Jackpot!!!

I did get to go to Mass today and hit the scripture jackpot! 2 of my favorites in one Mass! I also hit the homily jackpot...more on that later.

Num 24-26
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace!

AND

Luke 2:19
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.

The first one from Numbers is special to me because my dad always prayed this over us when we had bad dreams at night. He used this verse to drive away our fear and comfort us as children and this passage is now a source of comfort to me as an adult. It makes me feel strengthened and uplifted. After I told him that this was a very special verse to me, he prayed it over my husband and I when he married us in 1999 which just made it even more personal to me.

The second verse from Luke is one I have come to love since becoming a mother. I fully understand keeping things in my heart and reflecting on them. Every time I hear this verse, I think of my children and how fast time with them is going. Yesterday was Big Bear's birthday and while rocking Campo to sleep and trying to cherish every second I had holding him as a baby I was just bawling about how fast my children are growing and changing before my eyes. This verse hit me especially hard at Mass today in the extremely hormonal state I'm in right now. I was thinking today that it seems the post partum stuff hits me strong about this time with each kiddo - at about 3 or 4 weeks. Not anything major or that even needs intervention (besides just getting out of the house or doing little things for myself). It's just that stuck inside going stir crazy kind of blues. With a newborn's feeding schedule being every 2-3 hours, it gets hard to distinguish between different days after a while. You're always up and down with them removing the perspective of the passage of time that a whole night's sleep gives you.

So, in this light, I was very appreciative of Fr. J's great homily today (so much so that I wanted to stand up and clap when he was done) which gave me a new perspective on this awesome verse. The main message that I got from it was to take time out of our busy schedules each day to ponder in our own hearts what Jesus has done for us and in us so that we can see Him working and moving in our lives. This is something that I really need to do. I don't do the New Year's resolution thing. I know that I won't stick to it which leads to disappointment in myself and I don't need that in my life - especially right now. But, it is the time of year that lends itself to reflection on what we need to change or improve and this is one area of my life that I know needs improvement. Fr. J. just gave me a little more motivation and direction for this quiet time.

Boy...see what happens when you get to go to Mass! Plus, I ran into a few sweet friends who all told me that I looked great. I'm sure it's just something people always say to women who have just had a baby but true or not it is always something you need to hear after having a baby! Feed that vanity baby!