Sunday, December 29, 2013....the Feast of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph

We, as women, know very well the qualities it takes to be loving spouses, mothers, daughters, sisters, friends and members of extended families. As we honor the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph today, let us take the words of the second reading and apply them to our own lives and ministry

Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and  beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another ........and whatever you do in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" Reading 2  COL 3: 12-21

 

Wednesday, December 25, 2013....Christmas Day

A blessed and joyful Christmas everyone!

"For today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord!"

Sunday, December 22, 2013....4th Sunday of Advent

The fourth candle on the Advent wreath is now burning....a circle of fire, a circle of hope.  The waiting is almost over...let us follow the light just as the wise men followed it over two thousands years ago, so that we might find Mary, Joseph and the Infant Jesus, the Light of the World now waiting for us in the Manger on Christmas Day.

"Come Lord Jesus. Come and visit Your people. We await Your coming. Come O Lord"

December 15, 2013...3rd Sunday of Advent

The third Sunday of Advent makes us realize that the joyful feast of Christmas is coming ever closer. One of todays readings reminds us to be patient. Our knitting also requires patience....dropped stitches, a mistake in the pattern and the time it takes to finish our garments of love are sometimes frustrating! But the wait is well worth it...the outcome is a beautiful shawl filled with God's love and warmth.

"You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand"  JAS 5:7-10

 

December 8, 2013...2nd Sunday of Advent

On this, the 2nd Sunday of Advent, the sense of waiting and expectation increases. We must take time during this week to take a moment  for ourselves,  perhaps knitting a few stitches or sipping a cup of tea....letting peacefulness and quiet contemplation into our lives.

"They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."  Isaiah 40;31

Sunday, December 1, 2013....The first Sunday of Advent

Advent, a time of contemplation, reflection, anticipation

Knitting and crocheting are sometimes called the handwork of contemplation....a wonderful way to step back from the hectic pace of the world and quietly center ourselves while we wait for the wonder that is Christmas.

"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;13-14

Week of November 17, 2013

I found this lovely quotation from The Ladies Work Table Book 1845 and thought it was as true today as it was then:

"Useful and ornamental needlework, knitting and netting, are capable of being made not only sources of personal gratification, but of high moral benefit and the means of developing and surpassing loveliness and grace, some of the highest and noblest feelings of the soul."  author unknown

Week of November 3, 2013

Autumn Prayer

God of all seasons, we thank You for Autumn, we thank You for the touch of coolness in the air that gives us a new burst of energy, for the coloring of trees that shows the creativity of the Divine Artist, for the falling leaves that reveal the strength of the branches, for the hues of fields that bring peace to our souls, for the smiles on pumpkins that bring joy to children, for the fall harvest which brings us gratitude for the bounty of our land, for this change of seasons that reveals the circle of life, God of all seasons, as you transform the earth, transform us by your Spirit. Amen              

Doug Leonhardt, S. J.     Marquette University 

 



Week of October 27th, 2013

As the month of October winds down, the leaves lose their beautiful colors and fall to the ground....we draw closer to home and hearth and take up our needles once again. A new season comes to a close and another one begins. Let us thank God for the warmth of our homes and the harvest that feeds us. Although the colors are gone, we know that He is giving us time to rest and reclaim our silent selves as we prepare for the busy days of November and December.

"Autumn asks that we prepare for the future - that we be wise in the ways of garnering and keeping. But it also asks that we learn to let go - to acknowledge the beauty of sparseness." Bonard W. Overstreet

 

Saturday, October 5, 2013

The Mass and Anointing of the sick was held at St. Mary Parish today. What a powerful thing it was to witness the Mass and anointing of those who attended. After the final blessing, prayer shawls were offered to those who wanted them or wanted to bring one to someone who could not attend. Thank you to our celebrant Father Marcin and to Vi Jefferson who was both reader and Eucharistic Minister. Thanks also to our musicians for your participation. It was truly a wonderful opportunity to participate and see the comfort that our shawls bring to their recipients.

