Buco Nero Del Cuore

The early morning sunrise beaks around my bedroom curtains as I wake with a contradictory heart.   My heart feels as heavy as the mass of an elephant, and as if it will fall right out of my chest........but.........at the same time, there is this huge hole which has a relentless pulling .......attracting force......like gravity.  The hole almost demands to be filled.   It is the painful combined forces of falling and pulling which wake me from a peaceful dark sleep and sends me into the light. 

This description reminds me of the black holes in space where gravity pulls so relentlessly on the surrounding light.  The holes are spaces in the universe where darkness grabs onto the light and won't let it go.  Darkness holds onto the light so tight that it can not shine like the back corner of a closet where personal items are lost from sight forever.   

The experts say that the gravity is so strong in a black hole because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space which can happen when a star is dying.  In my case, something very dear to me ended earlier this year which reflected the death of star.  The result being my contradictory heart.  How does one heal a heart's black hole? Can it be done?  There is a disagreement amongst the scientific community about whether black holes disappear through evaporation.  At the same time, not every life coach agrees on the best remedy for a black hole heart.  I suppose that means that it is up to me to find a solution. 

Faith has brought me to this moment, and faith will carry me through the evolution of my heart.  My heart will heal and the black hole will be filled with love......This I must believe.  If I hold onto hope, then grace will pull me through the dark tunnel to the light of God's love.  Every morning, I must remind myself to live in the moment through my mission of loving my family, friends, and students.  By expressing and radiating God's love, love will fill my heart's black hole because for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  God has a plan for me. If I am open and aware, then His plan will unfold.  

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare 

and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
- Jeremiah 29:11

Despite this overwhelming feeling of being alone in this black hole of my heart, God is with me.   I am not truly alone, and one day someone will truly be my side.  Trusting God........Being patient.......In time, the fear of being alone will dissipate and my soul will strengthen by God's righteous right hand.  The darkness will fade and the light of God's love will show the path for love to find me.  

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.- Isaiah 41:10

(It is rather odd that I chose the above bible passage to be read at my wedding long ago, and now I am holding onto it like a life jacket as my heart heals from the loss of something that I had held so dear.......only God knows.....maybe one day I will understand.....but I had to let it go.)  

St. Raphael the Archangel, guide me to love's path and pray for my healing

St. Michael the Archangel, protect me from tempting and dangerous spirits
St. Pio, pray for wisdom during this time
St. Theresa the little flower, show me how to love simplyMay God bless those friends and family who love me and pray for me.....
Their unfailing support is grace raining down on me. 

En la mañana

Gazing into the horizon of another sunset, I realize that another day is done.....another year has passed.  Tonight brings another "springing forward" with the loss of an hour.  Moving forward one foot in front of the other can bring on an active cadence leading you down a new uncharted path. Forward motion involves unbalanced forces which can leave certain factors of one's life behind in the dust of actions.  With every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, so when an action creates a loss, how should one react?.....with a humble sense of comfort like one feels when gazing into the horizon of a beautiful sunset....Knowing that in the morning the sun will rise.  A new day will dawn bringing all sorts of possible miracles and adventure.  In the morning, everything looks brighter.....problems seem smaller......losses feel less painful.....miracles are more miraculous......joy is more jovial. 

Resetting the time on the clock this evening brings on a close of an era, yet brings me closer to refreshed hope in that "this too shall pass" as I look forward to the rising of the morning star.  Loss can spring open doors which may never have appeared otherwise.  With a big friendly smile and courage in my heart, I will spring forward with a momentum that accelerates as the mass of loss becomes less with each new dawn. 

 

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.

I vow to live fully in each moment.

-Thích Nhất Hạnh

Casi Impossibili

Casi impossibili are those situations which seem to have no positive resolution.  It is believed that nothing good can come from impossible cases.  Despair and desperation are the usual results from sustained "lost cause" situations.  Examples of such situations could involve financial matters, grave health matters, or broken relationships.  You would know if you have experienced an impossible case for you never forget the breathlessness........the smack of hitting rock bottom.........the pain of no light at the end of the tunnel......the overwhelming dizziness.  No matter how prepared your faith is for hardship.....An impossible case leaves you dazed.....with a "deer in the headlights" expression.........., yet there is always hope that a miracle could happen.

