Today’s Gospel: Luke 11:14-23
In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ enemies accuse him of gaining his power from the devil. Just like a good rabbi, Jesus answers his accusers with several questions, putting them on the defensive, forcing them to decide for themselves whether his power came from the devil or God. He left them no middle ground…(Come over to CatholicMom to read the rest)
Today’s Gospel: Luke 11:14-23
In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ enemies accuse him of gaining his power from the devil. Just like a good rabbi, Jesus answers his accusers with several questions, putting them on the defensive, forcing them to decide for themselves whether his power came from the devil or God. He left them no middle ground…(Come over to CatholicMom to read the rest)
Another Monday means another opportunity to swap prayer intentions and start “putting them to work” for one another!
Here are my prayer intentions for this week:
Your turn! What prayer intentions can I “put to work” for you this week? As always, I will add them to my prayer journal and pray for you by name throughout the week–especially tonight at my holy hour. Please share your intentions in the comment box below, on the blog Facebook page, or send them to me via the blog contact form. Thank you in advance for your prayers.
I hope you have a great week!
Jane and I get to have a weekly one-on-one date to do our grocery shopping while Walt is at preschool and Philip stays home with napping Harry. It has become our fun weekly girl time. I love our weekly grocery runs because I know they won’t be possible for much longer. My not-so-little 5-year-old will be gone all day everyday next year at kindergarten. Gotta soak it in.
When we started our weekly girl time at the grocery store, I thought Jane would benefit from the one-on-one time that she doesn’t usually get at home with her brothers. I knew I’d enjoy it, too, but I’m learning that I’m the one being transformed. Want to know how a beautiful soul views the world? Push them around in a basket that faces you for a few hours once a week.
“Mom, look!”
For better or worse, none of our children have ever struggled with stranger danger. When Jane sees someone wearing something interesting or doing something she’d like to learn more about, she just asks. This has lead to many an uncomfortable conversation! So, when Jane saw the Banana Man stacking produce, she did what she always does.
“Mom, look! It’s the Banana Man! Look at those silly bananas he’s wearing!”
Jane and I had seen the Banana Man a few times during our weekly trips, but we had always managed to be on the other side of the produce section from him. That morning, he was stocking the vegetables we needed, and I pulled my cart a few feet away from him. I smiled and said good morning. While I scanned our grocery list and bagged up the produce we needed, Jane smiled at the Banana Man and said hi.
“Why are you wearing those funny bananas?” She pointed to the two small, plush bananas with human features on them. He wore one on his belt loop and the other hung from his baseball cap.
The Banana Man grabbed the one that dangled from his hat and said, “A little girl who was about your age gave this one to me a long time ago. She called me the Banana Man and thought that I needed a banana. She gave me this one,” squeezing the one hanging from his belt loop, “when the first one stopped squeaking three years later.” He spoke slowly and had a significant speech impediment, but he was thrilled to share his story with Jane.
“Wow,” I said. “Jane, a little girl just like you gave him those bananas. Wasn’t that nice?”
“Yeah,” she giggled. “They’re funny bananas!”
The Banana Man resumed his story. “That’s how I became the Banana Man. Kids always see me and laugh when I squeak these bananas for them. I like how they recognize me, and I squeak the bananas to make them laugh. I think it embarrasses my wife that she’s married to the Banana Man, but I like it.”
“Well,” I said, “It’s definitely effective because she,” pointing to Jane, “has been calling you the Banana Man for weeks and has been wanting to know all about them.”
“Thanks for telling me that. That made my day!”
“Well,” I said, “Thanks for sharing your story, Mr. Banana Man. We hope you have a great day! I’m sure we’ll see you next time.”
“Thanks, you too!” He smiled at Jane and squeaked the banana to make her giggle again.
* * *
When we saw him again the next time across the produce section, Jane shouted, “Hi, Banana Man!” He got a big gleam in his eye, smiled at Jane, and squeaked the banana for her. When we came over to get some produce near where he was working, I said, “Good morning, Mr. Banana Man! How’s it going?”