 

"For it is in giving that we receive" St. Francis of Assisi

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Our new season has begun....we had a wonderful room full of knitters yesterday morning! Ron Sanguinet, one of our wrappers, joined us and started our meeting with an opening prayer and then the room was full of the sounds of clicking needles and lively conversation. There were so many new shawls that only some of them could be placed on the center table. At the conclusion of our meeting, it was decided that all of the shawls be placed in separate piles around the large rectangular tables, and we stood and prayed over them, then moved to the right around the table just as we usually do when we are seated. Thank you Audrey for this suggestion and for the beautiful closing prayer. This worked out so well, we are going to continue to do it at future meetings...it's much easier than passing the shawls to each other when we are seated. It was also decided that because the 2nd Saturday of the month is on Columbus Day weekend, October's meeting will be moved up to  the 19th. You will be getting an email as a reminder and the change will be in the bulletin. Happy knitting!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

As we begin a new week and look forward to our first meeting on Saturday, September 21, summer is becoming a memory. Our lives are being filled with the activities that come during a new season. It is a time for gathering the harvest, a time to prepare ourselves for the bright promise of autumn. Take time this week to also prepare for our coming together in prayer and the work of our hands.

"Imagine yourself in some quiet place, empty your mind of unsettling thoughts. Let the peace and healing of serenity flow into your soul. Feel yourself calm in the middle of a garden, surrounded by birdsong and beauty. Picture yourself being warmed by sunshine and cheered by butterflies dancing across the blue sky."        

From "Life Songs...Giving Voice to the Spirit Within

 

August 25, 2013

It's been over a month since my last posting...there have been some updates to our blog site and I've been working on installing the new features. It doesn't seem possible, but our new season will be starting on September 14th. I will be sending out an email to everyone shortly. Meanwhile, enjoy the remaining summer days!!!

"the air is different today, the wind sings with a new tone
sighing of changes coming, the harvest gathered, a flower, a nut
some mead, and bread, a candle and a prayer
returning the fruits in thanksgiving to the grove
and receiving it's blessing again"    Rhawk

Hope everyone is keeping cool this week!  Our flowers are blooming and are a delight to the senses and the soul. The shawls that we knit bring delight and solace to their recipients... the knowledge that God's enfolding love is in every  stitch, and the softness of the yarn and the beauty of it's colors delight the senses and the soul!                                         "Flowers seem intended for the solace of  humanity"        John Ruskin

The simplicity of knitting a shawl, humbly and quietly, with no thought of reward, just the knowledge that the finished garment will bring comfort and solace to someone, is summed up in this lovely quote from Saint Theresa of Lisieux...

"If all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty and the fields would no longer be decked out in little wildflowers"

After all that beneficial rain, our gardens are really blooming! Take a break to enjoy the beautiful weather and knit a few rows. Hopefully, this wonderful quote will inspire you to create an heirloom for someone who is waiting for the comfort of a shawl.

"Given good yarn, good workmanship and good care, a knitted shawl can outlive it's maker, providing warmth and pleasure to several generations of family and friends."   ...Martha Waterman

In memory

On Friday, May 24th, a Mass was offered for Norma Dufault one of our beloved knitters. The flowers beside the statue of Our Blessed Mother were donated by the Prayer Shawl Ministry in her memory. We miss you Norma!

Our May meeting

The final meeting for our 2012-2013 was held on May 11th. We were so pleased to honor Marti Page, one of the charter members of our ministry. Marti was wrapped in the beautiful yellow shawl that was the 500th shawl that Babs Donahue knit last year. Everyone extended their hands in blessing Marti as she was wrapped, and two poems that Babs had written for the occasion were recited. In addition, Marti was also informed that she had been named a "Shining Star" for the month of May...nominations were from the Prayer Shawl Ministry and St. Mary's Adult Choir. As Monsignor Mike said, Marti isn't a Shining Star, she's a whole galaxy!" After our closing prayers, we enjoyed a pot luck lunch and then departed with goodbyes and wishes for a healthy and happy summer. See you in September! Keep checking the blog...I'll be posting once a week.

Thanks to Rosemarie Morana for the great photos!