Rita, patron Saint of the lonely, pray for us!

…just had to!

Today I have decided to begin a new meme, and see if it catches on (doesn’t really matter if it doesn’t though!) It’s called the Monday Motivation Meme. I hope it will be a good excuse to forget those Monday morning blues, and focus on the week ahead, and what we can do for God in it!

The rules of the game are simple enough…just list 5 things you wish to achieve during the week ahead and hopefully get motivated!

• This week I am going to bake a gluten/dairy-free cake for my husband, who has had to go on a gluten and dairy-free diet for health reasons. It will be a new challenge for my baking skills!
• This week, I intend to begin that Spring-clean that never happened, now that the weather has warmed up a bit
• This week, I am going to step up my Bible reading; at the moment I am back to Proverbs 3, and am blogging some of it on my new blog Blooming at Home
• This week, I am going to put some feelers out, and visit folks in the blogosphere I have neglected lately
• This week, I am going to sort out the linen basket under the stairs into clothes that don’t fit and clothes that do, and make up a bag for charity. I’ve been putting it off for ages! 

What’s your Monday Motivation list? Please post your links in the com-box. Cheers!

I tag some folks I haven’t visited for a while, to help begin number 4 on my list!

• A Place for Everything
• Hidden Art
• The Catholic Path
• Third Try
• Monkey Giggles
• Plus anyone else who wants to take this and run with it ~ it may catch on!

ps: don’t worry if you don’t get time to do it this Monday…save it for next week instead

Sunday Seven 

All my thanksgivings are centred on the Mass this week!

[this is a bumped-up post from a few months ago, which I wanted to post again, so the comments are old! I just felt that the Liturgy of the Mass is so beautiful, and reaches every part of my life as a Christian that I wanted to post it again. When I fully engage, I find deeper and more beautiful revelations; if I am troubled and unable to fully concentrate, it washes over me like a healing, life-giving wave, and lifts me to God's heart. And always, Jesus is fully, wholly and literally present. I thank and praise God for the Liturgy and the Mass!]

• Confession: the Mass starts with the confiteor, or confession, in which we, as a Church confess our sins to God, and to our brothers and sisters, and ask for forgiveness. Often, I receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Mass. I thank God for His provision of forgiveness, and the fact that no matter what I do, He is always willing to forgive even the gravest of sins! One of the hardest things to do is often to accept that we are really forgiven…when we hear the words of the Priest “I absolve you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit…” we not only receive the grace of the Sacrament, but the certainty in our hearts that forgiveness is ours! And forgiveness brings wholeness and healing. For this, I am thankful!

• Praise: the Mass is an opportunity to praise God for the work He has done in our lives, and simply to praise Him for who He is regardless of what He has done for us! I choose to praise God this week and every week, because that is what I was made for. I was made for His pleasure, and to serve and reverence Him. The words of the Gloria should echo the cry of my heart, that God is always and everywhere worthy of praise! The Mass, amongst other things, is a sacrifice of praise, where God is given His rightful place in the world! For this, I am thankful!

• The Word: the Word is an important element of the Catholic Mass. In fact, in no other Church have I heard the Old Testament, the Psalms, the New Testament and the Gospel read out in every single service, not to mention the Priest’s Homily! The Mass centres around God’s Word as one of the ways in which He makes Himself known to us, His people. It is through the Bible that we learn, not only about the nature of God and the nature of Jesus, but also the nature of ourselves! I love the way we stand to hear the Gospel, and make the sign of the cross on our forehead, lips and heart…this is to symbolise the fact that we listen the Gospel with our minds, proclaim it with our lips, and let it reside in our hearts! For this, I am thankful!

• Prayer: prayer is part of the Mass in many forms…from the prayers of penitence, to the bidding prayers, the Hail Mary, the Our Father and the Eucharistic prayer, all forms of prayer are covered ~ repentance, adoration, supplication, thanksgiving. The prayers of penitience cleanse our hearts and ask forgiveness before we receive Christ in the Eucharist…the bidding prayers focus on the wider world and bring to God our earthly concerns…in the Hail Mary, we call on the ever-present Mother of God to intercede for us and join our prayers with hers…throught the Lord’s Prayer, we pray the way that Jesus showed us, and intends for us to pray…and the Eucharistic prayer focuses on the central point of the Mass, the turning of the elements of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. For this, I am thankful!

• The Peace: often people find the Peace a difficult part of the service. Some find it embarrassing, and formal, even false. yet it is important in that it takes us out of ourselves, and turns our focus onto those around us. In offering each other a sign of peace, we are acknowledging our unity as brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. How can we bear a grudge towards a brother or sister when we are required to offer them our hand, and say: “peace be with you”. Personally, I love this part of the service, and the chance it gives me to interract with those around me. An old gentleman in front of me; a young teenage girl in the next pew; my close friend sat next to me. We are all children of the same Lord! For this, I am thankful!

