Litany of Humility

The post I wrote this week (see below) was a reflection on the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18. "The one who humbles himself will be exalted."  Catching up on our Lenten devotional, I found this prayer at the end of Rachel's post and it fit perfectly with what I wanted to say (and what I, myself, want and need to pray). Enjoy!

~written by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)~

 

         O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

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

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

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

In Luke 18,  Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. In his prayer, the Pharisee reminds the Lord of all he has done, fasting, praying and tithing. The tax collector goes humbly, on his knees, and asks for mercy for his sins. Jesus reminds us that it is the tax collector who is justified. “The one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

For many of us reading this, we are good people trying to live out our faiths in a very secular world. We go to Mass each week, we may attend a Bible study. We spend time in prayer, we fast. It can feel like we are doing so much compared to others.  We measure ourselves against a world that, these days, doesn’t set a very high bar. But even if we measured ourselves against the piety of the holiest man, it is our humility the Lord most desires.  If  we went to Mass every day, made a monthly confession and tithed more than our 10% and came to the Lord showing him all our good deeds, He would be more pleased with the person  who had done none of this but said to Him, “Bless me for I have sinned.”

There is a great comfort in knowing that it is the condition of our hearts that will hurt or please the Lord. We absolutely should spend as much time as possible in prayer, fasting, almsgiving. These things make us more like Jesus and bring us closer to Him. We just have to do so with humility. We can’t earn our way into Heaven. Jesus took every one of those nails out of the same love for saint and sinner.  We say at Mass, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.” We humble ourselves before we receive the greatest gift ever given, the actual body of Christ. That shows how important humility is in the Christian walk.

We will all walk through different seasons of life. There will be times when we can make it to daily Mass and monthly confession, times when we can tithe 10% before taxes. Hopefully, we will get on our knees each night of those plentiful times and tell the Lord that we are thankful for His provision and ask for forgiveness for the ways we didn’t honor Him. There will also be times when we can’t get to daily Mass, when our tithe will be in time rather than money. Hopefully we will get on our knees during those times and tell the Lord we are thankful for His provision and ask forgiveness for ways we didn’t honor Him.

Our God loves us in plenty or in want. He loves us not for what we do or give, but who we are. God doesn’t love us because we’re good. He loves us because HE is good.

 

7 quick reasons stay at home moms should leave the house daily

--- 1 ---

Not having left the house today as of 12:50 in the pm, I am reminded of why stay at home moms should leave the house once per day. Costco, the drive thru at McD's or even the place your husband begs you not to enter, Publix. If you stay at home with your children, leave the house for your own reasons, if not for these.

--- 2 ---

*assuming you are a decent human being, which I am, most days*, leaving the house requires brushing of teeth, hair, and wearing of a brassiere. It also requires brushing of at least hair of pine straw headed toddler. For this little outing, you and your family can no longer be mistaken for hobos living in a tent on a commune.

--- 3 ---

Leaving the house increases the chances you will talk to another adult. You can practice using 4 syllable words and expressions other than that made by a monkey and his yellow hatted friend.

--- 4 ---

Leaving home helps you practice legitimate and proper discipline. My friend Rachel has said that on bad days with her kids, she responds to them as if someone else were watching her. When I try this, I am much less likely to threaten to flush MK down the toilet. I've never threatened that. ahem. That said, going out of the house has me practice all the things the "experts" tell you to do. Sometimes it works. Sometimes MK looks at me like "when you are you going to threaten me with that empty goofy sounding threat again."

--- 5 ---

Exercise. On days when the only walking I do is to wipe a toddler's bum (how many times can the girl poo in one day????), going out requires that I lift two people in and out of carseats and grocery carts. That totally counts as at least half a body bar class at Ladies First Fitness Athens. (out of business since 2004).

--- 6 ---

Getting out of the house means that I will catch at least 3 stoplights during which time I will apply 4 year old mascara, blush via a lipstick tube, and a quick pinking of the lips. Ross can totally tell when I've done the redlight makeover but it is still miiiiles beyond what he normally gets.

--- 7 ---

Lastly, getting out of ye old casa means that  for the duration of time we're gone, my house isn't being destroyed with stickers, crushed goldfish or 200 diapers for 2 naked baby dolls. Any hope of a semi neat home depends on letting the kid trash someone else's home or retail establishment.

 

On that note, after nap trip planned to costco for veggie pizza and a big arse bottle of wine. Happy Friday!

