Recording Our Lady’s Prayer - None

Little Office of the Immaculate Conception

Dear Diary,

Today Sister Mary Claire and I spent a good part of the day recording the Second Part of The Little Office of the Immaculate Conception. It felt important and peaceful all at once, and Sister wanted me to say the words carefully and understand them too, not just read them out. I liked that, because prayers feel warmer when you know what they are really saying.

One prayer especially stayed with me tonight. It called Our Lady the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of Jesus, and even the Mistress of the world. Sister explained that this does not mean Mary is above God, of course, but that God has given her a beautiful place of honor because she is His own dear Mother. And when the prayer says she forsakes no one and despises no one, it means Mary never turns away from us just because we are little or sinful or ashamed. She is always kind enough to look on us with pity and tenderness.

Sister said the prayer is really asking Our Lady to do what loving mothers do best—take our poor needs to Jesus. We ask her to beg forgiveness for our sins and to help us stay close to Him. And the part about celebrating her Immaculate Conception means being glad that from the very beginning God made Mary so pure and lovely for His great plan. Sister said when we honor that gift with true devotion, we are also asking for the grace to reach Heaven ourselves one day, not by our own goodness, but by the grace of Jesus.

I thought that was so beautiful. It made me feel that Mary is not far away in Heaven doing grand things only for saints. She is near us, and gentle, and ready to help even with the prayers of an ordinary girl at a little table with a recording machine. I was glad to think that maybe if I pray slowly and lovingly, Our Lady might hear my voice too and smile a little.

Mini stayed nearby through it all, sometimes watching us as if she understood this was not just talking but praying. By evening I felt tired, but in a good way, like we had done something worth doing.

Evening Prayer

Dear Blessed Mother, please keep me close to Jesus tonight.

Pray for my sins to be forgiven, and help me love purity, gentleness, and goodness more and more.

Thank you for never turning away from poor little souls who need you.

Lay your mantle over Sister Mary Claire, Mini, and me, and lead us safely toward Heaven.

Amen.

Love,

Kathy

Recording Matins

Little Office of the Immaculate Conception

 

Dear Diary,

This Sunday afternoon I finished recording Matins from the Little Office of the Immaculate Conception, and I felt very thankful when it was done. It took a long time because I am so particular about it. Sister Mary Claire helped me all along with the cues and showed me where to pause, where to soften my voice, and where to say the words more clearly. I kept wanting to rehearse certain parts over again until they sounded just right.

It was slow work, but good work. Sometimes I would think I had it, and then Sister would gently have me do that little part once more. I did not mind, because such beautiful prayers ought to be said carefully. When I finally finished Matins, it felt like I had set down a small bouquet for Our Lady.

Mini stayed close by through all of it, watching in her serious little way. Once she gave a deep sigh and curled up as if she thought prayer recording was very tiresome business. But then when I started again, she lifted her head and listened so hard that I told her she was my littlest helper.

Now Matins is finished, and Prime shall be my next project. I already know it will take some time too, because Sister says good prayer should never be rushed, and I believe that is true. So I mean to go on the same way, one careful part at a time, until Prime is done too.

Dear Blessed Mother, please help me pray slowly and faithfully, and let every word I say be for Jesus. Amen.

Love, Kathy

Jesus and His Blessed Mother

Dear Diary,

Today I thought about how Our Lord must have shown Himself first to His Blessed Mother after He rose from the dead. The Bible does not say it plain, but it feels so right. She loved Him more than anyone and stayed faithful even at the Cross, when everything was so sad and dark.

This morning when I went to the chicken house, I reached under dear Omelette and found a beautiful brown egg still warm beneath her feathers. I held it so carefully in my hand and thought how lovely it is when something quiet and hidden turns out to be full of life and sweetness. That made me think of Our Lady waiting in sorrow, still believing, even before the joy of seeing Jesus came.

Then I imagined the moment when Jesus came to her, not suffering anymore, but full of glory and life. All her tears must have turned into happiness. The same dear Son she had loved and held was now shining in heavenly beauty.

