PEACE GROOVES

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Virginia

So many things can wreck our inner peace these days. Just turn on the news! Or check your social media feeds (either way downers abound.)

The tricky part about trying to get our peace grooves on is letting God have a bit more of our heart’s real estate. When we’re freaking out inside it’s easier to turn over our worries and fears if God has the right-of-way. To this point, here are bits of wisdom from one of my favorite saints to contemplate on this Lenten Monday…

“Peace is simplicity of heart, serenity of mind, tranquility of soul, the bond of love. Peace means order, harmony in our whole being… It is the holy joy of a heart in which God reigns.” St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

“Be courageous, my daughter. There are both spiritual and bodily rose bushes. In the latter the thorns are constantly present and the roses wither, but in the former, the thorns pass but the roses persist…Jesus calls all of us with divine inspirations, and He communicates Himself to us with His grace.” St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

grace, peace & divine inspirations

Virginia  : )

Photos: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (Richmond, Virginia)

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LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT

Posted on March 21, 2021 by Virginia

On this Fifth Sunday of Lent here are words from a beloved old hymn for our minds and hearts to contemplate, written by deeply spiritual Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890) who is now a saint!

Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on.
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I
Have loved long since, and lost awhile!

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life.

As we trod the paths of loss or gloom, allow the kindly Light of Jesus Christ to restore and renew our hearts with the warmth of His love and lead us ever on…

grace, peace & Kindly Light

Virginia : )

p.s. Here’s a beautiful rendition of the song by favorite artist Audrey Assad from her “Fortunate Fall” compilation. (Email readers you know the drill, click to the Roses website to view the YouTube for a listen.)

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HOLD ON, SPRING IS OTW!

Posted on March 20, 2021 by Virginia

Today is the first day of Spring but it’s FREEEEEZING OUTSIDE. We had a few warm days last week, then wham! A huge storm hit Thursday night dropping balmy temps from the 60s to the 30s (18°C to 1°C.) Yesterday snowflakes appeared amidst a deluge of sleety rain. Unusual (to say the least) for the month of March in Williamsburg, Virginia!

Obviously the weather here did not get the March memo. Things may be cold and dreary, but spring will come. The challenge is to hold on until then.

Hold on to hope. The sun may not come out today or even tomorrow…

… but it will shine again.

As for spring? Walking around town Virginia (the person) has seen a few daffodils and redbuds peeking out. Not much in the way of leafy green trees, but there was one in downtown Williamsburg appropriately Instagramed for posterity (and hope’s) sake.

Spring has not sprung in its flowery grandeur, but it’s OTW. Today here are a few quotes and pics to get our spring vibes going…

“And the Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast
Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.”

Percy Bysshe Shelley

“Hold fast to hope, the fragile flowers shout.” Mary Lou Kownacki

“Luminous is the light of spring. Luminous is the light of Christ. Let us enter into this light of the Lord, who brings us the spring of hope, eternally renewed. He brings us the gift of faith that can grow by leaps and bounds. He brings us the love that can change the world if we incarnate it as He wishes us to.” Catherine Doherty

grace, peace & springy HOPE!

Virginia : )

Flower photos: Colonial Williamsburg (March, 2020)

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Protecting Others (you, me, everybody!)

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Virginia

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary. In one of his homilies, Pope Francis spoke of St. Joseph’s role as protector of Mary and Jesus (especially fleeing from Herod to Egypt) but also taking his example to heart as inspiration for us to consider what needs protecting around us.

“The vocation of being a “protector” is not just something involving Christians alone; it also has a dimension involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families… It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it.

Be protectors of God’s gifts!” Pope Francis (19 March 2013)

Protecting all creation means protecting the trees…

…protecting the oceans…

…protecting our furry friends (my niece’s dog BB)

…protecting our environment…

…and protecting all people, especially children!

As we honor St. Joseph’s role protecting Mary and Jesus in perilous times, let’s learn from his example and become better protectors of God’s gifts in our uncertain times!

grace, peace & protectors

Virginia : )

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REDEMPTION CHILI

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Virginia

The other night Virginia the Cook spent two hours making a special dinner for her brother. Dusting off a favorite cornbread recipe she handily attacked the rest of the menu.

Sopa Paraguaya cornbread has sautéed onions in it, yum!

But, as things came down to the wire it seemed like a cooking show gone berserk. Burned bits of food, soggy cabbage, and the rice cooker (after an hour?) didn’t cook the rice properly. Everything but the cornbread tasted HORRIBLE.

To say the meal flopped is an understatement.

Cooking her way around the kitchen for a (very) long time, Virginia’s concoctions are usually on the tastier side of things. But this was a Failure with a capital “F.” As my brother bravely tried to eat what he could on his plate, I expressed my dismayed disappointment with bummed out vibes.

Dwight’s encouraging hilarity saved the day. He said, “Don’t look back on this food fiasco, look forward to REDEMPTION CHILI!” Earlier that day I told him chili would be on our menu the next night.

We started laughing. So, the meal was terrible, but I needed to leave the burned bits behind and focus forward. (After opening windows to get burned smell out of the house!)

The next night Virginia’s Redemption Chili turned out just fine and tasted great with leftover cornbread.

So, Virginia, how do food fiascoes and chili relate to Lent?

God can take our fiascos and transform them into motivation for the next thing. The point is to keep trying, to not let failure spiral us with inhibiting fear into a state of inertia.