 “When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right.  When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.”

- Arthur C. Clarke's First Law

(inventor of the communications satellite & author of 2001: A Space Odyssey)

 

Miracles are events which defy the laws and theories of science.  Since the occurrences can not be explained logically, skeptics assume that miracles are fake, but what skeptics forget is that scientific laws are man's interpretation of the natural world around him.  Scientific laws change as new discoveries are made; tests are replicated; and consistent data is collected over and over again.  Systematic investigations seem to eventually explain supernatural phenomena, but as a spiritually faithful Christian student of science, I don't believe miracles need to be explained logically.  The mystical purpose of miracles is to increase levels of hope, faith, and trust in God; and this mystery plus the science behind miracles dilute the word "impossible".  

 

“A science which does not bring us nearer to God is worthless.”

- Simone Weil, mystic

.....But back to impossible cases........There really are impossible situations or relationships which may have no positive resolution due to a lack of cooperation or participation from involved parties.   Instead of these cases having win-win resolutions, there is only lose-lose or maybe one person keeps themselves from losing while the other parties are sent down a black hole of oblivion.   Constructive communication is imperative to alter impossible relationship cases to a win-win scenario.  Pride, stubbornness, and personal agendas must be decreased and a sense of partnership adopted.  If this does not occur, then the relationship is doomed to be labeled an "impossible case" for eternity.  If someone doesn't desire to change or grow for the good of a relationship, then the relationship is definitely a bona fide impossible case.  Destructive patterns of behavior will continue.  Miracles are not observed if someone doesn't allow the mystical part of nature to work within them self .........no matter how many prayers are lifted up.  Reforming an impossible relationship involves individual souls making a difference within themselves as they make a difference in their partnership. This is an action of love, and the healing power of love is a miracle.

“The trouble is that everyone talks about reforming others and no one thinks
about reforming himself.”

- St. Peter of Alcantara
(Spanish mystic and founder of the barefooted Friars Minor; 1499-1562)

St. Francis de Sales, pray for my patience.

St. Therese the little flower, pray for my little actions.

St. Florian, pray for all firefighters and emergency responders.

St. Pio, please pray for the miraculous healing of a friend's wife.
St. Jude, the miraculous saint, please pray for the impossible case of my life which causes me to despair. Amen

- little petunia

Semplicità

Semplicita is the art of being simple.  Simplicity is being not complex like simple machines or unmixed like Earth's metals.  Living simply means freedom from duplicity; and a pretentious style, diet, and language.  Your lifestyle is clear and plain.   St. Vincent de Paul explained that God is simple.  If we want to become as much like Him as possible, we must strive to become simple in spirit and action, natural in speech and behavior, but most importantly, living without sham or deception.   St. Francis de Sales describes how we can obtain simplicity by fixing our soul's gaze solely on God.  When our soul withdraws into itself in order to concentrate on obeying God's guidance, simplicity leads us to desiring only this and nothing else. As we desire to only please God's will, our souls steal God's heart which is filled with delight.  The key is developing skills in remaining focused on God's guidance in the middle of turbulence.  Many times, we are not in control of our environment, and it can become difficult to remember simplicity when your human instincts are driving you to crazy defensiveness.   How does one respond to turbulence and still remain pure and simple?  Responding in peace can lead to acts of charity.  Charitable inspiration for someone who is causing environmental distress and uncertainty can be difficult, but if we can remain peaceful, then opportunities of kindness may present themselves.  Peacefulness allows the positive energy of the Holy Spirit to flow through while refurbishing souls. 

Simplicity is nothing but an act of charity pure and simple, which has but one sole end, that of gaining the love of God. Our soul is then truly simple, 

when we have no aim at all but this, in all we do.  