 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Livin La Vida Buena

Today I went on a run during Ross's lunch break. Usually my runs involve one of two scenarios. A) a 5:15 wake up to pump followed by a run in the freezing temps with lovely running friends or B (and always less preferable), a run later in the morning with 2 people, one of whom is always crying, whining, asking for snacks, pooping, standing up in the stroller or asking me to sing Bible songs. Well, no offense to the Bible, but when Ross agreed to let me fit a quick couple of miles in during his lunch, I took it. It is a rare day that I run alone and it was nice.

Running along busy roads on a windy day, I couldn't hear Madonna urging me to pick up the pace so it was just me and my thoughts. Can't bear the suspense of hearing what they were? Lucky day for you :)

I thought about the good life I lead. I read somewhere that the seeds of discontent start with ingratitude. As I thought about the things I've previously been discontented with, I was able to see more clearly why I needed to be grateful for those very things.

Example one: we have long prayed for a new job for Ross but the right opportunity has not come. Today I was reminded that this current job is five minutes from home and he comes home for lunch every day. Some days that affords me one less diaper change. Other days, like today, it gets me a solo run in the not freak early hours. I put kids down for nap and ran like it was my last day of freedom on earth. It was wonderful. So while God is remaining mum on the job front, I'll take a post dawn, no kids run and be thankful for his five minute commute.

Example two. Kind of on the same token, we are hoping to move in the next while. I'd be lying if I didn't say I've been waiting on this day for a long time. I want a little more space and a lot less orange bathroom. But this teeny tiny house is one story and is easy to clean. So easy, in fact, that I can vacuum it in its entirety in about 30 minutes (and that's an "under the furniture, into the corners" kind of vacuum. I can easily do it in less. Ross came home to me vacuuming yesterday and was seriously nearly moved to tears. I'm not sure what's more sad, that he's so excited about the prospect of a well vacuumed home or that the very act of his wife doing more than her usual D+ job of homemaking made him so happy. *side note* he asked why I would be vacuuming (fair question). I said that MK had crushed goldfish on the floor and his derned dog who eats Thomas's spit up from the floor refuses mk's goldfish.  I am so waiting to see MK purposely crushing goldfish upon bribe from her father. Anyway- the point it is, it's not a bad life when you can do a decent job of cleaning your entire house in 30 minutes.

Example three. Dreamboat baby has finally learned to roll over. Naturally that's only in one direction, prompting "rescue me" screams from the turtle himself a few times a night. I'd complain about the waking, but a simple flip back to his belly and a paci in his mouth and he's back out. I cannot complain about that and am really thankful that he goes back down so easily.

I'd go on and on but it really does amaze me how quickly perspective can change when I shift the focus to gratitute. All of a sudden I see blessings everywhere I look.

**if you follow me on instagram, sorry for the repeats. So trying to not let instagram replace blogging like the rest of you have :) **

 

 

Lenten Reflections

This year, I'm taking part in a Lenten reflection series put on by the FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) team at Georgia Southern. My recent post is below but there are daily postings until Easter and they are all wonderful. Take a peek for a few minutes of spiritual time today!

Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus

No one ever said that the Christian walk was an easy one. In fact, many of the great disciples, from St. Paul to Mother Teresa, have reminded us that choosing to follow Jesus can be a difficult path. Thankfully, Holy Scripture gives us a roadmap, plenty of do’s and don’ts to help us navigate our way toward our Savior. Today’s first reading from Leviticus gives us some of the don’ts.  “You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another. You shall not swear falsely by my name.”  This looks pretty straightforward.  Most of us don’t literally steal, lie or swear by Him.  But what if we remember that everything we have is from Jesus? Are we using the gifts He has loaned us for His glory? If we have extra money and we believe that this is a provision from Him, isn’t squandering it on (insert your luxury of choice) a theft? If we have a skill or talent, and we use our free time watching reality TV, aren’t we stealing that gift from Him?  How often do we say, “I swear to God?” Popular reality starlets proudly proclaim “Bible” instead of “I swear.” It doesn’t seem like much but asking for the clarity to see even the small ways we offend the Lord can draw us closer to Him.

