Graces from Mary QT's

Today's Quick Takes brought to you by our Blessed Mother and the School of Life!

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That awkward moment when you discover that despite your best intentions, fighting against your Personality and Whims, and attempts to Do The Right Thing, people still persist in thinking the worst of you.  And maybe they don't think the worst of you; they just don't think much of you.

---2---

Now's the time for that Litany of Humility:

Litany of Humility Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930), Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.From the desire of being loved... From the desire of being extolled ... From the desire of being honored ... From the desire of being praised ... From the desire of being preferred to others... From the desire of being consulted ... From the desire of being approved ... From the fear of being humiliated ... From the fear of being despised... From the fear of suffering rebukes ... From the fear of being calumniated ... From the fear of being forgotten ... From the fear of being ridiculed ... From the fear of being wronged ... From the fear of being suspected ... That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be esteemed more than I ... That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease ... That others may be chosen and I set aside ... That others may be praised and I unnoticed ... That others may be preferred to me in everything... That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

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Make the extra effort to get the kids up early and off to school earlier than usual to hear a meditation on the Blessed Mother.  It was short, and just the message I needed to hear---that trust in her will bear fruit.  She is Grace personified as the bearer of the ultimate Grace, our Creator come to earth in human form to save us.

---4---

Pray the rosary for that Special Intention in addition to all the usual intentions.  (It also fits in nicely with the 33 Day Rosary Challenge.  Are you in?)

---5---

Then, for good measure, because you really are a pathetic soul who needs a great deal of help, pray Mother Teresa's ('scuse me:  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta) Flying Novena, or 9 Memorare's for your intention.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary
that never was it known that anyone
who fled to thy protection, implored thy help
or sought thy intercession was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence,
I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins.
My mother; to thee do I come.
Before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful,
O Mother of the Word Incarnate.
Despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy,
hear and answer me.
Amen.

---6---

Now, go ahead and do That Thing that you're supposed to do, that you dread, that forces you to humble yourself.  You've hemmed and hawed enough, and the fact that you haven't done it yet is verging ever closer to being Disobedience to the Lord's will.

---7---

And it will all be okay, because Mary was there (will always be there) to hold your hand through the difficult moments.  Now we can move on with lightened hearts.  

How about you?  Is there something you're dreading?  Something you need to do?  Share, or just ask for prayers.  I'll pray for you, if you'll pray for me!

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A Meditation on the Resurrection

When I meditate on the mysteries of the rosary, I often use images from The Passion of the Christ to help me stay focused.  There's not a lot to choose from when it comes to the Resurrection, but it is one of my favorites from the movie.  I see Jesus's beautiful face, as he sits up in the tomb, with Peace written on his features.  His wounds from the horrific tortures He endured and the crucifixion, with the exception of the nail holes in His hands, have healed.  He breathes a sigh of relief and resignation as He rises to begin the next and final phase of His earthly mission.

Yesterday, when I prayed these mysteries, I was struck anew by that sigh that He gives.  It suddenly occurred to me that maybe it wasn't in preparation for the work ahead, but a sigh of relief that His physical suffering was over.  He had "run the race and kept the faith" just as we must.  That thought, of torture and death, brought my thoughts to the persecution of Christians in the Middle East these days.  The deaths at the American Embassy in Libya.

The world is a crazy, sometimes very scary, place these days.  I wondered why so many people react with such violence and hatred to those who disagree with them, when I realized it's the devil.  Does the venom you see in the news, on Twitter, on Facebook, ever remind you of the curses spouted by Linda Blair in The Exorcist?  So many have forgotten God, either mindlessly letting Him slip from their hearts, or actively pushing Him away from a desire for a different idol, or no idol at all save Self.

It was quite a digression from the subject of the mystery, the resurrection of Christ, but with tears streaming, I heaped more prayer intentions on Mary's comforting shoulders, and forged on with my prayers, because that is just about all I have to offer the world at large.  In my little bubble here, my task is to raise faithful, Catholic, children in a world that needs faith desperately, and to serve in the other ways that God calls me.  And pray, ceaselessly, for all those on the front lines, so to speak, for those whose very lives (and, sometimes, souls)  are in danger.  That same image, which reminds me of the torture He endured and that others still endure, gives me great hope that on the other side of the suffering is great joy and peace.