It makes me love Our Lady very much to think of her joy. She trusted Jesus through all the darkness, and then she saw His victory. I want to stay close to Him like that too, in happy times and sad ones both.

Evening Prayer:

Dear Blessed Mother, please teach me to trust Jesus always and stay close to Him, just as you did. Amen.

Love,

Kathy

Jesus Kept His Wounds

Dear Diary,

Today’s meditation made me think about how Jesus rose from the dead all full of glory, and still kept the holy wounds in His hands and feet. I kept picturing them not looking sad anymore, but shining like lovely signs of His love. It makes me feel that He never wants us to forget what He suffered for us, and how very much He loves us.

Sister Mary Claire said His wounds are like victory marks now. That thought stayed with me all day. If Jesus kept His wounds in Heaven, then they must be very precious to Him. They tell the whole story of His mercy.

Later on I made a quick trip to the cave with Mini to check on my beaver friend Shaggycoat and to make sure the cave was secure. All was well, thank goodness. The cave felt quiet and safe, and it seemed like a good place to think about brave things. I wondered if I am as brave as I ought to be in little hard things, like being patient, obeying quickly, or offering up small troubles without complaining.

The saints loved to think about the wounds of Jesus because they wanted to stay close to Him no matter what. I do too. I want to love Him not only when things are easy, but also when something costs me a little.

Evening Prayer:

Dear Jesus, let Your holy wounds remind me how much You love me. Help me be brave in little hard things, and teach me to love You back with all my heart. Amen.

Love,

Kathy

Kathy is very busy recording all of your Favorite Prayers

The Angelic Salutation

Dear Diary,

Today at school Sister Mary Claire taught me something lovely about the Hail Mary. She said it is such a little prayer, but it carries a whole great deal inside it. Part of it comes from the angel’s own words to Mary in the Bible, and then part of it is us asking Our Lady to pray for us.

Sister said the name of Jesus sits right in the very middle of the prayer, and that is just where He belongs—not only in the Hail Mary, but in everything. I liked that thought very much. She also said when we pray “now and at the hour of our death,” it means we can ask Mary to help us in our everyday life, and also at the very end, when we will need Heaven most.

It made me think the Hail Mary is small enough for a schoolgirl to learn by heart, but deep enough to keep teaching her all her life.

Evening Prayer:

Dear Blessed Mother, please help me pray the Hail Mary slowly and with love, and always bring me closer to Jesus. Amen.

Love, Kathy

What I Learned Today at St. Mary’s School

 

Dear Diary,

Today at St. Mary’s School, Sister Mary Claire taught me that the Our Father is not just a prayer to hurry through because we already know it by heart. She said it is really a way to help us live.

I liked that it begins with “Our Father,” because that means God is not just my Father all by myself. He is our Father, and that means we belong to Him together. It made me think how life is not supposed to be only about what I want.

Then Sister said when we pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are asking that heaven’s goodness might come even into our regular days. Into school days and church days and even chore days.

The part about daily bread stood out to me most. It made me think that God wants me to trust Him for today. Not to be so full of worry about every tomorrow. Just to ask Him for today’s help and today’s strength.

Sister also said that when we ask God to forgive us as we forgive others, it means we have to let go of our hard feelings too. That part is not always easy, but it is good and true.

And at the end, when we ask not to be led into temptation, it means we are admitting that we need God to help us stay good. We cannot do it all by ourselves.

So I think the Our Father is a prayer for the whole day, not just for church. It teaches us to love God, think of others, trust Him one day at a time, forgive, and ask for His help.

Love,

Kathy 

The Cornerstone of Faith

Dear Diary,

I knew I was in trouble when Sister Mary Claire said we ought to scrub the old schoolhouse behind St. Mary’s. It has been closed for years, so it was a mighty dusty job.

Mini kept us company while we worked, and at the end Sister gave me her very first school handout about the Resurrection. She said the lesson came from her old meditation book, the one she inherited from a nun sister in Ireland. I noticed Sister had written #1 in the corner, and that made me think this was not just one of Sister’s passing whims.

Dear Jesus, help me do hard jobs with a cheerful heart, and bless Sister Mary Claire and little Mini. Amen.

Love, Kathy.

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