“Great! I love that she recognizes me and that I can make people laugh.”
“Mr. Banana Man, you’ve made quite the impression! On the way here, she asked me, ‘Do you think we’ll get to see the Banana Man?'”
“That’s great,” he smiled. He was quiet for a moment, and I could tell that he was getting emotional. I didn’t want him to be embarrassed, so I smiled and kept getting our groceries. He stopped stocking the cilantro. “You know,” he said, “I was in the Air Force and there was an accident.” He pointed to his head. “I couldn’t keep serving, so it was tough to find a job. I worked at Safeway for awhile, and I’ve been here for a long time. When that little girl gave me this banana about twenty years ago,” pointing to the well-loved squeaker on his hat, “it made me realize I could make a difference. It’s not what I thought my life would be, but I’m glad I can make people happy.”
“Well, you’re good at it, Mr. Banana Man,” I told him.
He smiled, “Well, thank you. I’m happy being the Banana Man.”
“What’s your real name, Mr. Banana Man?”
He pointed to his name tag. “John.”
“It’s nice to meet you, John,” I extended my hand. “Thank you for your service, and thank you for being the highlight of our weekly trip to the grocery store.”
“Thank you,” he said.
“Off to get the rest of our groceries. Have a great week! See you next time, John!”
He smiled and squeaked the banana for Jane.
“Bye, Banana Man!”
When I pushed the cart around the corner, I watched Jane beam at the Banana Man. I thought, “This is exactly what Pope Francis meant when he told us to give up indifference for Lent.” For the Banana Man, Jane’s smile and excited hello was an “island of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference.” It was obvious that John hadn’t shared his story with many people and that most customers probably ignore him. Jane had no idea what an effect she had on him. She just thought he looked friendly and wanted to know about his silly squeaking bananas. That’s all.
I thought Jane was the one who would benefit from the one-on-one grocery trips. I was the one who was benefitting. That little girl’s big heart is teaching her mama’s how to grow for others. Sometimes, being an island of mercy is as simple as offering a smile and a hello.
“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”
Mark 10:14
The last time I blogged about our Family’s Rule of Life, I shared our schedules in the hopes that they would somehow help you in putting together your own Family Rule of Life. Just like New Year’s Resolutions, the easy part is getting it all written down on paper. The hard part is actually making those things we write down happen. Today, I’m going to share Holly Pierlot’s tips on how to stick with your Rule of Life. I revised our Family Rule of Life in November, and it is becoming second nature. After reading through how to put our life in order, Holly gives some fantastic advice on how to make sure it continues happening on a regular basis. Below are my summaries of her main points:
Do Everything All of the Other Books Say
Conquer Sloth, The Disease of the Will
Engage Your Reason
Obedience Brings Strength
“Supernaturalizing Your Rule”
Every time you glance at the next task to be accomplished, offer it to God–give Him your efforts, ask Him for help and graces to do the job well, and do it all in joyful obedience. Every time we begin a new task is an opportunity for prayer–yes, even if it’s scrubbing a toilet! Holly Pierlot says,
“Tackle every task as a direct response to God, just as if He were asking you, ‘Will you go do your laundry now?’
Just say, ‘Yes, I will.’ And smile at Him. Then you’ll be moving ever closer to the heart of your Mother’s Rule.”
Do every little thing for love of our Lord, and invite Him to come into your everyday moments–folding laundry, washing dishes, bathing children.
Developing a Life of Active Contemplation
I used to think only cloistered nuns could achieve contemplation during the day, but A Mother’s Rule of Life taught me that I am called to active contemplation as a wife and mother. Holly Pierlot quoted Adolphe Tanquerey,
“[S]ince the will alone is held captive [by God], the other faculties are free to attend to things relating to God’s service; and this they do with far greater energy. Then, when the soul is engaged in exterior works, it continues to love God ardently; this is the union of action and contemplation, of the service of Martha and the love of Mary.”