-St. Francis de Sales 

One way to learn how to live with simplicity is by recalling how you behaved as a child.  There is a story of how Jesus would visit St. Faustina in the form of a small child.  One time she asked Him why?.....She did not understand because she saw in Him the infinite God and Creator.  Jesus replied that till she learned simplicity and humility, He would continue to commune with her as a child.  Children are happily straightforward with their trust and wonder of God and the mysteries of His creations.  They are not tormented by anxiety, stress, and allegiances; so children are free to obey, respect, love, and explore their surroundings.  Observe the children around you.  Watch the mannerisms and reactions to circumstances.  My favorite mannerism of my children and grandchild to unfavorable events is a simple shrug of their shoulder.  The event appears to be forgotten, and they move onto their next act of exploration. 

Sir Isaac Newton was of the opinion that nature was pleased with simplicity.  When you consider all of the details of nature which are cyclical, interrelated, and dependent, nature appears to be complex on the surface.  As you look closer at the basic chemical reactions and molecular interactions, the processes simply happen over and over again with back up systems in place to recover from stress, drought, or violent turbulence.  Nature moves on and life simply continues.  After a forest fire, the ground appears barren, but without the aid of man, life eventually comes back to the forest.  Ferns are the first plants to grow after a forest fire.  These plants survive by producing a huge network of roots which grip the soil.   Some forests have attributes which keep them from burning during a forest fire like Ponderosa Pine forests unlike Douglas fir forests which burn devastatingly.  Nature simply responds to life events by developing survival characteristics for a period of time, so the circle of life continues. Applying this to our lives, mastering simplicity takes practice till the skill becomes second nature, so we should just mindfully exist every moment of the day........
paying attention to what appears to be insignificant details.  Each of these details are interrelated; and when the moments occur naturally, calmly, peacefully, and patiently, you are existing on a plane of simplicity which you will find pleasing.  

The office of simplicity is to make us go straight to God, without regard to human respect or our own interests.

- St. Vincent de Paul

 I wonder what Albert Einstein meant when he stated that everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.  Could it be that if explanations are too simple then truth is lost?  Truth leads to knowing what unnecessary elements to eliminate for the reduction of chaos.   By reducing clutter and increasing simplicity, you can focus more clearly on what problems need to be solved and how positive productive communication can lead to solutions.   To find truth, follow God's Word and Will.   Detachment from your wants and leaning on God's Will for your path in life should eliminate complexities and lead to happiness.   Simplicity is not a fraction of grace to be lived.  It is a way of grace to be lived wholly in such aspects as humility, intellect, silence, compassion,  prayer, forgiveness, and gratitude. 

 

God's Word + His will
  

    

FOCUS (Communication)  +   Detachment   –   CHAOS  =  SIMPLICITY 

                                                                                                              

                                                                                                            TRUTH    +    Happiness

 May every sunrise bring me closer to a path of simplicity,
and may every sunset forgive my lack of trust in God's will. 
May the Archangels St. Michael and St. Raphael continue to protect
and travel near me as I walk my God given path.  

St. Francis De Sales, pray for my written word to be inspired by God's Word. 

St. Theresa the little flower, pray for my small efforts in simplicity.

St. Florian, pray for the safety of all fire fighters.

St. Benedict, St. Cosmas, & St. Damian pray for the health of Bernardette. 
She needs a healthy kidney.

St. Jude, pray for impossible cases.  Amen.

- little petunia

St. Benedict, patron saint for kidney disease

Santo Ephrem

Santo Ephrem is a well known saint in certain circles of the Christian faith, but he is not well known amongst most members of the Roman Catholic Church.  He is the patron saint for spiritual directors and spiritual leaders; so he has become my patron saint because I am now the Directress of the St. Francis de Sales group to which I belong.  St. Ephrem also happened to die on the day I was born (June 9th)......well of course about 1600 years before my birth.  He was born in Nisibis which was an ancient city and trade center under Roman control; and was situated along the road from Assyria to Syria in northern Mesopotamia.   This southeastern Turkish city is currently known as Nusaybin.

Historians do not know very many early details of St. Ephrem's life, but they have deduced from his records of writings that he was possibly born in a fourth century Christian family although some researchers believe that his father was a pagan.  His "Sunday school teacher" was St. James (bishop) of Nisibis, and
St. Ephrem was confirmed as a young adult.  He lived during a disturbing time of the Church.   Heresies were rampant.   The Church and Christians were under persecution.   As an ordained deacon of the Church, he distributed food and goods to the poor; and helped priests with liturgical duties and preaching the Gospel.  In addition, St. Ephrem wrote prayers which are still recited in the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches and wrote hymns which also still sung at mass.  The hymns were written to combat heretical teachings of the time.  He is also known for writing many manuscripts to aid the efforts of saving the TRUE FAITH of the Church.  How he lived his life with sacrifice and courage.......defending the faith; and his well known writings contributed to him receiving the title, Doctor of the Church, in 1920.

The Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian
(recited during lent in the Eastern Rite Church)

O Lord and Master of my life, keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power and idle chatter.      [kneel/prostration]

Instead, grant to me, Your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love.     [kneel/prostration]

O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brother; for You are blessed now and ever and forever. Amen.    [kneel/prostration]

 Meditating on the life of St. Ephrem.......focusing on the stress and tension of his days due to the persecution and circulating heresies......brings me to certain thoughts.......1) Did he think twice before he stood up to the heretics and persecutors with his writings and teachings....or was all that he did a natural response due to his faith and conviction?  2)  How did he handle the overwhelming moments when he may have felt despair wondering into his thoughts?  3) How can I apply his example to my role as a Directress?  4)  Could he keep his perceptions from influencing the TRUTH?

One thought that keeps convicting me after reading about St. Ephrem is...........TRUST in the TRUTH.   

• Trust him and he will uphold you, follow a straight path and hope in him.   - Sirach 2

• Those who trust in him will understand the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love; for grace and mercy await his holy ones, and he intervenes on behalf of his chosen.      -Wisdom 3

•  saying to Yahweh, 'My refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust!'   - Psalm 91

• Let dawn bring news of your faithful love, for I place my trust in you; show me the road I must travel for you to relieve my heart.      - Psalm 143

•  Trust wholeheartedly in Yahweh, put no faith in your own perception;....  - Proverbs 3

I need to remember every morning during early prayers that God is my refuge and my fortress.   He will save me from my faults so that He is exalted.....as long as my intentions are aligned with the TRUTH ......and I TRUST in His saving grace....
Then every evening, give thanks for being safely delivered from another day of living out my faith for times are gearing up for a big battle.  Life involves cycles.....We are past the 300 degree mark of our christian cycle.....a battle of faith is on its way.   Shining and waxing our armor won't be enough in the coming days......We need to be ready to put the armor to use.....It's going to get dented and marked up.....but first, we need to remember to put it on every morning..............Times are going to get tough..............just as the times were during the days of St. Ephrem.  Our swinging sword will be the skill which God leads us to use...........................
St. Ephrem's sword was his pen and paper.  My calling is teaching....Since my sword of words can induce wounds, I need to watch where I swing my sword.  I am still learning how to reign in my passion and only spew tough words when called.....not by my will....but His will.  

St. Ephrem, pray for my spiritual leadership.
St. Dominic, pray for my even temper and swing of my sword.

St. Pio, pray for my TRUST in the TRUTH.

St. Florian, pray for the safety of all fire fighters and emergency responders.

St. Benedict, pray for the healing of those with kidney disease.
St. Jude, pray for impossible cases.

St. Therese the little flower, pray for my humility.

St. Francis de Sales, pray for my patience and gentleness.

Thank you Lord for the blessings of this life.

Bless those who have chosen to love me.

May I bless those who have blessed me.  Amen.
- little petunia

Nonna

If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren,
I'd have had them first.  
~Lois Wyse

Being a nonna (grandmother) is the ultimate blessing!  It is an experience that can only be understood by living the excitement.  "Grandparenthood" involves unconditional love, freedom, energy, action, entertainment, wonder, and laughter.  Grandchildren have an awesome healing power which helps you forget your worries.  They also bring a momentum to your life just when you thought that life was becoming boring or routine.   There is no routine with grandchildren......because just when you think you know how to take care of them or entertain them, your grandchildren change it all up.  You have a front row seat to the physical and spiritual development of a life which you are free to watch......maybe guide.....but ultimately my goal of being a nonna is having fun with my nipotino (grandson).