• The Eucharist: this, friends, is what it is all about! not just what Church is all about, but indeed what life is all about. As a Christian, and a Catholic, I know that Jesus resides constantly in the Tabernacle of my heart, but He wants me to have even more of Him! This is why He instituted the Eucharist. The Eucharist serves 3 purposes: the sacrifice of the cross taking place today on our altars; a memorial of Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension; a sacred banquet in which the food we receive is Jesus himself. The Eucharist is a manifestation of the Trinity, in that the Father reconciles us to Himself through the work of the Holy Spirit in transforming the bread and the wine into the body and blood of the Son. Every Eucharist is an opportunity to be re-converted, the on-going process the Benedictines call ‘conversatio morum’, or on-going conversion of life. It is also an opportunity to sacrifice self on the altar and re-consecrate myself to God, and it is where I receive, in a true physical form, the real presence of Jesus through the process of transubstantiation ~ the nearest I can ever get in this life to touching the hem of Jesus’ robe. Fed with my Lord, we become one! I am healed and made new! For this, I am thankful!

• The Dismissal: finally, at the end of the Mass, the Priest or Deacon says: “the Mass is over, go in peace to love and serve the Lord”, or in Latin “Ite, missa est”. The word Mass (missa) means to send, and at the end of every Mass, we are sent out into the world. The Mass is not an exclusive club, but something to be carried out into the world and shared with others. This is why we are sent out each time, with the great commision. For this, I am thankful!

So, this is my Sunday Seven, and these are the reasons I give thanks today. I believe that the Mass encompasses everything, from the purpose we are created as human beings, to the fulfilment of every human need. It is complete, and it is enough.

More Sunday Sevens here!

Well friends, I have a new blog ~ a sister blog to Christ’s Rose. It is called Blooming at Home and its focus is on all things homely: from cooking to cleaning, home-keeping, recipes, and how to develop my vocation as a Catholic wife, mother and granny!

If this is your “cup of tea” than come on over and we can share a cup of tea together! If it’s a complete turn off, then stick around here and read about other stuff in my life

If you visit Blooming at Home and you like it, then please spread the words, and if you feel inclined blogroll me, but most of all, ENJOY!

I was sad to hear of Gwyneth’s death this week. She has been my local MP for as long as I’ve been eligible to vote! She was a fantastic example of a true Labour politician, and one of a dying breed, and will be greatly missed. She helped my family out personally in finding a place in sheltered accomodation for my Mum, so I could be near and care for her, when the local council turned her down. May she rest in peace, and may God bless her for the good she did during her political career!

Gwyneth Dunwoody. Photograph: Martin Argles

Veteran Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody, the longest-serving female member of parliament, died last night at the age of 77 after a short illness.

A formidable and well-respected Commons figure who championed backbench rights and shot to prominence as the chair of the transport select committee, Dunwoody was taken ill a week ago and died peacefully yesterday evening, according to her son.

Leading the tributes, Gordon Brown called Mrs Dunwoody “a great parliamentarian” and said she was “politics at its best”. He said: “So many people will be so sad to hear of the death of Gwyneth Dunwoody. She was always her own person. She was fiercely independent.”

The MP for Crewe and Nantwich came from political stock. Both her grandmothers were suffragettes, her father, Morgan Phillips, was general secretary of the Labour party and her mother, Norah Phillips, served in the Lords before being made Lord Lieutenant of London.

Born in Fulham, London, in 1930, she joined the Labour party in 1946. She began her political career as a councillor in Totnes, south Devon, but stood as the candidate for Exeter in 1964 and won the seat in 1966. She was a minister on the Board of Trade between 1967 and 1970.

She lost her seat in 1970, but came back to the house in 1974 as MP for Crewe and Nantwich. She was variously a frontbench opposition spokesman on foreign and commonwealth affairs, health and transport, and was a member of the European parliament from 1974 to 1979. She stood for the post of Speaker of the Commons after Betty Boothroyd resigned in 2000, but lost by 341 votes to 170.

She was often a thorn in New Labour’s side and was told by chief whip Hilary Armstrong in July 2001 that she was being stripped of the chair of the transport committee. The Commons staged a rebellion and insisted that she was reinstated .

“For me,” she said in 2005, “parliament is not only the most important forum for the British people, it is also the last defender of the rights of all citizens.”

Former Labour MP Tony Benn said Mrs Dunwoody always spoke her mind. “She was a very remarkable woman and a very powerful member of parliament. She took a very independent stance on the European Union and was respected by the house.”

Mrs Dunwoody’s son David said his mother died “in a gentle and calm way”. She had a daughter, two sons and 10 grandchildren.

From the Guardian, April 18th 2008