Modesty and virtues

A few weeks back  Brid attended a Catholic teen girls retreat in Sydney run by the Religious Sisters of Mercy, USA, along with 17 others teens, ranging from age from 13 to 17.
Brid attended the retreat last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. She enjoyed the Faith, the Friendship and fun.
This year we weren't too sure if she would make it, as it was being run 5 days after we returned from our overseas trip.We prepared her for this and said if its Gods will, it will be done.
Anyway, I contacted the Mum organising the retreat, saying we couldn't get her there. To my total surprise within hours this Mum had organised a lift for Brid, a bed at a trusted friends home before the retreat. I knew it was Gods will, so we said Yes.
Now this in itself was HUGE for me. My baby girl going away for 4 nights without one of us. We entrusted her to Gods' care and she was away to enjoy her retreat.

This years was all about friendship.
Beautiful theme and very timely in Brids' life.

While she was away she took a book called Fashioned by Faith. Great read. Very enlightening for her. I posted about it previously here . I believe every house should have a copy of this book.
Another girl had a book called Dressing with Dignity which I had read many years ago. She mentioned this to us as we were chatting after she got home safely, and asked did I have it.
"Yes I do"
I found it on the book shelf and gave it to her.
She absorbed herself in it. She said " Excellent book, everyone should read it".
It was like music to my soul to be able to share these books with Brid. Its lovely that her friend where reading them as well. she left our copy of Fashioned by Faith with the family she was staying with, as she was keen to read it.
So its quite interesting that these books will do the rounds of young teens and experiences shared. Brid has lent her  All things Girls series to amother friends to read  through.
Its such a Blessing that these girls consider there modesty and there dignity to be so important. They live it, breath it and share it. The saint that comes to mind is St Maria Goretti. St Maria Goretti Pray for these young girls.
 

  

Encouragement

 

We are very Blessed here in the Hunter Valley, NSW to have an evening set aside, once a month, when us Mums get together and encourage each other in the calling of homeschooling.


We gather in a home central to most of us. We share a welcoming drink and yummy food and we chatter. Getting to know each other better.


We make our way to the loungeroom and we settle. We ask God to be with us, thanking him for his greatness and providence and we begin our evening session.


We share our ups and our downs.


We laugh and we remember and we listen lovingly to each other, as we share our stories. All our stories are so different. Why we began homeschooling, where we are now in our journey, where to from here and the list went on.


We were asked to think how God talks to us in our journey. How much do we listen to his guidance and do we trust in his journey for us.


This lead to lots of great discussion.


At the same time our teen girls are being guided in a little share group of their own. All 8 sit at the dining room table and one of the older girls was asked to take a leadership role in their group. I am so proud of these girls; they are taking the steps in sharing and listening to each other, with love and respect. Brid is enjoying having this special contact with her friends and is relishing in all the sharing.


Brid took along her All things Girls books- essentially Catholic, but there is a lot of good solid wholesomeness to share and talk about. It certainly could be a spring board for them.


The night ends too quickly, and we find ourselves in the car driving away with our spirits lifted. We have wonderful talks on the way home. Lots of deep sharing from the heart. Brid just chatters away. At one point she said, if I was at school, I don’t think I would be having this conversation with you Mum. Very true I would think.


This leads me to tonight’s discussions. We love our girlie nights, and we take the opportunity to light a candle, pray, and read a mum daughter book. We are cherishing our Beautiful Girlhood nights and they themselves generate lively discussions. Tonight we chatted about sincerity and ideals. It was a beautiful way to share some time together.


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A Cross to bear

I was going over old posts reminiscing, when I came across this one. It certainly still touches my heart. I really have to believe God send us 2 heavy crosses.
We constantly lean on him to get us through the bad days and thank him for our family & friends  on the good and bad days.

"If you pray and pray and your Cross is still there that Cross is what God sends you to help get you to heaven. "



It definitely was not what I was expecting to here from a play, but it was exactly what I needed to hear right at that moment.