In His mercy, God also gives us suggestions of do’s in today’s Gospel from Matthew. They are not ways to earn His freely given love and grace, but ways that help us become more like Him, and become one with Him.  “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” Jesus is pretty clear here. Saying “I believe in you” a few times in your life or going to Mass each Sunday aren’t all that He asks of us. We must resist the secular pull toward egocentrism, even self-centeredness.  Richard Sterns writes in his book, The Hole in our Gospel, that today’s Christian might re-read that passage from Matthew 25. It could say

For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved.

The majority of us are good, loving people. But during these 40 days, how can we stretch ourselves from being a “good person” to literally being the hands and feet of Jesus in this broken world?  He needs us to put down the iphone and write a note to our grandmother or call (not text) our mom just to say hi. He needs us to live the scripture we may so readily quote by caring for orphans and frustrating roommates alike. He needs us to spend a few minutes each day praying for people who have no one to pray for them.  By acting out the faith we profess, we walk a path that leads directly into His loving and tender embrace. 

-Keri Ninness

Cinco Meses

Two weeks ago, our precious boy turned 5 months old. I think it may be his first monthly post and it's late. Sorry, my dear second child, c'est la vie. He may not get a monthly post, but fear not. This boy, my Thomas, is loved beyond measure.  My dreamboat baby. A few things about my boy at 5 months old.

• Roughly a whopping 15 lbs and a wee little 23 inches long. Round and short and perfect.
• Sports an old man's toupee right on top his sweet little head. Wild, hilarious hair.
• Still exclusively breastfed with a few tries with oatmeal. Tongue thrust is still pretty pronounced so we'll wait another month before we press the solid food issue. We did introduce him to those gross baby mum mums but have some fine motor skills to work on.
• Little man sleeps on his belly (shhhh) from 8p to 6:30-7:30 depending on the day (or depending on how loud big sister is yelling "get me outta this crib."). Pushing back that bedtime to 7:30 this week.
• He is such a smiley boy. Just throwing a glance and a slightly exaggerated "hiii Thomas," guarantees you a huge smile.
• He loves his mama's right hip. 99 times out of a 100, you will find our guy on my hip, facing outward, just taking in the world. He rarely prefers to be anywhere else.
• That said, I can sometimes get 15 minutes of little man in the exersaucer or on the play mat, less time in the bumbo. Then he is calling for his perch again.
• Like his sister (and all other children on earth??), is happy the second we walk outside and quickly soothed by fresh air.
• Is a great eater, giving our days much more predictability than those with Mary Kate at this age.
• Like Mary Kate, loves his daddy. I do not say that out of obligation but the fact is my kids have a fantastic  dad who treasures them, treasures quality time with them and loves them immensely. They feel that and respond to it.
• Loves his mama too. Like I said, he smiles at just about anyone but I'll go out on a limb and say that I get them the fastest. Maybe he values his food source, maybe he likes an unshowered, tired looking lady but he does seem to like his old lady.
• Is a little fish. Unlike his big sis at that age (sorry for the constant comparisons!), he loves loves his bath. He's ready to graduate from the sink but it's so easy and he loves every minute of the warm water. On rough days, I'll put MK down for a nap and Thomas and I will take a warm bubble bath. He loves it and mama does too.
• Has two bottom teeth coming in at the ripe old age of 5 months. No telling how long it will take them to break through but until then we simply have 2 tons of drool covering every shoulder, fist, outfit, etc. Nursing is getting interesting too.
• Doesn't love the carseat (as in, hates it) but if we get into the car .2 seconds after a mammoth feeding, he screams less
• Praise the Lord, seriously, praise the Lord, He will take a pacifier. It isn't a cure all but buys me time when I need it. It is soooo nice not to BE the pacifier as I was with MK.
• Goes down easily for a morning nap, wide awake, as long as he hasn't been up for more than an hour or so. Working on lengthening that nap a bit so he and big sis can nap at the same time in the afternoon. Right now, dreamboat is ready to sleep again by 11 or noon and I'd love to get him to 12:30 or even 1. But I'm not complaining. I know I'm lucky that he will actually nap!

I know there's more but I just wanted to jot those down before I forgot. I feel like all you mamas of boys have been holding out on a big secret, this intensity of love for a little boy. It is no greater than my love for MK, but is unique, just as I know the love will be for any future babes. I just can't say enough how much I adore this child, even at 4 am or on non-napping days or days where my hit is chaffed from his bottom not moving from it all day. Thomas Perry, you've got my heart little boy (and your dad's and sister's too!)  I am so thankful that you are here, happy and healthy and perfect.

