The Tahoe Boys

This year vacations were split. Joe was able to go up to Tahoe with Matthew, Kieran, Thomas, Joseph, Stephen, Michael and Fulton. He stayed at the time share his parents graciously offered us this year. They had a wonderful time. Sheila was away in Madrid, Spain with 1.5 million youth who just happen to be Pope Benedict XVI's closest friends in the Catholic Church, more on her pilgrimage later, and John, Claire and I were at home working on strengthening since she has been home from the hospital.
As you can see from the pictures the boyz had a wonderful time and they are so grateful for the opportunity to swim, hike and pray up in the Sierras. It is truly a beautiful part of the world!!

Happy Birthday Joseph!!!

Joseph is 10, not 46 as the candles indicate. The Murray family may need some new candles, some have been a little over used. We will work on it in the future.

Summer Fun!!

Summer is still with us!! Thank God! I am enjoying this time away from school with a different schedule.
The boys love swimming... and swim daily. We love this season of warm weather, barbecuing, and longer days.
School is just around the corner, but for now thank God for the summer!!

Father and Son backpacking trip 2011

Joe, Kieran, Thomas, and Joseph had a wonderful time in the Sierras last week!! It was a great weekend!!
This is an opportunity for fathers and sons to get together, hike, have mass, have confession, and hear great mediations. Thank God in His goodness for the wonderful work of Opus Dei!!

Stephen's Reenactment

"26 yrs. of WYD" by Grassroots films is below.
Here is Stephen's reenactment.
This is classic Stephen.

26 Years of World Youth Days

The Giants Win for the Murrays!!

June Birthdays!!!

Happy Birthday Kieran and Stephen!!!
Kieran is 14!! and Stephen is 8!!

Claire Update

Please continue to pray for Claire.  She has been in the hospital for a month and is doing physical and occupational therapy.  She is working very hard and getting stronger everyday.  Your prayers sustain her and our family.  God Bless you!!

Computer Problems

I have been behind for over a month on blogging.  My computer crashed again, and I had to wait for the fan to be replaced.  Once the computer was working I made it a point to back up all of the necessary files just in case this happens again.  It is a difficult transition when you have access to everything you think you need at the push of button, and later find yourself not being able to have a button to push.  I don't want to rely on technology as I do.  Many times it is a blessing and a curse.  Thank you Lord for allowing me to trust you, and for showing me Your way.

A time for Sacraments for the Murrays

Stephen and Claire received sacraments this weekend.  Stephen received First Communion and Claire received Confirmation.  The family attended and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit certainly rested upon us this weekend.
I read a commentary that I want to share.  It is very beautiful:
"Yielding to the Holy Spirit"
"Tears are the humble, created water of my heart that corresponds to the powerful uncreated water of the Spirit's life in me.  Tears are perhaps the most rejuvenating and re-creating water of all, the evidence that I have allowed grace to melt the ice at the center of my being.  As Leon Bloy says strikingly, where there are tears, there is the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit of God is always, as at the beginning, 'hovering over the waters.' What areas of my life are still rigid, refusing to yield to resistance and be shaped by God's fingers?....
In what parts of my person do I still allow the old inflexible grouch of sin to have his way?  Each one of us, according to our state in life, has different strategies for allowing the old Adam and Eve to survive in us.  We may have that rascal, the decrepit old self, locked away safely, but surreptitiously we still pass him food through the slot in the dungeon door, do we not?
The Glory of God is always found in movements of love, in communication of life, never in static routine cramped piety, thoughtless repetition of official acts of conventional observance, external religious acts that could easily become the letter that kills, the continuing tyranny of the old, sinful self.  The Spirit by contrast, is wind, fire, light, water, Glory; the unexpected, the transforming, the self communicating, the self-outpouring Power that shapes by embracing and not letting go.  The way of the disciple is necessarily a way of discipline, because discipleship is the living school in which we learn how to be like Christ by intimate association with Him."

Stephen's First Holy Communion

Veni, Sancte Spiritus

This is so beautiful.  I love reciting it together during the Pentecost mass.
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.
You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul's most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Shine with these hearts of yours,
And our most inmost being fill!
Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought
Nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:
bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gifts descend;
Give the virtue's sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end. Amen.
Alleluia

Claire's Confirmation

Life on the Rock - Nun Essential - Fr. Mark and Doug with Sr. Miriam Jam...

Sr. Miriam James SOLT - She is Awesome!!!
"Our deepest longings of our heart are found in Jesus, and we are LOVED"

The May Magnificat.

I came upon this beautiful poem dedicated to the Blessed Mother and her month of  May.  I found it in the back of the Book with the Divine Office.  I never would have found it if my book had not fallen and opened to the page.  I love it.  It is also a tribute to mothers who try to model after the Blessed Mother with God's grace.  I thought I would share it with you.  I do hope you enjoy it.


