Ubi Caritas

This post could be my Pre-Valentine gift to you. ;o)

Yesterday's second reading was 1 Cor 12:31—13:13 Or 13:4-13

Brothers and sisters:

Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.

But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues,

but do not have love,

I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy,

and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;

if I have all faith so as to move mountains,

but do not have love, I am nothing.

If I give away everything I own,

and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,

but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.

It is not jealous, it is not pompous,

It is not inflated, it is not rude,

it does not seek its own interests,

it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,

it does not rejoice over wrongdoing

but rejoices with the truth.

It bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;

if tongues, they will cease;

if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.

For we know partially and we prophesy partially,

but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,

think as a child, reason as a child;

when I became a man, I put aside childish things.

At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,

but then face to face.

At present I know partially;

then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.

So faith, hope, love remain, these three;

but the greatest of these is love.

During communion we sang Ubi Caritas.  The video below is of Connie Dover singing, and it's my favorite!

Here are the words in Latin with the English translation from her website.

Ubi Caritas

Ubi caritas et amor Deus ibi est

Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor

Exsultemus et in ipso jucundemur

Et ex corde diligamus nos sincere

Ubi caritas et amor Deus ibi est

Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur

Ne nos mente dividamur caveamus

Cessent jurgia maligna, cessent lites

Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus

Ubi caritas et amor Deus ibi est

Simul quoque cum beatis videamus

Glorianter vultum tuum, Christe Deus

Gaudium quod est immensum atque probum

Seacula per infinita saeculorum

Translation from Latin to English

Where love and loving-kindness are together, God is always there

Since Christ's love has gathered us all together in one company,

Let us rejoice and take delight in Him, now and forever,

Let us now without any reserve or deception love one another.

Where love and loving-kindness are together, God is always there,

Therefore, whenever we are together,

Let us not be divided from each other in our feelings;

Let spite, quarreling and strife cease among us, and may Christ, who is God, be in our midst.

Where love and loving-kindness are together, God is always there

Bring us, in the company of the blessed, to behold Your great beauty,

To see Your face in glory, Christ our God,

There to possess heaven's peace and joy, Your truth and love,

Happiness of immeasurable excellence,

Through unending ages of ages, world without end.

Words: Anonymous, ca.9th Century

Music composed and arranged by Connie Dover

From the CD, The Wishing Well, by Connie Dover © Taylor Park Music

The text of this song dates from the 9th Century, and may be found in Graduale Sacrosancte Romance Ecclesia de Tempore et de Sanctus, a collection of Gregorian chants for the Roman Catholic Mass.

Happy Feast of St John Bosco!

It's been so long since my last post!  I thought a post on one of my favorite saint, St John Bosco, would be a good way to get back here.

St. John Bosco, from Saints for Young Readers for Every Day,Vol. 1

St. John Bosco was born near Turin, Italy. Like many Saints, he was a poor farm lad, who was brought up by his holy mother in the love of God and Our Lady. John's father died when he was young and his mother had to work very hard to feed her family. John, too, worked as hard as he could to help his mother. He was an intelligent lad, who knew how to keep his playmates from offending God. He would do tricks to win their attention and then he would talk to them about spiritual things.

In order to become a priest, John had to work his way through school. He did all kinds of work. He was a carpenter, a shoemaker, a cook, a pastry-maker, a farmer, and many other things. At the same time he was a fine student and always happy and cheerful.

After he became a priest, Don Bosco, which means Father Bosco, began his great mission of helping orphan boys. He gathered together hundreds of these boys who had no home. He taught them all kinds of work, so that they would not steal and get into trouble. At first people were angry with Don Bosco, because they did not think those boys would turn out to be good. But he proved that they would.

"Do you want to be Don Bosco's friend?" he would ask each new boy who came to him. "You do? Then, you must help me save your soul." Every night, he wanted his boys to say three Hail Mary's, so that the Blessed Mother would help them avoid sin. He also recommended that they go to Confession and Communion as often as possible.

One of Don Bosco's boys became a saint, St. Dominic Savio.

     

                                                                 

Later on, Don Bosco founded two Religious Orders to take care of poor children and he also built many homes and schools for them.

Let us help our parents at home as much as we can. The more things we learn to do, the better we can serve God.

                                           


You can find a nice online picture book of St John Bosco here for part one and here for part two.  Another one here and a comic book here.  Check them out.


                                           


St John Bosco was named the Apostle of Youth.  Gifted as he was as an educator and a leader, Don Bosco formulated a system of education based on reason, religion and kindness. 


Here are some quotes from St John Bosco, especially chosen for my sons, and for parents.

                   "Do you want to do a good deed? Teach the young!

                   Do you want to perform a holy act? Teach the young!

                   Do you want to do a holy thing? Teach the young!

                   Truly, now and for the future, among holy things, this is the holiest."

"[When asked about the secret of his immense success with the young, he simply replied]

Love."

"Strive to make people love you rather than fear you. When commanding or correcting,

always make those concerned understand that you are prompted by a desire to do them

good and not by a whim. Put up with anything if it is a question of avoiding sin. Direct

every effort to your boys’ spiritual well-being."

"...[do you want to outwit the devil? Never let him catch you idle. Work, study, pray, and

 you will be surely overcome your spiritual enemy."

"Always tend to think well of other people. Give them credit, at least, for their good

intentions. Never throw back into their faces wrong already forgiven. Do good to all,

harm to no one."

