Vijaya Bodach
Reading, Writing & Ruminating
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
October Saints
Saturday, September 21, 2024
Bountiful Garden
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
St. Hildegard von Bingen and Encouragement for Writing
She wrote to St. Bernard and he told the Pope, who exhorted Hildegard to finish her writing. Wow! Even the saints need encouragement. I've been turning to her for the same. Pray for us, St. Hildegard.
Monday, September 16, 2024
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
I learned about this beautiful Cross of Snow in Colorado and the poem that Longfellow wrote upon the death of his wife through a homily by Fr. Joseph Mary on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. I especially loved the quote from Fulton Sheen about the Cross without Jesus making it a burden, whereas, with our Savior, it becomes redemptive.
It reminded me of another quote of his from his book Life of Christ: “The Western post-Christian civilization has picked up the Christ without His Cross. But a Christ without a sacrifice that reconciles the world to God is a cheap, colorless, itinerant preacher who deserves to be popular for His great Sermon on the Mount, but also merits unpopularity for what He said about His Divinity on the one hand, and divorce, judgment, and hell on the other. This sentimental Christ... Without His Cross, He becomes nothing more than a sultry precursor of democracy or a humanitarian who taught brotherhood without tears.” All this reminded me of another beautiful quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer on cheap grace. I can only hope and pray that Longfellow, at the end of his life received all the necessary graces to reach heaven.
The Cross of Snow
Monday, September 9, 2024
Sing! Sing! Sing!
Monday, September 2, 2024
September Saints
2. The Flight into Egypt. ~Matthew 2:13
3. The loss of the child Jesus in the Temple. ~Luke 2:43–45
4. Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary.
5. Jesus dies on the cross. ~John 19:25
6. The piercing of the side of Jesus, and Mary's receiving the body of Jesus in her arms. ~Matthew 27:57–59
7. The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb. ~John 19:40–42
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Happy Feast of St. Augustine of Hippo
Thursday, August 22, 2024
Writing with Migraines
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Wedding Anniversary
Yesterday, we went out to celebrate at Lost Isle on John's Island. Lovely ambience and wonderful food! We take most of our meals on the porch so it was great to be seated outdoors in the shade, smelling the wood smoked meat as it was being prepared, and enjoying a cooling spray from the fan. Much like home, without dishes to wash :)
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Adoration Chapel
It was so lovely to pray in the Adoration Chapel, which is behind the main Altar of St. Clare of Assisi. The stained glass windows are beautiful--we have St. Joseph, St. Francis, St. Elizabeth with child St. John the Baptist; St. Anne with the child Mary; King David and St. Peter. And up above, there's the pelican, a symbol of Christ, who gives His own self as food.