Our soul is waiting for The Lord.

The Lord is or help and our shield.

In him do our hearts find joy.

We trust in his holy name.

May your love be upon us, O Lord,

as we place all our hope in you.

(Psalm 33:20-22)

Numb

I have never been in a fight...but my face feels like I have been. The left side feels twice the size, tingling, and so numb from a nerve block and novocain and I was told it should feel like this for another four hours. If you haven't guessed already I was at the dentist today having some work done. :)

 

Before and during my visit I prayed asking Saint Apollonia, patron saint of dentists and toothaches for her prayers. (Yep, there's a Saint for that). I love our saintly friends, more and more and I am finding myself drawn closer to them. As I sat in the chair trying not to swallow my tongue as the drill grinded away, I looked up at the ceiling and began to pray. What exactly I don't know. It was a mix of the Divine Mercy and then utterances of St. Apollonia pray for me. Then I thought it was kind of cool to look at the ceiling tiles that were white and the frames that intersected them were brown, so I focused on one, and envisioned it to be a cross. So there I laid in the chair looking up at my makeshift cross that I was under and prayed as the drill grinded-on half expecting a nerve to be hit suddenly...but the pain never came, praise God!

 

Before my appointment today I only knew  St. Apollonia as the patron of dentistry and toothaches and that she had all her teeth pulled. I decided to read more about this saint while waiting for my face to "thaw-out". There's actually quite a bit about her online. I learned she was a martyr and her last words uttered to her persecutors were,  "I am a Christian and I love and serve the true God." Upon her death many pagans converted to Christianity. Her feast day is February 9th. Saint Apollonia, Pray for Us to be as heroic as you in in all ways be it in defending our faith, at the time of our death or simply in the dentist chair! 

The World

Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever. (1John 2:15-17)

"When we speak the name of Mary, heaven becomes more beautiful, and earth rejoices. The demons are terrified, and vanish like dust in the wind" ~Saint Francis of Assisi

Beloved

Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure. (1John  3:2-3)

 

 

Little Drummer Boy

This was one of Mike's favorite Christmas songs (sung by a favorite artist of mine)...great combo. Brings back  a lot of beautiful memories, made me smile today when I heard it.

 

 

 

Angels And Prophets Among Us

 

Angels And Prophets Among Us
(Verse One:)
Angels and prophets among us a voice crying out to be heard
A virgin becoming a mother knitting her flesh to the Word

REFRAIN
O Mary be near in our longing with Isaiah the prophet and John
And Gabriel singing the Good News
Our darkness will break with the dawn
Rejoice, Rejoice Emmanuel
Shall come to thee O Israel

(Verse Two:)
Angels and prophets among us remind us and tell us again
That God is in love with His people
More than lover or father or friend. 

(Verse Three:)
Angels and prophets among us gather to pray with us here
Revealing God's love found in Jesus
Seen or unseen they are near. 

(Verse Four:)
Angels and prophets among us in homes or at risk on the street
In faces we've known for a lifetime in people we happen to meet

(Verse Five:)
Angels and prophets among us
Who charge us to focus on Christ
Though apathy reigns in our country
Being faithful demands a great price. 

(Verse Six:)
Angels and prophets among us
Who comfort and challenge and guide
Who call us to peace in the chaos
And pierce us when puffed up with pride.