Waiting Like A Champion

               Before the touch down dance and before the Hail Mary pass, before the QB sets his feet and even before the ball is hiked, there is a moment where they all stand still. Yet, they all stand ready. Crouched, they await the execution of the call.

Champions know winning is a process. For behind the Sports Center highlights, they know a myriad of sacrifices and smaller victories that the world won’t know were necessary to make the magic happen. They live each sacrifice with active attention to what is before them while concomitantly recognizing the now is always a part of a grander plan, a bigger picture. It’s like struggling through wall sits. As much as you are waiting and hoping for the timer to go off, your legs are shaking and​

 your synapses are firing. The waiting is an active struggle; it​  is a part of the journey. 

We often think of waiting in our spiritual lives as a passive endeavor.  Yet, the example of Our Lady exhorts us to reconsider this limp notion of waiting as s​he teaches us to stand ready for the snap. ​

During the miracle of Cana, she interceded.  At foot of the cross, she received John as her son.  In the shadow of death, she believed He would rise again. As she knelt at the manger and during the Annunciation, without knowing the specifics, she waited with joyful hope though she was told her heart would be pierced by the sword.  Mary’s waiting was not fraught with anxiety or worry but rather trust and wonder for “she pondered these things in her heart.” Mary prepared to live His will for the future by living the gift and grace of each day.  Hers was an active waiting.

Let us wait well knowing we are building strength for what is to come by being attentive to what is asked of us now not only for the sake of the future but for the sake the gift the struggle itself can be. Mary, teach us to wait like a champion.

Verso l’alto,

Kathryn Grace

“Blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her would be fulfilled. ”

74

The medal draped over his hospital gown. Glancing at him and then looking at her, I asked, “Nanny, how long has Pop-pop had his Miraculous medal?” Without missing a beat she affirmed, “it’s been 74 years.” 74 years? As I was calculating that the length of time he wore his medal was currently 2.5 times longer than I have been alive, she continued: “I gave it to him when he was 17 and about to go with the Navy. We dated for 6 years and have been married for 68.”

Though I didn’t acquire my grandfather’s acumen for banking, in his honor, I decided to crunch some numbers, which weren’t found on the receipt slip his calculator would generate. Rather, these numbers are that of a life well lived. Married for 68 years, there were 5 children, 2 daughter-in-laws, 3 son-in-laws, 9 grandchildren, 1 great grand child, and 1 beautiful wife who were interwoven into this story. Because two people fell in love and continued to choose to love, we were blessed to call this man dad and Pop-pop. 

As Nanny told me about when she sent him off to the Navy to serve as a Chief Petty Officer for 7 years she explains, “he was 7 years in the Navy and he was 7 years seasick.” He would have stayed in longer but he was a Quartermaster he had to be on the ship, and there weren’t any jobs that would station him to Tinton Avenue. After 7 years of proud service, he decided to come home to be with his eventual bride. Though he came off the ship, he didn’t leave all his habits in the Navy.

The closets and the cabinets were always inspection ready as were his slippers and the bed. That is of course until the moment it was time to take the bed down to put in the long folding tables for holiday dinners since the family outgrew the dinning room table many years ago. The dishwasher, when it was loaded with dirty dishes, was cleaner that most people’s dishes when the cycle was done as you couldn’t put a dish in to be cleaned until it had been scrubbed.  They weren't wrote acts of a midshipman; they were acts done with gratitude for the opportunity to serve. 

As Nanny sent him to war with Our Lady, we send him home commending Pop-pop to her eternal, maternal care.  Pop-pop, may you be greeted at the gates joyfully by St. Peter and may St. Therese shower roses before you as you walk home. May you know eternal peace and joy as the Father, who greets you, proclaims: “well done, my good and faithful servant.” And may the souls of the faithful departed, especial our fallen soldiers, through the mercy of God rest in peace.
 

With eternal gratitude,

Kathryn Grace Rose

The sun is shining down/ Glory, glory, Alleluia. I’m alive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cYRs2SReps

Because most things are said better with bagpipes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCtfBCQCJ30

Day is done, gone the sun, From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky All is well, safely rest God is nigh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9xNoEu3O8c

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3

Dancing on the Rim

All day long the ball was dancing on the rim. Lots of good looks and almost baskets, mainly, though, the shoot around session consisted of the ball lingering on the rim without falling through the hole. “Aim higher,” an old coach’s words echoed through the barren gym. “Due to gravity, the ball is always going to come down,” he explained. “If you shoot above the rim, the ball has a chance of falling into the hoop; but if you keep throwing up those darts, you are minimizing your chances.”  Aim higher? Aiming high isn’t something I usually need to be encouraged towards. Frustrated, I replied aloud, as though he was present, “how much higher can I aim?”

