Close Call

Truly, Madly, Guilty, by Liane Moriarty is one of my book club, Argonauta's assignments. I had such a hard time getting into it, that I was wondering if I was going senile.  I just could get into it.  The plot revolves around three couple and I couldn't keep them straight.  Who's who?  Who's married to whom?

But as the day of the Argonauta's meeting approached, I sat down with the story and focused on just reading.  It is a good story.  Liane Moriarty drives you crazy with talk about an event, an earth shattering happening, something that changed the lives of the three couples.  She teases you because you think the next chapter contains the revelation.  But it never does.  Very late in the novel, everything will mesh.

It is a nail biter, easy to read, and the characters are people you know.  I mean they're believeable.  This would make a good beach book because its 400+ pages. And it really is a good book.

Why I don't Want My Family In the Audience

The expression, “It’s complicated,” is overused.  But in my particular case it is true.  I confess, I don’t really understand my own feelings.  They’re too complicated.  I never tell, never mind ask, any one in my family to come to an event I’m a participant in.  I feel:

·         Nervous because I can’t trust them to be honest.  They’ll be kind and tell me how good I was.

·         Rushed to get everything over with to let them off the hook—which means I’m not focused on my part.

·         Ashamed that they well be ashamed to have such an old fool for a relative.

·         Fear, that  I am belittling their image of their mother or wife.

·         Embarrassed to show a side to my family that they’ve never seen before.

·         Evil—did I force them to come and see me.

·         Exposed in revealing ideas that they can’t, won’t ever appreciate.

·         Worried about what they are thinking.

·         Self-conscious—are my clothes and demeanor appropriate?

·         Crazy—why am I like this?  I must be crazy.

Have I given you my explanation of “it’s complicated?”  The urban dictionary defines the phrase as “a couple in an ambiguous state between friends who maybe in a closer relationship.”  However, I know some people who use the expression as meaning I don’t have the time or the desire to explain it to you.

I’m using the expression not to describe a relationship, itself, but because of the relationship of a wife and mother stepping out of those specific roles to people who aren’t accustomed to seeing her step out of her usual supporting role.  However wonderful I may be in front of an audience, they won’t like it.  They will prefer their wife and mother, not a presenter, lecturer, teacher, etc.

All these words to explain why I don’t my family in the audience.  I can’t focus on the task before me if I have all the above feelings circling around inside my head.  

Contemplative Nuns v. "Cloistered Brothers"

Our Spiritual Advisor was with Chapter, today.  He was telling us that one of his students was amazed at how much my "cloistered brothers" were like the nuns in the abbey.  They were comparing my "cloistered brothers" to the Trappestines.

• community life
• prayer schedule
• worship together
• simple life

It seemed that the nuns and "cloistered brothers" have similar attitudes.  Their community helps them overcome any separate problems which an individual would have.  This sharing and community spirit is a testimony to their trust in God.  Their simple life of prayer lived within a community makes them strong. Happy, too!

Reaction of Jews and Romans to Resurrection of Christ

Reaction of Jews and Romans to resurrection of Christ: Q. I have always been puzzled by the lack of reaction to Christ's resurrection from Jewish citizens and Roman officials.

Oh, there was a reaction all right.  Read Matthew 28: 11-15.



What convinces me is the reaction of the Apostles.  Why would they all insist that Jesus rose from the dead?



There was no money in it.

There were no fame and glory in it.  In fact, they were persecuted.

What was in it for them except persecution and tortured to death? (John was exiled.)

And they all told the same story.



Read Father's Doyle in the link above.

Turibius of Mogrovejo

One of my "cloistered brothers" was received today in the Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic.  He St. Turibius.
chose to have the religious name of

He was Spanish priest and sent to Peru as Archbishop of Lima.  He baptized both St. Rose of Lima and St. Martin de Porres. 

Be Patient

Lectio
1 PT 2:20B-25

Beloved:
If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good,
this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.

He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When he was insulted, he returned no insult;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Studium

Peter is addressing the people's sufferings.  He urges them to imitate Jesus, Who suffered.  Recall Isaiah's Suffering Servant.  Jesus brings healing with God, through his life-giving death.

Meditatio

My sufferings are nothing compared to what Jesus endured.  Life is too short to wallow in self-pity.  I must keep the heavenly promise in view when I feel despair.

Oratio

Lord, I hand myself over, as Jesus taught me.

Contemplatio

Your will be done.

Beaver Destruction

You had to be there.  The area looked like a bomb hit it.  The trees were fell all over the ground. We were hiking Rocky Woods.

Worse!  The beavers had made a dam which caused the water to pool on one side of it and rise.  This wiped out our bridge to cross Chickering Pond.  See how one end is under water.  The entire bridge is under water due to the high water level caused by the damn beavers' dam.

They really did some damage

Look over to the left.  The bridge ends.  It has collapsed.  The bridge itself is under water.  You are looking at the top .

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