Precautionary snow removal.

 Last fall Helen and I (mostly Helen, if truth be told), built a small, roofed area back behind the garage. Helen kept it pretty simple so consequently the pitch of the roof was just slanted enough for the rain to run off but flat enough for Helen to get up there to shingle it. This roofed area has come in handy, housing all sorts of stuff that last year may have spent the winter 'outdoors'. Well, I looked at it the other day now after a few snowstorms, and there was at least a foot of snow on it. Ugh. I thought about breaking out the roof rake, but I knew I'd never get away with slipping over there and pulling at least some of the snow down without getting a stern and perhaps vocal "What the heck are you doing??" from those involved. Well today, I found my chance. Helen was off to Ten-Hut, The Dollar General, the air temp was a balmy 27° and I felt pretty strong. I had to shovel my way just to get in front of the roofed area, but then I was able to get about 3/4 of the deep snow off the roof. This is because we have an Alberta Clipper sailing through tonight (4-6'') and I just wanted the roof to make it through this winter. Done and back in here in front of the keyboard, without getting caught, giving you my exploits. All good. 

St. Scholastica, pray for us!

(Pics below of last Fall's action). 

More Lenten reading.

 Helen is reading this for Lent. She started it now and it is very powerful, in the lines of The Liturgical Year. Father holds nothing back in his instruction. Well worth the read. 

For us, we had Monday morning Mass, something we haven't had in a while, on the feast of St. Cyril of Alexandria. Eight o' clock morning Mass is not easy for me to do, even getting up at 4:30. I complain because we don't have daily mass, then when we do, I sometimes grumble.

Go figure.

First Saturday

 At the beginning of this year Helen and I decided to try to make the 5 First Saturday Masses. For us, this is not an easy task. We usually go to the SSPX entirely, and living up here in NH means that unless our priest is spending the weekend here, Mass on Saturday is out of the question. St. Joseph's Oratory in Portland only offers Sunday Mass and the Fraternity is located in Nashua, which is 1 1/2 hours away. Fr. Hewko and the Marian Corps is over an hour away, plus he's a sedavacantist and a Society Basher, so we stay clear of him. That leaves us with finding the best Novus Ordo parish around, which for us is Holy 
Rosary in Rochester. Fr. Gilbert, on First Saturday, does a full-blown Mass, with all the bells and whistles, including Benediction. It was a good alternative for us. Two months in a row, and with snow falling this morning. And a bonus, confession after. It's obviously not the best situation, but it worked out well. You can tell Fr. Gilbert has a great love for Our Holy Mother. 

Stay warm, everyone, another cold blow is about to arrive. 

St. Romuald, pray for us!

 

The life I deserve (one way or another...)

 Went out this morning to bring in wood for the stove, with the thought in mind that this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing today. Our state in life dictates what we do, how we do it and when. The thought of our state of life has come up in my readings again and this time, after so many times perhaps the thought has taken a small root. I'm seeing our state in life as a small anchor, not as a way of holding us in one place but as a binding force, something that prevents us from wandering too far from our purpose. It also helps me to remember my limitations, which I've acquired many of. I try to do good with what I've got, at this point. And for now, in the cold of NH, when it's time to bring in more wood I try to do it cheerfully, and without hesitation. Spiritual reading, helping Helen and the family where I can, bringing out the dog and bringing in wood. 

The life I've been given and surely deserve, one way or the other. 

Bossuet

This will be my Lenten, reading, again. I always read Praying with the Saints, Angelus Press. Right now, its Winter. Fr. Troadec is very good at giving one a nice history of each Saint in a page and a half, with good meditations to go along with it. Bishop Bossuet is different, more of an intellectual hard hitter from the 17th century. Always a good change for me. 

Have been meditating on the coming clash between the SSPX and Rome. The first unsettling part for me is that the Pope himself will not meet with Fr. Pagliarani. Why, one wonders? Perhaps the Vatican just can't come to grips with the head of the Society shaking hands with the Holy Father? Would the ramifications be just too much in that single photo shoot? Time will tell, even though I have a feeling this meeting with The Tucho will never take place. Just sayin'...  
 

Preparations

 Well, I'm back.

I haven't really gone anywhere, I've just been away from this page for a year, because, as usual, I don't have much to say that's worthy of saying, but the time has come to begin again. The season of Lent is fast approaching, and my guilt at not having a very fulfilling Advent because of a lack of preparation has been gnawing at me. In my older age I've become lazy, bad physical health notwithstanding. I owe it to myself to be more disciplined in my day, in my thoughts and in my spiritual life.  But he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have committed much, of him they will demand the more. (Luke 12:48.) Well, that is probably me. God has given me so many good things, the things that make me happy, make me smile, make my life keep moving forward, all well and good, but I also see now that the trials and sufferings that I have on a daily basis are also wonderful gifts, perhaps the greatest gifts of all from God, for I believe that those sufferings are my penance for those lost years. Every day, in one book or another, I read about the Saints. I read how most suffered, for some longs years, others, dying young. I am not a saint, but I hope, before the end, I become one. I hope that when the end comes, I can go singing to the gallows, fairly confident that I have run the race. But, BUT, if I don't try to take this life to the next level, because I know God wants me to and St. Francis is up there staring down, waiting for me to show him what I'm worth, why I was called to be a Franciscan, then all is lost.

I jest, in many ways when I write, using dumb metaphors when I should be more serious... (singing to the gallows, up there staring down,). Perhaps because I see down the road and it scares me to death. There is no time to let one's guard down and Lent is a great time to dust off the armor and begin the battle. In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. Ephesians 6:16

And so, I begin again.

Virtues at 13°

 Outside I go, into the cold of 13° just to get a chore or two done. Winter is a funny season for me, one minute I don't mind the cold, next I want no part of it. I guess it's the wind that really puts a damper on things. Today, not so much. This winter has been cold, consequently we've gone through more wood than last year, which has had me loading the stove less frequently, thus, in a way I've been able to practice the virtue of frugality! Now let me say straight out, I'm not a great practitioner of the virtues, even though I good priest I know would always drill it into us to practice them whenever we had a chance. He used the example of driving in a car, especially an interstate, when you're stuck behind a 'slowpoke', that this is a perfect time to practice the virtue of patience. Unfortunately, I'm still working on that one...

While out, the wind chimes ring their individual songs, all different, but still always the same. I like them like that. And the winter birds that visit our feeders are living proof (to me), of the Hand of God in everything. To be, what appears completely happy while living in 0° And lately I've been thinking of St. Francis, and how he was so aware of his surroundings, the material world and the spiritual world. Why can't I be just a little bit better at that? I do believe that Francis was a chosen vessel, chosen by our Lord Jesus Christ, and the amount of grace that was given to him, and moreover, how much he accepted, how much he absorbed, is probably well beyond what I could even handle. In a way our state of life dictates how we see life, but not how we should see life. Our job, as people who are always trying to stay on the narrow path, is to constantly practice the virtues, no matter how bad we do it or ignore doing it. Think of the virtues first thing in the morning, in the dark, holding your Rosary, perhaps with the first flames from the wood stove filling the room. And at the end of the day, in the dark and fighting off sleep, think of the virtues that you practiced (or tried to) today. Either way, Our Blessed Mother and Our Lord will be pleased.