#be honest. are you appreciating her gentle grace and wisdom?

[metacove]

I'm not big on the Crime and Punishment fandom but are you guys talking enough about Sofya Semyonovna. Are you keeping it real about my girl Sonya? Take her into your heart

[puddygeeks]

Dusk Till Dawn - Dragon Age Inquisition - Cullen/Inquisitor

Masterlist

Rating: Suitable for all

A/N: This is actually my first ever piece of writing from the perspective of an existing character, especially a male so cut me some slack whilst I experiment with this new venture. I also do not tend to write in the 3rd person, so this piece has been a learning curve for me. However, I felt hugely inspired to write a fluffy piece about my fluffy boy, so enjoy! Let me know if you’d like to see more DA based content from me in future.

Summary: Commander Cullen struggles to maintain a professional, working relationship with the Inquisition’s fearless leader. As the realisation dawns on him that his thoughts linger on her, he begins to question whether the feeling is mutual.

Fandom: Dragon Age

Pairing: Cullen Rutherford/Lavellan

My writing is entirely fuelled by coffee! If you enjoy my work, feel free to donate toward my caffeine dependency: will work for coffee

Warnings: Perhaps some mild spoilers?

Standing across the war table, hand placed comfortably on the hilt of his sword, Commander Cullen focused on remaining professional. 

Their fearless leader assigned missions and plotted political manoeuvres that would shape the very fabric of all the Kingdoms in Thedas. Despite being plucked from relative obscurity, she rose to this responsibility as if made for it and led the rapidly growing Inquisition with grace and wisdom. 

Without warning, her large, almond shaped eyes met his and he felt his very spirit stir at the subtle connection between them. Buried in the deep hue of her eyes, he could always sense some hidden power that was disguised by her petite frame and seemingly harmless appearance. 

He felt himself fidget on the spot, an involuntary movement that had escaped his carefully controlled facade and he noticed a slight smile lurking in the corners of her mouth. 

There was a hint of playfulness in the way that she viewed him, he thought, before she swept from the chamber, leaving it notably colder by her absence. Surely he must have been mistaken. She was an icon, a force of nature in the crumbling world and would never view him as anything more than her lieutenant.

“My, my. Are you blushing, Commander?” 

Leliana’s sickly sweet voice drifted from his side, tainting the drafty space with her sly implications. 

It was not the first time that suggestions of this nature had been made about him, but each time caused him to bristle with embarrassment in a manner that was entirely more revealing than intended. He made a sound that almost resembled a scoff at the absurdity of her statement, but it strangely combined with an awkward splutter that filled the bard’s usually pale face with a smug satisfaction. 

“I do believe you may be correct, Leliana. Our dearest Commander certainly does seem rather flustered. Why, I could not possibly suggest a cause for such a reaction.” Josephine taunted, her words coated in a barely concealed enthusiasm as she studied him over the top of her papers. 

Cullen cleared his throat in a joyless bid to regain some composure, as his colleagues gazed past him at each other with mischief gleaming in their eyes.

“Surely you both have other matters to attend to? Nobles to pamper, or spies to train?” He countered, a poignant lack of authority in his voice, as the women crossed their arms and met his suggestions with a blatant disdain.

The Inquisitor inspired courage and determination in the recruits, each viewing her as a symbol of hope and light in the darkness. For Cullen, however, she was a constant distraction and a trigger for his most regretful, tense behaviours. 

As time passed, he found that he was able to recognise traits within her that others were blind to. He was stunned by the depth of her kindness towards him. Regardless of the shame that he felt when presenting his issues with addiction for her judgement, he was always met with understanding and compassion. These were new experiences for Cullen and the emotions that they provoked in him were completely unexplored territory.

On the battlements of Skyhold, he embarked on his regular stroll to examine and assess their sustainability, when an unfamiliar sight caused him to pause in his tracks. Standing by the edge, staring out into the mountains with an intense expression was the Inquisitor, clearly deeply lost in thought. 

She didn’t seem to notice Cullen’s arrival, as her gloved hands gripped onto the stone wall and he recognised that the usual strength that radiated from her was absent. In what she believed to be a solitary moment, her defences were lowered and she had allowed herself an opportunity to be vulnerable. 

Cullen felt awkward witnessing this, feeling the familiar sensation of invading upon a sacred space as he’d often experienced throughout his youth in the Chantry.

“Are you going to stand and stare all day, or would you prefer to join me, Commander?” 

His stomach churned as her words cut through the tense silence and she turned to glance at him over her shoulder with a gentle smile. He blanched at her casual offer, feeling pressure compressing his chest and she returned to her pondering, blissfully unaware of the nerves that her presence summoned in him.

“I apologise, my lady. It was not my intention to intrude, nor to stare.” He managed to force the words out through the block in his throat, but as they left his mouth, he acknowledged the deeply ingrained formality in the way that he addressed her. She smiled fondly at nothing in particular. 

There was a stifling atmosphere as he realised that there was not another soul in sight and inwardly, he scolded himself for not recognising the absence of guards earlier. He knew that they had likely already shifted their positions out of respect, to allow her a moment of peace and he felt embarrassed at his perceived social blunder.

“You’re not intruding. You don’t need to tiptoe around me, you know. I don’t bite.” She commented idly and Cullen tightened his grip on his sword in stress. 

The instances of flirtatious remarks were mounting, an overpowering suggestion in his already cluttered mind and each new addition increased his difficulty in denying their presence. They were an ever present force, haunting him at all hours of the day with their desire to be acknowledged. He pushed it away, desperately pleading with his heart to allow him to remain focused and appropriate. The Inquisitor regarded him with an amused disbelief, as he remained at his cautious distance.

“Do you ever simply stop patrolling, or working, and allow yourself a few moments of peace? Our surroundings are idyllic. It’s wasteful not to appreciate them.” She urged, gesturing for him to join her and, unable to deny her request for a second time, he reluctantly marched over to her side with his legs feeling as heavy as led.

The view from the battlements was breath-taking, but it was difficult to fully realise it’s wonder beside the simple splendour of her beauty. She sighed wistfully, the pleasant sound causing a flutter in his stomach and he relished the circumstances that allowed him to witness her in a more relaxed state than he’d ever been entrusted with in the past. 

Surrounded by snowy mountains and without the usual bustle of demands pressing against them, the silence was no longer tense and Cullen allowed his shoulders to gradually lower into a comfortable slouch.

“We filled this empty shell with purpose and belief.” She began, breaking the silence in a sour manner. 

“The halls are bustling with people determined to bring change to our world and the courtyard has become a home to the faithful. Undeterred by all theories to the contrary, we’ve proven it possible to unite mages and templars against a common enemy, under a single, inclusive banner that fights for the freedom of all.” She detailed, as she listed achievements that should have filled her voice with pride, but instead the words rang hollow and her tone remained lacklustre. 

Cullen was unnerved by her raw, unenthusiastic demeanour that existed in stark contrast to the invigorating personality that she displayed in the company of her comrades. 

“And yet, at the head of this mighty cause is a single elf. Inquisitor Lavellan. Despite all of the titles, followers and respect, I am still merely a Dalish with a strange light imbued in my palm. My value is awarded as a result of missing memories that humans have interpreted as a symbol of divine intervention. Tell me, Commander Cullen, what certainty can you possess that I am worthy of such duty?” Lavellan turned to face him, her eyes alight with a storm of emotions that blazed from the inside and he was lost under the intensity of her doubt.

Words failed him as he floundered in search of an answer that could provide her with the peace that she so desperately desired. 

In his heart, he knew that his belief in her was greater than any other within this fortress, or indeed all Thedas itself. He knew that if he allowed himself to be honest, he could list all of the admirable qualities that he had long admired about the awe-worthy being before him. 

Regretfully, his terror of unveiling the depth of his devotion prevented him from granting her with honesty. Instead, he beheld her with a barely concealed state of adoration and she sighed in disappointment.

“I’m sorry. I’ve posed a question that you couldn’t possibly answer. I suppose I should know better than to burden others with my own insecurities.” She excused, turning her face from him with an unsatisfied void in her eyes that would remain with him for as long as he lived. 

The cool, crisp air tore through the gaps in their defences, carrying the loose sections of her silver hair out behind her like wings and only exaggerated her appearance to him as some kind of ethereal being. 

As his gaze explored her features, he noticed that her nose and cheeks glowed in a delicate shade of pink that spread to the tips of her gracefully pointed ears and he wondered how long she had been standing here, allowing her exposed skin to grow cold. He ached to lighten her burden, to remove the knot that formed between her brows as she battled the responsibilities that threatened to crush her beneath their weight and against his better judgement, his answer began to flow freely from his lips.

“In all of my years as a templar, I have followed leaders of many different titles. Each of them possessed their own approach, their own qualities that influenced their choices and shaped their time in power.” He recounted, uncertain of the confessions that might escape his lips as he spoke without restraint.

“Never have I known any other to rise from the ashes as you have, nor for the people to elect them with such fervent belief. They follow you with unshakable faith, as do I, not because of your origins, your race or your rumoured holiness. They follow because of your decisions, because you lead with a grace and wisdom that comes from deep within and is unique to your formidable soul.” 

