Contemplative Haven

Well, call me a diehard, but our turkey is real and I’ll be up all night making the pumpkin pies!

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Happy Thanksgiving weekend, my fellow Canadians!

To start the day’s celebrations, a prayer to St. Joseph, patron saint of Canada:

 
                                                  
Joseph, Guardian of the Pure in Heart

Gentle Joseph, God is captivated by the
quality of your heart. Your entire being is
focused on doing his will. With Mary and Jesus,
you answer the Holy Spirit’s call to build a better world.

With one heart, we join you in saying:
”Here we are, Lord, your will be done!
Your kingdom come nearer to us!”

Keep the hope of a new world alive in our hearts.
Inspire us to speak words of tenderness to awaken
the love of hearts.

May we draw the energy for our actions from the source
of all Love so our faces may shine with the freedom
of the children of God.

Amen

[This prayer was found on the website of St. Joseph's Oratory, Montreal, Quebec]

* * * * * * * * * * * *

And now a little something from our beloved Stephen Leacock…from the short story, The Marine Excursion of the Knights of Pythias, in Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town:      

You may talk as you will about the intoning choirs of your European cathedrals, but the sound of “O Can-a-da”, borne across the waters of a silent lake at evening is good enough for those of us who know Mariposa.

I think that it was just as they were singing like this: “O Can-a-da”, that word went round that the boat was sinking….

What? Hadn’t I explained about the depth of Lake Wissanotti? I had taken for granted that you knew; and in any case parts of it are deep enough, though I don’t suppose in this stretch of it from the big reed beds up to within a mile of the town wharf, you could find six feet of water in it if you tried….if a person arrives late anywhere and explains that the steamer sank, everybody understands the situation….

So you can imagine now that I’ve explained it a little straighter, the indignation of the people when they knew that the boat had uncorked and that they might be stuck out there on a shoal or a mud-bank half the night….

So pretty soon they had the davits swung out over the side and were lowering the old lifeboat from the top deck into the water.

There were men leaning out over the rail of the Mariposa Belle with lanterns that threw the light as they let her down, and the glare fell on the water and the reeds. But when they got the boat lowered, it looked such a frail, clumsy thing as one saw it from the rail above, that the cry was raised: “Women and children first!” For what was the sense, if it should turn out that the boat wouldn’t even hold women and children, of trying to jam a lot of heavy men into it?

Father Thomas Rosica, CSB has been the CEO of Salt and Light Television, Canada’s first national Catholic Television Network, since July 2003.   Among the many other accomplishments and appointments which you can read about in his bio at the link I’ve provided, Father was appointed a Consultor to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications in February, 2009, by Pope Benedict XVI. My husband had the privilege of hearing Father speak a couple of years ago at a local mens’ breakfast and was very happy that he had attended – Father Rosica was informative, humourous and very down-to-earth, sincere and humble, despite the many gifts he has received from the Lord and the great way in which the Lord is using him. I encourage you to watch more of Father’s (and other) videos on the Salt and Light TV YouTube Channel. 

In this video on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Father Rosica speaks of the “cardiac arrest” which devotion to the Sacred Heart has suffered in today’s society, using the metaphors of heart disease and atrophy. He gives us a little of the history of the devotion, the promises made by Jesus for those who practise it, and inspires us to renew and deepen our devotion, both for ourselves and for the sake of our loveless society. Towards the end he speaks very powerfully of the selfless love we must show towards selfish people, and the reasons why God has placed such selfish people in our lives (which in turn causes me to reflect on the people who have been impacted by my own selfishness throughout the course of my life).

I wish you all a beautiful day today and ever onwards, with our hearts joined closely with our Mother Mary to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Politics, shmolitics. We all knew he had a hidden agenda.  

 Ottawa’s beavertails.  Everybody wants one.