"Gentleness is the favorite virtue of Jesus Christ."

"You can fly to Heaven on the wings of confession and Communion."

"Remember the precept that St. John the Evangelist used to give to his disciples: “Love

one another.” Since it is not a mere exhortation, but a command, it would be sinful to do

otherwise. Therefore, do away with insults, quarrels, envy, revenge, mockery, or bad will.

Be good to one another. This will prove that you love each other like brothers."

                                                      

"I want no long-faced saints."

                                                                 

                                                          Saint John Bosco pray for us!

Ava is a Big Sister!

Gabriella Audet was born August 22, at 3:45 pm.  She is 8 lb 4 ounces and is 21 1/2 inches long.  She is just beautiful!  Big sister Ava is very happy with "baby Gabby" and said that she is pretty.  She wants to hold "it" as much as she can.  I think Gabriella will have two mommies. 

Barely over two hours old!  Just precious!

The girls, Ava and Ella 

Gabriella and aunt Lydia

Congratulations to Gabriel and Shannon!    

What a sweet little family!

My Maman with her Angel's Shoulder Shawl

Laurence who was due on his dad's fiftieth birthday (April 26), was born May 8, on my mother's birthday.  A few weeks ago I sent my mother, Gisèle, a shawl knitted with Aloft from KnitPicks in Pennyroyal.  Today I received some pictures my dad took of his beloved wife wearing her Angel's Shoulder Shawl as he calls it.  Isn't she beautiful.  Je t'aime maman!  

My mother did the needlework of the Girl Reading using extra small stitches for the face and hands.  

I hope to be as lovely as my maman when I grow older.

Lydia's Graduation

This Saturday, May 12, Lydia graduated from Belmont Abbey College, our fourth child to graduate from this wonderful college.  It was also my brother's Claude's birthday. Bonne fête Claude!  

Lydia received a bachelor degree in Biology.  Since she is still undecided about graduate school, she is taking a sabbatical year.  We are are all happy to have her with us for a little longer. .  

Cum Laude, Yeah!  Good for you Lydia!

We are proud of you!

You are such a gentle soul.

You are truly beautiful inside and out!

Her fan club

Processing out.  I love the bagpipes!

In front of the Adoration Chapel.
Lydia's dorm room was right across the street.  She could see the chapel from her window.

These past years, Lydia spent many hours here in front of her Lord.

Lydia and Sébastien, who graduated  two years ago from Belmont.

Afterward, Sébastien grilled some hot dogs and hamburgers for us.  He lives in Charlotte.

Chicks, Goslings, Ducklings and Poults

Today, we received our BIG order from Cackle Hatchery.  The boys spent three hours in the coop, even skipping breakfast.  That's saying something!  We now have 66 chicks, 2 goslings, 3 poults (baby turkeys), and 6 ducklings.  

The chickens are 5 Light Brahmas, 5 Golden Laced Wyandottes, 5 Salmon Faverolles, 5 Araucanas, 5 Partridge Rocks, and 5 Buff Orpingtons.  We also ordered 2 White Pekin Ducks, 2 Rouen ducks, 2 Ancona ducks.   We purchased 10 Assorted Standard Cochins, and a Happy Cackle Special which includes a pair of ducklings (we think there are also Pekin Ducks), a pair of goslings that we believe are White Chinese since Cackled only carries two kind of white geese and we requested that they do not send Embden (we used to have some rather aggressive ones),  3 turkeys (they sent an extra one) those are Black Spanish for sure,  10 pullets, 1 rooster and 10 assorted rare chicks. It's going to be fun to try to identity what they are as they grow up.

A gosling, and a duckling (White Pekin) on Dominique's legs.

A poult.  They look so funny!

Matthias dipped each chicks' beak into the water, so they can find it later.

More ducklings.  We ALL felt in love with the ducklings!

I couldn't resist holding some of the chicks.

This one is very fluffy.  It is a Cochin, see the feathers on its feet.  It's probably a white one.

Busy at the feeder

Those little fuzz balls are so cute!

 They are already eating greens from the garden.  Look at the duckling pecking Dominique's shirt.

What a beauty!  Probably a splash Cochin.

They have to be handled gently.  Laurence is doing a great job!

Tenderness!  And look at Dominique's grinning face.

Laurence removed his boots to make sure he wouldn't crush any.

That's a lot of chicks!  They are all trying to get some of the hard boiled egg yolk we gave them.

All that fuzziness.

We have plenty of lettuce in the garden to supplement their feed.

Laurence's Birthday

Laurence is 10!  Oh, my....

I don't usually post twice in a day, but that's my present for my mom.  Bonne fête maman!   Lots of pictures for you.  We miss you.

What!

KITTENS!!!!

It didn't take long for Laurence to decide to name this one Martin (the Warrior).  A fitting name,  if your familiar with the Redwall books.

Mariel the brave!  

And this one on the left is Marlfox, very foxy indeed!

Madalyn is very smitten by the kittens!

After Laurence came back from the cinema, they went to see The Avengers, he had his birthday cake.  Notice the shirt.  This was totally unplanned.  Laurence just changed into it to go to the movie without noticing.  I realized the coincidence only after I downloaded this picture.  The shirt Leo wore for his birthday was the one Laurence wore at Leo's parents wedding rehearsal dinner.  This one on Laurence is a hand-me-down from Matthias.  Too neat!