  On the seventh day God rested. 
His grandchildren must have been out of town. 
~Gene Perret

When Carter Paul comes to visit......He enters my home yelling "Nonna!".......This is music to my ears.......His little exciting and cheerful voice just warms my heart as I hear his little man body hop through the house like a rabbit looking for me.  When he scans the house to make sure everything is in its place, his facial expressions are so entertaining. If he sees something that he doesn't like or understand......Carter Paul shakes his head with disgust.  He is so animated and full of energy.  He will go from sweeping the kitchen to pulling out the kitchen pots and pans......to wanting to go outside to kick the soccer ball.....to wanting a snack....to  sweeping the mulch out of the garden......to laying down for a brief thought of a nap.   Nothing else matters when my nipotino is in the house.  I wait for Carter to be ready for my favorite activity.......rocking him while I sing "Frosty the Snowman".  He'll tell me to keep singing....or to rock faster......One of his favorite things to do is hopping into my rocker before me.....giggling.....as he pulls me down on top of his lap!  

 Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild.
~Welsh Proverb

 

Having and raising my children was a unique experience with each one.  Children can test the limits of your love, and challenge the limits of your wisdom.  Parenting comes with no owner's manual, but I would choose to be a mother all over again for ....Faithful love brings its own reward.......(Proverb 11).   At one time, I once described the love for my children as natural, tough, yet unconditional.  As I reflect back......I admit that my love was unconditional.....but I still expected them to follow the house rules.....so wasn't there really some conditions?!  There is built in stress and worries with parenting.....But as a nonna.........those all fall away.  Those energy burners belong to my daughter, Shelby, and son-in-law, Trevor.   I have finally experienced true unconditional love as a nonna.....no stress...no worries.....I have found a built in trust that everything will be ok.  

Mothering my children did not involve spoiling them.  They did not get what they wanted and learned that whining did not work on me.  I had an armor which their nagging could not wear down. Since becoming a nonna, my armor has weakened.  If Carter wants a couple of biscotti before dinner, then he gets a couple of biscotti......If Carter doesn't eat all of his vegetables, then he can still have desert.  Now, I don't let this habit of giving in to Carter's demands all of the time, but it is fun, because I know that his parents are doing a wonderful job at disciplining Carter, and giving him a stable foundation for good habits.  I want my nipotino to feel like he can come to nonna's house for loving support no matter what.....I want Carter to realize that his worries and stress can fall away while he is at nonna's.  I want my home to represent a zone of happiness and safety.  I'll support him with anything for my nipotino can do no wrong in my eyes!  God will support my steadfast prayers for my nipotino.....that I trust.   My prayer for Carter Paul is for wisdom and humility.  He alone works wonders, for his faithful love endures forever (Psalm 136), and Yahweh is tenderness and pity, slow to anger, full of faithful love (Psalm 145).

  If nothing is going well, call your grandmother.   

~Italian Proverb

In a couple of weeks, a nipotina will arrive.  I am so excited!  A granddaughter must have her own uniqueness.  Her name will be Eloise Ann which means that she will be a famous warrior who is favored by God.  An excellent name for a female from my lineage due to the strong-willed survival character which woman in my family have.  She'll probably be born with a sword in her hand.  My prayer for Eloise will be for gentleness and patient passion.

St. Joseph the worker, pray for my family and their intentions.

St. Anne, pray for my grandchildren.

St. Benedict, pray for those with kidney disease.

St. Therese the little flower, pray for my humility.

St. Pio, pray for my patience.
St. Jude, pray for impossible cases.
St. Florian, pray for all emergency responders and fire fighters.
St. St. Gregory, the Great, pray for the virtuous efforts of all teachers.
Dear Lord, please bless those who have chosen to love me.
May I bless those who have blessed me.  Amen.
- little petunia

Perdita

Somewhere on this planet.......someone is experiencing a perdita (loss)........a loss of eyesight......a loss of a favorite object.....a loss of one's mind......a loss of a home......a loss of faith......a loss of a cherished loved one due to death......a loss of keys.....a loss of a friend to a misunderstanding or distance,.....or a loss of integrity.  By definition, loss means the state of no longer having something because it has been taken from you or destroyed. A loss could be from natural means or it could be due to outside influences.....so sometimes, one can try to prevent a loss, but other times, a loss is totally unexpected.

