Lent, half way through week 2

(Christmas Eve Holy Supper)

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No longer Christmas

but Lent.

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The second week is incredibly painful for many of us;

I have been spared for the most part;

one of my friend's Dad's health maybe in grave jeopardy;

someone I love deeply lost their spiritual father;

blog friends are losing fathers and fathers-in-law, mother-in-law;

thinking about the grief is dizzying.

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My friend Mara is out of the hospital;

I have yet to be able to speak to her, due to my schedule.

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It is a family member's birthday;

At least four women I know are pregnant;

in the midst of death is life;

Lent is here and we must seek God's mercy

and His joy that is found even in the midst of great pain.

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I think of the beatitude,

blessed are those who morn

for they shall be comforted.

Blessings and Prayers

I have begun to read Wounded by Love

by Elder Porphyrios;

Here is a sample of this book...

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In the beginning of this book,

he narrates how his father taught him verses to the Theotokos

and how he prayed to her desperately

when a small child,

so that he could go to the Holy Mountain.

We are so blessed to have such books in English now.

It was recommended to me as a gentle book...

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Let us pray for those in Texas who are reeling from the loss

of a priest,

Fr. Matthew - see also Fr. James's blog for more.

I have seen first hand the emotional devastation

when one's spiritual father dies and the sense of being

at a loss, of being orphaned.

I have seen how these orphaned can still ask the advice and prayers

of their fathers

who have gone from life to life.

Let us pray for them whose loss is so new to them now...

In other, smaller, news...

The Lord is merciful in so many ways.

Today I was given free chocolate croissants and tomato soup

that could not be used tomorrow as they would be

'a day old.'

I felt so blessed.

It has been beautiful summer days here in Ottawa;

not too hot

and sunny.

Let us use our days to learn to look to Christ

in all things.