It will all be done in the Lord's time, I console myself with that thought.

A Merry Christmas to all!

'As I in hoary winter's night stood shivering in the snow,
Surprised I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow;
And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near,
A pretty babe all burning bright did in the air appear;
Who, scorchëd with excessive heat, such floods of tears did shed
As though his floods should quench his flames which with his tears were fed.
Alas, quoth he, but newly born in fiery heats I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel my fire but I!
My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns,
Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns;
The fuel justice layeth on, and mercy blows the coals,
The metal in this furnace wrought are men's defiled souls,
For which, as now on fire I am to work them to their good,
So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood.
With this he vanished out of sight and swiftly shrunk away,
And straight I called unto mind that it was Christmas day.'

St. Robert Southwell, 'St. Peter's Complaint', 'The Burning Babe'

Fewer

I think there can be few more pleasant tasks than reading through one's library in the search of quotes by the saints.

The statue below it seems is somewhat delayed, as the place I ordered it from sent me a statue of the Infant of Prague, but not the statue depicted, instead an altogether inferior rendition of the subject. So I have since returned it and am waiting for the refund.

It may be a bit before I am able to purchase the one pictured below as the price was very, very reasonable, and I have not seen it available elsewhere so inexpensively. I also have to make sure that other sellers aren't repeating the mistake of the one I encountered.

There are a great deal of to put it kindly, not very well done, statues out there so -- until I find one of this type or on its level, I will have to wait.