Yesterday was my brother T's birthday. Unfortunately, we didn't get to hear his happy voice, in spite of multiple phone call, text message and skype attempts. We did skype with him last week on my brother A's birthday, however, and with A too. It is a month full of celebrations! Dad's birthday is next week. D's namesday is today, and D's godfather's birthday is tomorrow.
Yesterday, when told that today is D's namesday, P asked me if he could wrap a present for D. I said it didn't really matter, because a namesday is not about presents. But he insisted, so he took one of D's books and wrapped it up for him! At least the present will be familiar!
Read the lives of Saint Panteleimon and Saint Blandina to M and P last night, after L and D had gone to bed. Talked to the boys about strength of character and spirit, and how that kind of strength only comes from Christ and is so much more important than physical strength. Talked about persecution and how we are blessed at this time to live in a country reasonably free of persecution. A few families at our church are refugees from Africa and we talked about the persecution they faced, that led them to flee to Canada.
It is so easy to see our lives as the common reality. We forget about people in other parts of the world who literally struggle for life every day. We forget about our Christian heritage, and the saints that literally struggled for Christ and His Church every day. Much more was required of them than is asked of me at this point, and I pray to God for mercy. The beautiful prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian really calms me:
O Lord and Master of my life, give me not a spirit of idleness, despondency, ambition or vain talking;
But rather a spirit of purity, humility, patience and love bestow upon me Thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brother,
for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.
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