jim henson

Every month, I update my sidebar to reflect the monthly devotion and monthly virtue. For August, the virtue is diligence. After some reflection, I decided the best picture to illustrate diligence was Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

The definition of diligence is steadfast application, assiduousness and industry. The reason I chose Mother Teresa to represent this virtue is because she was the very definition of Christian steadfastness. She worked for decades among India's dying poor, running a hospice for those who had no one to be with them in their last hours on earth.

Only after her death did we discover that she suffered from a dark night of the soul for most of her life. For decades she did not hear the voice of God, she did not sense His presence and, at times, she even doubted whether or not He was there at all.

And yet, she kept on. She cared for the poor and for the sisters in her care, she traveled and gave controversial speeches to powerful people and greeted those who came to see her. She met with her confessor and poured out her heart to him in letters.  She steadfastly worked for Christ.

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." — Mother Teresa

This is a beautiful song by Laura Story called Blessings. It talks about the purpose of suffering in this life.

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

This week's theme was the hot weather we've been having.  Music Monday featured Lovin' Spoonful's Summer in the City.  Art and Beauty Tuesday featured Summer at the Taco Bell, Rt. 22, Hillside, NJ by Valeri Larko.  Poetry Wednesday featured one of my own poems, This Time.

I highlighted a budget food blog, Budget Bytes and the newly restored Cyclorama in Gettysburg.

Finally, I highlighted a very important article by Mark Shea on Catholic Social Justice and the Economy.