so the day dawn for me

so the day dawn for me
St. Margaret's Convent, Roxbury MA

So the day dawn for me,

so the day break,

Christ watching over me,

Christ as I wake.

Be the day shine for me,

be the day bright,

Christ my companion be,

Christ be my light.

Wonder, Love and Praise #750

Timothy Dudley Smith

sunrise from the roof of St. Margaret's Convent, Boston

practice

I was going to blog about Mary Magdalene, whose day it is today.

Or maybe Margaret of Antioch, our patron saint, whose feast was Wednesday.

However...

Consider this:

and this:

  Boston isn't quite there yet, but we're catching up!

We get closer when considering the heat index.

Wonder what that is for Port-au-Prince!

So...

Despite my current resemblance to the Wicked Witch of the West as she melts, I give great thanks for water.

Cold water.

Cold, potable water.

A real blessing.

song at nightfall

Compline bells are ringing at the convent...

As night falls tonight, I am thankful for a retreat day resting in God.  I went out on the roof a while ago to watch the sun set and was reminded again that for some reason I feel God's presence very closely when I do so.  There is something about the sky that reminds me that God loves me, and I am at peace.



sunset over Boston from the SSM convent roof

 And so very quietly I sang my prayer on the roof in gratitude and praise.

The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended:
The darkness falls at thy behest.
To thee our morning hymns ascended;
thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

evening sky over Boston from St. Margaret's Convent roof

nightfall over Boston from the SSM convent roof

I have found a recording of this hymn on YouTube if you would like to sing your own prayer tonight along with the choir of the Abbey School, Tewkesbury.

rainy morning, pre-dawn



SSM Boston chapel roof and sky, rainy morning, pre-dawn



red, white and blueberry



Sr. Claire Marie's fabulous blueberry cake

 Just for the record, I want to make sure you all know that Sr. Claire Marie makes the best blueberry cake ever.

And then there were grilled cheeseburgers. And corn on the cob. And watermelon.   And later tonight, the Boston Pops on TV along with the fireworks seen from our rooftop.  It doesn't get better than this.

Much to be thankful for today.  And many people for whom to be thankful as well.  We consider the big picture on Independence Day, from whatever angle we are coming, but we also can give thanks for the people who do the little things that make life good.

Sr. Claire Marie, here's a fourth of July "hooray!" for you! 

on the stories of others

The post linked below is worth your time to read. It is two posts, actually, one embedded in another. They're about writing about Haiti. How much can one say? understand? When does the listening help to heal? When does it become better to listen and not tell? When must the story be told - and how must it be told when it is not yours? These writers find their own lives entwined with these stories, and yet they must always be separating the threads of their own lives, their own perspectives and biases, their own pain, from that of others whose story needs to be shared. When do we choose, and how?

So now I'm wondering what will it be like for me to try to blog from Haiti again. Will I want to make my entries completely separate - my story and the stories around me? I can't see how that is possible. I can only tell a story through my own eyes. But then, I have it easy: I'm not a journalist. I'm not a semi-professional blogger. I can only share what I live or what I have heard - and much of what I hear there will not be mine to share. So much pain. As this blogger points out, there is a responsibility that comes with writing, especially stories such as these. I will need to pray for the grace to respond wisely.

I am grateful for this blog entry, and I hope you will find it thought-provoking as well. Here it is: http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/2011/07/telling-stories.html

squirrel recess



three squirrels chasing each other around the front yard of the convent
(the third one is in those tall leaves to the right)

 Well, the kids are out of class - or something!  There were at least five squirrels chasing each other around the front yard of the convent this morning.  We got a couple of shots and a short video of a few of them. Too bad we couldn't get all the action at once!  It was very funny.  Just the thing as I was leaving with a sister in tow, a little sad to be heading out for my last monthly bilingual youth service at St. Luke's-San Lucas.  God is good. So hard to believe it's been almost a year there.

I thought I'd share this so as to brighten your day as well. 





Is it safe to come down yet?



sing to the Lord a new song



mocking bird atop SSM Boston chapel cross

 This little mockingbird has been singing his heart out from the cross on top of our convent chapel. My room is on the third floor, so I can peer up and see who is making all that music. 

I have woken to birdsong every morning this week, and I finally figured out that it was not a variety of birds making most of that music, though the song varies widely.  Sometimes it is simple; other times much more complex. 

We can also hear it in chapel.  We have quiet before the services, of course, but also between readings, so the birdsong comes in the window loud and clear.  Sr. Emily Louise enjoys it even more than I do, I think, judging from her expressions in the time before services begin.  This morning I gather his (her?) repetoire included a cuckoo song.   I'll have to take her word for that!

I am quite sure that enjoying this gift of God is part of our prayer during this time, and I am thankful. 

Let all creation bless the Lord!  That means mockingbirds and cuckoos - and us, too.