Dear Diary,
There was no church today because it is six below zero, and they say it feels more like twenty below. Everyone is staying home and keeping as warm as possible, close to their wood and coal heaters. Most folks are only making quick trips outside to do what needs to be done, and then hurrying right back in.
Mini has been the brave one today. She takes her quick little hikes around the yard, does what needs doing, and then comes flying back to the door with her ears flat and her paws cold. I stayed indoors where it was warm and watched from the window, thankful for the stove and the quiet.
Sister Mary Clare and I did our meditation together from her Convent Book—the one she used during her formation, when she was learning how to be a Sister. Today it was about Our Lady consenting to become the Mother of God. Sister explained that Mary did not fully know what lay ahead, but she trusted God completely. Her yes was gentle, humble, and brave, and because of that yes, Jesus came into the world.
Sister said that even when we stay hidden and warm, we can still make our own little yes to God—by obeying, by trusting, and by offering Him our day just as it is.
My resolution for today:
I will try to say yes to God in small, quiet ways, even when I would rather stay comfortable, and I will trust Him like Mary did.
Love,
Kathy
Dear Diary,
It was 25 degrees this morning, and everything looked fresh and quiet after the night snow. We had another two inches, but the roads were clear. Sister and I bundled up, and Mini came with us, her little paws making tidy prints in the snow. Before long Robert waved, picked us up, and off we went, the pickup humming steadily as we headed toward church.
On the way, Sister talked to me about Today’s Meditation. She said it might seem a little rigorous, because it was written especially for nuns, who live very careful and disciplined lives. But she told me that even so, everyone can benefit from it. She said the heart of the meditation is about being faithful in small things, especially in prayer, and not growing careless during Advent.
Sister explained that one of the important points is learning to be quiet inside, even when there are busy thoughts and cold mornings. She said God speaks gently, and Advent is a good time to practice listening. Another point was about doing our daily duties carefully, not rushing through them, because love shows in how we do ordinary things.
At Mass, Father LeRoy expanded on today’s meditation from his own copy. He said Advent is not meant to make us tense or afraid, but watchful and hopeful, like waiting by the window for someone you love very much. He said discipline helps keep our hearts ready for Jesus.
After Mass, Mini stayed close and content, and as we drove home the snow sparkled in the light. I felt peaceful inside and thankful that Sister helped me understand the meditation better. It isn’t about being hard on ourselves, but about loving Jesus more carefully each day.
My Resolution:
Today I will try to pray more carefully and do my chores without rushing, and when my thoughts wander, I will gently turn them back to Jesus.
Love,
Kathy
Dear Diary,
This morning Sister and I woke up to a world all white and soft, the snowflakes coming down like tiny feathers shaken from Heaven. It was only 23 degrees outside, and Robert said the roads were too slippery for his pickup, so Sister decided we would stay home from Mass and say our prayers right here in our warm little house.
Mini curled up by the stove, and Sister read aloud the Meditation for Thursday. I held my little blanket around my shoulders and tried to picture the Angel Gabriel standing in the quiet room at Nazareth, with Mary looking so humble and gentle.
What touched my heart the most was how Mary got troubled—not because she was scared of the angel, but because she was so humble she couldn’t imagine being praised like that. Sister said that real holiness never looks at itself, and that made me think. Sometimes I feel proud over small things, like finishing my chores early or making Sister smile. Mary shows a better way—thinking more about God than about ourselves.
The angel said, “Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.”
I liked that part best. Sister says when a thought gives peace, it is from God, and when a thought makes me jittery or fretful, it is not from Him. So today I want to hold onto Mary’s peace, like a warm mitten in the cold.
Before we closed our prayer book, I looked at Sister’s face in the lamplight. She loves these meditations so much, and I love learning them with her. Even though we missed Mass, I felt close to God just the same.
My Resolution:
Today I will try to speak softly and kindly, and not use too many words. Just simple ones that make peace.
Love,
Kathy
Dear Diary,
This morning, before the sun was fully up, Sister Mary Claire and I knelt beside our beds, with little Mini curled right between us, warm and wiggly. We prayed the Our Father, and then Sister had me think especially hard about the Hail Mary—just the part we read in our meditation today: “Hail Mary… the Lord is with thee.”
Sister said those words were the angel Gabriel’s very own greeting, and that they weren’t just a title or a compliment—they were the truth of Mary’s whole life. God was already with her from the very first instant she existed, filling her with His grace. I tried to imagine that quiet little house in Nazareth suddenly filled with light as the angel bowed before her. And Mary, so gentle and beautiful, wasn’t afraid because her heart was already God’s dwelling place.
Since Robert is out of town for a couple of days, Sister and I bundled up and walked to church along the gravel road. The snow was crisp under our boots, and Mini kept stopping to poke her face into the drifts. Sister held my mittened hand, and I kept thinking, Mary walked simple paths too… and God was with her in every step.
At Mass, Father LeRoy preached almost the exact same thing we read, which made Sister smile at me because we both knew he was using the same meditation book. Father said Mary wasn’t just visited by God—she was His home. And when we pray the Hail Mary, we echo the Angel’s greeting. It made me feel like Heaven comes a little closer each time I say it.
Father reminded us that when Mary gave her “Yes,” Jesus took His place within her, bringing all the treasures of Heaven with Him. And when we receive Holy Communion, Jesus comes to us too—not in the same way, but still truly and lovingly. That thought made my heart feel warm, even in the cold church.