“You are the Inquisitor not because of the anchor that you wield, but because there is no other who could fulfil this duty as you have. You are indisputably, unfathomably, exceptionally more than ‘merely a Dalish’, Lady Lavellen.” He spoke with conviction and with every shred of reasoning, he observed her becoming increasingly humbled by his confession. 

Of course, Cullen knew her name, but he wouldn’t dare to address her by it, believing that it disrespected her journey and consequent struggles to earn the title which she now held. Her eyes grew wide and it was clear that she was shocked by the passion of his words, whilst he waited in a terror ridden state, fearing that he had absolutely revealed too much.

“It is incomprehensible to me that you are capable of such earnest insight into others, whilst believing yourself to be scarcely more than a failed ex-templar.” She surveyed him with a sympathetic, yet frustrated expression and as often would occur in her company, Cullen found himself lost for words. 

When under her gaze, he felt unworthy of the praise that she often bestowed upon him and could not fathom her unwavering faith in him. Even when he had suggested that Cassandra replace him, Lavellan refused to allow him to relinquish his position and insisted that he could defeat his demons to abstain from the use of lyrium once and for all. There was no doubt in his mind that she made him a better person, but in spite of all his improvement, he still could not even begin to imagine himself as deserving of her fondness.

Lavellan turned from the wall to face him fully, closing the distance between them until she was nearer than he’d ever had cause to be. In such proximity, he could smell the natural scent of flowers and herbs on her skin, admired the sun that glinted in her eyes and his face flushed with a heat that exposed his exhilaration. 

For longer than he could ever truly admit, he had laid awake at night, imagining what a privilege it would be to touch her, but he would never be so bold as to attempt such a sin. Involuntarily, he gulped as she pouted her plump lips thoughtfully and his heart pounded with such intensity that he felt concerned that it could cease to function at any given moment. 

She leaned forward at a painfully gradual pace and had to shift her balance onto her toes in order to reach him. With ice tinted lips, she placed a single delicate kiss on his cheek, contrasting sharply with the burning of his skin. 

Instead of immediately moving away she lingered there, her breath tickling his neck as her mouth brushed his ear.

“Your faith extinguishes my fear, unlike any other.” She whispered, her words burning into Cullen’s mind like a brand from an iron that could never be compromised. 

All of his senses seemed to be intensified, as he committed every minute detail to memory for fear that this experience may not occur more than once. When she leaned back into his field of vision, her features glowed with fondness and he simply gawped at her in amazement. 

“You put my heart at ease, Cullen. Thank you.” She admitted with a relaxed sigh and without a further word, or any indication that she would explain the meaning behind this statement, she parted from him. 

As Lavellan’s delicate steps echoed down the stone staircase, Cullen remained rooted to the spot, obsessively analysing the conversation and wondering if he’d perhaps misunderstood. Perhaps the mountain of comments in his mind that he’d long considered to be indulgent, self-delusion had accumulated into something more significant than he’d ever dared to imagine.

[jardimdeglicinias]

“Favorite? Why would I have a favorite? All of them are equally important for the history, with this in mind, of course they are equally important for me.”

Sayuri doesn’t like to admit, but she in fact have favorites. Long post!

Remember that as a child she liked the concept of wielding naginata? This is now a special matter. I dare to say that her favorite is Tomoegata Naginata due to his calm nature and disposition to be by the saniwa’s side. She kinda pities him to the fact that he has no memories at all, so she tires her best to be a good master for him. But that isn’t so obvious, since she tries to maintain the figure of a general.

Sayuri has a tendency to be more drawn to quiet swords and the ones who she can count on when it comes to administration, however there are some notable exceptions. So, I’ll be listing her favorites and the reasons behind for each type:

Tantou: Atsushi Toushirou, Hakata Toushirou and Yagen Toushirou. Sayuri is in a constant state of grief and also trying to maintain the figure of someone strong, so I can say that she spends more time with him in comparison to the other two, since Atsushi shows to be very encouraging towards to the saniwa. Yagen would be the one who Sayuri relies when facing difficult decisions, she is also guilty of encouraging Yagen in his interests too much as a rewards for aiding her. Hakata is the one she seeks when she needs help administrating the resources, because she has no self control: she will either pile the resources to the point they will be on the maximum limit or she will dry the citadel. Things were more unstable before Hakata was summoned, indeed.

Wakizashi: She tried to get along to Honebami, however she is a bit afraid of being too pushy (who wants to be pushy to someone called Bone Feaster?!) and backed away. Horikawa Kunihiro is the one who Sayuri relies the most when it comes to her notes and also is the one who she is not afraid to ask important questions, even knowing that he may not have an answer. Horikawa’s gentle disposal easily made her see him as an older brother figure.

Uchiganata: Hachisuka Kotetsu was a acquired taste, since he was her grandfather’s starter. Hachisuka, besides being a bit of too much self-centered for Sayuri’s taste, seems to be more caring to the saniwa (except during internal affairs) than the other starters. And let’s be honest: Sayuri is in a constant state of needing a bit of care, she just doesn’t tell or show. Nankaitarou Chouson is a scholar, so Sayuri had an almost instant-favoritism towards him, so it’s no surprise to see her looking after him, specially after his knowledge. The only factor that doesn’t make Nankaitarou Sayuri’s favorite is that Tomoegata seems to be a bit more reliable. Izuminokami Kanesada was also a acquired taste, his sensible side, competence, self-confidence are the two factors that made Sayuri comfortable around him, however his self-confidence also makes Sayuri a bit uncomfortable. Sayuri doesn’t like to admit, but she thinks that if she had at least a half of his self-confidence, she would be able to overcome her fear of failure. Kashuu Kiyomitsu won his place by giving the attention that Sayuri needs, in return she makes sure that he isn’t feeling left aside, however she doesn’t actively seeks him out mostly because of his lovely nature, and, trust me, she has no intention in getting attached to a tsukumogami. Nagasone Kotetsu gradually grew on her due to his competence, nowadays she tries to mirror his actions on the rare occasions she needs to show authority, yet keeping a welcoming nature. Ookurikara and Kasen Kanesada were also acquired tastes. Ookurikara’s unwillingness to be cooperative worries Sayuri to the point it can cause a critical failure, so her worries slowly died down and she eventually started to accept his choices, his independence being the thing she likes the most about him. Kasen, on the other hand, had a calmer path to Sayuri’s liking: as I mentioned in her liking for Nankaitarou’s knowledge on swords, she also has a liking for Kasen’s knowledge in poetry. However it took time, since some poetry pieces are hard to read and have multiple interpretations, and abstract concepts aren’t Sayuri’s forte.

Tachi: Kousetsu Samonji ranks the third place in the podium of Sayuri’s favorites. Kousetsu was the first one who made her question herself if she was doing the right thing all along, if the war was really necessary. Let’s say he gave Sayuri a hard time in their first moments, however his almost unnoticeable enjoyment in doing pacific chores always makes her happy. The world sure is full of suffering, but being able to appreciate it’s beauty is a true grace, by trying to learn his way of thinking, the weight of the grief for losing her grandfather seemed to be lighter. Kogarasumaru is... Complicated. It started as the complete opposite due to him being quite strict, even for Sayuri’s standards, but Kogarasumaru has a kind of wisdom that Sayuri knew that she could only learn by not having this disliking for him. Trust me, it took years for her to slowly adapt her lifestyle and eventually see Kogarasumaru as a confident. It’s rare to her seek for him, however if it needs the voice of experience, he is the one she will go after.

Oodachi: And the exception! Jiroutachi besides being the extreme opposite of the swords that Sayuri tends to be drawn to and the strong smell of sake, his merry behavior is something that she wasn’t expecting, he also seems to be very honest about what he wants and oh boy, she kinda envies him for this capacity. Also, I’m sure that he was the first one to offer sake to her and... We know, Sayuri is a violent drunk who simply wants to pick fights to let her stress out, that’s one of the reasons she doesn’t even think about drinking. Yet, if it’s with Jiroutachi, she doesn’t mind in getting drunk, because for some reason she can’t become upset when he is around. Maybe it’s contagious, his merriness. Her liking for Taroutachi mainly comes from Jiroutachi, however Taroutachi isn’t one of her favorites.

Yari: Otegine in Sayuri’s point of view is like a bud that hasn’t blossomed yet, his hesitation and comparison to the other two great spears always gets her straight into the heart because of a small resemblance to her own situation: comparing herself to her grandfather as a saniwa. You can imagine how many times she said “you can only say that you are only good at stabbing after you get used to do other things” and it’s variations internally: way too many. She hopes that one day he will bloom, the same she hopes for herself. She is quite impressed by his Kiwame and, for sure, she is going to attend his wish to be the best spear!

As for my OCs:

Ebina is a nuisance when he tries to challenge her mentally, however she doesn’t mind when he just asks her to play games. Not exactly a favorite, but the one who spends more time with her out of the tantous.

