Christmas Day 2011

"And she brought forth her newborn son and lay him in a manger....His name was Jesus and he would become the savior of the world"

Good Morning and Merry Christmas...this is the first anniversary of our blog. May peace and love surround you on this Christmas and all through the coming year.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.  Psalm 27:14-15

                                                          

Our December meeting and cookie swap

We met again this year at Babs Donahue's home and enjoyed coming together for a respite from the hustle and bustle of the season. Our wonderful Marti was not able to be with us due to her sister-in-law Beth's death and Evan's sister Kathleen's stroke. It is a truly difficult time for them and they were included in our closing prayers. Our members were given the opportunity to mention anyone who also needed our prayers. Then it was time to celebrate another Christmas custom for our ministry.....COOKIES! Somehow the knitting goes faster when you are expecting a tasty treat as a reward. We started with Bab's famous (and delicious) chili and then it was time to have a taste of all those goodies. As you can by the photos a good time was had by all!

Check out the last photo...Babs needs to put some hot chocolate in this mug and Santa may grant her wish!

 

Third Sunday of Advent

"We must wait for God, long, meekly, in the wind and wet, in the thunder and lightning, in the cold and the dark. Wait, and He will come. He never comes to those who do not wait."  Frederick William Faber

                      

Is God keeping you waiting today? Is there a need you expressed or request you have made to which God has not responded? Perhaps He designed this time of waiting in order for you to discover a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. 

From...Soul Retreats for Moms

2nd Sunday of Advent

"Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:24-25

"For a few moments today, step away from your fast-paced world..Find a place of stillness in your soul. Pause and rest there for a while, waiting for God to speak to your heart."

From: Soul Retreats for Moms

              

First Sunday of Advent

The first Sunday of Advent begins a time of contemplation...awaiting and anticipating the birth of Jesus Christ...as you knit each stitch, be patient and know that as your shawl is nearing completion, that the glory of Christmas is also drawing near. 

"I will watch for the Lord; I will wait confidently for God, who will save me. My God will hear me."  Micah 7:7

For all the blessings of the year, for all the friends we hold so dear, for peace on earth, both far and near, we thank Thee, Lord
For life and health, those common things, which every day and hour brings, for home, where our affection clings, we thank Thee, Lord
For love of Thine, which never tires, which all our better thought inspires, and warms our lives with heavenly fires, we thank Thee, Lord
                             Albert H. Hutchinson

A blessed and happy Thanksgiving to members of our Prayer Shawl Ministry and to those we knit for and remember in our prayers.

The Feast of Christ the King

As the days grow shorter and darkness falls, let the light of Christ our King guide us through the night.

November meeting

Our November meeting was held on Saturday the 12th. It was very uplifting in many ways. Our wonderful knitter, Babs Donahue returned to us after being seriously ill. During her illness, Babs managed to knit 26 shawls! You are such an inspiration Babs! We also met Bab's friend Donna and hope to see her at our meetings again. We also welcomed back the ladies from the Oakdale United Methodist Church in West Boylston who visited last year . Mary's room was full of the sound of clicking needles, conversation and prayer!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

So many shades of gold, Autumn...another miracle we take for granted, another expression of the Artist's vision...the blending of the autumn hues with the setting sun..warm, comforting, perfect. Thank you for Autumn, Lord....Joyce Rupp

Sunday, October 16, 2011

We only had six knitters at our October meeting, but Mary's room was full of the sound of clicking needles, prayer and talk among friends. We welcomed a new member to our group - Natalie is the sister-in-law of Deb Koziara ...she drove from Natick to join us and brought two beautiful shawls! Welcome Natalie!

October meeting

A reminder that our next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, October 8 at 10:30 am in Mary's room at the Pastoral Center.

"Thy bounty shines in Autumn unconfirmed
and spreads a common feast for all that live"                                 
                                       James Thomson
                                              

A new season for St. Mary's Prayer Shawl ministry

Our tenth season will begin on Saturday, September 10th from 10:30 am to noon in Mary's room at the pastoral center. 837 shawls have been given out since the ministry was started in 2001.  We meet on the second Saturday of each month until the end of May and take a break during the summer. 
New members are welcome....if you knit or crochet, you will find this is a rewarding way to share your time and talent. Please join us!

