Winter

I know I will not get many who agree with me, but I'm loving this winter.  This is the kind of winter weather we had when I was growing up, so I guess it is part nostalgia, but this is what I feel that winter should be.  Cold and snow are all part of the package of having real seasons! 

I love that when I walked out my front door yesterday (Wednesday) the snow was smooth, glittering and untouched.  There is something divine in untrammeled snow.  And then I get to go crunching through the crusty, fresh snow in my comfy, warm snow boots!

I don't know what it is about all the piles of snow that have been pushed up in and around the parking lots.  It makes me want to be a kid and play king of the mountain.  When I was leaving the restaurant from dinner with my friend this evening, I saw a couple of kids coming out and running at one of the snow hills . . . just made me smile.  It also makes me smile to see all the pics on FaceBook of nieces, nephews, cousins and the kids/grandkids of my friends enjoying the snow.

Patron Saint against lightening.

I have continued to read about the saints and am really touched by a story from time to time. 

Most of you have probably heard and know something about St. Thomas Aquinas.  St. Thomas is known for his intelligence, his prolific writing on all things theological and even his composition -- he wrote hymns that are still sung today by Catholics all over the world (Tantum Ergo Sacramentum to name one).  I have never found him a "relatable" Saint until I read this story:

Thomas grew up in a noble family an lived in a castle as a child.  The nursery was in a room in the castle tower.  When Thomas was about 5, a violent storm hit and lightening struck the tower hitting the nursery room where he slept with his baby sister.  His sister was killed.  Thomas never forgot the terror of that night.  For the rest of his life, at the first sign of a thunder storm, he would hurry to a church or chapel where he would remain, frightened and praying, until the storm passed. 

Doesn't that make him seem so much more human?  Because of this, St. Thomas is invoked as the patron Saint against lightening strikes.

Whether we can weather the weather

Everyone is talking about the weather today.  Can't blame them as many of my FaceBook contacts are dealing with heavy snow falls and we are expecting some of the lowest recorded temperatures in memory.  Here in Columbus, O, the temperature has still not reached the freezing mark, so we are still getting rain.  I would much rather have the heavy snow.  With the temperature expected to be below zero by morning, can we expect anything else but that the whole world (or our part of it, at least) will be encased in ice before I head out for work in the morning? 

I have already taken the following precautions:  I have put a laminated card (a Holy card of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, to be exact) in the car door between the rubber seal and the metal in the hope that this will help me to break through the icy seal and get into my car in the morning.  I have packed my lunch (nothing that needs refrigerating . . . however it just occurred to me that, if I did pack something that needed to stay cold, I could just leave it in the car overnight!  I have laid out my clothes for the morning (corduroys and a sweater).  I am even considering setting my alarm 1/2 hour earlier and/or showering tonight.  I fully expect that it will take me a considerable time to warm up the car (if I can get into the car) in the morning as well as needing extra time to get to work on icy roads with any deicer that the city puts down not able to work at the extreme low temps. 

I am beginning to think that I should have taken Monday & Tuesday off this week rather than Thursday and Friday.

On the eighth day of Christmas . . .

I am giving you 8 Christmas pictures!  Someone must have fixed something somewhere.  It is the first time in months that I have been able to upload pictures to Blogger!

Grandpa with Baby Tony.

Grandma with two babies . . .

and Donna with two babies.

Tree!

Santa Matt.

Simon is a true 'Meyer', he can read anywhere!

Love the hats, but why did I not get the gene to look good in hats?

The Meyer aunts and uncles.

Honorary Mention

As a follow up to my November posts on the saints, today I would like to make mention of some saintly (with a small "s") people who have not yet been canonized (or beatified - as I had done posts on a few "Blesseds"). 

Servant of God Emil Kapaun:  An Army Chaplain from Kansas who served in the Korean War.  During action in the war, Fr. Kapaun risked his life going from foxhole to foxhole to give comfort and reassurance to the fighting men and dragging the wounded to safety.  He was eventually captured, but continued to put himself at risk in the prison camp by foraging for food, caring for the sick and encouraging the other prisoners to persevere in their faith.  Two possible miracles attributed to his intercession are being considered by the Roman Postulator for his cause for canonization.

Venerable Solanus Casey:  Born Bernard Casey in Oak Grove, WI, he was given the name Solanus, after St. Francis Solanus, when he took the habit of a Capuchin Friar -- this was after he worked as a lumberjack, hospital orderly, prison guard and street car driver.  His road to the priesthood was not smooth as he struggled with his studies. Because of his difficulties, he was ordained only as a simplex priest, without the ability to hear confessions or preach publically.  His superiors didn't know what to do with him in this capacity, so he was made the monastery porter.  In this capacity, he was most available to the public and became a great favorite for his compassion and good counsel.  Many people credited his intercession for cures and other blessings that they received.

The North American Martyrs

I probably will not have much time to spend on the computer for the next few days, so I will close out my month of Saints with 8 saints, to make up for the days that I miss.

Our saints for today are collectively known as The North American Martyrs or The Canadian Martyrs.  They were eight Jesuit missionaries who were tortured and martyred on various dates in the mid Seventeenth century in what is now southern Ontario and upstate New York.  They were missionaries to the Huron people, and so were considered legitimate targets by the Iroquois.  Their feast day, October 19, is listed on the Roman Calendar  under the title of "John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs."

Since we rarely see the full list of the eight martyrs, here it is:  St. Jean de Brébeuf (1649),[1] St. Noël Chabanel (1649),[2] St. Antoine Daniel (1648),[3] St. Charles Garnier (1649),[2] St. René Goupil (1642),[4] St. Isaac Jogues (1646),[5] St. Jean de Lalande (1646),[6] and St. Gabriel Lalemant (1649).

St. Gertrude of Nivelles

Earlier this month, I mentioned St. Rocco for all the dog lovers.  Here is one for the cat lovers:  St. Gertrude of Nivelles (not to be confused with St. Gertrude the Great).  After the death of her father, Gertrude and her mother entered religious life together, founding a monastery at Nivelles in present day Belgium.  Gertrude was made abbess at the age of 26.  Legend says that, upon learning that the monastery's grain supply was infested with mice, she eliminated the pests through the power of prayer - thus making her the patron saint of cats.
Her feast day is March 17.