In daily Mass (On EWTN on TV) we are reading Luke chapter 17 wherein Jesus talks about the servant doing what he is obliged to do… Even if the servant is tired and full of a days work, he must serve the Master. The servant is rarely praised. At the Last Supper, Jesus said he is the servant. Rarely praised, He receives a lack of gratitude to the point of death in a very, the most, painful manner. The most beautiful and pure man we could ever see, killed by men who reject Grace. Some people we know are like those who reject Grace and some are like the one man out of 10 lepers who returns to thank the Lord for healing. Running to the Lord, singing and jumping! Grateful and thankful. Do I express that? Every time I open my mouth I express what I am and I reveal what I am. St James talked about our tongue, and I must be constantly aware of my tongue as I used some angry words in my youth! Expressing hate was often me expressing what was inside of my aching human heart. Now I’m grown and educated and the "old days" expressing my angst doesn’t work any more! Life’s too short. I remember vividly right after our boys came home from Viet Nam and a friend said something pretty awful, I won’t repeat it, and I remember how shocked I was, and will never forget it. Let us clean up our tongues even when we call our aquaintences names for their selfish behavior… let alone calling politicians names! Tired, full of the work of protecting myself and husband from Covid, and tired of politics, I must protect my tongue and serve the Master. Even more as we age. Serve the Master.
As I watch daily Mass on EWTN, Chuck jokes about Catholic feast days and he asks, "what’s the feast today?" Yesterday we celebrated the courage of St Josaphat, a Bishop who tried to reunite the Eastern, Russian Orthodox, church with the Roman, Latin, church. An obstinate faction of Eastern church people killed him for his efforts. They refused to unify East and West. Lately I’ve read and talked with my friend I walk with about the creation of Missouri and Kansas. When these 2 states entered the union, one had to be slave and one had to be free to keep the numbers even. Lincold battled Stephen Douglas in debates and Lincoln actually lost the Senate race, but won the Presidency only to be assassinated. People couldn’t find solid ground to stand on together so people resorted to ugliness and violence. Oh! let us find solid ground on which to agree. Let our solid ground be based on compassionate love for the poor and disadvantaged. Let it be based on love. Look ahead and look up! Ask, "Who can I help? How can I help?" With isolation from Covid… the answer might not be easy but it’s there.
Cindi McCain just said she hopes the demeanor of President elect Biden will be uplifting for America. I woner if uplifting is what we need…. On our walks, I keep pointing "up" "Look at the birds in the tree" I say pointing to 20 Ibis in the top of a tree. "Look at that! Is it an eagle? Look at that!!!!!" We miss the voices of reason. The voices of working together for the country, the voices saying, "Look up!"… For the American people.
I’m moving to new journal tomorrow! Let’s fill our new journals with great stuff!!! God bless America! God bless us!