"Prosper the work of our hands, oh Lord"

                                

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Turn your face to the sun, and let the warmth of God's love pour over you and into your knitting.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

                                  "Knitting is the simplest & most ordinary of activities,
                                      yet somehow it mysteriously contains within itself
                                      the potential for expanding our conscious awareness"

Susan Gordon Lydon

      Stay cool this week...take a few moments to sit in the shade and knit 

...become aware of the beauty around you.

Sunday, July 17th

Thought for the week..

"The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the birds for mirth,

one is nearer to God's heart in a garden,

than anywhere else on earth."

Dorothy Frances Gurney

Sunday, July 10th - the simplicity of happiness

Thought for the week..."Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply,,to think freely, to risk life, to be needed."   

Storm Jameson

Summer

Summer is finally here....enjoy the warmth and the beauty of God's creation....bring your knitting into the garden and as you knit, notice the colors, the scents, listen to the birdsong and the humming of the bees...and let tranquility fill your soul.

Trinity Sunday

As you knit, think of the love  of the Holy Trinity pouring into your stitches...this picture of the asters growing wild in our garden was perfect for today's blog.

the fire of the Holy Spirit

"It is the fire of suffering that brings forth the gold of goodness"  

 M. Guyon

The weather has been very chilly for the third week in June...hopefully the Holy Spirit is inspiring you to knit!!

              

Knitting and lunch - May 21, 2011

We met on May 21st for a lovely sharing of knitting, friendship and lunch. See you all in September...have a wonderful summer and keep on knitting!

prayer shawl ministry meeting for May

Just a reminder that our May meeting will be on the 21st this month. Looking forward to seeing you there...this will be our final meeting until   September. Please remember to bring something to share for our lunch. See you then!

"For lo, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The time of singing has come."  Song of Solomon 2:11 12

May 4, 2011

"Our spiritual journeys are lived moment by moment, not day by day or even week by week"  Leslie Williams

Easter Sunday

"He is risen!" Alleluia!  Happy Easter everyone!

Good Friday and Holy Saturday

"We will not fear,though the earth will give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea"

reflection on a spring day

"Love is a flower that grows in any soil...blooming fair and fragrant all the year and blessing all those who give and those who receive."     Louisa May Alcott

in memory

this post is in memory of my sister Maureen who slipped peacefully and gently into heaven on March 29th.  She was wrapped in her prayer shawl and surrounded by family and friends. Sleep warm dear sister, mother and friend.

The wrapping

Marti and Sue were so privileged to wrap one of our ministry members last night...what a spiritual experience! JoAnne, you are in our hearts and prayers today as you have your surgery. May your shawl comfort you  -and be "a hug from God" during your days of recovery.


"Mantle of Love, rebirth us with wisdom. Knit us once again into wholeness"     
excerpt from Ariadne's blessing by Janet Bristow

March 7, 2011

Faith, family and friends are all that we need....a simple but powerful message!

thought for a rainy day

It's the last day of February...hope this quote inspires you!
"Rain showers my spirit and
waters my soul"

      Terri Guillmette

Our ecumenical prayer shawl meeting

We were so pleased to have guests at our February meeting. Kathy Dill and Judy Sandberg are prayer shawl ministry members from the Oakdale United Methodist Church in West Boylston. They talked about their ministry and we shared what we are doing here at St. Mary Parish. Many good ideas were exchanged! We knit, talked, and prayed together...a wonderful Saturday morning filled with the spirit of caring and friendship.

Beautiful creatures on a winter's day

I had to share these wonderful photos with you...we have been blessed to have five young deer in our woods for the past two days! A reminder that if we slow down and look, God gives us gifts that we may not see otherwise. 

"Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience" Ralph Waldo Emerson

Valentines Day, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone in our ministry!!!

the message of the butterfly

When you see a butterfly on a sunny day, it's God's way of saying hello

Angels among us

"You don't need a formal prayer or invocations to call the angels to your side..simply think "angels surround me" and they are there"  D. Virtue

                                                             Babs Donahue's angel

thoughts on a gray Saturday

"God gave us memories so that we might have roses in winter"

Reminder: Our meeting will be on February 19th at 10:30 am

God's tapestry of life

"Life is a tapestry

We are the warp, angels are the weft

God is the weaver

Only the weaver can see the whole design"

Elizabeth Elias Freeman