St. Nicholas Eve and Day

One of my greatest St. Nicholas gifts this year

came in the form of conversations. 

 ***

First, St. Nicholas Eve, at Vigil,

a woman who I have known in passing for years

told me that my writing on Conciliar Post is really 

meaningful to her; that was encouraging to hear, as I 

often am writing with a feeling of great struggle and sense of 

futility in terms of what I am writing. 

***

Second, one of the White Sisters who serve with the 

Convent of St Elizabeth in Minsk, a city in Belarus, came to our

church for St. Nicholas vigil and liturgy.

It was wonderful to talk with her at the lunch after liturgy.

I was able to tell her how I had talked with others, both

a Nun who I learned is now an Abbess of a convent about 200 miles from the

St. Elizabeth Convent, and a White Sister when I still lived in Ottawa.

I told the newly met White Sister N. that I have a small icon of the Mother of God

above my sink in the kitchen and that I have a small beautiful box that I got from

them years ago, as well as CDs that I still listen to today.

***

She and I discussed how our lives are unique, to put it in my words,

that each person has their own path; she talked about her spiritual father

telling her (and I think others) that one must not go a certain way

(even to monasticism) if one does not feel an inner urge to do so...

that each person comes to a place a different way and it 

was encouraging, it felt like a confirmation of my life here,

4 years in, to marriage and service in the Church here. 

***

I often experience this gift most when I am talking with a

monastic or someone closely aligned to a monastery, a sense of being

lifted out of my blinded perceptions in my daily life and seeing a higher

'tree top' view that shows me that where I am and what I am doing

is God's Providence for me.

***

So that was a very great and encouraging gift, one that I know

is there to strengthen me, one that I also know is a miracle, 

such times are not always plentiful, 

we have to slog away a long time often before we are given

encouragement to keep on with it.

But yet God is merciful and gives us such times.

***

I am already aware of the next year, as I plan for Christmas,

I see Lent and the Cross; it's an early Lent this year,

which means a longer Apostles fast in the summer.

I am thankful for the St. Nicholas gift from my Husband of

the cookbook I got and that I got also, from a recent book sale,

some new cookbooks that will also help with fasting foods.

***

We got some special gifts this year for St. Nicholas Day;

the spoons, a faux pearl necklace (gotten at a Market in Maastricht very cheap),

a Delft ornament, a nice red handkerchief for me (I love red!) and an enjoyable 

book for Mr. Husband! Everything but the books

are from our trip to Holland; I wanted to wait to enjoy them

as gifts for this special season! 

***

I also got my first birthday card, from a dear friend in Ottawa,

and it's in French! I love it very much!!!

***

I am about to have visits with family and friends as we go towards

Christmas...so if I don't blog again for a bit,

I want to wish everyone here, esp. those on the new calendar,

a blessed and Merry Christmas!

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Encouragement along the way

I've been thinking of writing some posts 

about what provides encouragement and things 

I would want to read when I am struggling.

*

So here is the beginning of it.

*

When you are lonely, make your bed in the morning.

If there is sunshine, let it shine on you.

If it is cloudy, light a candle.

Ask God to spend this day with you and seek to remember Him today;

this way the loneliness will receded a bit at least and you will be warmed.

Just be with God today.

*

Be simple. 

Acknowledge that spiritually there is more poverty than riches

but that you can seek to be with God today.

*

Look around you for someone to love,

even if it is just by saying a prayer for them.

*

Have a routine.

Make something.

Bake, knit, draw, write someone a letter.

*

If you are in need or want or have pressing demands,

do one at a time and do your best.

*

Remember to keep the two truths in equal balance:

I am a sinner and God loves me:

do not despair, God's love is deeper than my troubles.

Encouraging Words...Pondering Encouragement

Mr. Husband and I, 

on our drive back from our far away church,

in which I was knitting baby blue squares for a future baby blanket,

were talking... and one of the things that Mr. Husband said is that my lastest

favourite word is

encouraging. 

*

I had just done two weeks of booksales for our small beloved far away church

and had written book reviews for 7 of the books for sale...

and I had chosen and focused on books that I found

encouraging to us for Lent, our lives and for feeding our souls.

*

I have been thinking about this for a while now, as I have realized 

again how discouraged I can feel at home.

*

I hope to write on this more as I think it is 

of real importance to our lives and something I really need to get

a better handle on myself.
*

*

One of the ways I am thinking about this is how the 

prince of lies, the devil, wants to lead us to despair.

Here is a Saint's story about this 

that can give us one way to think on this and that I have been

pondering as I think about what it means

to be a Christian, what humility is and what it is not and

how discouragement, encouragement and despair play out

in this search.

*

2. THE VENERABLE ERASMUS

Erasmus was a monk in the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev. 

He inherited great wealth from his parents and spent all on adoring churches, 

especially on silver-plating and gilding icons. 

When he had become impoverished and remained without anything, 

he was despised by all. 

The devil whispered to him that he squandered his estate in vain; 

instead of distributing his wealth among the poor,

he gave it for the adornment of churches. 

Erasmus succumbed to this temptation and 

believed it for which he despised himself

and fell into a state of despair and began to live aimlessly and lawlessly. 

When the hour of his death approached the brethren assembled around him

 and discussed his sins which he himself was not conscious of. 

All at once, he straightened up in bed and said: 

"Fathers and brothers, it is as you say; 

I am sinful and unrepentant, but behold St. Anthony and St. Theodosius appeared to me and after that, the All-Holy Mother of God told me that the Lord gave me more time for repentance." 

The Mother of God also spoke these encouraging words to him:

 "The poor you have with you in every place and my churches you do not." 

Erasmus lived for three more days, repented and fell asleep in the Lord. 

This teaches us that zeal for the Church and 

adornment of the churches is a task pleasing to God. 

St. Erasmus died in the year 1160 A.D.

~Prologue of Ohrid Feb 24

(emphasis mine).

*

By this story we can see that the devil lies to us, tempting us to think

that our efforts to love God and His Church were

wasted, done wrongly and fruitless.

We can see that other people can also wrongly judge and contribute

to a person's discouragement and despair. 

We can see that God, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Saints

can rescue us from despair and discouragement.

We also see that repentance is the opposite of despair and discouragement. 

*

Lent is a time when many us spend seeking to learn humility and 

repentance... we can see by this story that humility and repentance

are NOT in line with discouragement and despair but

are the opposite, to bring us life and ultimately to open the doors of heaven to us.

*

*

I do hope to write on this again; 

I think it is vital for us in our struggles, which are so very many;

I see that again and again,

that we seek to live in HOPE, in being ENCOURAGED in the midst of

our struggles and to remember that God is the God of LOVE...