I coached myself through a series of jump shots repeating his words: “aim higher”. As much as my aim was my issue (my sight was at the rim not above it), the change came when I started to use my legs. No longer shooting in the “my follow through is pretty” kind of way, I adjusted so that my legs were bent, locked and loaded, ready to explode. There’s jumping and then there’s exploding. When you have to aim higher you have to not only raise your eyes and expectations but you need to adjust your setup and execution as well.  

In the midst of a shoot around it’s frustrating to see the misses linger. But if you’ve ever experienced the buzzer beater not falling into the hole, you know the heartbreak that sinks simultaneously as the hope of winning instantly plummets. In life there are those “could have been” and “almost was” events. The ones you have been training for with dedication and determination only to come up inches short of victory at the finish line. They stretch one’s dedication to say it kindly.

It’s an act of the will to not linger in defeat. Just because I didn’t doesn’t mean that I won’t. It’s a choice to sit out or set up for the next chance. It’s a choice to continue to practice, even when the effort feels it’s done in vain. I may not have sunk the last buzzer beater but in the meantime, I’m going to improve my setup, strengthen my base, and heighten my aim so when the time comes, without doubt, “I’ll make it.”

Verso l’alto,

K.Coop

Because there is NO better movie in all of history!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE-QSZof_Iw

Cause tonight's the night the world begins again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOp4NAq6EHI

You shattered my darkness
washed away my blindness
now Im breathing in
and breathing out
Im alive again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h30qiH7MSHM

Mountain Cold

I’ve always had a love affair with the mountains. Affair might be the wrong word since I did call them home for many years. Their power, beauty, and mystique provide hours of reflection, pages of inspiration and a general ascent of my soul towards He who is transcendent. It’s the dirt of the trail and the apex of the mountain unified in one screen shot – repeatedly - for one’s panoramic view. In particular, my romanticized notion of winter in the mountains recalls the blanket of a royal blue sky dotted with a full, golden moon, draped over the first snow fall, gently hushing the town (population: 125).

There is stillness to winter that mingles with an expectant hope. The snuggling in bed with stories and hot chocolate after warming by the fireside is greeted with an anticipatory wiggle of what to play in the a.m. Deciding between a snow ball fight, snow angel making, or a good walk in the snow, one drifts to sleep to the wind clamoring against the side of the cabin.

It’s colder in the mountains; yet it seems there is a better understanding of how to enjoy the cold. A few years ago, I met two German girls while traveling who insisted: “There is no bad weather, only bad gear!” They spoke about pristine winters and the harsh reality of battling the elements. However, they demonstrated a keen understanding that not only must we know our circumstances but also how to enjoy them. Let us be self aware enough to see where we don’t see as God does and let us humbly enjoy whatever season we find ourselves in realizing the good Lord provides in all seasons, gifts that are good, and a shield of protection.

St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us. Verso l’alto, K.G.R.C.

Can the child within my heart rise above?

Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?

Can I handle the seasons of my life?

*Still a personal favorite!*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDbWsnjb6a8

And because of You, I come alive

It’s your sacred heart within me beating

Your voice within me singing out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejVgDKHiO8k

I look at my pain in His hands

Filling the holes, and I understand

And finally see how suffering has opened the gates for me

As the water flows my heart it knows

We have danced in fields of gold

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX3svkiRyNc#t=120

Star Studded Wonder

There were four in the bed and there wasn’t a spare inch to be found. Three of them nestled together, sleeping head to foot, foot to head, head to foot. I squished into the corner of the top bunk, since my legs were designated pillows. I’d say they tossed and turned but the truth is they just talked. The eldest requested me to braid her hair while the youngest excitedly proclaimed “I hope you come back really soon.” Only to break the silence minutes later by stating, “As much as I want you to come back really soon, I hope my mom comes back sooner!” Their imaginations ran wild and they narrated a night of wonder creating villains and heroes who encountered everyday plots with heroic virtues. Two hours later, I begrudgingly left their room realizing that was the only way they would actually go to bed.

