How to Write a Psalm

Last weekend, I learned how to write a psalm. It is actually helping me to pray better because I am really focused. Let me show you how to write a psalm.

Psalms are like our usual prayers. They are either praising, asking, or thanking. Psalms, however are written in parallel verses connected together by concept. The writing style in Psalms follow a distinct format called parallelism.

One concept is synonymous parallelism. One thought is stated and the next line states the same thought with different words, i.e.: Psalm 1:5

Therefore the wicked will not survive judgment.
Nor will sinners in the assembly of the just.

Another: Psalm 2:3
Let us break their shackles
and cast off their chains!


Another style of verse is antithetic parallelism. One thought is stated and the next line is the opposite, i.e.: Psalm 1:6

The Lord watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.


Another: Psalm 20:8
Some rely on chariots, others on horses,
but we on the name of the Lord our God.

One more type of psalm is synthetic parallelism. One thought is stated and the other verses develop that thought, i.e.: Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
Or stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of mockers
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night

There you go. What do you think?

Try writing using one or more of these methods. What did you notice?

I bet your praying has never been better. Aren't you really focused on praising, thanking, asking, or interceding? Writing psalms were be the perfect activity for Adoration.

I owe my Beloved all,
Yet I forget and sin.

Beloved, I believe
I want to believe more.

Mmmmmmmm. Remember it's the intention that counts. Trying to pray is prayer.

Abortion and Health Care

Thanks to Speaker Pelosi, who held the door open for Rep. Stupak to offer an amendment on the floor to restrict federal funding for abortion services, even in private health insurance plans. The vote was 240-194.

Stupak . "It applies the Hyde amendment — which bars federal funding for abortion except in the case of rape, incest or the life of the mother — to the health care bill."

The amendment is saying that government money can't be used for abortion. The government-administered health plan — often called the public option — will not cover abortion, unless a doctor certifies that a woman is in danger of death without one, or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

If you get your health insurance through the government, or with help from the government in the form of a tax subsidy, your plan will not cover abortion. In this case, you would have the right to buy extra coverage — with your own money.

If you get your health insurance through your state, as in Medicaid, your state could buy supplemental abortion coverage for everyone it insures. And 17 states already do this under Medicaid.

The Exchange: The next section of the abortion amendment deals with the exchange. That's the government-administered service where people can buy insurance and join a risk pool. One of the reasons health care is so expensive for people who don't get it through their work is that they're not in a large risk pool. The bill tries to group them together and cut costs for everyone.

Private insurance companies that offer a health plan through the exchange are allowed to cover abortion. But if they're going to, the companies must also offer another plan that is identical in every way, except that it does not cover abortion.

So, say you're buying insurance with your own money, and you get it through the exchange. You can choose a policy that covers abortion, or one that doesn't. But if you're getting help from the government to buy that insurance — in the form of a tax subsidy — you may not choose a plan that covers abortion. You are still allowed to buy a supplemental policy with your own money.

Private Insurance: The Stupak amendment does not apply to private insurance bought with private money. It is also not close to becoming law. The Senate bill does not have similar language, though lawmakers on both sides of the debate are now looking at it.

The bill is being crafted by democracy. That's how the people exercise their voice.

I'm proud of the Democrats for Life and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Lithuanian Franciscans

This weekend I was in Kennebunk, ME for a meeting. It was held at the Franciscan Guest House on the grounds of St. Anthony's Monastery. The place was beautiful. The weather was beautiful. I was blessed in so many ways, even though a proposal I put forth was shot down. But I refuse to be down about it. The good outweighs the bad.

I renewed many friendships. I made new friends. And my socks were knocked off by a coincidence. I knew nothing about this place. It is run by Franciscans from Lithuania. Guess what. I'm half Lithuanian.

Who knew?

I was so blessed by seeing facial similarities, bone structures, a language (which I don't speak) I haven't seen in years. I just felt the presence of my mother and grandparents and other relatives all around me. And this the Feast of All Souls. Wow! Lord, thank you for all my Lithuanian relatives. Have mercy on them and give them my love.

The blessings continued. It was 60 degrees. In Maine! In November! So I went for a walk around the place. I saw a Lithuanian Wayside Cross, which looks nothing like a cross. That's the picture, above.

I saw this sculpture that I saw at the World's Fair when I was a senior in high school. It was designed by Vytautas Kazimieras Joynas. It represented the Church Militant (us), the Church Suffering (purgatory), and the Church Triumphant (heaven).

