The Perfect Day

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blessings, John, joy, spring, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The rain has finally stopped, the air is fresh and the breeze is invigorating (8:15 AM). It’s the perfect background for John’s gospel – repeated but not annoyingly redundant: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love. Just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.”
(Big finish)
“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”

(Can you feel it – the joy of such a morning? Just stop if you are able. Go outside and feel the earth singing God’s love for you! Sorry for my effusiveness. That’s what spring in the Northeast USA will do to you!)
Blessings on your day.

Praise for Creation

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Ancient Songs Sung Anew, blessings, creation, Genesis, joy, praise God, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This morning’s lectionary psalm (104) walks in tandem with the Genesis creation reading that precedes it. Having, however, a different purpose, it offers us a reason to pause and reflect—as if looking back on how we’ve appreciated what God has made. Immediately, as the psalmist opens his mouth, praise and purpose come forth: Rise up. my soul, and speak this blessing to your God...What follows is a reminder of the greatness of God’s generosity and how we have or have not appreciated the gift.

Today would be a good day to look up the totality of this song of praise or simply to see and consider how we have appreciated its content in how we have used and/or abused the creation. Look around. (I say this as the sun peeks out from behind the hills to wash us and to melt the snow.) Think more about the creation and how we have helped it manifest (like plantings and the vegetables that are in season) rather than how we have used—and sometimes abused—these natural resources. Make whatever offering of prayer comes to you while thinking on these things and conclude with the final verses of the psalm that speak our praise:

So while I live and have my breath, all this shall be my song. And may the poetry of heart and word I speak rise up as joy to bless the Lord…for we would ever bless you, God, our hearts remembering all you are to us, both now and ever more…Amen and Hallelujah. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p. 262-3)

Blessings of the Day

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blessings, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

As I sit to write at the very end of the morning, I am feeling blessed for the hour-long phone conversation I had this morning with my sister. We talked about good things in the family and the country that had happened over the past week. We even laughed a lot—an experience that has been severely lacking lately… It’s very cold here this morning; we’re in the grip of an arctic blast, they say. I was glad that I got out of bed when I did, however because, looking out the window onto the back yard, I thought I was in a Disney movie like Fantasia where teapots swirl in a wild musical dance and the snowflakes are huge and blinding! I was in the midst of a very energetic squall – happy to be watching from inside! It was an altogether pleasant morning.

Little Christmas

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blessings, Eckhart Tolle, epiphany, gratitude, present moment, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Eckhart Tolle has an appropriate message for today. His “Present Moment Reminder” says the following:

When you make the present moment the focal point of your life instead of past and future, your ability to enjoy what you do – and with it the quality of your life – increases dramatically.”

That seems a perfect corollary to the celebration of the Epiphany, the date of which is usually January 6th but has sometimes been changed to accommodate the faithful whose work schedule is Monday – Friday. I think of the song from the movie “Mame” that shouts out how “we need a little Christmas, right this very minute…we need a little Christmas now.” It was difficult to have a “normal” Christmas this year so maybe what we ought to try is a “do-over,” spending some time on this day when we celebrate the manifestation of Christ to the world to consider how we see Christ in those people who cause gratitude to rise in us whenever we think of or encounter them – and all of the blessings – spiritual and physical – that we have been given over the past year.

A Day To Remember

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blessings, covenant, Isaiah, love of God, Matthew, Psalm 145, Romans, Sisters of St. Joseph, Thanksgiving, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today is a significant one for us – the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province. It is the day on which we are filled with gratitude for the Sisters who have served us in the ministry of leadership over the past seven years and when we look forward in hope to those who pledge themselves now to lead us for the next five years. This is a monumental time of transition and challenge, not only for us but for religious communities of all kinds. I need not enumerate the challenges but we know that wisdom has been and will be the essential element in their ministry. We are confident that we have been well-served and trust that we will not be disappointed as we go forward. In other words, we are very blessed.

In that spirit we would do well to pay attention to the messages of today’s Scripture passages. It’s one of those days when each of the readings has a “stand-out” line or two, in my opinion (of course!). Please join me in a reflection that will be a blessing prayer for our community for today.

1. “Come to me heedfully, listen that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.” (IS 55: 3)
2. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs. (PS 145)
3. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (ROM 8: 37-39)
4. Jesus said to them, ” There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.”…They all ate and were satisfied , and they picked up the fragments left over — twelve baskets full. (MT 14: 13 ->)

Won’t you pray, rejoicing with us, in thanksgiving for all our blessings?