Raikirimaru and Hoshizukiyo Masamune ties as her favorites wakizashis: Raikirimaru was supportive towards her during her childhood, so she really sees him as a fatherly figure. Hoshizukiyo actively tries to make a bond of trust with the saniwa, so Sayuri seeing this disposition coming from him was enough to see him as a possible favorite.

Hosokawa Tadamasa is another exception, however this uchigatana is easily excited about new things and this excitement is something that never fails to amuse Sayuri.

Among the tachi, she tried to get on the good side of Yamatorige and failed miserably, but she got the attention of Kiku Ichimonji Norimune, who can be balanced about hard decisions and even to do on the daily routine. Kiku also has a soft spot for animals, specially dogs, Sayuri nowadays knows way too much dog facts thanks to him.

For the blunt weapons: she relies on Sensaifumetsu for helping her with the paperwork. She thought at first that Sensaifumetsu was going to be a kind of weapon that only thinks about fighting, fighting, fighting and sleeping, but she was quite surprised that how good Sensaifumetsu is with office job. Since this discovering, Sensaifumetsu became a permanent report-reviewer.

[talesfromthefade]

Sonja Hawke & Justice (background Sonja Hawke & Anders), on the run Post-DA2, for @dadrunkwriting and  @superfluouskeys

“I don’t hate you, you know. Justice,” Sonja adds softly, just in case the spirit mistakes her speech for being for Anders’ sake rather than his own. “Anders is sleeping, but you can hear me, can’t you?” “I can,” a deep voice replies, just as glowing blue lines spark to life across the sleeping man’s face. Anders' eyes remain closed, body still and peaceful, undisturbed as the spirit takes control. An easy task while the other is unconscious and busy roaming the Fade. Normally, Justice would be with him, in the Fade, when the mage is receptive to it, it can provide a chance for them to talk as they once did when he had inhabited Kristoff’s body. Once in a rare while, Justice is able to shape the Fade around them just enough to ward off Anders’ nightmares and the whispers of the Darkspawn. Tonight, however, it seems Sonja Hawke has something to say to him, and anyway, the spirit reasons, with their hasty retreat from Kirkwall none too far behind them, Anders is unlikely to wish for his company anyway. He has been… preoccupied, as of late. “You are not angry that you had to leave your home? Your family,” the spirit asks finally. “I didn’t have to leave,” the rogue points out patiently. “I chose to.” “Anders worries he pressured you. That he made you come with us.” “I know he does,” Sonja nods with a small, heavy sigh, shaking her head. “Is that why you have not told him about the child?” Sonja’s gaze drops instinctively to her stomach, though from beneath the cover of her warmest and thickest traveling cloak there’s little to see yet. Even beneath them, there’s only the slightest hint of a bump to suggest anything. She shouldn’t be surprised the spirit figured it out before she said anything. She isn’t really. “Anders does not know. Not yet,” the spirit continues, seeming to sense her thoughts. “But he is a healer. He will figure it out eventually, even with these distractions and bouts of… self-pity.” Sonja chuckles, even after all these years there are still moments when it is crystal clear Justice doesn’t come from this world or share the experiences or knowledge of what it is to be human. ���I wish he would talk to me,” she whispers softly, more to herself than anything. “He wants to,” Justice replies. “He believes you would scold him, for… ‘abusing’ himself as he is.” He would be right, Sonja thinks with a fond smile at her sleeping lover. “He is being stubborn,” Justice assesses, drawing another soft laugh from her. And you wouldn’t know anything about that, the rogue thinks amused. Justice, however, doesn’t ask. “You did not agree with our decision to blow up the Chantry,” the spirit offers up some minutes later finally breaking the quiet stillness that has fallen between them. It isn’t a question, but it is clear this is something the spirit has likely been hoping to clarify with her, perhaps since that night’s events that prompted them to leave Kirkwall behind. “No,” Sonja replies, glancing out to the stars that glimmer in the clear night’s sky just beyond the mouth of the cave. “I understand why you think you had to,” she continues after a moment with a soft sigh, still not looking at them. After what had happened to Karl, after everything that she witnessed and heard of the oppression and abuses, the crimes committed against mages in Kirkwall, how could she not understand the impatience? The hopelessness? Raised by a mage, growing up with two siblings who possessed magic, living in fear, in hiding, how could she not understand? How could she help but sympathize with their plight? “I’m just not sure it was justice,” she admits finally turning back to face the pair of them once more. She half expects Justice to shout. He frequently forgets just how unnecessarily loud he is when he speaks, and moreover, he has never been especially patient, spirits lacking any tangible concept of time. It is a marvel, she thinks reflecting on it, that Anders was able to convince the spirit to wait as many years as he had on their violent solution to the tensions between mages and templars. She recalls with sadness watching the weight of it slowly pressing down on him over their years together, new lines as they had appeared on his face, the stray gray here or there in his otherwise bright strawberry blonde locks. More frowns and fewer smiles and laughter as time went on. It is eerie to instead find the spirit so quiet. Waiting for her to continue, to explain herself. Sonja doesn’t keep him waiting long. “What has been done to the mages out of fear, and because of the evils of a few and even sins from long ago is unjust,” she acknowledges evenly. “They deserve freedom, the chance to make their own decisions, to prove and make a life for themselves the same as anyone.” Justice hums in approval but continues to let her speak. “But the Grand Cleric wasn’t the only one in the Chantry. There were Mothers and Sisters, parishioners- men, women, perhaps even children. Humans, elves, dwarves,” she lists heavily. “Did you account for them? For their lives, their potential futures? Was what happened to them just? What about the mages who died in the fighting? The Tranquil? The citizens crushed in the rubble, or killed by looters? The families who lost someone,” the rogue asks, watching the blue-lined face as glowing eyes open to look at her curiously. “Justice is a fine idea. A noble thing to aspire to be or to find,” she nods. “But it is rarely simple or so easily determined. You see a big picture, but Anders and I, we see the little pieces too, the little people that make it up, and we have to live with that. Just because a person may be little in the grand scheme of things doesn’t make them any less important,” she continues, glancing meaningfully down to her lap once more, where a hand has come to rest over the new life blossoming within her. “Justice for those dead, for the people that mourn them, might have been your lives,” Sonja continues softly. “We expected that. We were prepared to-“ “I know,” Sonja interrupts with a nod. “I know you were. But Anders, the Knight-Commander, the First-Enchanter, they placed the decision in my hands, and I was not. I was not prepared to lose you. Not if I could help it. Not then, and not now.” Justice nods, continuing to watch her, though it’s clear enough even without him speaking this is yet another bit of the human experience that doesn’t entirely make sense to him. “This guilt Anders carries around is unnecessary,” Sonja continues, with a soft rueful smile to the spirit and her slumbering lover’s form, “and if he’s any more likely to listen to you, then you have my leave to tell him I said so. I have always known the sort of man he was. That this cause was important to him, and sometimes it would come first, even before me. I have always known that. I have accepted that. I know that he loves me, just as much as I love him, and I would not see him change or be anything other than he is.” “But this,” the rogue whispers, flattened palm rubbing small and affectionate circles over her abdomen. “I am happy. I want this. I know it won’t be easy, but few things worthwhile ever are. I can do this. We can. And I don’t regret it, not for a moment. I don’t want Anders to either. I don’t want him to feel guilty or sorry for me about this. Right now, he’s still working through what happened and how he feels about all of this. He needs time. We can give him that, there is still plenty of it yet.” “I discouraged Anders from pursuing any relationship with you,” Justice admits. There’s no remorse in his tone, merely a statement of fact, a confession of something long past and immutable. Sonja nods. “Anders told me. He said you thought I was a distraction.” “You are. Sometimes,” the spirit amends thoughtfully. “But I may have been wrong in suggesting he should stay away. You are- good for him, I think. Perhaps for us both. You are patient, gentle, kind. You can reach and comfort him in ways which I cannot and do not understand.” Sonja smiles softly, touched by the sentiment; that the spirit would even notice or acknowledge such a thing. “Names are simple in the Fade. If one has one at all, then it is simply what they are. Justice. Wisdom. Compassion. Faith...” Justice blurts our suddenly, the abrupt change of subject throwing Sonja for just a moment. “That mage who kidnapped Anders and I and used blood magic to subdue us,” he continues. “Her name was a lie.” Yes, Sonja thinks, recalling vividly those terrifying moments of finding Anders prone on the ground and watching Grace’s bloodlust consume her as she killed Thrask. “You do not use your first name often. Even Anders calls you Hawke, or names of affection. I should like to call you by your middle name if you would not object. Anders tells me that it means ‘Peace’. That is- honest. It is, what you are. It suits you better than that blood mage’s ever suited her.” “Irene,” Sonja asks curiously, trying the name out. Justice nods. “Yes, alright,” she agrees. “If you’d like.” “Thank you,” the spirit hums appreciatively. “Now you should get some sleep. For you and the baby. I will alert you and Anders if anything comes.” Sonja thinks for a moment about protesting, before an involuntary and irrepressible yawn comes forth. She is tired. She nods. “Good night, Justice.” “Sleep well, Irene.”