There were many other shrines, sculptures, monuments and a scenic view of the Kennebunk River. The blessings continue.

Naturally, there's a gift shop. In the Icon area I was specifically looking for the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. We're talking about Icons in my Arise Together in Christ group. We're just interested in them; it has nothing to do with our faith sharing program. But I was telling the group about the sandal falling of Jesus' foot, in that icon. I've been looking for that picture to show the group. And I did find a holy card of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, but the sandal falling isn't distinct. I was telling my friends about it and we looked all over the gift shop and didn't find anything better.

We went to brunch. While eating, a lady came over to me and said, "I overheard your conversation in the gift shop. I found this and am giving it to you." It was a 2" x 4" icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help and the first thing one notices is the sandle trailing off Jesus' foot.

She turned around and left. I called after her, "Please stay and eat with us." She rushed away, shaking her head "no". I didn't see her again.

I am so unworthy of God's benevolence towards me.

I'm awed.

Stress

Work offers different programs aimed at we employees overall health. The program this week was on Stress. (Yeah let me tell you about it.) We learned that when stress becomes excessive, our bodies and mind are unable to cope and disease can result. (Yeah let me tell you about it.)

We learned that the best way to relieve stress is to breathe. Ya, it's that simple. Really. I was surprised, too. Our presenter instructed us to press a fist into our chest. Then she asked us if we held our breath. Well, yeah. See how stress affects your breathing?

To calm yourself all you have to do is concentrate on your breathing. At first, I didn't get it. There are two types of breathing: chest and diaphragm. Since I practice Pilates, I'm a chest breather. You see, the point of Pilates is to strengthen your abs, so I hold my stomach and that area firm, and breathe with my lungs. But I should really go a step further and breathe a little lower--the diaphragm. That would give me deeper breathing.

Well, let me tell you, I almost hyperventilated trying to concentrate on changing from chest to diaphragm. Talk about stress!

But I got the hang of it. Soon I was filling the diaphragm and squeezing the air out. This conscious effort is called breath awareness.

While I was breathing in and out, a CD of calming music was playing.

I was just about asleep when the instructor turned the lights on.

Bummer.

I was surprised that 20 minutes had passed by. And it was so easy. All I have to do is concentrate on my breathing and I relax.

Let me tell you, I felt great! I was very relaxed.

Who knew?

(Yeah let me tell you about it, refers to my Cronkhite Canada Syndrome [see posting from Jan 2009], which is caused by STRESS.)

Choose Catholic

Next time you need to buy something, or need a service, please use this resource. It would show your support of Catholic endeavors. There is a list of blogs there but you could choose a product like Rosaries, or Bible, and you'll be shown a list of addresses.

Please support them.

God bless.

Contact Your Representatives

This link gives a very helpful whip count of all House members believed to be unsure of their positions on the current health care reform bill. The list was published today in The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper of repute.

Now is a good time to increase the pressure on our reps to press for a health care reform bill that CLEARLY precludes abortion funding! Please contact them and ask them to support the efforts of Rep. Stupak of Michigan. He is working tirelessly for a clean bill in the House.

Lunch Time Walk

During my hour lunch time, I've been walking. Sometimes I walk in the woods. Since it is Fall, the scenery can be breath-taking. The leaf-peeping season is past, but the scenery can still be beautiful.

The picture on the lower right is a beaver hut. Seeing a beaver in this area is not unusual because I'm walking around Beaver Pond.

Another inhabitant of the marshes is the bird in the top picture. I know you can't make it out. That's the point. God has given her the camouflage. Maybe if you really look close in the middle of the picture--slightly above the center, you'll see a type of heron, called a bittern. She has a long neck and long legs. I like to see the bitterns take off. Their legs swing as they hang down, in take off.

The entire walk reminded me of Mary Oliver's book, Why I Wake Early. This is a book showing God in everything. Here's a sample:

Look and See

This morning, at waterside, a sparrow flew
to a water rock and landed, by error, on the back
of an eider duck; lightly it fluttered off, amused.
The duck, too, was not provoked, but you might say, was
laughing.

This afternoon a gull sailing over
our house was casually scratching
its stomach of white feathers with one
pink foot as it flew.

Oh Lord, how shining and festive is your gift to us, if we only look, and see.

I too, feel like I'm looking at God's gift when I look at the mosaic wetland of ponds, marshes, fens, bogs, and wetlands. They are surrounded by woods of red maple, yellow birch, shrubs, alders, and who knows what other variety of herbaceous species. I feel ever so grateful to be alive to see this "festive gift."