Call and Response

Tags

Advent, be ready, choices, decisions, fishermen, Jesus, journey, Luke, Messiah, Simon Peter, St. Andrew, St. Peter, stay awake, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vocation

I was slow this morning to answer the wake up call of my alarm. Perhaps it was the cold (20F degrees) or the fading dream that made me want just a little more time under the blankets. After surrendering to the morning 15 minutes later, armed with my first cup of hot coffee, I went to read about St. Andrew, the saint of the day. I found what I already knew: that Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter, a fisherman, called as one of the first disciples. There was virtually no other information about Andrew personally, except that he was the one, before the miracle of the loaves and fishes, who spoke up about the boy who had some food with him. We only have legend to tell that he preached the gospel to people in what is now Greece and Turkey and was crucified at Patras, now the third largest city in Greece.

Not satisfied, I dug a little deeper by reviewing all the canonical gospel stories of Andrew. In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, his call to be a disciple is recounted in the same way. Jesus is walking along the Sea of Galilee and sees Andrew with his brother, Simon, plying their trade as fishermen and calls both of them with the direct, if strange invitation: Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. In Luke’s gospel, the spotlight is on Simon Peter, who has a conversation about his unworthiness to be offered such a call by Jesus; Andrew is not mentioned until chapter six where the entire group of apostles is named. John’s version of the story is altogether different as Andrew becomes a major player. Originally a disciple of John the Baptist, Andrew and another disciple of John are present when Jesus again walks into their midst the day after John first recognizes Jesus as God’s Chosen One. They follow Jesus and when he turns around to ask what they’re looking for, they answer with a question: “Rabbi, where do you stay?” At the invitation to “Come and see,” they go along. After spending the day with Jesus, the first thing Andrew does is to seek out his brother Simon to tell him, “We have found the Messiah!” Then he brings Simon to Jesus.

All of this made me consider the notion of call and where it leads when it is heard. How was it that I came to know my vocation in life? Did it grow organically or was it a lightning bolt that shifted my perspective on everything? Did someone invite me to something I had not considered or introduce me to someone who changed my life direction? Did I hear a lecture or take a course that made things fall into place for me? And what have been the events/circumstances that have occasioned the less dramatic decisions in my life, the everyday choices I have made? How do I keep on the path every day?

In this season of Advent, when the call to “Stay awake!” and “Be ready!” is the daily message, we would do well to think on these things and sharpen our ear to hear what might be a next step on our journey.

To Begin Anew

Tags

Advent, birth of Jesus, Christian, Christmas, church year, go inward, psalm 25, quiet, reflective, savior, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, truth, ultimate gift, waiting, your ways

Today Christians around the world mark the beginning of the holy season of Advent, the moment when we begin a new liturgical cycle, a new “Church year.” The Latin word itself describes the season: veni (to come) ad (to, or toward). God is coming toward us always, but we look forward and prepare to welcome God in a special way at Christmas. As we commemorate the birth of Jesus into the world, we hope for deeper recognition and birthing in our hearts of what it means to be Christian in our world today. I have always loved Advent, a quieter and more reflective time mirrored to us in the “resting” of nature, a time to go inward. True, this concept is countercultural as the outer world is already in a shopping frenzy, but for me the ultimate gift will be the result of my interior effort during the month ahead. My prayer echoes that of the psalmist this morning who calls out in hope and confidence: Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior, and for you I wait all the day. (PS 25:4-5)

Equanimity

Tags

Advent, being in the now, coming of Christ, conversations, family, Simeon the New Theologian, simple presence, Thanksgiving, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, traditions, visiting

The Thanksgiving celebration has been rich and peaceful in my local community this year. We began on Tuesday evening with the arrival of my sister, had a traditional turkey dinner on Wednesday evening, the “vigil” of the holiday, and enjoyed a special creative feast on Thursday replete with gifts for the birthday of one of the Sisters. Yesterday brought a “virtual visit” for one of the Sisters with her nephew, niece and grand-nephew and today we’ll see another family of nephew and grand-nieces “in the flesh.”