So Thank you Lord for sending me those words

All Souls day

Last evening Brid prepared and read the Litany of Saints, and she added some of our special names as well. That was a special time.
This morning, we joined our parish community at Mass. In preparation for this month, we have been writing down all our deceased family & friends on a sheet of paper, to take to Mass with us..  I sometimes have memory failure of those I would like to pray for, but today we were organised. It was nice to view this list before and at appropriate times to prompt our prayers.
Apart from these people dear to us, on our list, we will be especially praying for people in need this month. aussiecoffeeshop and I must have been on the same wave length when we were preparing our posts.
Our parish priest again put together a homily, that spoke to me. At one point, he spoke of the 'Book of the Dead', he has in the parish office and how he needs to write final details of a persons live. He spoke of how he used to dread it, now he calls it his book of hope, as he scans the pages of the people in the book, and remembers there life and the families.
God Bless you all today.

The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart

Last Friday evening we went along to a lovely celebration for the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart. We attended their Mass to observe and prayer as they Renewed  their vows, in their native tongue. As this is an order From Vietnam, some 120 Sisters, will be Renewing there vows, in Vietnam, on the same date 20th August.
They arrived in our dioceses a couple of years ago, and have touched the hearts of many.
There was a great turn out from all areas of our Diocese and beyond. This included Priests, Brothers and other Religious Sisters.
It was lovely to witness this ceremony and to watch a community come together for Celebration.
Here is a small article about them.

suffering and reflection

"Even suffering is part of the truth of our life. Thus, trying to
shield the youngest from every difficulty and experience of
suffering, we risk creating, despite our good intentions, fragile
persons of little generosity:
The capacity to love, in fact, corresponds to the capacity to suffer,
and to suffer together." Benedict XVI".

I found this passage today written by Our Holy Father, and it really spoke to me. Thanks Maria.
As we struggle through the map of our daily life, with Brids' older siblings. I wonder has the suffering and turmoils been hurtful to her. I pray often that she is surrounded by Gods' protection and held always in his loving arms through this all.
She is a very resilient young lady and often her words are far beyond her years. God truly has her under his wing. Not that I didn't know that, but he reveals to us often in ways we don't expect.
Praise God.

Mary woman and mother

The last few weeks Broken Bay Dioceses has been advertising its latest e-conference. Mary- First Disciple. I was thinking, how can I do this. I just didn't want to go somewhere and sit uncomfortably and watch a presentation on a screen. Well, I saw my regular news feature and the advertisement yet again, and after consulting my live in computer whizz- my dear hubbie, I thought why not, lets view it. Problem was we had appointments and scheduled activities.
After getting all the 'stuff', out of the way, we sat and watched the conference. It was brilliant. Fr Francis Moloney was the keynote speaker. He discussed Mary in context of the writings of the Gospels and the 1st century, he talked of the geneology and its importance, and unpacked Luke and Johns 'gospels very well.
Sr Margaret Ghosm a Maronite Sister from the order of The Holy family, discussed Eastern Icons. Fascinating.
I truly recommend viewing this while you can Mary first disciple.
Mary has played a huge part in my walk with of Faith, so I know she was pushing me today.
Ava Maria.

Stations of the Cross at home

We missed our Lenten Stations of the Cross this week.
I looked at the clock 10.40. 15mins to drive there, I wasn't organised, and the rush would have made it too stressful. It started at 11am.
But today on the Annunciation I felt very drawn to walk the Stations.
As we were coming up to lunchtime, I suggested how about we say the Stations here at the kitchen bench. It just seemed the right thing to do- a mum preparing a meal and meditating on the Passion.
It was incredible how moving it was to speak, with feeling in our voices, and it bought several tears to our eyes and lumps in our throats. I could hear Brids' voice quivver.
Whilst I was listening or reading, I was drawn to Our Lady in the Passion of her Son. Her sorrow. Her grief. It brought me to a place of my own struggles and sorrows, but it also gave me strength in a strange way, and a new clarity on our present situation.
Amazing how a Devotion that I say often, can have a different meaning, just when it is needed.
Thank You Lord for this moment.

A Book of Virtues

A couple of years ago, a dear friend was selling this book. 'The Book of Virtues' - William J. Bennett. Dermot & I read parts of it, and it sat on our coffee table, for general reading.
I remember a blogger friend writing about virtues.
I thought how can I implement this into our homeschool day?
Penny dropped.
A virtue a week. We start at the beginning, and read an entry or two a day. They are fairly short entries. This week is Self Discipline.

Now to see how it all fits together.