Seven Favorite Christmas Carols

Seven of my favorite carols, chosen at random:
1. Hey for Christmas Baltimore Consort, Bright Day Star Custer LaRue: What a name. what a voice!
2. While Shepherds watched Sherburne If you've never heard this shapenote version—do yourself a favor--marvelous!
3. Silent night , Johnny Cash -- just listen
4. Il est ne , The Bells of Dublin, The Chieftains. I used to imagine my daughters doing a circle dance to this, as they sweetly sang! never happened...I love this album because it sounds like a bunch of friends getting together and making music and having fun!
5. Daquin’s Noel (for organ) I would love to hear this before Midnight Mass some year.
6. Lo how a Rose e'er blooming
7. Christmas is Coming A Christmas Together, John Denver and the Muppets. This whole album is fun---this song gives you a taste.

The peaceable kingdom!

I’ve been thinking about this prayer because the opening line was quoted several times during the Pope’s recent visit to Great Britain. Fr. Larry had it printed up on his ordination cards, and I’ve always liked it, but had forgotten about it:

The Mission of My Life
God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.

As one who often feels perplexed, I especially like the reference to how my perplexity may serve Him.

This and more of Newman’s prayers can be found here.

"Is Kristin a Brat?"

I was reading this post about Kristin Lavransdatter, (one of my all-time favorite books, highly recommended), which I got to from here (another post about KL) when I read this quote from KL's author Sigrid Undset:

Is there something we ought to have known but weren’t told, and is that why we do such terribly stupid things with our lives?

Boy, can I relate to that! It so often seems like I'm wandering around in the dark...

Be Bold!!!

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"To write is to think, and to write well is to think well," David McCullough once said in conversation. - - read this morning in an article by Peggy Noonan

Words to live by...

Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
.....Howard Thurman

Thanks to Happy Catholic!