Memorial of St. John of the Cross

He was born in Spain in 1542 and died there in 1591.  His entire life wasn't easy.  His father gave up wealth and family to marry his poor mother who he loved.  And then his father died at a young age, leaving his family destitute.  St. John of the Cross learned about poverty, sacrifice and love during these uncertain times.  As an adult, he joined the Carmelite Order and befriended St. Teresa of Avila.  Together, they set out to reform the Carmelite Order but received great resistance.  Members of his own order kidnapped him and jailed him for nine months before he escaped.  During his imprisonment, he wrote poetry to God.  His faith and reliance on God thrived in his desolation.  St. John did escape and spent the rest of his life sharing his experiences of loving God.  You can read more about St. John of the Cross here and here.



Here is part of one of his most favorite poems The Spiritual Canticle:

THE BRIDE 

Where have You hidden Yourself, 
And abandoned me in my groaning, O my Beloved? 
You have fled like the hart, 
Having wounded me. 
I ran after You, crying; but You were gone.

II 
O shepherds, you who go 
Through the sheepcots up the hill, 
If you shall see Him 
Whom I love the most, 
Tell Him I languish, suffer, and die.

III 
In search of my Love 
I will go over mountains and strands;
I will gather no flowers, 
I will fear no wild beasts;
And pass by the mighty and the frontiers.

IV 
O groves and thickets 
Planted by the hand of the Beloved; 
O verdant meads 
Enameled with flowers, 
Tell me, has He passed by you?

Advent Blessings to all,

Noreen

Holiday Mail for Heroes

I learned today from Paper Dali that there is a program through the Red Cross to send Holiday mail to our troops overseas.  Prayers for our troops have been on my mind since we recently celebrated Veteran's Day so, this is the perfect opportunity to continue to show our love and support for their sacrifices!  Without their bravery and sacrifices we wouldn't be free.  If the men and women of the past and present didn't step forward to defend and protect our nation; and defend and protect other nations who cannot defend themselves, we wouldn't have a free nation.

This year on Veteran's Day, we went to Cantigny for their Veteran's Day Celebration.  They had an incredibly moving program called Veteran Voices where they had soldiers dressed in uniform from the Revolutionary War to Desert Storm reading actual letters from soldiers who had lived and fought during those wars.  It was extremely explicit in revealing the suffering and trials they went through in war.  They showed pictures and video of these soldiers and it was incredibly moving.  I found myself tearful in thanksgiving and respect for their sacrifices.

Each luminary represented 6 soldiers who died in combat.  As you can imagine, it went on for rows and rows and rows.  Strongly imprinted on my mind was their families that were at home waiting for their loved one to come home.  And when they didn't, my heart ached for their pain.

They did a beautiful job in respecting and celebrating the soldiers of the past and present.

May our fallen soldiers and their families be with God in heaven and may the protective hand of God be upon our soldiers who are in combat.  


Blessings,
Noreen