Walking back home, Sister said softly, “If God was with Mary so perfectly, we should try to let Him be with us too—by doing His Will in the little things.” I thought about that all the way home, watching Mini scamper ahead like she knew the way by heart.
So today I want to slow down when I say the Hail Mary and remember that Mary is still full of God’s grace, and she wants to help me stay close to Him too.
Resolution:
I will say the Hail Mary slowly and remember that God was with Mary in every moment—and He wants to be near me too.
Spiritual Bouquet:
One loving Hail Mary for someone who needs to feel God close today.
Love,
Kathy
Dear Diary,
This morning Sister Mary Claire and I knelt beside our beds, with Mini squeezing herself right between us like she always does. We began our prayers with the Our Father and the Hail Mary. The room was still dim and quiet, and I could hear the soft creak of the house waking up as we prayed.
Afterward, Sister explained the words “Hail Mary, full of grace.” She said the angel didn’t just greet Mary the way people greet each other—he spoke the truth of what her heart already was. Mary was full of God, clear through, like a cup filled to the very top where even one more drop would spill over. Sister told me that’s why the angel bowed, not because Mary was powerful, but because she was perfectly open to God’s love.
I tried to picture Mary hearing those words for the very first time—maybe standing in her quiet home, maybe holding a little clay jug, maybe feeling startled and peaceful all at once. Sister said every time we say the Hail Mary, we’re repeating the angel’s words and remembering how close God came to us through her. And Mary, being a Mother, never lets a prayer go unanswered—she takes it and gives us a little grace back, just the kind we need.
Mini kept her ears in airplane mode the entire time, like she understood something holy was happening. I touched her soft side and whispered, “Our Lady loves puppies too,” and Sister smiled a tiny smile.
My Resolution:
Today I want to say each Hail Mary slowly and lovingly, remembering that Mary is full of God’s grace—and she wants to help me be full of grace too.
Sister just reminded me it’s time to get ready for church, so I’ll put my pencil down now. Mini is already prancing at the door.
Love,
Kathy
Dear Diary,
This morning at St. Mary’s, everything felt extra quiet and holy. Father LeRoy read a poem by William Wordsworth called The Virgin. He told us Mary was the one person God made completely pure—so pure that not even the tiniest shadow of sin ever touched her. That’s what the poem meant when it said her heart was “uncrost with the least shade of thought to sin.”
Father added something that surprised me. He said William Wordsworth was actually a Protestant, but in his time many Protestants still held a deep love and respect for Mary, following the devotion that had always been part of the first Church. Father said this shows how Mary’s beauty and goodness can touch any heart, no matter where a person comes from.
The line that stayed with me most was when Father said Mary is “our tainted nature’s solitary boast.” Even though we all have faults, Mary is God’s perfect flower—His way of showing how beautiful a soul can be when it belongs completely to Him. The poet said nothing on earth is as pure as she is, not even ocean foam or the moon before it begins to wane.
Father reminded us that people kneel before Mary because she is our Mother in Heaven, and her heart is always turned toward us. She brings heaven close to earth just by loving God so perfectly.
When we stepped outside, the cold air sparkled, and Mini hopped into the pickup like she knew it was a special feast day.
My Daily Resolution:
Today I will give Mary a small gift by keeping my thoughts kind and gentle, and whispering a Hail Mary each time I think of her.
Love,
Kathy
The Virgin
by William Wordsworth
Mother! whose virgin bosom was uncrost
With the least shade of thought to sin allied.
Woman! above all women glorified,
Our tainted nature’s solitary boast;
Purer than foam on central ocean tost;
Brighter than eastern skies at daybreak strewn
With fancied roses, than the unblemished moon
Before her wane begins on heaven’s blue coast;
Thy image falls to earth. Yet some, I ween,
Not unforgiven the suppliant knee might bend,
As to a visible Power, in which did blend
All that was mixed and reconciled in thee
Of mother’s love with maiden purity,
Of high with low, celestial with terrene!
Dear Diary,
This morning Robert drove us to St. Mary’s, and he had the heater going good and warm in the pickup. He lifted Mini onto Sister’s lap the way he always does, and Mini looked so proud, like she had an important seat in a parade. The roads were frosty and sparkly, and everything felt very Advent-quiet.
At church, Sister whispered that today’s meditation came from the same book Father uses for his homilies, so we already had a little hint of what the Gospel would be about—St. John sending his messengers to Jesus and asking, “Art Thou He that art to come?” It sounded so old and beautiful, like a Christmas card that came to life.
Two things stayed with me:
First, Sister explained that Jesus didn’t just say who He was—He let the messengers see His works. The blind saw, the lame walked, and the poor heard the Gospel. Sister said, “Kathy, people should be able to see our faith, not just hear it.” That made me think about how even small kindnesses can show Jesus to others.
Second, Sister said St. John kept hoping even in prison. He sent messengers because he wanted to stay close to Jesus. Advent is when we get to do the same—send our own “little messengers,” like prayers and good deeds, so our hearts don’t grow fussy or forgetful.
When we got home, the cold felt even sharper, so Mini and I only peeked at the coop and hurried back inside. Sister invited Robert in for a cup of warm milk and honey to thank him for the ride, and he sat with us a few minutes. Mini curled right up at his feet like she always does. We talked a bit more about Father’s homily, and Robert said he wished he had a couple of messengers who could help him when his pickup won’t behave.
My Resolution for Today:
I will try to show my faith by what I do—small helps, small kindnesses—and send these “messengers” to Jesus all day long. And I will keep my heart hopeful, like St. John did, even when things feel difficult.
Love,
Kathy