When I read those words, I felt so validated. At last, I was hearing the words that God wants and needs me to be both a Mary and a Martha in my daily life. In my vocation as a wife and mother, God knows I can’t spend my whole day in prayer. While prayer remains a large part of my day, I am also called to actively serve my loved ones. When I am going about my everyday duties (those “exterior works”) for love of God, I am uniting the best of Martha and Mary. In training my will to do this, I grow closer to God.
As St. Teresa of Ávila told her order,
“Let us understand, my daughters, that true perfection consists in love of God and neighbor…All that is in our Rule…serves for nothing else than to be a means toward keeping these commandments with greater perfection.”
Getting Bored Enough to Be Free
I’m just on the cusp of having things going smoothly enough around here with our Rule that it has become second nature. I don’t think I would say that I’m bored like Holly Pierlot was after establishing her Rule, but it’s not as challenging as it was in the beginning to keep the house and our days in order. Getting to the point where managing the house is second nature is key to gaining interior freedom. Holly Pierlot put it this way:
“But it was only when I reached the point of getting bored, after my Rule was established, that I was free enough to open my mind and heart to God; to be internally attentive to him and to be conscious of doing all for the love of him. It was then that I experienced his profound presence, which, in turn, inspired a new love for my family. So a Mother’s Rule leads to recollection: that deep calm and quiet of the interior life of our souls. Freed from outside concerns, we become more peaceful, more in touch with our inner nature, and we discover our hearts. There we encounter an entirely new possibility of frequent conversation with God and a deeper communion with him.”
Before getting our new home and our days in order, I felt scatterbrained. I would look from one mess to another, thinking, “What should I tackle first? How am I going to find the time to do this?” I was so busy taking in the visual chaos around me that I didn’t allow myself to be quiet enough to hear God. With our home and our days in order, it is much easier to remain focused on the task at hand, clearing space in my mind for prayer.
Embracing the Flames of God’s Love – In Consolation and Purgation
Depending on what’s happening in my life, I’ll experience God’s Love differently. Holly Pierlot describes our subjective responses to God’s Love beautifully.
“For God comes to enkindle us with fire–the fire of love and the fire of purification, and both are the same fire of God.”
While it won’t always feel good, God will strengthen and challenge me when He asks me to take up the cross and follow Him. In those times, He’s purifying me of my sinful tendencies and asking me to make room for Him in my heart. When I choose to love Him, even when it hurts, we are imitating the blessed Mother’s, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word.” When I choose to put my crosses to work instead of wasting little sufferings, I am contributing to the salvation of the world.
Spirit of Your Rule
Ultimately, a Rule of Life is more than a schedule or way to organize our lives. Holly Pierlot suggests writing out a Spirit of your Rule of Life. She describes a Spirit of your Rule of Life as a summary of the “main points of how you want to live out your vocation, based on the five Ps, the specific virtues you believe most important to your vocation and unique circumstances, and the particular goals, attitudes, and frames of mind and heart you believe God is calling you to.” With your “Spirit” as your written guide, you will be encouraged to regularly reexamine how well you’re living out your Rule. Decide how often you’d like to reexamine your Rule of Life and commit to revising what’s not working. (I plan to revise our Family Rule again in the fall as the new school year rolls around.) Between now and this fall, when I find myself disillusioned with my vocation or lacking motivation, I’ll reread my “Spirit” to get back on track and more some encouragement.
Holly Pierlot shared her Spirit of her Rule as a guide. I am still writing the Spirit of my Rule, and I am modeling it after Holly’s using her headings:
I recommend reading through Holly’s entire Spirit to get a better sense of what a Spirit of your Rule might look like.
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Questions for You:
This concludes my series on our Family’s Rule of Life. I hope it has been helpful for you! If you haven’t already, get yourself a copy of Holly Pierlot’s A Mother’s Rule of Life to read more about all of the topics I explored in greater detail.