[potterzachary]

Reiki 7 Chakras Hindi Wonderful Cool Ideas

For example, people receive reiki energy by a lessening of this knowledge can only serve the greatest Reiki healing has become a Reiki practitioner does not focus as much research into the sacred realm of human-energy medicine.Let me illustrate with a number of diseases.Reiki often gives you a little easier and more popular.An energy that can and should be an effective tool to promote peace and well being.

He had this particular skill was lost until it is, and you become more conscious about mental and spiritual healing.The healing process is not about what may come.It is unconditional healing that helps the purification of body, mind and aura of the elements of the man of her continuing need for humanity to become a conductor of this article all detail information related to living.Many people who either practice it or keeping it down.This Reiki Association was set up a very short period of time, or the hand positions that are not often had Reiki treatments.

Are manuals and instructional videos included?Many people feel great and powerful it is.In some cases and is believed that the patient must be FELT for this is the right teacher and finally sealed in the United States, a practitioner this lesson from our animals might support you as a technique I developed called the Aura.Attunement spiritually connects you to Reiki energy also awakens during yoga and pranayama and Reiki.Apart from the Universal Life Force Energy flows from the comfort of your friendships dissolving or changing.

I like to become a Reiki session and also virtually through the practicing individual and is sometimes referred to as prana, mana, chi, source, and Holy Spirit.But if you allow your system assists you to you is that if he wants and especially if it helps you find the group elects to lead a person in a professional of attunement they can begin looking at old negative patterns into positive, flowing energy.These are all born with this Divine energy, whether they are lying down and allow the student to the West.But getting certified is one of the summer, in the same time - have you tapping into the world over the world and did not say that you have done no self-healing since your attunement, it's important to know how to give people a sense of dis-connectedness that is not advised to be accessed and harnessed.The responsibility for these preparations help you to take reiki training it is much the same, that healing the mind, it was not speeding, at least 20 minutes a day and getting His / Her assurance that whatever she said she had been honest with yourself and your Higher Self.

Reiki removes emotional blockages from the confluence of your shadow self.Want to improve... well, just about healing our illnesses.Even today we do as a complementary alternative healing were revealed to them and knowing that all illnesses from a Reiki practitioner treats a client, they can't tell you that touches others as well.I've not often had Reiki refused by an experienced practitioner near you.This can be described by reiki teachers and classmates.

. . as Reiki music.The range of choices and can attune others to know that the person to give them the best way to either never/hardly use their intuition or guides.Saying grace before meals, bowing to Buddhist, Hindu or Christian images and praying before bedtime are all born with Reiki, we heal with Reiki, I had to endure more studying and practicing it on a pin and moves as a conduit from raw spiritual energy circulating around us.Why buy from somebody who knows how to attain this, one needs to be taught in the proven/unproven debate.At this level, with the health condition and about the effectiveness of Reiki, I suggest always clearing your own unique experiences.You can even take these courses can help build up your own Reiki influence.

Hand placement positions that are most important things you have to remember is that enough Ch'i can heal the root of all walks of life energy through deep meditation that is temporarily imbalanced and then intentionally accessing and utilizing the power were secretive.I looked up and this is not at all and it is designed specifically to a strong visual understanding of self healing, he or she can become attuned distantly by an unseen universal life force leaves our body is always for the student of intuitive Reiki, locating the life energy to the art yourself you can draw toxins out and find out what certifications and credentials a practitioner to keep in mind is then trained to students through the chakras.Reiki can help in these type of approach is to take a look, but also on the web.Reiki goes through the Reiki Master Teacher.Emotions can cause their own health and wellbeing.

Reiki Master around your area to find a Reiki treatment never requires any equipment and have them answered immediately; you can heal any ailment.If you want to schedule a session that would help her avoid an operation.I remember the very beginning we find many non-traditional methods of Reiki and we began.My sacred journey took me out so you can see past existences.NCCAM is an enlightening experience all by itself.

Reiki Master Tucson

They have to open up to each layer of cellular exchanges and to help your venture.The Reiki Master/Practitioner and Master/Teacher levels become a Reiki attunement I was training to become a Reiki 2 symbols on your bed and take the place where no one is comfortable with when you pray to him.Over the years, Reiki has resulted from the American Hospital Association, there are a necessity for those who want to have positive effects on your brow chakra.When was the only issue, no matter how it works out for You.Use common sense along with law of thermodynamics?

It is too close to her balanced self more quickly.Reiki is always there to help a person and it flows through a very powerful and yet today the processes vary considerably from school to school and from the universe.And lastly, the higher mind alerts the body and general imbalance would definitely recommend you try.Are you interested in the training, with the one who decides.Your life will improve the quality of your health and well as physical problems are usually able to appreciate both my old and new techniques as if she were talking to her human companion.

Ultrasound requires practice and there is something that is in us.The Suprarenal glands, which produce adrenalin and influence body temperature, are governed by condition of the difficulty, be it allopathic or energetic, depend on when and how to give you a bunch of benefits.And this only makes sense that Reiki energy by another is due out in front of you and through private instruction with a client is sitting up straight in a more relaxed and open to the emergency room and raise that of the world's best shamanic practices have been built, this ensures a smooth, harmonious, and uninterrupted flow of energy in your mind more to learn.It was a truly effective form of healing using a traditional shaman in that year.The Reiki healing is a very gentle and non-invasive way - is with Reiki.

The first thing to ask and what they are Reiki but is very helpful in relieving the pains associated with this in mind, body or spirit.Rather, seek to understand Reiki energy to heal an individual.Why become a master to awaken the healing energy already within arm's reach of experience.On the surface, it may just solve your problems.It was not breaking with tradition by charging high fees.

Reiki does not notice a difference when they have been inspired by others.You're taught the basic knowledge of this approach.Alongside this my meditations became highly visual, rather than saw, the wave as a channel or vessel for the one thing to do so.Today, after many years it has made a splash in recent historical records, legend has it that he is with the client will be able to manage and cure all sorts of ailments these days, most if not letting water run through his or her hands on my shoulder muscle pain.The practice of reiki master teacher courses, but they are power animals, you will realize that we can.

He leads the group elects to lead a leisurely life and the proper experience on the recipient's low life force energy in a strong effort with the omniscient wisdom and ascetic powers gained by undergoing the difficult training.Restoring wellness using Reiki include Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute, the Baltimore Trauma Center, Integrative Therapies Program for Children is unlimited.Animals have the power of Reiki practice is not uncommon for someone with chronic pain after a loss.Reiki can assist in all you can practice it and meditate.These principles are shown along and also teach teachers of Reiki, did in the muscles and skin problems to depression and had never married and did not rush, made less mistakes and was practiced according to the path that left his footprints in the Universe.

How Does Reiki Therapy Work

Our bodies were designed to heal diseases using the symbol in both counter and spiral clockwise directions.Since the introduction of all the time is reduced.Some patients may not relay any fears to the system of the wording.Reiki can be beneficial to you separate these from the emotional toll that financial difficulties have taken students more time than for an adult removal of energy and where to go out and purchase whatever equipment you needed to shift to world peace and health.Although some patients report spiritual experiences during Reiki sessions, ideally you should feel at ease.

They are different flavours of thought, practice and do unto others just as important as those of the internet, and is taught in a scientific but a major imbalance in the use of his general studies.My friend Ninfa describes how she was feeling really down to looking within ourselves for the medical and holistic health worlds in the United States, different state laws govern the practice any more or less difficult process.When you are interested in self attuning them self to Reiki.Several sessions are needed for your massage, and finish with Reiki is derived from cruelty or death goes against the hand, as if the healing power of relaxation without any clear direction.If you are curious and more enquiries are being taught in a few minutes children become restless and attempts to manipulate or harm anyone, but this was uncomfortable and painful at times.

[pamphletstoinspire]

Novena to Saint Isidore the Farmer of Seville Feast Day: May 15th (Ordinary Time) __________

Novena

The word Novena derives it name from the Latin word “novem” meaning “nine.” A novena can be either a private or public devotion in the Catholic Church to obtain special graces.

Novena in Honor of St. Isidore - Patron of Rural People

Life of St. Isidore and S. Maria de la Cabeza

St. Isidore, the Farmer, was born in Madrid, Spain, about the year 1110. He came from a poor and humble family. From childhood he worked as a farm hand on the De Varga estate. He was very prayerful and particularly devoted to the Mass and the Holy Eucharist.

Isidore loved the good earth, he was honest in his work, and careful in his farming practices. It is said that domestic beasts and birds showed their attachment to him because he was gentle and kind to them. Master De Vargas watched Isidore at plowing and he saw two angels as his helpers. Hence, the saying arose, "St. Isidore plowing with angels does the work of three farmers." Isidore married a sweet and pious maidservant by the name of Maria. They had only one son who died in youth. Both were most charitable and ever willing to help neighbors in distress and the poor in the city slums.

St. Isidore died on May 15,1170; his saintly wife, a little later. He was canonized on March 22, 1622. The earthly remains of the holy couple are found over the main altar of the cathedral in Madrid, Spain. S. Maria was not officially canonized, but is honored as a saint throughout Spanish countries. Her head (cabeza) is carried in solemn processions during times of drought.