The type of loss which can have different grave effects on individual people is the loss of someone due to a death....tragic or natural.  For women, an even more devastating perdita is a miscarriage.  A miscarriage is a loss of a life unseen, or as the medical field defines, a miscarriage is a spontaneous abortion which is a harsh description.  The American Pregnancy Association describes a spontaneous abortion as a pregnancy that ends on its own, within the first 20 weeks of gestation.  There is no one reason for the occurrence of a miscarriage, but possible causes may be due to.....

• Hormonal problems, infections or maternal health problems
• Lifestyle (i.e. smoking, drug use, malnutrition, excessive caffeine and exposure to radiation or toxic substances)
• Implantation of the egg into the uterine lining does not occur properly
• Maternal age
• Maternal trauma
• Genetic reasons

 There are various types of miscarriages but the end result and affects on the mother are the same.  The woman realizes the loss, but the tragedy is in not knowing what the child would have looked like or how the child would have behaved.  The uniqueness of the child is not experienced by the mother who briefly housed a developing life within her. It doesn't matter what caused the miscarriage.  What matters is that a life formed within the mother.....As a sperm combined with an oocyte, a soul entered the zygote which develops from an 2-cell embryo to a morula to a blastocyst. The blastocyst (embryo) implants in the uterine lining by the fifth day after fertilization. By the 11th week, the embryo is identified as a fetus. This life forming process begins at a miraculous and microscopic level.  Changes in her body are the only signs that a life is developing in her womb.   The loss of this life also brings painful physical manifestations to the mother and creates an imaginable hole in the heart of the mother.  A mother loves her offspring from the time of conception.....sight unseen.
 

Yahweh says this: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly: it is Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more. 

- Jeremiah 31

What does a mother do with this hole in her heart?  She mourns.  She cries water falls of tears.  From my personal experience, I live with the hole in my heart by placing my hope in Him (Hebrews 2).  God is the almighty healer, so I lean on His grace and mercy. I rely on Him for healing.   My first miscarriage.....my first perdita.....occurred 27 years ago and my heart is still healing....but my joy is more and my sorrow less.  I was truly by myself.  There was no one to share my turmoil....no one to listen to my story. Bearing this type of loss by yourself is indescribable.  God, my faith and guardian angel delivered me safely....otherwise, I would have lost my mind.  After I was married, I miscarried again on Good Friday of 2000, and then again in late 2001.  The pain was easier to bear with the last two miscarriages because my husband's faith lifted up my sorrow.  Each miscarriage occurred in the late embryo stage right at the end of the first trimester, and I chose to name each child.......Michal Grace (October 1985), Josie Blix (April 2000), and Leo James (November 2001).   Just as our Father in Heaven calls each us by name and knows our souls before each conception........I call each of my children in Heaven by name for my heart knows them.

 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.

- Isaiah 40:26

Each of the three embryos had a soul.  They don't exist in my imagination.  Michal Grace, Josie Blix, and Leo James are real for they come to me at different times especially during prayer.  Before I miscarried Josie Blix, Mother Mary came to me with Josie on her lap.....Josie was not a blastocyst of cells.....She was a fully formed infant.  During a public rosary prayer event, all three of them found me in the crowd and began to poke me like my young live children would do to me to get my attention. I identify their presence also through a simple breeze where there wasn't one just before....or by blue butterflies flying around me.  Through the sorrow of their physical absence in my life, I have gained blessings.  My faith and belief in the TRUTH of God's Word and the power of the TRINITY continues to carry me.  I am a stronger person, but if I let go, then I begin to drown......so I continue to treasure their existence by holding their hands.   

  Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself.  

- Walter Anderson, American artist/writer

St. Raphael the Archangel, pray for my physical and spiritual healing.
St. Pio, pray for my unborn children.
St. Jude, pray for impossible cases.
St. Benedict, pray for those with kidney disease.
St. Therese the little flower, pray for my humility.
St. Florian, pray for the safety of all emergency responders and fire fighters.
St. Gregory, the Great, pray for the virtuous intentions of all teachers.
Dear Lord, please bless those who have chosen to love me.
May I bless those who have blessed me.  Amen.
- little petunia