Thursday, February 2, 2012

Coffee can be an Act of Love




True or False :  Skipping exercise and doubling up on coffee in the solitary morning hours often results in great ideas for the family.



Most mornings after breakfast and chores, we gather up for prayers, which also includes some sort of reading and discussion.  Wipe away any idyllic, maternal Cassatt scene ~ we're more like a Rockwell painting with one kid crawling over the back of the couch with a full diaper, another covertly fingering a Thomas train within his folded hands, and another speeding through prayer words as fast as possible  Is that English?  Oh wait.  It must be.  We're not classical Latin homeschoolers.  I often practice Bradley breathing techniques to keep my blood pressure down.

We offer our prayers for "the 14 P's" ~ a list of requests that, over the years, we've somehow managed to finagle all beginning with "P"  (Pope, priest, papa, president ...).  Then I read something themed ; could be children's apologetics or Mass readings or OT books like Judith and Tobit (stolen from me from protestantism.).  When I'm at a loss for something new, we simply sit quietly (and I use that word very loosely), give God our small sacrifice of Time, and recite prayers. 

This is not us.


But then one morning, I skipped exercise and doubled up on coffee.

I had my new idea.






First Communion prep books that my 7 year old is working through.  Very simple.  Very basic.  And amazingly, my 17, 14, and 10 year old  (Who have, of course, already gone through all this.) had the most comments and questions.  It was good.  Very good to be reminded of these things :


God made me because He loves me.
The love of Jesus is like a fire in His Heart.
Sin is disobedience to God's laws.
Grace makes the soul holy and pleasing to God.
After Holy Communion, I should tell Jesus how much I love Him.


I fell in love with our Holy Faith all over again, and I believe my older children were re-animated with affection.

I plan to do this once a year, right before Lent (like now).
I also plan to skip exercising and double my morning coffee intake much more often.  An act of love, right?


O my God, because You are all-good, I love You with my whole heart and soul.  Amen.


Jesus loves me, this I know ~

Warmly,
Allison

P.S. ~ the answer is TRUE, of course!








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