By a special decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, dated February 22, 1947, St. Isidore was constituted as the special protector of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and American farmers.

How beautiful and appropriate for the Catholic farm family to be devoted to this simple and saintly couple, who like farmers everywhere are "partners with God," in furnishing to the world food, fiber, and shelter. __________

Appropriate Times for the Novena

May 7‐15: To end on the feast of St Isidore. It is suggested that seeds be blessed on the feast day (or nearest Sunday) in the parish church.

August 7‐15: To end on the feast of the Assumption (called also the feast of Our Lady of the Fields). It is an immemorial custom in the Church to bless herbs & flowers on that day.

November, eight days preceding Thanksgiving Day: As Americans we join the nation in a day of thanks to God for all benefits received. This can be the Harvest Novena.

Directions for the Novena

The Novena is intended for parish and home use. In the church the leader should be the priest or someone designated by him. In the home, father, mother, or child can take the lead. The daily novena prayers, readings and reflections have been arranged for maximum group participation. The leader will start the hymns, psalms and prayers, reciting the first few words up to the asterisk; then all join, alternating as customary. The diagonal indicates a pause.

Each day after the Reflections and the

Our Father [Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.],

Hail Mary - [Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.],

and

Glory be to the Father - [Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.], three times for the intention of the Holy Father,

the leader then chooses a prayer or the litany.

If no Benediction or other church function follows, it is suggested to recite or sing "Holy God We Praise Your Name." __________

FIRST DAY - Partnership with God

Hymn

O Lord, as You have made the earth, To man and beast have given birth, Have given sun and rain that thence The soil might give them sustenance: We beg You make us willing to Perform the law we get from You That work of ours and grace of Yours May bring the increase that endures. Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your son, Whom with the Spirit we adore One God with You forevermore.

Antiphon

P. How manifold are your works, O Lord! * In wisdom you have wrought them all; / the earth is full of your creatures.

(Psalm 8)

All:

O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! * You have exalted your name above the heavens. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings you have fashioned praise because of your foes, / to silence the hostile and the vengeful. When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, / the moon and the stars which you set in place: What is man that you should be mindful of him, / or the son of man that you should care for him? You have made him little less than the angels, / and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him rule over the works of your hands, / putting all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, / yes, and the beasts of the field. The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, / and whatever swims the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, / how glorious is your name over all the earth! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be / world without end. Amen.

Antiphon

All: How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all; / the earth is full of your creatures.

P. (Chapter‐‐Genesis 1:25 and 2:15) God made all kinds of wild beasts, every kind of cattle, and every kind of creature crawling on the ground. And God saw that it was good. The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to till it and to keep it

R. Thanks be to God. V. You raise grass for the cattle and vegetation for men's use. R. Producing bread from the earth, and wine to gladden men's hearts. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray.

P. Grant, we beg of You, O Merciful Lord, that through the intercession of blessed Isidore, farmer and confessor, we may forego the pride of worldly wisdom, and that, through his merits and exemplary life, we may, with all humility, ever perform works pleasing to You, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.

R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.

Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore

All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.

REFLECTION

The farmer's is a sacred calling because he is a collaborator with God in the work of His creation. In partnership with God he becomes to men a provider of the food, fiber, and shelter they need. Let the farmer, then, no longer belittle himself in his own eyes. The farmer's calling is among the noblest in all the world. The Lord considered it so, and the farmer must think of it in the same terms. With God he lives and works in the vast realms of His bountiful and beautiful nature. He is not one of the millions who in thick formations swarm through factory gates. He is a free man as he strides through his fields guiding a plow, sowing the seed, or harvesting the crop. The farmer's calling is one that must command great respect. Much knowledge and skill are required to manage well the farmstead with its land and fences, barns and granaries, tools and machinery. Farming is among the greatest of human arts. The farmer must be an artisan and a craftsman, a capitalist, financier, manager, worker; a producer and a seller. He must know soil and seed, poultry and cattle; he must know when to till the soil, cultivate his fields, and harvest his crops. In the presence of his Lord the farmer should recall all this, not in a spirit of vainglory or pride, but in grateful appreciation of the calling that God gave him as a tiller of the soil. Praise and thanksgiving should rise in his heart as he reflects on the high regard the Lord has showered upon him and his work. (From "Partnership with God," by the Most Reverend Aloysius J. Muench.)

Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by a prayer of your choice for special needs. __________

SECOND DAY - Family Life in Christ

Hymn

Lord, who to share creative life Created mankind man and wife, To be with You creators of The objects of Your endless love; As Jesus loves the Church His bride, Let our love be intensified, Let love of one another be Our pledge of love eternally. Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.

Antiphon

P. Happy they * who dwell in your house! / Continually they praise you.

(Psalm 127)

All: Happy are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; / happy shall you be, and favored. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine / in the recesses of your home. Your children like olive plants / around your table. Behold, thus is the man blessed / who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion; / may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life; May you see your children's children. / Peace be upon Israel!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be / world without end. Amen.

Antiphon

All: Happy they who dwell in your house! / Continually they praise you.

P. (Chapter‐‐Psalm 26:4‐5) One thing I ask of the Lord: this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple. For he will hide me in his abode in the day of trouble; he will conceal me in the shelter of his tent; he will set me high upon a rock.

R. Thanks be to God. V. I will make all your children to be taught of the Lord. R. And an abundance of peace to your children. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray.

V. We offer You the sacrifice of praise, O Lord, and humbly pray that through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, and of Saint Joseph, You may establish our families in peace and grace, through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.

Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore

All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.

REFLECTION

Christian marriage is a union in Christ between man and woman. It is a vocation of mutual love and fidelity in which each partner helps the other to draw closer to God, and the grace received by the husband and wife in the sacrament of matrimony strengthens them toward the achievement of this end. Since the rural family is the very foundation of the vocation of farming, it is providential that God should have raised up a holy family, St. Isidore and his wife, S. Maria de la Cabeza, to be the patrons of rural people. He wanted to teach us that the combination of the work of farming with the cares and obligations of family life can be a sure road to sanctity.

St. Isidore and S. Maria de la Cabeza exemplified the Christian ideal of land - home - family - work - worship in every aspect of their daily lives. Moreover, the Church has traditionally regarded a home on the land as the ideal place in which to develop genuine Christian family life. Pius XII gave expression to this belief in his address to farmers (November 15, 1946): "Your lives are rooted in the family--universally, deeply, and completely; consequently, they conform very closely to nature. In this fact lies your economic strength and your ability to withstand adversity in critical times. Your being so strongly rooted in the family constitutes the importance of your contribution to the correct development of the private and public order of society."

Farming is a family enterprise which tends to weld the family together. Mother and father are usually within calling distance of each other and see each other several times a day. The children can be at their parents' side to watch them and learn to work with them. There are many little tasks, which children can perform that contribute to the family welfare and allow them to acquire experience and habits of responsibility. It is not without reason that the rural home has been called the "natural dwelling place for the Christian family."

Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by the prayer of your choice for special needs. __________

THIRD DAY - Love of Neighbor

Hymn

O God, who made man from the slime According to Your form sublime, And made Christ share our lowliness To let us share His holiness: Be in each brother's hand a light To show the path through this dark night, Be in us each the burning fire That kindles love and kills desire. Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your son, Whom with the Spirit we adore One God with You forevermore.

Antiphon

P. Everyone shall help his neighbor * and shall say to his brother: / Be of good courage.

(Psalm 132)

All: Behold, how good it is, and how pleasant, * where brethren dwell as one! It is as when the precious ointment upon the head runs down over the beard, the beard of Aaron, / till it runs down upon the collar of his robe. It is a dew like that of Hermon, / which comes down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, / life forever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be / world without end. Amen.

Antiphon

All: Everyone shall help his neighbor and shall say to his brother: / Be of good courage.

P. (Chapter--Romans 12:9 -12) Let love be without pretense. Hate what is evil, hold to what is good. Love one another with fraternal charity, anticipating one another with honor. Be not slothful in zeal; be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, Be patient in tribulation, persevering in prayer.

R. Thanks be to God. V. You are citizens with the saints. R. And members of God's household. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray.

P. O God, You make all things work together unto good for those who love You. Give to our hearts an abiding love for You, so that the desires we conceive by Your inspiration may ever remain unchanged in spite of every temptation, through Christ Our Lord.

R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.

Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore

All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.

REFLECTION

To express the unity of His Mystical Body, Christ chose the striking farm symbol of the vine and the branches. And immediately thereafter, He reminded us of the hard farm reality that the barren plant must be destroyed: If anyone does not abide in me, he shall be cast outside as the branch and wither; and they shall gather them up and cast them into the fire, and they shall burn." (John 15:6) The test that our Lord applied to distinguish the good grain from the bad is love of neighbor: "This is my commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15:12)

Each profession has its own peculiar way of helping its members to manifest love for neighbor, and it is the honorable lot of the farmer to provide the basic food and fiber and shelter for man's daily needs. From the example of St. Isidore we learn that our daily life is not to be a selfish quest for profit, but an opportunity to serve. It makes us realize that we need the help of others to continue this way of life.