The rhythm of comings and goings, of relaxing and sharing conversations, meals and even an afternoon movie over several days has been a rare occurrence for me. To let go of the need to be engaged in the mental activities that fill my days even when I am not physically engaged “at work” is surprisingly difficult. I am reminded of one of the “conditions for purity of heart” postulated by Simeon the New Theologian in the 10th century. He speaks of equanimity as “freedom from all cares, bad and good, except one care, that is: simple presence, being in the now.” I woke up this morning with my calendar for December running through my head. Perhaps a good Advent practice (beginning tomorrow) will be to attend to responsibilities while staying where I am when I am there and to be present to whatever grace is given, moment to moment. A good preparation indeed for the coming of Christ into my heart!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Call to Oneness

Tags

earthquake, love, new world, one, Peace, poem, The Collected Poems of Thomas Merton, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

In the silence of a vivid dawning sky, I hear the urgency of a Merton poem that I’m reading and make it my prayer, my sense of urgency, for this day:

Go tell the earth to shake and tell the thunder to wake the sky and tear the clouds apart. Tell my people to come out and wonder where the old world is gone. For a new world is born and all my people shall be one. So tell the earth to shake with marching feet of messengers of peace; proclaim my law of love to every nation, every race. For the old wrongs are over, the old days are gone. A new world is arising where my people shall be one… “Earthquake” from The Collected Poems of Thomas Merton, excerpted)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving Thanks

Tags

blessings, Book of Hours, glory of God, light, nothingness, Thanksgiving, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

I have many reasons for personally giving thanks on this holiday when people in the USA pause to recall their blessings. I turned to Merton’s Book of Hours for a word that would be appropriate for today in a more expansive way than the personal and serendipitously opened to the Thursday “psalm” (without any manipulation to choose it) that has become one of my favorite quotes of all time. I have shared it here before, I am sure, but repeat it as a reminder of who we are in God’s sight and a prayer for us to recognize each other in the same way.

In the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusion, a point of pure truth, a point or spark which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes of our lives, which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will. This little point of nothingness and absolute poverty is the pure glory of God in us. It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven. It is in everybody, and if we could see it we would see these billions of points of light coming together in the face and blaze of a sun that would make all the darkness and cruelty of life vanish completely. I have no program for this seeing. It is only given. But the gate of heaven is everywhere. (Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, 158)

Thanksgiving Blessings to all!

All of Creation Sings

Tags

beauty in creation, bless the Lord, Book of Daniel, creation, Creator, prayers of gratitude, Thanksgiving, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today as we in the United States approach Thanksgiving Day, we are reminded by a section from the Book of Daniel to take note of the natural world in our prayers of gratitude. Even when all the flowers (at least here in the Northeast) are gone and the trees have shed all their leaves, even when frost replaces the loveliness of green grass (and the task of mowing!), even when the bears and some of the littler creatures have gone into hibernation, there is yet a beauty in creation. I find it most visible in the shapes of various trees, their branches not hidden now by leafy dressing, in the clarity of stars on cold nights of deepest darkness and in the patterns and sparkle of frost on sunny mornings. So now I call on the creation, as Daniel did, to “give glory and eternal praise” to the Creator of all:

Sun and moon, bless the Lord; stars of heaven, bless the Lord; every shower and dew, bless the Lord; all you winds, bless the Lord; fire and heat, bless the Lord; cold and chill, bless the Lord; praise and exalt Him above all forever! (DAN 3:62-67)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home Again

Tags

compassion, peaceable kingdom, receptivity, Thanksgiving, The Hidden Ground of Love, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton, tolerance, wisdom

Even though we in the United States are gearing up today and tomorrow for Thanksgiving, the most traveled holiday in our country, I feel a sense of grounding this morning as I sit in my chair, in my own room, looking out at the view that is so familiar to me as I await the dawn. I am settling in to “home” after an inexplicable season (10 days!) of what seems like time out of time spent in seeking wisdom with a miraculous “horde” of 240 people, an event that gave a glimpse of what could be seen as “the peaceable kingdom.” As I breathe into this day with its familiar round of activities, I am heartened by a word from Thomas Merton that calms my soul while it fuels my intention. He says the following:

I think what I need to learn is an almost infinite tolerance and compassion because negative thought gets nowhere. I am beginning to think that in our time we will correct almost nothing, and get almost nowhere: but if we can just prepare a compassionate and receptive soil for the future, we will have done a great work. I feel at least that this is the turn my own life ought to take. (The Hidden Ground of Love, 20)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Postscript

Tags

chant, Cynthia Bourgeault, fall fearless into love, Kanuga, lesson, retreat, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Wisdom School

Everything was quiet at Kanuga Retreat this morning as I trudged to the dining room for coffee. The morning star was visible in the dim light reminding me of the Scripture that promises the morning star shines clear in the sky, offering the Word of life. Everyone but the 19 interns and staff to our Wisdom School departed yesterday, knowing that we had truly experienced God’s word in so many ways this week.

Those of us who remain will continue what began yesterday afternoon as an attempt to process how such a large gathering could have felt so intimate and what we learned about ourselves and about wisdom both in the teachings of the wise and wonderful Cynthia Bourgeault and in the practices that we did together in small and large convenings. This has definitely been one of those times when “you had to be there” in order to catch the depth and meaning. None of us will be able to adequately explain it because it was not just the activities themselves but the energy generated that created the experience. One way I will remember the lesson of it all is through a chant that rose up in me to the rhythm of my walk to the coffee machine this morning. I hope I am able each day to “Fall fearless into love, fall fearless into love; fall fearless into Love.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cosmic Dance

Tags

conscious work, glory, healing, hungry, Kanuga, poor, Psalm 95, refugees, sharing, synergy, terror victims, The Elm Dance, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I can’t be sure yet but I think the rain has stopped. Yesterday it seemed as if we were destined to begin building an ark for 250 people and however many animals came swimming down the paths here at Kanuga. But it was a day when it seemed no one was bothered by the rain. We were buoyed up by the synergy of our sharing, especially as we came together in a magical event that replaced our “conscious work” period of cleaning up the grounds of leaves and sticks and other remnants of autumn.

We gathered in the gym, first in our “small groups” of 20 people each and then in 3 concentric circles to learn and then dance The Elm Dance for the healing of the world. All nervousness about “doing it right” vanished quickly in the first go-round when the groups realized how simple the steps were and how easy it was to stay together as they moved. Especially beautiful were the moments of moving toward the center of the circle where joined hands let go into the sky, waving like the branches of beautiful trees and coming back together in the movement out again to continue circling. Later sharing provided ample evidence of connecting with the plight of refugees and victims of terror, the poor and hungry of the world and the ravaged places of Earth herself in ways that were deep and meaningful.

The rain continued to accompany us through the day and night where strains of our closing chant for the evening resonated everywhere as witness that every cell of this body sings, “Glory!” I have no doubt that the best advice any of the participants here could give for this new day comes from the gospel verse for this morning: If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts. (Ps. 95:8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mirroring Christ

Tags

Christ, least ones, neighbor, poor, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Francis of Assisi, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today is the feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, daughter of a king, who lived in the 13th century and died just after her 24th birthday. From childhood she was devoted to the poor and in the manner of St. Francis of Assisi, she constantly served them, feeding them both materially and spiritually. Her story is uplifting but my attention this morning was drawn to the quote that followed her biography on the americancatholic.org website which seems quite apt for this moment in our world.

Today there is an inescapable duty to make ourselves the neighbor of every individual without exception and to take positive steps to help a neighbor whom we encounter, whether that neighbor be an elderly person, abandoned by everyone, a foreign worker…a refugee…an illegitimate child…or a starving human being who awakens our consciousness by calling to mind the words of Christ: “As long as you did it for one of these least ones, you did it for me.” (The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World from The Second Vatican Council)