May is Mary's month, and I

Muse at that and wonder why:
         Her feasts follow reason
         Dated due to season-


Candlemas, Lady Day
But the Lady Month, May,
          Why fasten that upon her
          With a feasting in her honour

Is it only its being brighter
Than the most are must delight her?
           Is it opportunist?
           And flowers find soonest?

Ask of her, the mighty mother:
Her reply puts this other
            Question what is Spring?
            Growth in everything

Flesh and fleece, fur and feather,
grass and greenworld all together;
            Star-eyed strawberry-breasted 
            Throstle above her nested

Cluster of bugle blue eggs thin

Forms and warms the life within;
            And bird and blossom swell
             In sod or sheath or shell

All things rising, all things sizing
Mary sees sympathizing
           With that world of good
            Nature's motherhood 

Their magnifying of each its kind
With delight calls to mind
           How she did in her stored
           Magnify the Lord

Well but there was one more than this:
Springs universal bliss
           Much had such to say
           To offering Mary may

When drop-of-blood-and-form-dapple
bloom lights the orchard-apple
            And thicket and thorp are merry
            With silver surfed cherry.

And azuring-over greyball makes
Wood banks and brakes wash wet like lakes
            And magic cuckoocall
             Caps, clears and clinches all-

This ecstasy all through mothering earth
Tells Mary her mirth till Christ's Birth
              To remember exultation
              In God who was her salvation.


by
Gerard Manly Hopkins


Happy Mother Day to all Mothers!!!
Happy Month of May to our Mother in Heaven!!!

Lourdes Pilgrimage 2011

Our good friend and Knight of Malta Tim Jeffries sent us these exquisite pictures of their recent pilgrimage to Lourdes. Viewing them brought back so many fond memories for Claire and I. Most importantly, of Our Lady's hand in our opportunity to participate in last year's trip, as well as her protective mantle in Claire's care over the last year. I know that Claire is much stronger spiritually today as result of that grace and peace filled journey. Physically, Claire has become weaker. Especially given her recent surgery, which has pushed her recovery back further. Since the spinal fusion Claire has had to regain muscle strength that she took for granted in the past. Claire is in both physical and occupational therapy to try and rebuild her muscle control. There are plans for her to enter the hospital in the rehabilitation unit in order to work on strengthening. Being in the hospital is not the best or easiest decision, but for Claire it will allow her to learn new skills and get stronger. We thank you for your continued prayers. We ask that the Blessed Mother pray for you and bring you to the place of healing at Lourdes. May the almighty Lord bless us, protect from evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Happy Birthday Matthew!!!

Matthew turned 22 last week!! We are so amazed, the time just flew by. I remember mothers telling me to pay attention when your children are younger because the time you spend with them is so brief. I, of course, did not heed their advice and look back now on all my areas of imperfection as a mother. While, at the same time, witnessing God's providence and His perfect will.  These were an answer to prayer, and enabled us to get out of His way. Still, God's grace can do all things and it has in Matthew's life. The name Matthew means "gift of God" He has certainly been a gift for our whole family and as you can see by the picture, everyone loves their older brother and he is so wonderful to them. He is preparing for his vocation, in whatever God calls him to, in the cell of the family, our domestic church. May God continue to bless you Matthew, and we will keep you and your vocation in constant prayer.
Love,
your family.

"To the Author" band at the Pan de Vida Retreat in Redding

Joe, Sheila, Matthew, Claire and I spent Divine Mercy Sunday in Redding at the first Pan de Vida Retreat of the West Coast. It was certainly a grace filled weekend for everyone. You can see the pictures of Sheila and Claire with the band members. They had a great time especially with the guys who played for Our Lord all weekend.
Great group of young men. It is always a blessing for our family to participate as a group sharing the faith with others, including and most importantly young people. John Paul II was beatified over the weekend and during the retreat we remember his call for a "New Evangelization." We can reflect on his own radical conversion to Christ and strive to achieve that.  I desire and meditate on this kind of conversion often, and tried to call this to mind throughout the weekend. We attempt, as a family, to live the message of the Second Vatican Council that encourages everyone to be a saint, and calls each of us to holiness. It is true that when we live the missionary spirit of striving for holiness we call others to holiness. Our challenge is to exemplify that call that Jesus made to His disciples and go and teach the good news. When we live the Gospel message we become missionaries of Jesus Christ to others. During the weekend there were many graces and we were so blessed to be a part of it. You can tell who enjoyed it the most with these pictures of the girls.
May the peace of our Lord be with you all!!!