A Sunday Thought to Sart the Week Off Right
So much going on lately, what with personal favorite feast days and that special Novena some of us said for our beleaguered country (basically two rosaries per day from the Feast of the Assumption - August 15th - until the Feast of the Holy Rosary this past Friday, October 7th). Life's much richer when your spiritual life is full, don't you think?
And in that fullness, which begins to build this time of year straight through the Twelve Days of Christmas (yes, it's coming!), we remind ourselves to keep our souls above the fray of daily life. We've discussed this in the past (Here), but it's important to remind ourselves from time to time that our souls must reside in a kind of special place "up there" beyond the fray of the typical disturbances and kerfuffles of daily life. To be clear about this, no matter the state of mind and body, the soul can - really must - remain pristine and “above,” apart from the daily push and pull, the little tugs, the big hits, and all those senses and emotions that buffet us through the day and night.
So two recent favorite feasts served to remind me, on this wonderful Sunday, of the importance of a rich, full spiritual life: St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Guardian Angels. Let's review, starting with our Guardian Angels.
We've each got a Guardian Angel. They're "assigned" by God, our Father, to help and protect us. On a personal note, my own Angel, who obviously drew the short straw, deserves special mention. He's mostly subjected to my incessant apologies for ignoring him, except for that little prayer I learned as a child and which I still say each morning:
Angel of God, my guardian dear
To whom God's love commits me here
Ever this day be at my side
To light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.
(By the way, this was supposedly a favorite prayer of Pope John XXIII, of happy memory.)
While we're at it, please indulge these few additional personal words to my Guardian Angel:
Both of these special feasts, so close together, can serve to propel us forward, ever onward, to our ultimate destination: Heaven. What better day to remind ourselves of all this?
Happy Sunday!
And in that fullness, which begins to build this time of year straight through the Twelve Days of Christmas (yes, it's coming!), we remind ourselves to keep our souls above the fray of daily life. We've discussed this in the past (Here), but it's important to remind ourselves from time to time that our souls must reside in a kind of special place "up there" beyond the fray of the typical disturbances and kerfuffles of daily life. To be clear about this, no matter the state of mind and body, the soul can - really must - remain pristine and “above,” apart from the daily push and pull, the little tugs, the big hits, and all those senses and emotions that buffet us through the day and night.
So two recent favorite feasts served to remind me, on this wonderful Sunday, of the importance of a rich, full spiritual life: St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Guardian Angels. Let's review, starting with our Guardian Angels.
We've each got a Guardian Angel. They're "assigned" by God, our Father, to help and protect us. On a personal note, my own Angel, who obviously drew the short straw, deserves special mention. He's mostly subjected to my incessant apologies for ignoring him, except for that little prayer I learned as a child and which I still say each morning:
Angel of God, my guardian dear
To whom God's love commits me here
Ever this day be at my side
To light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.
(By the way, this was supposedly a favorite prayer of Pope John XXIII, of happy memory.)
While we're at it, please indulge these few additional personal words to my Guardian Angel:
Never mind having to witness my far-from-perfect life every day, but I suspect it must get tiresome for you to be shackled to a creature like me, no? Heck, I've never even managed to name you as some spiritual directors suggest we do. What can I say? But since my life's road still lies open (for now at least), maybe with some actual grace we can work together better. In any case, thank you for your protection, which I so desperately need, most especially from the wickedness and snares of the devil, who prowls about the world seeking the ruin of our souls; and who, without your solicitude, would surely have succeeded by now.With that we turn to St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower. We've talked about her a lot over the years. (HERE and HERE are two good examples.) Her words, published in The Story of a Soul, make for meaty, substantial spiritual food in a world filled with the fast food of distraction and temptation. If you're in need of some extra "filling" to ensure a rich spiritual life, grab a copy. Read her words and you'll find her "Little Way" to be one of mortification, self-denial, and self-control. It challenges our self-will, self-love, and our typical love of ease and comfort.
Both of these special feasts, so close together, can serve to propel us forward, ever onward, to our ultimate destination: Heaven. What better day to remind ourselves of all this?
Happy Sunday!
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