Gordon                                                Sarah

The lamp is burning low upon my table top
The snow is softly falling
The air is still in the silence of my room
I hear your voice softly calling

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter night with you

The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead
My glass is almost empty
I read again between the lines upon each page
The words of love you sent me

If I could know within my heart
That you were lonely too
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter night with you

The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim
The shades of night are lifting
The morning light steals across my windowpane
Where webs of snow are drifting

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter night with you
And to be once again with you

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“O lamps of fire!
in whose splendors
the deep caverns of feeling,
once obscure and blind,
now give forth, so rarely, so exquisitely,
both warmth and light to their Beloved.”
St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, Stanza 3

I simply can’t function without music, plus I’ve been a little nostalgic lately.  Thought I’d share some Canadiana with you – like a little Canuck one-a-day vitamin while I’m away from the Haven.

Time for Mercy (Jann Arden)

Bitter Green (Gordon Lightfoot)
 

Ordinary Miracle (Sarah McLachlan)

Rise Again (The Rankin Family) 

Who by Fire (Leonard Cohen)

Marcie (Joni Mitchell) 

The Lady of Shalott (Loreena McKennitt)

Heart of Gold  (Neil Young)

Pour un instant  (Harmonium) 

The Idiot (Stan Rogers) 

Wondering Where the Lions Are (Bruce Cockburn)

Heart Like a Wheel (Kate and Anna McGarrigle) 

Share the Land (The Guess Who)

Evangéline (Marie-Jo Thério)

Congratulations to the members of the Madonna House Apostolate (see links in my sidebar) for their decision to return Catherine Doherty’s “Order of Canada”, in protest against its having also been recently awarded to abortionist/abortion rights crusader Henry Morgentaler (as I outlined in this post). 

The media is covering the story today. The CBC has an article here, and CTV News has an article as well as an excellent video interview with Susanne Stubbs of Madonna House at Rideau Hall.

Catherine Doherty, whose writings I have often quoted here at the Haven and also at my other blog, “Consecrated to Mary”, received the Order of Canada in 1976, for “a lifetime of devoted services to the underprivileged of many nationalities, both in Canada and abroad”.  There is no doubt in my mind that if Catherine were alive today, she would have walked from Combermere to Ottawa to return the award, if there had been no other way.

Let us be done with human respect that bites so deep in our human hearts.  Let us cease to be bothered about what people think and worry only about what God thinks.  That is all that matters.

[Catherine Doherty: Bogoroditza, pg. 118]

NATIONAL CONSECRATION OF CANADA
TO THE SACRED HEART

The prayer I am posting here is taken from a little yellow booklet entitled, “Prayers and Hymns in Honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Crusade of Prayer for Victory and Peace”, published in 1943 by an Ottawa newspaper, Le Droit.  On the inside of the front page we see: 

Nihil obstat:
R. Limoges, ptre., censor liborum, Ottavae, die 24 Aprilis 1943.

Imprimatur:
J.H. Chartrand, Vic. Gen., Ottavae, die 26 Aprilis 1943.

The booklet itself is actually dated July 4, 1943 (which I did not verify, but am presuming was the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that year).  This is all the information I have.  I googled the title, as well as the specific prayer I’m using in this post, but to no avail. The booklet came into my possession through either my mother or father, both of whom are deceased; I have many of their old Catholic missals, prayer books, holy cards, booklets, pamphlets, etc. 

It is entirely possible that I am the only person in Canada who still has a copy of this booklet.  For all I know, I may also be the only person in Canada who has even seen this prayer since World War II.  But since the Morgentaler debacle which I outlined in my previous post, I want to ensure I will not be lying on my deathbed still being the only one who knows of its existence and its importance.

So any Canadians reading here, please take this prayer.  Pray it.  Blog it.  Distribute it.  Get it into your parishes; give it to your priests; mail it to your bishops and archbishops.  Do you see that word “crusade” in the booklet’s title?  Let’s begin one, together.

