Ever wondered why you wake at night?

Of course, sometimes there is a clear reason! For instance, when I wake up in the middle of the night, it's usually because one of the lads has woken me. But other than crying babies, do you ever wake up at night, seemingly for no reason? This morning I read one possible explanation, which I'll tell you about in a minute.

When one of the children is awake, it can lead to quite a long period of enforced wakefulness for me, back and forth until they nod off again. Praying during such a time helps to make it seem less frustrating and even useful. Certainly, I don't get much time or quiet to pray during the day.

I do try. Lately, I have started to say the Divine Mercy Chaplet with the lads at bedtime. As they are so young, I thought it would be easier to hold their attention than the rosary, although I might try to alternate it with one decade of the rosary every second night.

Not surprisingly, the thing they most enjoy seems to be counting the prayers off on the beads. So I have decided to get them their own beads. What a great excuse to buy some of these great Lego rosaries from Memento Moose's etsy page. Aren't they great? My boys are eagerly awaiting them in the post.

In contrast to the rainbow beads: handy for when you're in the jungle and don't want to stand out

And the reason for insomnia? Maybe someone needs your prayers urgently! Here's the extract from St Faustina's Diary that I read today:

"809 During the night, I was suddenly awakened and knew that some soul was asking me for prayer, and that it was in much need of prayer. Briefly, but with all my soul, I asked the Lord for grace for her.

810 The following afternoon, when I entered the ward, I saw someone dying, and learned that the agony had started during the night. When I verified it-it had been at the time when I had been asked for prayer. And just then, I heard a voice in my soul: Say the chaplet which I taught you. I ran to fetch my rosary and knelt down by the dying person and, with all the ardour of my soul, I began to say the chaplet. Suddenly the dying person opened her eyes and looked at me; I had not managed to finish the entire chaplet when she died, with extraordinary peace. I fervently asked the Lord to fulfill the promise He had given me for the recitation of the chaplet. The Lord gave me to know that the soul had been granted the grace He had promised me. That was the first soul to receive the benefit of the Lord's promise. I could feel the power of mercy envelop that soul.

811 When I entered my solitude, I heard these words: At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person, the indulgence is the same. When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God's anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My Son.

Oh, if only everyone realized how great the Lord's mercy is and how much we all need that mercy, especially at that crucial hour!"

If you're not familiar with it, you can find the Chaplet and how to say it here.

Divine Mercy Sunday

Well I couldn't make it to the Divine Mercy celebrations as the boys would never sit through 2-3 hours of it, but today at Mass I noticed these flowers on the altar and I thought they were appropriate for the spirit of the day. They are so exuberant and startling just like the graces that flow today.
Two years ago tonight, a complete miracle happened when Roo ended his gruelling habit of waking in the middle of the night for 2 to 3 hours at a time. I put it down to the fact that my Mum and brother were praying for me/ us at the ceremonies that day. I had made the Divine Mercy Novena but couldn't get to the special mass.
I was at the end of my tether and felt abandoned by God in those cold lonely hours I spent next to Roo's cot praying he would go back to sleep. He would start crying whenever I made a movement away from him in the direction of my warm bed. But from that night on he would go to sleep without one of us bound to his cotside and relied on himself to get himself back to sleep when he woke (as all of us do momentarily several times a night).
A miracle indeed.

Easter

Well, we are approaching Divine Mercy Sunday now, so it's about time I wrote about what we did over Easter. Lee was off so we went down to the Wowee house on Good Friday evening. Roo wondered why Joseph didn't help Jesus when the 'shouldiers' were 'being mean' to him. He's only 3 so we haven't gone into too much detail. He knows that Jesus 'went away and came back again' on Easter Sunday. Friday's was the maiden voyage for us in the new (used) car. It's lovely and comfy and has lots more space in the boot (including 2 extra seats in the back for Roo's friends- that's how we helped him realise it was a good idea to change the car- he's not usually too keen on change is our Roo).

Saturday morning we got up bright and early and I had a lovely chill-out hour getting my hair cut while the lads did ...other stuff. We spent the r

est of the day taking it easy around Clonmel and later tootled around Cappoquin (where we tried the cappoquino coffee - disappointingly too hot and expensive, but ok when it cooled down) as well as Lismore and Melleray where we tried in vain to have Confession.

Easter Sunday was a lovely day, clear and bright. We spent the morning enjoying the weather for a change, and discovering signs of the Easter Bunny around the house and village. (Roo and Poonch got a whole herd of chocolate cows as Mum and Uncle Bee bought one each for them unbeknownst to each other. They were upstairs on the jumper hill next to Jesus' empty tomb.) Ballymacarbry is a lovely village with the Nire river running alongside, but it would be nicer to take a walk through it if there was a decent footpath there. Every so often we'd have to run the gauntlet with the two lads in the buggy on a busy road.

Later on we followed the bunny to Mum's house where we had lamb for dinner, nom nom... thanks Mum. We went to Mass in Holycross Abbey (above) that afternoon. It seemed a bit flat, considering it was Easter Sunday. I miss the Easter Vigil, it's much more atmospheric and exciting, but too late for the babbas. And in our local town there is a dawn Mass at 6am which we would love to go to at some point, probably a better bet for the lads too.

words of comfort

Sometimes I read things and one word can make me catch my breath and I have to re-read it a few times to make sure I've read it right. Last night that word was 'snuggle'.

I'll explain. Mum gave me a copy of St Faustina's diary for my birthday and I dipped into it before I went to bed. I asked for a comforting passage and here's what opened up: Faustina is recounting something Our Lord said to her,
'Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it with peace.'
How wonderful is that?
Now, this is book is translated from Polish and I can't help but wonder what's the Polish word for 'snuggle'?