Pray with Me...

 

The painting by Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner, of around 1700, is in the Catholic pilgrimage church of St. Peter am Perlach, otherwise known as the Perlach church, in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany.

Do you have lots of issues, big and little, that seem to tangle up your life and keep it from looking like the smooth ribbon you wish to live? Perhaps you'd like to join me then. This morning I started a Novena to Our Lady Undoer of Knots . It is such a beautiful novena and it also happens to be a favorite devotion of Pope Francis. You can read more about it here.

I love the idea that Our Lady is in Heaven, working to straighten out our lives. So far in my only eight years of motherhood, I realize this is one of the motherly duties, day-in and day-out. It makes sense then that Our Mother would lovingly do that for us.

Keep me, guide me, protect me, o safe refuge!
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me

Update...one of the small knots in my life has been my inability, while involved with my recovery, to keep in touch with a lovely couple from our parish. They are in their 80's and raised 5 children in a house around the corner from us. In the past few months, they were both forced to go into a nursing home (thankfully the same one) due to poor health. We had been writing and calling but I've fallen away from that for a few weeks. I have been feeling guilty about not making time to reach out and it was really weighing on my heart. Don't you know, as I was posting the prayer above, the phone rang with Mr. Tony on the line. Our Blessed Mother...what love she has for us! We are so very blessed :0)

(Rollin' Stone...) Wanna see my picture on the cover

(Stone...) Wanna buy five copies for my mother...
(Stone...) Wanna see my smilin' face
On the cover of the Rollin' Stone

For you youngsters, it's Dr. Hook, and the other lyrics are horrid but it popped into my head when I saw this picture... the tune is catchy ;0)



I have to admit, something about this picture tugs my conscience...like the "popular culture" has hijacked our Holy Father. Still, there is something so wise about this man. His simplicity draws people to him and then, having them close, he can speak to the issues that are so important in today's society.

I bring this up specifically to give kudos to the Vatican Press Office regarding the article itself which, speaks disparagingly about our former Pope.

"Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, had strong words regarding a recent article on Pope Francis that appeared in Rolling Stone magazine. The Holy Father made the cover of the magazine yesterday.

While acknowledging that the Holy Father’s appearance on the front cover shows the interest in different environments, Fr. Lombardi denounced the negative portrayal of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s pontificate, saying the article disqualifies itself as serious journalism.
“Unfortunately, the article disqualifies itself, falling in the usual mistake of a superficial journalism, which in order to highlight the positive aspects of Pope Francis, thinks it should describe in a negative way the pontificate of Pope Benedict, and does so with a surprising crudeness,” Fr. Lombardi said in a statement.

What a shame,” Fr. Lombardi stated. 'This is not the way to do a good service even to Pope Francis, who knows very well what the Church owes to his predecessor'"

If the Pope is to become a celebrity in today's society, it is right and just that he use his time in the spotlight to teach important truths - like the ability to build one person up without tearing down another.

I love our Papa! We are blessed!