Powerful Prayers for your Husband

With Lent beginning tomorrow, I've been thinking and praying about how best to use this holy time. God has beaten me over the head told me one major area he'd like for us, He and I, to work on together. I'd lie if I didn't say I was nervous about beginning this season, so confident about the impending failure of this task. But, like my friend Elizabeth reminded me, courage is a quiet whisper saying 'I'll try again tomorrow.' I'm anticipating needing a lot of courage for the do-overs. 40 days of Lent have me thinking I'll need about 40 of those.  Anyway, one of the easier, but certainly no less important, commitments I'll make this year was spurred by the Homily at Mass this weekend. Deacon John reminded those of us on a Christian walk that our most important goal is to lead our spouses closer to Jesus. I could write a whole post on all the ways I have done the opposite in our short marriage but agreed with all of the ways He encouraged us to lead our loved ones toward the Cross, most importantly, simply praying for them. I try to remember to pray for Ross and MK and I often say a quick "Help Daddy feel Jesus right now" or "Jesus hear dad's prayers today." I enjoy that with Mary Kate, making praying for her daddy and my husband a part of our day. But outside of the church, there were these beautiful cards, called Powerful Prayers for Your Husband by B.J. Reinhard.  It is helping me take praying for Him to a deeper, more specific level. So, in addition to that thing God beat me over the head with, I'll spend this Lent praying for the partner he gave me.

*I have the original card that I can email as an attachment if any of you want it.
 by b.J. ReinhaRd

Peace.
Lord, as my husband faces another day of challenges,
reveal Your deep love to him. Cast out his fears. May your peace
rule in his heart. (1 Jn. 4:18; Col. 3:15)

Strength.
Thank You, Lord, for daily bearing my husband’s
burdens. Remind him that You uphold him—physically,
emotionally, and spiritually. Refresh him with a sense of Your
presence. (Ps. 68:19; Col. 1:17; Jer. 31:25)
 
Intimacy with God.
Lord, remind Ross of Your deep, personal knowledge of him, and assure him that he can pour out his heart to You. May his walk with You be more than an intellectual
exercise. Reveal Yourself to him so that he can know and worship You as You are. (Ps. 62:8, 139:1-4; Jer. 9:24; Jn. 14:21)

Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, thank You that You live in and reveal truth to my husband. Teach him to
live in Your power—filled with, motivated by, and in step with
You. May he listen to Your voice and follow wherever You lead.
(Jn. 16:13-14; Gal. 5:16, 22-25; Is. 30:21)

Significance.
Lord, show Ross how valuable he is to You. May he know that his true worth comes from You. (Mt. 6:26; Jer. 29:11; Zeph. 3:17)

Success.
Cultivate in my husband a diligence and desire to do his best for You. Establish the work of his hands, and grant him success. Direct him into roles best suited to his gifts, talents, and personality. (Col. 3:23; Ps. 90:17, 139:13-15)

Finances.
Lord, as my husband provides materially for our family, help him to serve You, not money. Enable him to rest in Your provision. (Mt. 6:24; Gen. 22:14; Phil. 4:19)

Perseverance.
Strengthen Ross with faith and patience in the difficulties he faces. Assure him that You are with him and are working all things together for good. (Eph. 3:16-17; Col. 1:11; Ro. 8:28, 38-39)

