Rest in peach, Riley Pryor. You were a wonderful, joy-filled grandfather. You taught me how to ride a bike. You introduced me to Little Rascals. You showed me magic with all your tricks with linking rings and horseshoes. You were a wonderful man and will be missed here on earth. I am so very happy that you are in a happy place and no longer suffering. I love you.
My papa is probably going to die tonight, if not this week. I’m honestly feeling a little numb to it right now. I cried at mass. I know he’ll be a lot happier and free from the pain he’s in. I just miss him and I wish I had gotten the chance to see him once more— not only before he died, but before he forgot who I was.
Prayers, please.
❝ Picture yourself when you were five. in fact, dig out a photo of little you at that time and tape it to your mirror. How would you treat her, love her, feed her? How would you nurture her if you were the mother of little you? I bet you would protect her fiercely while giving her space to spread her itty-bitty wings. she’d get naps, healthy food, imagination time, and adventures into the wild. If playground bullies hurt her feelings, you’d hug her tears away and give her perspective. When tantrums or meltdowns turned her into a poltergeist, you’d demand a loving time-out in the naughty chair. From this day forward I want you to extend that same compassion to your adult self.
— Kris Carr (via wordsthat-speak)
Brace yourselves. By the end of tomorrow, the Church Triumphant is about to get that much sexier. Oh yeah.
Kateri Tekakwitha and Pedro Calungsod seem to be getting most of the attention where I’m at, but I strongly encourage you to read up on all the seven “blesseds” who are about to be canonized tomorrow! I’ve attached links for your convenience.
119 notes
7 months ago
Reblog
Today is the feast day of Blessed John Paul II. In light of the election and debates that have been interrupting some people’s precious television shows and clogging our dashes, I’d like to leave with a quotation from him that is so appropriate in light of this: “Radical changes in world politics leave America with a heightened responsibility to be, for the world, an example of a genuinely free, democratic, just and humane society.”
Ora pro nobis! A.M.D.G! Pax et bonum!
❝ We are at Jesus’ disposal. If he wants you to be sick in bed, if he wants you to proclaim His work in the street, if he wants you to clean the toilets all day, that’s all right, everything is all right. We must say, “I belong to you. You can do whatever you like.” And this is our strength, and this is the joy of the Lord.
— Bl. Teresa of Calcutta (via thehappycatholic)
Update
So my grandfather’s condition is getting worse. I found out one month ago that not only does he have Alzheimer’s, but he has a tumor growing in his brain. Due to this, his condition has steadily worsened since. I haven’t been able to visit him— despite my going to Waco where he lives a couple weekends ago. My aunt was visiting and I didn’t want to interrupt or intrude.
I was talking to my mom about visiting him. Basically, I probably won’t be able to.
He falls asleep constantly with or without visitors there. He has hallucinations and thinks there is a little boy or girl playing outside in his backyard. When he does wake up after falling asleep, he acts as if you’ve just arrived to visit.
My mom said mostly now the visits are more to help his wife— my stepgrandmother, JoDean— than to visit with him.
This is a really hard thing for me to handle. Because of my grandma’s terrible condition and Alzheimer’s, I didn’t visit her for the final two years of her life. I lost her last January.
I’m pretty sure that last December on his birthday was the last time I saw him; I’m pretty sure that December 19, 2011— his birthday— is the last time I will ever see him.
But no guilt. That’s the biggest thing I’m working on. I live 130 miles away, so it’s not an easy feat for me to visit him.
No guilt.
He always said, “If I don’t see you, then I’m happy because I know you’re out there living your life and that’s all I could want for you.”
Prayers for myself, my papa and my family.
Pax et bonum.
A.M.D.G.
The Admissions Director of my former high school, Pope John XXIII High School, was killed this morning in a terrible car accident. I didn’t know her because she came in after I graduated, but I cannot imagine the terrible pain that her family and friends as well as faculty members at my alma mater are going through right now from losing her.
Please pray for the repose of her soul, as well as the man in the car with her.
Their names are Meagan Jones and Ricardo Quinton.
Blessed John XXIII, pray for us.
