Contemplative Haven

After reading the post that Abbot Joseph (of “Word Incarnate” in my sidebar) wrote in remembrance of the one-year anniversary of Laura’s death, Todd Agnew’s version of this classic hymn came immediately to mind, for many reasons:

Hallelujah!  Tears of sorrow, tears of joy.  Laura, please pray for us. 

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Sorry fellas, but this one’s for the women. 

Well, okay; you can listen too, I suppose.

But just to warn you, it’s touchy-feely.  It’s only about 60 seconds, but that might be 60 seconds too much for you. 

Being There, with Sue Monk Kidd.

[Edited to add: If the link doesn’t open for you, here is Sue Monk Kidd to your heart’s content!]

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Today is my two-year blogging anniversary at Contemplative Haven.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford a party this year.  Oh, we had a grand time at my sixth-month anniversary, didn’t we? (I held it at six months because I didn’t know if I’d last a year…)  Brother Lesser, who had left many excited comments on previous posts in anticipation of the party never showed up until the next morning; Pia (forget me not), whom we were all expecting, had to deal with a very serious emergency with her son - he had a soccer eye-injury, which we didn’t find out about until the next day; Owen crawled in late, exhausted from teaching RCIA; and I had to physically go and get Kathryn Therese, who had a great time once she found out there actually was a party.  Just to let you know, if you read the old comments (which looks like one big comment, because I had to cut-and-paste them from the old blog), Honora is actually Carol, and ccheryl is actually teresa_anawim.

To all of my “old” friends, as well as to so many new ones I’ve had the pleasure of meeting since then, thank you for making this such a worthwhile experience; and I would just like to say:

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What better time, than as we enter the Advent season, to pass along the joy of God-centred people, as Marie and Ginny describe here.

I would like to pass this on to the very dedicated people of the Madonna House apostolate.  You will also find a link to their field houses in my sidebar.

To begin the Advent season, I share with you the words of Catherine Doherty:

“Advent is a time of standing still and yet making a pilgrimage.  It is an inner pilgrimage, a pilgrimage in which we don’t use our feet.  We stand still; yet in a manner of speaking, we walk a thousand miles across the world - just because we choose to stand still.  So, then, let us enter, you and I, into the pilgrimage that doesn’t take us from home.  For ours is a pilgrimage of the spirit, which is a thousand times harder than a journey of the feet.  Let us arise and go.”

[Taken from:  Donkey Bells] 

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…today is our 18th wedding anniversary!  I will let you know later whether he remembered or not.       

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Here is a beautiful song entitled Fragrant Burning, on the CD of the same name, by Derek Loux.  It can be found at Soaking.net. 

“All my triumphs I count but loss
All my failure I leave behind
I have one vision, Your rugged Cross
I have one mission, to come and die
And I will be a fragrant burning
I’ll wash Your feet with my tears
My love will be a poured-out offering to You, yeah
I have one banner, Your endless love
I have one passion, to see Your face
And I’ve one manor, Your Kingdom come
I’ve one obsession, to sit and gaze
And I will be a fragrant burning
I’ll wash Your feet with my tears
My love will be a poured-out offering to You
Fragrant burning for You
Nothing compares to You
Nothing compares to You
Nothing compares, nothing compares, compares to You
And I will be a fragrant burning
I’ll wash Your feet with my tears, yeah
My love will be a poured-out offering to You

Fragrant burning, for You, for You…“

[Thank you, Lord, for your mercy.  Thank you, St. Faustina, for a Novena intention answered.]

(Edited to add: Something was niggling at the back of my mind as I listened to this song over and over again, and now I remember what it was: the beautiful poem Kathryn Therese posted about a year ago at Exhaling, the last sonnet called “Diliculum”, from “Seven Sonnets Through the Dark”, in which she writes of being “Living thuribles before Love’s Altar”. You can read it HERE.)

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I’ve been reflecting on what a gift I’ve received. Knowing people such as yourselves, who will speak their minds whether in agreement or disagreement, offer different perspectives, correct, encourage and help bring me Clarity is a wondrous thing.

And don’t those croissants look good.

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