National Consecration of Canada to the Sacred Heart:

“O Divine Saviour, Who, to console the sorrows of Thy Church and to heal the ills of society, hast deigned to reveal with radiant clearness the immense goodness of Thy Sacred Heart; O glorious Leader of the army of Thine elect, Thou Who hast made of Thy Heart the symbol and channel of Thy Love, the banner and pledge of our victory; O Christ, Who lovest Canada and Who hast chosen it to be the centre from which this devotion has spread throughout the New World, deign to accept the prayers of Thy servants who desire to respond to Thy invitation and to merit for our country the fulfilment of Thy merciful promises.

We consecrate ourselves entirely to Thy divine Heart; we offer Thee the homage of our souls and bodies, all that we are and all that we possess. We know that we are already Thine, O Jesus, because we have nothing for which we are not indebted to Thy Love. But we wish henceforth to belong to Thee in a special manner, to submit ourselves unreservedly to Thy reign, to keep our eyes constantly fixed on Thy Heart that we may imitate Its virtues, make Its wishes the rule of our private and public life, and use all our influence for the triumph of Its divine interests. May the blame be not ours, O Jesus, if in the future Thou shalt not reign by Thy love in our families, our cities, and throughout the whole nation.

O Mary, sweet Mother of Jesus, O Queen of Canada, thou who alone dost perfectly and worthily know and honour the Heart of thy Son, help us to put into practise with a boundless and unshakeable constancy this consecration which we now make. Do thou offer us to Him; dedicate to Him this country which has been thine since its discovery, and make of it, under the influence of the Heart of Jesus, the right arm of the Church and the instrument of His great works of love. Amen.”

Normally when I use the tag “Canadian” on a post, it is with a sense of joy and a feeling of pride.  Sadly, this is not the case today, on our country’s 141st birthday. 

Today, to our eternal shame, the Order of Canada, the highest honour Canada awards to anyone, was presented to Henry Morgentaler (I refuse to use the misnomer “doctor” in front of his name), Canada’s abortionist/abortion-rights crusader par excellence and the dead-man-walking epitome of the culture of death. 

The Order of Canada “is the centrepiece of Canada’s honours system and recognizes a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. The Order recognizes people in all sectors of Canadian society. Their contributions are varied, yet they have all enriched the lives of others and made a difference to this country. The Order of Canada’s motto is DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM (They desire a better country).”  Well, apparently not anymore.

The Order of Canada was awarded to Henry Morgentaler (despite a huge outcry from a cross-section of Canadians several months ago and also over the last forty-eight hours) by Governor General Michaelle Jean (who herself just a few short days ago attended the 49th International Eucharistic Congress).  Is there a stronger word for shame?  It just doesn’t seem to cut it.

So much dishonour.  Dishonour to the voice of the people.  Dishonour to Saint Joseph, our patron saint.  Dishonour to the millions of murdered babies.  Dishonour to thousands of other worthy recipients of the Order of Canada for promoting a culture of life through their efforts in all walks of life, including the sciences, the arts, and heroic efforts to save the lives of complete strangers.

Where shall the word be found, where will
the word
Resound? Not here, there is not enough
silence
Not on the sea or on the islands, not
On the mainland, in the desert or the rain
land,
For those who walk in darkness
Both in the day time and in the night time
The right time and the right place are not
here
No place of grace for those who avoid the
face
No time to rejoice for those who walk among
noise and deny the voice.”
[An excerpt from T. S. Eliot's Ash Wednesday]

During this period leading up to the Feastday of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, I will be making the novena I posted about last year here and here, in which different aspects of Our Lady’s beautiful Icon are meditated upon each day.  To all those who are making a novena at this time, may you be filled with trust and confidence in Mary’s love and solicitude for all her children. 

I also wanted to share with you today a beautiful video I just discovered.  It is of etched-glass windows at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Foremost, Alberta, Canada.  The windows were created by Mary Mehlen, and there is one representing each of the Seven Sacraments, as well as one in honour of Mary and another in tribute to all who minister.  Many thanks to the YouTube channel allsaintsparish for providing this beautiful footage for all to enjoy.