Campers

Camp is coming up next week. If you read my post from last year, this is not your typical camp. Yes a camp for kids, but a bereavement camp for kids ages 5-14. I'll be working with 7-8 year olds again and just met the other counselors yesterday, we went over the activities and read our camper bios. Some of the kids I worked with last year, so they are coming back again. Some will be new faces for me. I can't go into detail about their family life or losses (many of the children attending have experienced several deaths). But what I do ask for is for prayers for these little guys. Prayers for them and for their families, for their care-takers. Rather if it's their parents (possibly now a single-parent due to a death) or for their grandparents, or whomever is their primary caretaker...they all need prayer, encouragement not just during this camp but at all times. 

Almighty God, Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort: Deal graciously, we pray thee, with those who mourn, that casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Bless those who mourn, eternal God, with the comfort of your love that they may face each new day with hope and the certainty that nothing can destroy the good that has been given. May their memories become joyful, their days enriched with friendship, and their lives encircled by your love. Amen

St. Ignatius of Loyola Pray for Us!

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam inque hominum salutem
"for the greater glory of God and salvation of man."

Suscipe
St. Ignatius of Loyola

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.

More!

http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/
http://googlinggod.com/2013/07/31/if-not-for-cannonball/

Brother Moon

He Lives in You

I went to the Lion King yesterday with my family and during Act 2/Scene 6, something caught my attention. Let me rephrase that the whole show caught my attention, but during this scene something captivated my mind & heart in a different way. So I searched in the dark and grabbed whatever paper I could find and pen and began to scribble down what I was hearing and my thoughts. Rafiki and Simba were talking about who Simba is, unsure of his identity following his father's death. Rafiki tells him to look into a well or pool of water and asks him what does he see. Simba at first sees his own reflection and disappointed, responds, "it's not my father, it's only my own reflection." But Rafiki prompts him to look harder  for "he lives in you." Then they proceeded to sing;

"He lives in you, he lives in me

He watches over everything we see

Into the water, into the truth

In your reflection, he lives in you"

As I was watching all of this unfold I was thinking that's like what we believe as Christians! Jesus Christ lives in all of us and we in him. Sometimes at first we might not recognize Christ in ourselves or others but he is there, we might need to just "look harder" so we can love like Christ, be like Christ. God is with us, God dwells within each and everyone of us we just need to remember who we are and have faith!

I sat there in the dark for a couple moments with my paper and pen in hand wondering if I was going to be able to read any of this when the lights came on. :) I couldn't help but wonder if anyone else was making this connection. It took a lot of self-control not to stand-up and shout the thoughts I was having at that moment. Instead I opted to quietly tuck my paper away and enjoy the rest of the show.

Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. 

(John 15:4-5)

(Here's the audio of scene/song;)

Lord's Prayer - a paraphrase by St. Francis of Assisi

Today's Gospel Luke 11:1-13

Servant Song

What do you want of me Lord? Where do You want me to serve You?

Where can I sing Your praises? I am Your song.

Jesus, Jesus, You are the Lord.

Jesus, Jesus, You are the way.

I hear You call my name Lord, and I am moved within me.

Your Spirit stirs my deepest self. Sing Your songs in me.

Jesus, Jesus, You are my Lord.

Jesus, Jesus, You are the way.

Above, below and around me. Before, behind and all through me.

Your Spirit burns deep within me. Fire my life with Your love.

Jesus, Jesus, be the warmth of my heart.

Jesus, Jesus, You are the way.

You are the light in my darkness. You are my strength when I’m weary.

You give me sight when I’m blinded. Come see for me.

Jesus, Jesus, You are my light.

Jesus, Jesus, You are the way.

I am your song, your servant. Singing Your praise like Mary. 

Surrendered to Your Spirit. “Let it be done to me.”

Jesus, Jesus, let it be done to me.

Jesus, Jesus, You are the way.

Redefining of Blessings

Though I'm not a gifted singer (in any sense of the word, Lord help me and anyone who sits near me in church). But I really enjoy music! All sorts too. I probably have one of the most eclectic collections. (Though I have toned it down a bit in recent years :). Music to me is healing and has been a big part of my own journey. 

Rewind <<< to April 17, 2013...unfortunately nothing written in my journal that day. The day before, the day after though (go figure). But I had a blog post with this video; Blessings. (lyrics are below). Okay, fastfoward >>> to today...had the same song in my head after a discussion yesterday about gratitude and the homily from today coincided with this conversation. (Go figure...God is so good like that...LOVE when he does that)!! Father spoke about, "Being grateful for the gift of faith and if we wish to be fruitful in the world to have an attitude of gratefulness. God bestows all of these blessings upon us even when we don't deserve them, even when we don't desire them.  Not just reflecting on our past but how God is present to us now." So reflecting on this I thought it might be interesting to learn background story behind this artist's song. Maybe learn a bit why she wrote it, what her story was and perhaps why it was resonating with me. Here's clip:

Okay, I was intrigued to say the least. We had a connection...she mentioned something about her husband's health but did not go into details. I wanted to dig deeper and learn more and as I read her bio the tears fell. Lump in my throat and I began to understand why the song stayed with me. It sang to my own heart.  Just married, newlyweds and then her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor! You can read more of her story; Laura Story's Artist Profile. Though there are similarities, of course our stories differ in many respects. But like her, I too have felt blessed and grateful, amidst the grief and loss. I was just telling a friend at breakfast this morning how lucky AND blessed I feel that Mike lived over 4 years post-diagnosis and that we were able to live and do all we did during that time and grow in our faith together. Not everybody gets that opportunity when their loved one is diagnosed with a brain tumor or another illness. I'm not pretending to understand but I pray that perhaps with faith, healing (and yes prayers) I can (we all can) continue to recognize the blessings not just in our past but now, how God is presently working in our lives.

"Let my mouth be filled with your praise, that I may sing aloud; my lips shall shout for joy, when I sing to you, alleluia." (4/17/13 Entrance Antiphon)

Blessings Lyrics:
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?