Spiritual protection.
Lord, protect my husband from the temptations he faces today, especially concerning  (name specific area of temptation). Teach him to guard what enters
his mind, to focus on You, and to resist the enemy by faith.
(1 Cor. 10:13; Col. 3:1-2; Jas. 4:7; 1 Jn. 5:4-5)
Sexual purity.
Lord, Satan would twist his God-given desire for sex into something ugly. Prompt him to turn to You for safety and freedom from lust, pornography, sexual fantasies,
and inappropriate relationships. Let him find acceptance and satisfaction in You and within the context of our marriage. (Ps. 90:14; Prov. 5:15-20; Heb. 13:4)
Influence.
Thank You, Shepherd, for leading my husband as he interacts with and leads others—at home, at work, and in our church and community. Enable him to set a good example for and love those under his care. (Is. 40:11; Acts 20:28; Titus 2:7-8)
Marriage.
 Lord, on his own, my husband cannot fulfill Your desire for him to love me as You love the church. But You are love, and You live in him. Teach him how You want to love me through him. (Eph. 5:25; 1 Jn. 4:8; 2 Cor. 4:7)
Vulnerability.
 Lord, give Ross the courage to share his innermost thoughts and feelings with me. Grant me grace to listen with acceptance and to share honestly with him. (Prov. 31:10-12; Ro. 15:1-3)
Fatherhood.
 Be my husband’s wisdom in the challenges we face as parents. Teach him how to relate to and love our children the way You, our heavenly Father, relate to us. (1 Cor. 1:30; Ps. 103:8-14; Prov. 3:12; Eph. 6:4)
Friends.
Lord, bring my husband friends with whom he can share his joys and struggles—friends who speak frankly with him and remind him of Your love and power. Show him how to be a good friend in return. (Prov. 18:24, 27:6; Eccl. 4:9-12)
Loving others.
Give my husband courage and opportunities to share Your love with others in words and actions. When people frustrate him, help him to respond in humility and peace. When he sins against others or is sinned against, guide him to ask and
grant forgiveness. May those who interact with him touch Your
light and life. (2 Thess. 2:16-17; Col. 3:12-14; Phil. 2:14-16)
Physical protection.
Keep my husband safe and healthy. Teach him to care for his body, and heal his diseases, especially (name specific ailments). (3 Jn. 1:2; Ps. 103:2-3)

Passion for life. Father, show my husband his true purpose
for living, especially in areas that seem mundane. May Paul’s
claim, “To live is Christ,” always be true for my husband.
(Jn. 4:13-14, 6:35; Phil. 1:21) © 2007 by B.J. Reinhard
To subscribe to Pray!®, call 1-800-691-Pray.
For other prayer cards and resources, call 1-800-366-7788.
www.praymag.comISBN #1600061583
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**Be back with original material later this week lest y'all think I simply copy and paste for blog posts :)

 

 

 

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So God made a mother

I got this from my sweet friend Anna and it made my day.  Hope it brings a little encouragement to you!

Ann Voskamp had this take on the 'God Made a Farmer' commercial posted on her blog this morning. It made me think of all my mama friends - so blessed by you!

God said –

I need someone to get up at midnight and scoop the most fragile of humanity close to her warmth and rock though she can hardly stand and nourish though she’s mostly sleep-starved and change the diaper and the sheets and the leaked on, leaked through, and leaked down clothes though she’ll have to change them in the morning and next week and that won’t change for years.

So God made a Mother.

That God had said I need somebody with a strong heart.

Strong enough for toddler tantrums and teenage testing, yet broken enough to fall on her knees and pray, pray, pray.

Someone who knows that in every hard place is exactly where you extend grace, who looks a hopeful child in the eye and says yes, even though she knows every yes means a mess but this is how you bless, who has the courage to keep letting go because she’s holding on to Me.

So God made a mother.

God said I need somebody who can shape a soul and find shoes on Sunday mornings and get grass stains out of Levis.

And make dinner out of nothing and do it again 79, 678 times, and keep kids off the road and out of the toilet and in clean underwear and mainly alive though she’s mainly losing her mind and will put in an 80 hour week by Wednesday night and just do one more load of laundry.

And one more sink of crusted burnt pots.

And keep on going another eighty hours because raising generations matters and weaving families matters and tying heart strings matters and these people here matter.

So God made a mother.

It had to be somebody who could comb back pigtails and tie up skates just-right tight.

Who could pretend she remembered algebra and how to get home from here and that really, she was just fine, that it must just be the silly onions.

Somebody who would run for the catch, jump on a trampoline and play one fierce game of soccer and not give a thought to all those labors and her weak pelvic floor. Somebody who’d stay up late with a science project that never ends, who’d get up early for the game in the rain, somebody who’d wave at the door until the taillights were out of sight and still be smiling brave.

So God made a mother.

It had to be somebody willing to keep loving when it made no sense because that’s what love does.

Somebody who knew that patience is a willingness to suffer.

That joy is always possible because there is always, always something to be thankful for.

And that life is not an emergency but a gift — so just. slow. down. There are children at play here and we don’t want anyone to get hurt and the hurry makes us hurt.

Somebody willing to feed and lead, lay down her life and pick up her cross, give of her time because they have her heart. Someone who knows that we all blow it — and what matters is what we then do after.

Someone who could humble herself into the tender sorry that covers a multitude of sins.

And who’d bow her head at night over the girl asleep with the doll in the crook of her arm — and thank her Father for this hidden life that’s the turning gear for the a whole spinning world.

So God made a mother.