times sunny, and then we had rain and some really booming thunder. Right now it is
a little cloudy and there is a cool breeze in the air.
We go to the noon Mass at our parish on Fridays. The peace I feel when I walk
into the cathedral is amazing. Going to Mass is always a blessing. Today was extra
special. When I walked into the cathedral I could see my husband and our son sitting
side by side. Our son was in town today and he and Jim rode to Mass together. I sat
down next to them and just a few minutes later our daughter, son-in-law, and their
three daughters arrived. Lots of hugs and quiet (kind of) whispers of hello and then
everyone settled down. The two youngest were showing their uncle the toys they had
in their purse. I love it when our children and grandchildren are with us at Mass.
This past Sunday, our son and all five of his children were with us. Sometimes it
is just Jim and I because our daughter and her family go to an earlier Mass and
our son and his family go to a different parish but I love it when we are together.
The point I want to make is how important it is to go to church together as a family.
The following picture is taped to the front of my refrigerator. Look at the picture and
the story that goes with it is below.
Going to our son's First Holy Communion - 1992
We didn't have a cell phone back then (did anyone?) so I had our camera and took this
picture.
I absolutely love this picture - Jim and our children crossing the street to get to our
parish, Sacred Heart Cathedral. I think the reason this picture means so much to me
is because of the symbolism - Jim is leading our family to church - to God.
The following scriptures are from a bible Jim received from his parents as a Christmas
gift the year we were married: Saint Joseph Edition of the New American Bible
Train a boy in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not swerve from it.
Proverbs 22:6
(different translation: Teach children how they should live, and they
will remember it all their life. Holy Bible Catholic Edition)
Fathers, do not anger your children. Bring them up with the training and
instruction befitting the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4
I received my May issue of the Magnificat and the picture really touched my heart.
It is a beautiful picture of St. Joseph and Jesus as a young child.
 |
| Saint Joseph with the Christ Child Painted by Sebastian Martinez in 1650 Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
Saint Joseph, pray for families!
|
Blessings to you and yours,
Bye for now, Sharla
You can certainly see your expertise in the work you write.
ReplyDeleteThe world hopes for more passionate writers such as you who are not
afraid to mention how they believe. Always go after your heart.
First off I would like to say great blog! I had a quick
ReplyDeletequestion that I'd like to ask if you don't mind.
I was interested to know how you center yourself and clear your thoughts before writing.
I have had a hard time clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out there.
I truly do take pleasure in writing however it
just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are
usually lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas or tips?
Many thanks!
Hello and thank you. Sometimes when I sit down to write I just start typing whatever is on my mind and in my heart. Many times, I will end up writing about something completely different. If it is a difficult topic, I will write for a while and then hit save and go wash dishes, etc. I will come back and re-read and add more or completely start over. I pray a lot - that God will guide my hands and give me the words. Blessings to you!
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