Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”

Augustine is now six months old and crawling on a relentless mission of discovery!! Most amazing, “he wakes up happy, talking and singing to himself in the crib. His favorite piece of music is ‘Amazing Grace’”.

His parents Kinsey and Jake (both in the military) profess amazement. But there is some precedent for the baby’s approach to morning, to life.

Among her acquaintances people know his mother by her exuberant laugh and her greeting: she lights up when she sees you, yells your name, and runs in for a big hug.

And Dad: well, in college his first-year peers often asked the writer, “Have you met Jake?  You should!” Augustine’s father stood out for his enthusiasm, his spirit. 

First year students had never seen the like.  Too, on his visits home Jake would travel the 100 miles to the Abbey for morning prayer at 7. After morning prayer he and the undersigned would go to the local coffee shop for breakfast.

After being blessed with Augustine, Dad wrote: “We have learned much from him, but above all he has served as a powerful reminder to start each day with joy and gratitude as a gift from God!”

“My heart is ready, O God; my heart is ready. I will sing, I will sing your praise. Awake, my soul; awake, O lyre and harp. I will awake the dawn.” Psalm 108, 2,3 or Ps 57:8,9.

Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”

Reply to Fr. Don at: DTalafous@csbsju.edu

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