Easter Sunday

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blessings, Easter, give thanks, God, liturgy, livestream, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

It’s mid-afternoon by now, as I finally sit to reflect on this very different Easter Sunday. What I find as I think about it, though, is that it doesn’t really seem so different from all the other Easters that I have known. Susan is always prepared so we have sweet little bunnies (oh yes, stuffed ones) and other treasures for each of us. The livestream from my favorite Church in our area offered a lovely liturgy and I saw on the livestream that there were 397 people attending in addition to me and Liz. Dinner was a grand gesture from Omaha Steaks, provided by a very safety-conscious and delightful new acquaintance who has blessed our lives over the last month.! All that’s left is to clean the grill which is soaking away all the remnants of the yummy steaks. Now come the naps or other quiet occupations, likely to be kindly interrupted once or twice by well-wishers and others calling to make sure we’re okay.

We are okay. We are actually better than okay. We have a home and food and people who love us enough to forego visiting this time, and a God in whose image we and all others have been created and today we give thanks for all those who shine as examples to us of that beneficence. Happy Easter!

The season is well-begun!

Nature’s Blessings

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blessings, compassion, gratitude, John Philip Newell, nature, Praying With the Earth, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

About 20 minutes ago I watched the sun peek out from behind the mountain at the back of our property. I was surprised that it showed at all since it was about 8:00am already. It didn’t seem convinced about showing a lot of energy, however. I hope I’m wrong because we need a sunny day. We need to remember the blessings that come to us through the light of the sun – and even the moon on a clear night. They are reminders of our own ability to shine, especially when everything seems so dark around us.

Here’s a short prayer from John Philip Newell that might help us to find some gratitude inside ourselves for what may seem muted right now. We need to remember:

The blessings of sun, the blessings of moon, the blessings of east and of west to guide us on the way…to lighten our eyes, to strengthen our will and our loving. The blessings of earth, the blessings of air, the blessings of fire and water to fill us with heaven, to free us with mercy, to stir us with flames of compassion. (Praying with the Earth: A Prayerbook for Peace, p. 36)

Dentist Day

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blessings, outlook, shift in attitude, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I have a dentist appointment this morning. What does that have to do with spirituality, you might ask. I have come to know that anything can be brought into play in that realm depending on our outlook. Here’s what I mean.

Over the last ten years I have had dental check-ups twice a year and only once has it involved more than a cleaning – that being one small cavity. (I often say my teeth aren’t pretty but they are strong and healthy!) Today’s visit will involve replacement of a crown – a rather more involved process that will involve novocaine and a fair amount of drilling. The truth is, it will probably hurt. The amazing thing today is that I’m not dwelling on that part of the day but rather on the fact that by the time the novocaine wears off my mouth will be healthy and free of decay and I will be good to go!

My point is that a shift in attitude has a lot to do with how an experience can play out for us. Worrying about pain that is not yet present is a waste of energy. I would do better to spend my time welcoming the feeling of blessing that I have a good dental team. Living from the inside is always a good idea and days like today help me to remember that fact.

I have to go now and brush my teeth. I don’t want to be late for my appointment! Blessings on whatever your day holds!

Paul’s Passion

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blessings, Christmas, compassion, Jesus, love, mercy, Philippians, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

According to the liturgical calendar, today is a “Christmas weekday.” Would you know it if I hadn’t told you? Are your presents still visible under your tree? Are you saying: “What tree?” I’m being facetious, of course – trying to make the point that sometimes we move from expectation (a long process) through experience (sometimes very brief) to let-down (“business as usual”) without savoring the event itself or being changed by it at all.

There are two sets of readings for today and in both St. Paul seems to be pleading for our attention to the effect of Jesus coming into the world. First, the Christmas weekday reading says this: “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we are children of God…Beloved, we are God’s children NOW!” (1 JN 2) The second, from the Letter to the Philippians, urges an even deeper consciousness of who we must be in the name of Jesus. “Brothers and sisters,” Paul says, ” if there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind with the same love, united in heart…”

Can you feel it? Did you experience the love that Christmas calls us to? If not, is there still a chance you might manifest it today or work toward the recognition of which Paul speaks even in some small way? A “hello” or a kind word to a colleague? Even a smile would do for a start. You may be surprised to “see what love God has bestowed upon us.”

Blessings on you this day, children of God.

Profound Gratitude

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blessings, dinner, feast, Thanksgiving, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today is Thanksgiving. I have been so blessed in my life that it’s sometimes difficult to express the gratitude I hold in my heart for all of it. The most sacred blessing of all is coming to the belief that God loves me unconditionally. No matter what happens I have that conviction and it is my prayer today that others will come to know that truth as well. The message from Brother Luke Ditewig of the Society of St. John the Evangelist says it well today.

You are invited to the feast. It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from or who your family is or what you’ve done or what you’ve not done. It doesn’t matter how you’re dressed or how you speak or who you love. There’s a place for you. Dinner is ready. (ssje.org)

May you know God’s choicest blessings today!