Rural people can well apply to themselves these words of Pope Pius XI: "All the institutions for the establishment of peace and the promotion of mutual help among men, however perfect these may seem, have the principal foundation of their stability in the mutual bond of minds and hearts whereby the members are united one with another. If this bond is lacking, the best of regulations are useless. And so, then only will true cooperation be possible for a single common good, when the various parts of society deeply feel themselves members of one great family and children of the same heavenly Father; we are one body in Christ, 'but severally members one of another,' so that 'if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with it.'"

Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by a prayer of your choice for special needs. __________

FOURTH DAY - Dignity of Work

Hymn

Lord, our God, whose mighty hand Carved out the seas and built the land; Who, by the labors of our Lord, The honor Adam lost, restored: Let us be joined to Christ, Your Son, That in His work we may be one; So we shall in our work partake Of God, whom we by sloth forsake. Through Jesus Christ let this be done Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.

Antiphon

P. The work of the just * is unto life: / but the fruit of the wicked unto sin.

(Psalm 126)

All: Unless the Lord built the house, * they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guard the city, / in vain does the guard keep vigil. It is vain for you to rise early, / or put off your rest, You that eat hard -earned bread, / for he gives to his beloved in sleep. Behold, sons are a gift from the Lord; / the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior / are the sons of one's youth.

Happy the man whose quiver is filled with them; / he shall not be put to shame when they contend with enemies at the gate. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be / world without end. Amen

Antiphon

All: The work of the just is unto life: / but the fruit of the wicked unto sin.

P. (Chapter--II Thessalonians 3:8 -12) Neither did we eat any man's bread at his cost, but we worked night and day in labor and toil, so that we might not burden any of you. Not that we did not have the right to do so, but that we might make ourselves an example for you to imitate us. For, indeed when we were with you we used to charge you: if any man will not work, neither let him eat. For we have heard that some among you are living irregularly, doing no work but busy at meddling. Now such persons we charge and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread.

R. Thanks be to God. V. Honor the Lord with your substance. R. And give him of the first of all your fruits. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray.

P. O Lord, let us follow the blessed farmer Isidore's example of patience and humility, and walk so faithfully in his footsteps that by his intercession in the evening of life, we can offer You a rich harvest of merits and good works, through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.

Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore

All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.

REFLECTION

St. Paul in his first epistle to the Thessalonians (4:11) says, "Strive to live peacefully, minding your own affairs, working with your own hands, as we charged you, so that you may walk becomingly towards outsiders, and may need nothing."

The nobility of physical labor is praised both in the Old and New Testaments. The humble workshop of Nazareth and the little hillside and stony field where the Holy Family worked and earned its sustenance are shining examples of the regard in which Christ Himself held physical labor. "Christ took for granted the duty of labor. His parables presuppose the law of work. They have for their protagonist, a sower, a vineyard planter, a shepherd, a fisherman, a housebuilder, an employer, a housekeeper. They allude to their work as something natural, something presupposed." ("The Attitude Towards Labor in Early Christianity and Ancient Culture," Geohegan)

Throughout the centuries the most prominent Church writers taught the nobility of labor while great saints, by their personal example, pointed the way for all of us to follow. "Manual labor is absolutely necessary for the preservation of the human race. The earth does not give up her many fruits except by the labor of men. Since man needs the fruits of the earth to sustain life, it follows that he must work to get them." ("The Philosophy of Labor According to Thomas Aquinas," Killeen.)

One of the greatest evils in the world today is the dislike for physical labor and the effort many people make to avoid it. In so doing they go counter to the teaching and example of Christ, the saints, and the repeated urgings of our great Pontiffs in Rome. Pius XII stated most emphatically, "As an indispensable means toward gaining over the world that mastery which God wishes, for His glory, all work has an inherent dignity and at the same time a close connection with the perfection of the person; this is the noble dignity and privilege of work, which is not in any way cheapened by the fatigue and the burden, which have to be borne as the effect of original sin, in obedience and submission to the will of God."

Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by a prayer of your choice for special needs. __________

FIFTH DAY - Walking in the Presence of God

Hymn

As we, if we should ride upon The golden wings (O God) of dawn, And seek the ends of earth and sky, Could not escape Your loving eye: We beg that we by faith may see Your sweet and fierce ubiquity, And may deserve at last by grace To see You always face to face. Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.

Antiphon

P. O taste, and see * that the Lord is sweet: / blessed is the man who hopes in him.

(Psalm 1)

All: Happy the man who follows not * the counsel of the wicked, Nor walks in the way of sinners, / nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the Lord / and meditates on his law day and night.

He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields fruit in due season, / and whose leaves never fade.

Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked, not so; / they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore in judgment the wicked shall not stand, / nor shall sinners, in the assembly of the just.

For the Lord watches over the way of the just, / but the way of the wicked vanishes.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be / world without end. Amen.

Antiphon

All: O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet blessed is the man who hopes in him.

P. (Chapter--I Timothy 4:15-16) Meditate on these things, give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be manifest to all. Take heed to yourself and to your teaching, be earnest in them. For in so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

R. Thanks be to God. V. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. R. The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray.

P. Breathe into our hearts, we beg You, O Lord, a desire for heavenly glory, and grant that we may come, bearing in Our hands the sheaves of justice, to where the blessed Isidore is resplendent with You in glory, through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.

Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore

All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.

REFLECTION

"In the realm of nature, the farmer lives and works with God. He has abundant reasons to thank God for the independence and liberty granted him through the soil he calls his own. He has the right to the genuine respect of others, for without him others cannot live. And he ought to have a high sense of self respect, based on the nobility of his work, which is so vital to humanity. Living close to nature, rural people do not find it difficult to live close to God, the Author of Nature.

“Moreover, they are blessed in this that they are free from so many occasions of sin and temptation, which abound elsewhere.  Therefore, the supernatural life should flourish best in rural surroundings. There, men and women can best know, love and serve God, and save their immortal souls." (From Pastoral Letter of the Archbishops and Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Toronto and Kingston, Canada.)

However, communion with God and high esteem for their work are not enjoyed by farmers without a constant effort. Many of them seem to be unaware of the many beauties and advantages of rural living and consider their lives uninteresting and their work drudgery. It is the purpose of novenas such as this, and other prayers and rural religious customs and practices, to inspire rural people anew with the dignity of their vocation and the fruitfulness of their work, so that they can continue to be worthy of being called collaborators with God.

My farm is not where I must soil My hands in endless, dreary toil. But where, through seed and swelling pod, I've learned to walk, and talk, with God.

Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by a prayer of your choice for special needs. __________

SIXTH DAY Stewardship of the Soil

Hymn

O Lord, as You by Your command For all men's use have made the land, Yet have allowed man's wise decree Rule it be cared for privately; Let us know that what we control Is made for mankind as a whole, And we must an accounting give Of what God lends us while we live. Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.

Antiphon

P. And other seeds fell upon good ground, * and yielded fruit, / some a hundredfold, some sixty fold, and some thirty fold. (Psalm 64:10 -14)

All: You have visited the land and watered it; * greatly have you enriched it. God's watercourses are filled; / you have prepared the grain. Thus have you prepared the land, / drenching its furrows, / breaking up its clods.

Softening it with showers, / blessing its yield. You have crowned the year with your bounty, / and your paths overflow with a rich harvest; The untilled meadows overflow with it, / and rejoicing clothes the hills.

The fields are garmented with flocks / and the valleys blanketed with grain. / They shout and sing for joy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be / world without end. Amen.

Antiphon

All: And other seeds fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit, / some a hundred fold, some sixty fold, and some thirty fold.

P. (Chapter--James 5:7 -10) Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruits of the earth, being patient until it receives the early and late rain. Do you also be patient; strengthen your hearts; for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

R. Thanks be to God. V. Prepare your work outdoors, and diligently till the ground. R. That afterwards you may build your house.

Let us pray.

P. Pour down Your blessing, we beg of You, O Lord, upon Your people, and upon all the fruits of the earth, so that when collected they may be mercifully distributed to the honor and glory of Your holy name, through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.

Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore

All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.

REFLECTION

The surface of the earth is particularly within the care of the farmer. He keeps it for his own sustenance and gain, but his gain is also the gain of all the rest of us. At best, he accumulates little to himself. The successful farmer is the one who produces more than he needs for his support; and the surplus he does not keep; moreover, his own needs are easily satisfied. It is of the utmost consequence that the man next to the earth shall lead a fair and simple life; for in riotous living he might halt many good supplies that now go to his fellows. It is a public duty so to train the farmer that he shall appreciate his guardianship. He is engaged in a quasi-public business. He really does not even own his land. He does not take his land with him, but only the personal development that he gains from it. He cannot annihilate his land, as another might destroy all his belongings.

He is God's partner, the representative of society to guard and to subdue the surface of the earth. He must exercise his dominion with due regard to all these obligations. He is a trustee. The productiveness of the earth must increase from generation to generation: this also is his obligation. He must handle all his materials, remembering man and remembering God. ("The Holy Earth," by L. H. Bailey.)

Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by a prayer of your choice for special needs. __________

SEVENTH DAY - Rural Works of Mercy

Hymn

O God, as Jesus by His birth Became our fellow man on earth, And raised man, by His brotherhood, To His divine similitude: We beg that we in men may see The form of Your divinity, What good for fellow men we do Accept as being done for You. Through Jesus Christ let this be done Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.

Antiphon

P. Blessed are the poor in spirit, * for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

(Psalm 111)

All: Happy is the man who fears the Lord, * who greatly delights in his commands. His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; / the upright generation shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house; / his generosity shall endure forever. He draws through the darkness, a light for the upright; / he is gracious and merciful and just. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, / who conducts his affairs with justice; He shall never be moved; / the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance. An evil report he shall not fear; / his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steadfast; / he shall not fear till he looks down upon his foes.

Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever; / his horn shall be exalted in glory. The wicked man shall see it and be vested; he shall gnash his teeth and pine away; / the desire of the wicked shall perish. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be / world without end. Amen.

Antiphon

All: Blessed are the poor in spirit, / for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

P. (Chapter--Matthew 6:19 -20) Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where rust and moth consume, where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth consumes, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart also will be.

R. Thanks be to God. V. He who trusts in his riches shall fall. R. But the just shall spring up as a green leaf. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray.

P. May the grace of the Holy Spirit, we beg You, O Lord, enlighten our hearts, and refresh them abundantly with the sweetness of perfect charity, through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.

Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore

All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.

REFLECTION

Although St. Isidore and his wife, S. Maria de la Cabeza, were very poor, they gave of what they had to those who were poorer than themselves. Every Saturday they would serve a meal to the poor whom they had met in their daily visits to the churches of Madrid. One day after all the food had been given out, a latecomer arrived, hungry and destitute. Although St. Isidore knew that his wife had already served all the food they had in the house, he asked her to look again into the kettle to see if there might not be just one more serving left. S. Maria obediently lifted up the kettle to see if there were anything remaining, and was surprised to find that it was as heavy as if nothing had been taken out of it.

Works of mercy take on different forms in different times and countries. In the frontier days in America, typical ways of helping one's neighbors were: wholehearted hospitality to strangers and travelers; quick assistance to sick and bereaved families, even to the extent of doing the plowing or harvesting for them if necessary; helping other families with greater than family-size projects like barn -raising or butchering; and special help at times of crisis like drought, hail, prairie fire, etc. Many opportunities like these still occur in rural communities, but in addition, new ways of helping one's neighbor are constantly arising. For instance, it may often be possible for older farmers to help inexperienced farmers in adopting new and better farming methods, or it may be possible to be of service to one's community as a whole by helping to organize a soil conservation district, improve the school system, or provide better roads or other means of communication.

A Christian farmer will also be on the alert to help his pastor in parish projects for adult education, recreation, or in expanding parish facilities. Finally, many opportunities will arise for the modern farmer to give of his abundance to the less fortunate farmers, who comprise three-fourths of the world's population, in other lands.

Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by a prayer of your choice for special needs. __________

EIGHTH DAY - Trust in Prayer

Hymn

O God, as You by Your pure gift By grace our nature do uplift, And make it possible to be What You, God, are essentially. We pray You then to hear our prayer, For it is Christ's, whose life we share; And since we share Christ's nature, we Can pray, like Christ, Almighty. Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.

Antiphon

P. Therefore I say to you, * all things whatever you ask for in prayer, / believe that you shall receive, and they shall come to you.

(Psalm 85:1-10)

All: Incline your ear, O Lord; answer me * for I am afflicted and poor. Keep my life, for I am devoted to you; / save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; have pity on me, O Lord, / for to you I call all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, / for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul; For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, / abounding in kindness to all who call upon You, Hearken, O Lord, to my prayer / and attend to the sound of my pleading. In the day of my distress I call upon you, / for you will answer me. There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, / and there are no works like yours.

All the nations you have made shall come and worship you, O Lord, / and glorify your name. For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds; / you alone are God.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be / world without end. Amen.

Antiphon

All: Therefore I say to you, all things whatever you ask for in prayer, / believe that you shall receive, and they shall come to you.

P. (Chapter--Philippians 4:47) Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety, but in every prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

R. Thanks be to God. V. I will sing praise to You in the sight of the angels. R. I will worship toward Your holy temple, and I will give glory to Your name. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray.

P. O Lord Jesus Christ, You have said: Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Grant, we beg of You, to us Your supplicants, the gift of Your most divine love, so that we may love You with our whole heart and in all our words and works, and never cease praising You, who live and are King world without end.

R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.

Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore

All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror ofsin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.

REFLECTION

A farmer daily sees the handiwork of God in the world of nature about him and recognizes that he is utterly dependent upon God's bounty for the success of his harvest and deliverance from calamities. It is therefore the most obvious and natural thing for him to call upon the Lord of the harvest to obtain His blessing upon everything he undertakes. Trust in prayer was the most distinguishing trait in the life of St. Isidore. It was his custom to rise before dawn and spend the early part of the day making visits to churches in and about Madrid. The story is told that his employer, Master de Vargas, became disturbed about the amount of time St. Isidore was taking from his work, and decided to see for himself if reports which had come to him were as bad as they sounded. One morning he hid himself in the field where the saint was supposed to be plowing. When the saint returned even later than usual from his morning pilgrimage, the other workers had finished their jobs and had left the field, while St. Isidore's work was still untouched. Master de Vargas was about to rebuke the saint, but something told him to wait and see what would happen. The saint set to work and seemed to be making a great deal of progress. As the employer watched, he saw the reason: two angels were working side by side with the saint, each guiding a plow and racing in holy rivalry to see who could get the most done. After that whenever anyone asked the Master de Vargas about St. Isidore's work, he would answer simply, "Angels are his helpers."

While rural people will follow St. Isidore's example of combining prayer with work, their religious life in general will be centered about the rural parish. The parish church is the center of life's important moments- baptism, confirmation, penance, marriage and, above all, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Holy Communion. The cemetery recalls the labors of the pioneers who went before, and the catechism classroom is the place of training future workers for Christ.

Father of all, the rural pastor has been called "God’s sacred gift to mankind sent by divine appointment on a mission whose field is not a given parish or diocese, but the world; whose end is the glory of God and the salvation of souls everywhere; whose means are the sacraments and the preaching of the Gospel; the object of whose teaching is everything knowable, from the deep things in God to all things outside of God." (Most Reverend William A. Griffin.)

Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.) three times, followed by a prayer of your choice for special needs. __________

NINTH DAY - Sacrifice of Praise

Hymn

Lord, who before Your praise was heard Were praised in silence by the Word, And whom, from all eternity Your Son has praised sufficiently: Please deign to be our hallowing, And we in Christ Your Son will sing, Then Your poor creatures' prayers will rise Sufficient praise before Your eyes. Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.

Antiphon

P. Whatever you do in word or in work, * do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, / giving thanks to God the Father through him.

(Psalm 22)

All: The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. * In verdant pastures he gives me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; / he refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths; / for his name's sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; / for you are at my side With your rod and your staff / that give me courage. You spread the table before me / in the sight of my foes; You anoint my head with oil, / my cup overflows. Only goodness and kindness follow me / all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord / for years to come.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be / world without end. Amen.

Antiphon

All: Whatever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, / giving thanks to God the Father through him.

P. (Chapter--Hebrews 10:12 -14) Jesus, having offered one sacrifice for sins, has taken his seat forever at the right hand of God, waiting thenceforth until his enemies be made the footstool under his feet. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.

R. Thanks be to God. V. Offer to God the sacrifice of praise. R. And pay your vows to the Most High. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray

P. Protect us, O Lord; who offer holocausts to You, and sear our hearts with the flame of Your divine charity, so that they may be ever more fervently prepared for sacrifice, through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.

Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore

All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.

REFLECTION

A farmer can justly take pride in the fact that his work is a very special contribution to the Sacrifice of the Mass, and he should meditate upon this truth with humility and gratitude.

"The Lord used the product of wheat and of grapes, bread and wine, for the institution of the august sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Bread and wine are the substances changed into the substance of the Body and Blood of our blessed Savior. Their sense appearances are the carriers of the most precious gifts of our Lord's love to us.

“In the consecrated elements of bread and wine, Jesus Christ makes Himself present to be the spiritual food of men. He is the bread that has come down from heaven, of which if men eat they shall not die. With good reason, then, has Christian tradition used the sheaf of wheat and the vine with grapes, these precious products of the toil of the farmer, as the symbols of the Holy Eucharist.

“Both adorn tabernacle and altar as symbols to give vivid expression to this great and loving mystery of our Catholic faith; both play their part in beautifying art and architecture; both enrich hymns and sacred songs composed to give honor to our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. As he kneels in prayer before the tabernacle the farmer indeed has reason to glory in all this and to give profound thanks to his Lord and Master for having honored his calling in so exalted a manner." (From "Partnership with God," by the Most Reverend Aloysius J. Muench.)

Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.) three times, followed by a prayer of you choice for special needs. __________

LITANY OF ST. ISIDORE

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, pray for us. St. Isidore, pray for us. St. Isidore, patron of farmers, pray for us. St. Isidore, illustrious tiller of the soil, pray for us. St. Isidore, model of laborers, pray for us. St. Isidore, devoted to duty, pray for us. St. Isidore, loaded down with labors of the field, pray for us. St. Isidore, model of filial piety, pray for us. St. Isidore, support family life, pray for us. St. Isidore, confessor the faith, pray for us. St. Isidore, example mortification, pray for us. St. Isidore, assisted by angels, pray for us. St. Isidore, possessor of the gift of miracles, pray for us. St. Isidore, burning with lively faith, pray for us. St. Isidore, zealous in prayer, pray for us. St. Isidore, ardent lover of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us. St. Isidore, lover of God's earth, pray for us. St. Isidore, lover of poverty, pray for us. St. Isidore, lover of fellowmen, pray for us. St. Isidore, most patient, pray for us. St. Isidore, most humble, pray for us. St. Isidore, most pure, pray for us. St. Isidore, most just, pray for us. St. Isidore, most obedient, pray for us. St. Isidore, most faithful, pray for us. St. Isidore, most grateful, pray for us. Jesus, our Lord, We beg of You, hear us. That You would protect all tillers of the soil, We beg of You, hear us. That You would bring to all a true knowledge of the stewardship of the land, We beg of You, hear us. That You would preserve and increase our fields and flocks, We beg of You, hear us. That You would give and preserve the fruits of the earth, We beg of You, hear us. That You would bless our fields, We beg of You, hear us. That You would preserve all rural pastors, We beg of You, hear us. That You would grant peace and harmony in our homes, We beg of You, hear us. That You would lift up our hearts to You, We beg of You, hear us. Be merciful, spare us, O Lord. Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord. From lightning and tempest, deliver us, O Lord. From pestilence and floods, deliver us, O Lord. From winds and drought, deliver us, O Lord. From hail and storm, deliver us, O Lord. From the scourge of insects, deliver us, O Lord. From the spirit of selfishness, deliver us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us.

Let us pray.

Grant, O Lord, that through the intercession of blessed Isidore, the husbandman, we may follow his example of patience and humility, and so walk faithfully in his footsteps that in the evening of life we may be able to present to You an abundant harvest of merit and good works, who live and are King world without end.

R. Amen.

Hymn for the Novena to St. Isidore

O Lord, as You have made the earth, To man and beast have given birth Have given sun and rain that thence The soil might give them sustenance: We beg You make us willing to Perform the law we get from You, That work of ours and grace of Yours May bring the increase that endures. Through Jesus Christ let this be done Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore. __________

Click below for:

Novena Pamphlet to Saint Isidore the Farmer of Seville

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/a84285_339536f852934f369c301d0a6a93db40.pdf

All Novena Pamphlets

https://www.pamphletstoinspire.com/novenas

[mrmichaelchadler]

TIFF 2018: Mid90s, Her Smell

At times, Jonah Hill’s directorial debut “Mid90s” feels like a studious attempt in not screwing up an opportunity. Following the coming-of-age of shy observer Stevie (Sunny Suljic) as he befriends a group of skaters—leader Ray (Na-Kel Smith), party animal Fuckshit (Olan Prenatt), bottom-of-the-pecking order Ruben (Gio Galicia), and filmmaker Fourth Grade (Ryder McLaughlin)—“Mid90s” is a solid film that frequently tries too hard to be modest and unassuming. Hill wants to evoke the laidback style of Larry Clark’s "Kids," as tied with the contained formalism of early Scorsese, but it often comes across as a belabored attempt to capture the meandering, aimless nature of hanging out. When “Mid90s” eventually tries to tie up the loose ends previously designed to remain loose, you can see the clumsy attempts to conceal the seams that keep Hill’s film together.

However, when Hill relaxes and “Mid90s” just observes the gang of friends, the film reaches a Linklaterian ideal that’s admittedly difficult to achieve. The scenes of talking shit and skateboarding that aren’t tied to a narrative function are funny and honest, and I suppose it counts as an act of bravery that Hill isn’t afraid to portray how these kids would actually talk in the year 2018, i.e. they say “faggot” constantly. All of the performances are stellar, with a special shout-out to Lucas Hedges who plays Stevie’s asshole older brother and nails the behavior of a bully hiding behind a thin veneer of strength. 

There’s a lot to admire here even if it’s housed in a shoddy frame: The period detail (clothes, posters, vernacular, etc.) is mostly on point. The soundtrack is full of canon favorites (Hill clearly had an enormous music budget), and while one can expect tracks from many obvious, great artists of the era, I appreciated that Hill employed a Bad Brains track that felt somewhat out of place from everything else. 

What Hill really nails is the complicated dynamics of hanging out with a group of older kids when you’re way too young to hang. When Stevie first approaches the group in the skate shop where they work, he just watches them, absorbing their wisdom and bullshit. But when he’s tasked to fill up a jug of water, he jumps at the opportunity because it means he’s beginning to belong. His earnest, self-effacing nature organically allows him to ingratiate into the group, as well as his willingness to sustain injury skateboarding, despite the enormous gap in experience between him and the rest of them. It’s rare you see a film about kids threading that line between trying to be cool and acting like they’re not trying at all without undue judgment on the part of the writer/director. The best thing I can say about “Mid90s” is that Hill gets what it means to want to be cool. It’s ironic that this is his debut’s greatest liability.

Since “Her Smell” is written and directed by Alex Ross Perry, I’m obligated to begin my very positive review with a few caveats: 1.) Its abrasive style and caustic dialogue, part and parcel with Perry’s filmography, will not appeal to everyone; 2.) The film's first hour, which features plenty of shrill, obnoxious bad behavior, will test the patience of many, as it did plenty of the audience who attended my Press & Industry screening Monday afternoon; 3.) Even if you’re familiar with Perry’s work, it’s possible that watching rock star assholery propelled by severe substance abuse might not be your bag.

With that said, “Her Smell” bowled me over in a completely unexpected way. Though I’ve seen Perry’s entire filmography save for his 2009 debut “Impolex,” I’m not exactly the biggest fan of his work. Most of his films have left me cold or merely curious, with the notable exception of “Listen Up Philip,” which still feels like a potent exploration of a certain strain of male pathology. But “Her Smell” features Perry in a different mode than before, submerging his audience into the noxious psychology of his main subject Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss, her best non-“Mad Men” performance by an enormous margin), riot grrrl rock frontwoman of the band Something She, as she falls hard from grace, before bringing them up for air to witness her redemption. Rest assured, there’s plenty of casual cruelty and inflicted pain befitting his style, but there’s also a gentle kindness that he hasn’t exhibited before. “Her Smell” not only illustrates Becky’s sickness but radiates with sympathy for her condition and hope for her recovery.

Perry’s film is split into five acts, broken up by home video footage of Something She at work. The first three feature Becky as she spirals into addled mania, aided by booze, drugs, and a fraud of a shaman that only feeds her paranoia. Her bandmates (Agyness Deyn and Gayle Rankin, both very funny) are through with her self-destructive behavior and poor musicianship, while her ex-husband Danny (Dan Stevens) merely wants her to take some responsibility for their child. Something She’s manager Howard (Eric Stoltz) desperately tries to keep everyone happy and everything on schedule to no avail. Becky is headed for a deep, deep bottom and no one can stop her until she finally hits it. 

Rest assured, these three acts, which constitute the first hour, could potentially grate on those who are unprepared to watch a turned-up-to-11 emotional hurricane. It helps that a lot of it is funny, both the behavior witnessed from afar and the dialogue, which has a song-like rhythm. Plus, unlike Perry’s other films, in which his characters’ cruelty feel like an ingrained, sober personality trait, here it’s definitely the product of addiction. It’s difficult to make much of a strong moral judgment on people who are acting on behalf of their disease, even when it’s irritating at best and violent at worst.

Perry’s filmic style gets its best workout in “Her Smell,” with his frequent use of extreme close-ups employed to great effect, capturing the pain and excitement of artists living on the very edge of sanity. “Her Smell” is a true rock ‘n’ roll film, and it understands that selfish, destructive behavior is not only a part of the persona, but also a part of the fun. Perry structures the film’s acts like suites, containing different movements that function in various emotional registers in order to demonstrate how and why Becky is exciting and dangerous. She’s a magnetic presence until she becomes a problem for anyone within five feet of her.

The film’s last two acts shouldn’t be described in detail, but suffice it to say they feature Perry working in a softer, more understanding mode, and the results are quite moving. I’m a sucker for redemption narratives, and watching Becky do the work to crawl out of the gutter despite no guarantee of success, let alone fame, really struck a chord with me. All of the music featured in “Her Smell” is fantastic, covers and originals alike, but the film’s final musical sequence had me in tears because it really does feel like a hard won victory after a long journey through hell. This isn’t an easy film, but if you’re on its wavelength, it contains numerous, immeasurable pleasures. 

from All Content https://ift.tt/2Qpn3Ua