“Kids are a gift, The only reason people don’t have more is for selfish reasons. I know that’s the case for myself,” she explained. It was a rather matter of fact statement and yet it provoked a flurry of questions for reflection, especially in light of the previous night’s joyful, wonder studded evening. Though she spoke of her hesitancy to receive the gift of more children, it made me realize that there are times when I refuse the gifts God’s giving. How do we see the gifts we’ve been given and yet construct certain boundaries to limit the love of God, to minimize the gifts He has given and wants to give? What gifts have I refused to accept from God because of my selfish reasons and selfish intentions erroneously thinking the gifts God offers contradict my way and my plans? What good gifts have I blocked – whether out of fear or selfish ambition - because the gifts didn’t come packaged as I expected or hoped?

As we prepare to celebrate the Epiphany this weekend, what gifts have you received from Christ this Christmas? What gifts have you received this year? Name the gifts; name the graces. At the start of a New Year, let us look forward with joyful and expectant hope. Let us replace worry with wonder and let us accept with grateful hearts the greatest gift He has given, the present of His presence. By the gift of Christmas, we know: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 3:15) “ This year let us resolve to leave His light on.

Verso l’alto,

Kathryn Grace

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu5RY94ldDc

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnFJlTzDw4

Gimme faith, gimme love, 'Cause I need it!
Show me grace, make me strong, lemme feel it!
Where to go?, Can I walk?, To redemption?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGe9GnBBvcQ

We can leave the night on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuMiMBjcvWU

Blinded by the Light

“Last night as I was praying, I lifted my head up, as it was buried in my arms, and I was blinded by the light,” he remarked. “I know the lights were dim but when you are hidden in darkness even the slightest ray of light can be overwhelming.” He drew an analogy to our lives explaining that our moments of weakness and occasions of sin darken our will and intellect, which can make our encounter with Truth jarring. Even when it is a soft, warm glow, there is a slight averting of the eyes as there is a necessary adjustment to the Light.  

The same is true when the Christmas lights come out. Initially it’s a shock. Sometimes that's because it’s October 29^th but that’s a soapbox moment I can save for another day. Even when it’s the right time and season, the lights that sparkle the darkness can be overwhelming if they aren’t received as they are intended. Let us pray that the same is not true of the miracle of Christmas. 

This week, as we prepare for Christmas, as we sit at the cradle, let us prepare our hearts to receive the Light who has abolished the darkness. Let us prepare to see Him as He is. I don’t know about you but I know I see better after receiving the gift and grace of Confession. If you haven’t been a while, maybe now’s the time. Seriously – look at your calendar to make room for this priceless gift. God longs to extend His mercy to us. Let us receive the gift of Himself and His forgiveness by returning and waiting with joyful hope so that we may see Him as He is – small and vulnerable, waiting like a gentle man, longing to be loved, dependent on the hands who will care for Him.

Let us proclaim with Mary our boundless yes to receive His infinite goodness, light, and Love and to love Him in all we encounter!

Verso l’alto,

Kathryn Grace

O Love, make a way come and find us

Search the darkness light the way come and guide us home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIRiG2R9qW8

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_tDRBzHcuQ

**Scroll to find this song: NEVER ALONE***

My soul longs for love alone

So here I am never alone

Connor Flanagan – Never Alone

Because Bruce is so close to getting it right  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjxbOe7p8C0

The Gift of God

"Yes, you don't belong to me," she cooed at the infant. "You are a gift from God on loan and someday you will return to Him. You are not mine," the new mother of three smiled at the infant who laid across her lap and the two toddlers who sat at the kitchen table. Maybe it was the grace and gift of adoption that gave her such clarity. 

Upon meeting a dear friend's mother,  I had thanked her and her husband for sharing their daughter with all those she blessed through her life as a religious sister. "You know when we left last time I spent a lot of time thinking about your comment. After some time, I realized she was never mine to give. She belongs to God," her mom remarked. I realized the understanding of gift is an integral element to parenthood. Moreover, it is an essential component in the life of a believer. 

As we approach the cradle, how have you prepared to receive the gift of Christ more fully this Christmas? Despair not, kids! We still have half of Advent to go. There is time to make room. There is an opportunity to wait with joyful hope. May we kneel at the manger this Christmas with joyful humility and boundless trust. Trusting the gift of Christ will satisfy the longings of our hearts. May you know the gift He is and the gift you are, made in His image and likeness, an unrepeatable miracle. Holy Spirit, guide us, shining bright. 

Fiat mihi, 

K. Coop 

​Venite! Venite! In Bethlehem ​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HwfK6VnHRA

​That mourns in lovely exile here until the Son of God appear ​

​REJOICE! REJOICE! EMMANUEl. Shall come to thee O, Israel. ​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdR79P-2ewo

​There is just one thing I need​

All I want for Christmas is You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL6f6HqrHZY