When we fail that’s the part that takes heaps of courage: to try again. Yes, it may take a few tries. Fear says, “You’ll fail again.” But courage says, “You’ll never succeed unless you try.” And, courage keeps trying – with Help from Above!

grace, peace & redemption chili

Virginia : )

“Yes, failure is painful, but without pain there is no living in love. So then, go through the arches of Christ’s pain and enter into the joy of His heart. In the process, there will be many times you will fail. You will fall down flat on your face – even as He did on the way to the Cross. Unite yourself with Him and His passion and keep on going.”  Catherine Doherty

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Irish Blessing(s)

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Virginia

HaPpY Saint Patrick’s Day to one and all! As we celebrate the life of Saint Patrick and all things Irish, here are a few of Virginia’s favorite Irish blessings. (She even has them on Irish cups as a reminder when she has a cuppa tae!)

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the gentle night to you.
Deep peace of the Son of peace to you.

“May joy and peace surround you, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now and bless you evermore!”

grace, peace & Irish cheer (Sláinte!)

Virginia : )

p.s. If you would like a chuckle from a previous post about one of Virginia’s most hilarious Saint Patrick’s Days click here – Saint Patrick’s Day FUN!

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WE ARE NOT ALONE!

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Virginia

The past year has been filled with challenges of all shapes and sizes. For many it has been a lonely season with quarantines and so much of daily life canceled or “zoomed.” While vaccinations are increasing worldwide, many of us are still waiting for access to a vaccine.

Even without global pandemics to make us lonely, sometimes life steamrollers us into a corner. No matter what happens, it’s good to remember: we are not alone!

“When we have our back to the wall, when we find ourselves at a dead end, with no light and no way of escape, when it seems that God is not responding, we should remember that we are not alone. Jesus experienced total abandonment in a situation He had never before experienced in order to be one with us in everything. He did it for me, for you, to say to us: “Do not be afraid, you are not alone.” Pope Francis, 05 April 2020

grace, peace & Blessed Assurance

Virginia : )

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A Blessing of Laughter

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Virginia

Yesterday we celebrated Laetare Sunday, a timeout for a bit of rejoicing amidst the somber penitential season of Lent. We are now over half way on our journey to Easter. We’ll be celebrating Resurrected Love in three weeks!

Since it is Monday (and a Lenten Monday at that) Virginia thinks a little levity would do us all some good. For over twenty years I have prayed every day for the gift of Holy Hilarity, a charism much needed for overseas relief & development workers, caregivers, and all of us now coping with global pandemics.

Laughter goes a long way easing so many kinds of pain. It’s a part of joy that lightens the heaviness in our hearts and enables us to lift others.

“Humor is a prelude to faith, and laughter is the beginning of prayer.” Reinhold Niebuhr

While on a silent retreat a few years ago, Sister Maria McCoy shared this blessing with me:

“May the God of Laughter be with you, blessing you with the inner joy that calls you to chuckle at your own seriousness; and may your sense of humor lighten your heart and the hearts of those who share your journey.  May your laughter bubble over to others, causing them to smile and laugh.  May the healing God of laughter gently hold and bless you.”

“So, what are you wearing tomorrow?”

grace, peace & laughter

Virginia : )

“You don’t stop laughing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop laughing.” George Bernard Shaw

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EVERLASTING LOVE!

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Virginia

Our Gospel reading for today includes one of the most familiar verses in Christendom. We hear it, say it, and memorize it – but do we follow up with the verse after?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

Yesterday as my brother and I walked on Duke of Gloucester Street in downtown Williamsburg (teeming with tourists, students jogging and at least half our town walking their dogs) we heard several street preachers lashing out at everyone.

Hellfire and brimstone, judgment and condemnation. Frankly, while I respect street preachers’ verve to share their faith, I’m not sure that’s the way to go about sharing (and being) the love of Jesus to passersby.

D.O.G. Street empty last March at beginning of COVID

The point of John 3:16 – the first point – is that God loves us. God loves us so much God sent Jesus to share His love with us, to be sacrificial Love (the capital “L” kind) for us on the Cross. God sent Jesus into our world not to condemn us (as John 3:17 makes abundantly clear) but TO SAVE US.

Because God loves us, full stop. Yes, we are screw-ups who need God’s mercy on a regular basis, but God’s mercy flows out of the deep well of God’s love for us. That should be the focus of what we share: THE LOVE OF GOD FOR ALL OF US.

The love of God that heals hurting bits of our hearts and lifts our lives from despondency. The love of God that redeems us, infuses our outlooks with hope, and permeates our lives with effervescent joy (especially when times are tough.)

Before Preacher Virginia steps down from her soapbox, here are more favorite verses:

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: in this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment… (I John 4:16-18)

If the love of Jesus lives in our hearts there’s no room for fear and condemnation, because “perfect love drives out fear.” On this fourth Sunday of Lent maybe we should ask Jesus to open the eyes of our hearts to see others (especially those we can’t stand) with the lenses of His love that seeks to save – not condemn.

grace, peace & EVERLASTING LOVE

Virginia : )

“This I have known for certain, that God is love. Even if I have been mistaken on this or that point, God is nevertheless love…God is love, not God was love, nor, God will be love, oh no, God is love. Like spring water which keeps the same temperature summer and winter – so is God’s love. God’s love is a spring that never runs dry.” Søren Kierkegaard

p.s. Photos taken by Virginia (the person) in Williamsburg, Virginia (the state)

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Growing Internal Revolution(s)

Posted on March 13, 2021 by Virginia

On this Lenten Saturday here’s something to contemplate: what kind of seeds are we sowing in our hearts and lives? Every day we face a choice to revolutionize ourselves, to let God have a go at our hearts before we have a go at others.

“People say that when they know, they will do; Christ says when we do, then we will know. The seeds of truth sprout in the soil of obedience…

This is the choice before us: either try to revolutionize the world and break under it, or revolutionize ourselves and remake the world.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen

grace, peace & internal revolutions

Virginia : )

Photos: Tea plant @ Charleston Tea Garden (South Carolina)

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