Notes from July

In July I felt like a duck. Some folks said I looked like a duck. I was very distressed.

July I planned to go to the mountains, thought about going to the beach. In July I planned to study humanity, thought about escaping the humidity.

Plans are made with such sweetness. There is never anyone to disagree with your plans while they remain safely, comfortably in the grey matter. There is never anyone to make you stick to your plans while they lounge in the grey matter.

Naturally I did not leave the metropolitan area for the desired two weeks.

In July I planned to write about the beauty, the sacredness of weddings.

For several days I thought about different things that I wanted to include. I decided that the sunflower would be the perfect symbol for weddings and the first moments of marriage. Well it is now September and I have not begun to write about weddings yet. I glanced at the July photographs and organized several clever, uplifting opening paragraphs.

It is now the summer of your youth, the summer of your wedding: time arranges floral bouquets and boutonnieres. Roses wait in vases. Roses wait for your fingers to caress the petals. Roses wait in silence, washed by warm soothing waters of hope. How freshly and cheerfully does a loving wedding soften the advance of time. Humility, charity, obedience, and compassion drive a gentle, loving marriage.

The hopeful companions of a romantic, obedient imagination, the melodious approach of love and sacrifice with a hint of inspiration these come into my mind as I offer brief prayers, for prosperity, progeny, posterity.

The best weddings are filled with the best flattery.

Within the ceremony of a quality wedding is a simple request for the happy couple to devote themselves to God, to serving God, to loving. Truth, love, and faith form an alliance with us and God offers comfort and hope to all those who are present.

Prayers are needed each day for the happy couple.

A wedding can be a source of goodness, kindness, holiness, and happiness forever.

A wedding can fill the air with prayers.

That wedding changed me and such a sweet change. Sacred wedding, sacrament of marriage, and daybreak and daylight! How bountiful and inspirational it was! How lovely was each moment, each silent prayer sent to heaven, sent to God by each guest for the happy couple.

The July heat and humidity—changed the memories—encouraged love to grow anew; love between husband and wife, love for the husband and wife, love for God, love for God and the husband and wife.

Each Christian wedding shares love with the world, shares love with God.

Like so many big personal events, prayers and compassion are needed more after the big moment, when the daily routine returns, when reality ends the fairy tale, when the sacrifices fuare clearer.

All my thoughts, all my passions, all my delights fuels the sacred flame of love.

A Weekend of Sacraments

On Saturday there were two baptisms, one wedding at the Cathedral. On Sunday there was one confirmation and one baptism in addition to the usual scheduled Masses. Each one of these events reminds all those in attendance of God’s grace and love and provides time for reflection and prayer.

Weddings and baptisms are linked in my mind. They both usually involve white garments. There is participation by the parents in each ceremony. There are questions asked by the priest and answered by the bride and groom.

I had numerous instances to review my view of my life as a Christian this weekend as I went about my daily activities at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle.

There was a revelation that there is more work that needs to be done, volunteering more at the Church, praying more. Finding a way to use my life for goodness, holiness, kindness is becoming more important.

Raising a child, having a loving marriage require a lifetime of prayer, support, hope, and love. Fidelity to God, fidelity between husband and wife, fidelity between parent and child are necessary. Friends and family need to practice fairness and compassion always in their thoughts, words, and actions. Remember the local parish community and the universal parish community. Gain strength from them.

It is very important to remember Christ’s love, to remember that we are all adopted children of God, to remember we are all part of a loving prayerful community. We are never alone. There are always fresh footsteps on the ground in front of us. As a community we hopefully remember to pray for all the newly baptized children, newly married couples, newly confirmed individuals.

Christian life begins and ends with prayer. Weddings and baptisms provide a great opportunity for prayer, for the community to come together and welcome the new couple, the new Catholic into the community. Baptisms and weddings provide a moment to look back at the history of the Church, back at the history of our behavior as Christians. We can see our strengths, our weaknesses. We can renew our commitment to God, pray for the strength to change, the strength to become a better Christian.

Everything begins with prayer, everything needs prayer.