Morning with Mary

Over the Years we have had the opportunity to visit many Eastern Rite Churches.  Unlike the western Roman churches, Eastern Rites are remarkable the same within.  They make no nod, at all, to modern sensibilities.  This is, no doubt, because of the unifying Iconostasis that separates the people from the tabernacle of our Lord.  The iconostasis is a wall of art, which, at a minimum has two holy images,one of the
Blessed Mother and the her Son. Often there are more images than just the two.


St. Athanasius Byzantine Church is our recent we have visited.  The interior was solemn and fairly simple. But, there she was resplendent.  Is she not lovely?

Triduum and Fulfillment

Art by Sheila Harrington

TRIDUUM

I

HOLY THURSDAY

Mass of the Chrism

Blessing of the Sacred Oil

First Consecration

II

GOOD FRIDAY

Our suffering Lamb

Sacrifice of Salvation

Fruit of Prophesy

III

HOLY SATURDAY

Silence of the tomb

Rest, await on fulfillment

His Resurrection

FULFILLMENT

EASTER SUNDAY

Fragrance of incense

Rising and wafting as His Body

Entrance into heaven

Normal life - stillness and peace

My day will be my own today while the kids are at work and Don is off doing genealogy research.  I will have busy at-home time for myself and am feeling peaceful and still as I sit on the balcony with my morning coffee.

There is laundry to do, dishes to unload from the dishwasher and then more dishes to load in.  I have one more fabric strip to attach to the top side of baby's quilt and a book to finish (The Wind in the Door).  Photos need to be edited.  Text needs to be written.  There is dinner to plan and prepare.

But.  First.

There is the pleasure of enjoying this rainy morning with Blessed Mother, Queen of My Hearth.  Heart, yes, but also Hearth.  There are birds to feed and prayer to offer to God in gratitude for another day.

Sitting on the balcony invites quiet scrutiny of the world just beneath me.  A neighbor drives his trash over to the collection area, another neighbor steps out on the patio and has her first smoke of the day.  And another car drives by with a trash bag balanced on trunk.  Clearly, this person does not want the scent of trash in the car. AT ALL.  It was sort of funny, actually.

A four year old bounces out the front door, mom not far behind.  He waits expectantly by the car door as mom ambles forward to join him.  Another boy, this one maybe 12, walks in a mood of close companionship with his mother to where, I wonder.  Their car is still in the parking space.  Perhaps dad is using it later.  Car sharing is something I know a lot about.  Which brings me back to today and things to do.  Don will be gone, I will be without a car and I don't mind AT ALL.

A question I've often asked

Erin isn't working today so we are going to do a bit of shopping.  Q will be at work and Don has genealogy objectives to accomplish.  So -  busy day for all.

Its raining.  The thunder crashed down on us last night waking me into one of my "holy crap" moments.  It's very wet now but currently not raining, just cloudy and overcast.

Today's Magnificat reflection asks a question I've often asked myself:  Why do some hear Jesus' message and others not? Jesus certainly isn't lacking in inspiration and truth,  so, clearly it's the listener who is not open in his heart, open to hearing.  Just as in John 10:31-42, those who hear and believe are open to hearing.  They are searching for something more and . . . 

Something More

finds them.

"Wise and loving Father, grant us open hearts, that we might have your words in our lives and turn wholly to you."

Morning with Mary

This image of Mary stands at the entrance of Quanah's classroom building where he teaches.  Day in and day out, she stands there as a reminder to the students of her tireless strength and love.

Things that Surprised Me

In my experience, libraries including branch libraries, are always freestanding buildings.  Imagine my surprise when Erin and I pulled up to the Glendale branch of the Indianapolis Library.  I had never seen a library inside a shopping center before.

Outside, it looks like this.

Click me to go big

But if the setting was a surprise to me, imagine my surprise when I entered the interior.  One door in and one elevator up and this is what I entered into.

Click me to go big

I felt like I had walked into my lost and still lamented Border's Books and Music.  I was swamped with a huge dose of deja vu and proceeded to enjoy myself.

Something else that surprised me was the Chicago skyline.  I saw this from Navy Pier.

The Chicago skyline just blew me away.  I've been to NYC and San Francisco and of the three, Chicago is far and away my favorite skyline.  

Inside Navy Pier is the Smith Museum of Stained Glass.  Never, ever, would I have imagined that some of my most favorite historic stained glass pieces would be in such a setting.  Navy Pier is the ultimate tourist trap and found within the exhibits, shops, food courts, and displays, is a world of incomparable beauty .  Here follows a few of my favorites.

There is much more to come so I hope that you will come back and see more of our adventures in never visited and fantastic places.

Mission Report #34 - Afterwards

We are in our second full day in Indianapolis enjoying our time now with our son. Quanah, and his wife, Erin and I find myself with a nagging feeling of having no purpose.  Two and a half months of living with Sister was a life filled with purpose.  Now I find myself delving deeply into a time of reflection.  What did it all mean?  What have I learned?  What about me has changed?

I suspect the 3rd question will be answered most readily by friends. I've been already been told more than once that I seem quieter, more settled, that I don't react to things in the way people are used to me reacting.  I'm guessing that this is true.  Sister reminded me frequently, at the beginning of mission, to be watchful and be in the moment.  Disconnecting me from my camera and cell phone went a long way to accomplishing that task.  I am not, of course, completely disconnected, but, there is a discernible difference.

A life in mission is a life that takes the long view.  Effective change doesn't happen overnight and patience is taken and tested to a new level.  Change doesn't happen because of one's efforts to make change.  It happens in the responses of people to the invitation to change.  More often than not, our own desire for changing people's lot will suffer disappointment because of our own expectations.  When we are disappointed, we become frustrated and when we are frustrated, it is easy to say "what's the use".  Then something unexpected happens that makes all the frustration worth it.  One life is changed for the better and you see something new and wonderful start to grow.