Blanketing

Tags

Christ, God's grace, St. Patrick's Breastplate, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

We are in the midst of a dangerously frigid blast of weather, a polar vortex, I’ve been told. This condition, google tells me, was made famous from an arctic blast in 2015 and is now making a comeback. The “polar vortex” gets its name from a counter-clockwise spin—a rotating bubble of cold air around the North Pole that was scheduled to break off and head into much of the United States for the second half of January. It seems that—although somewhat late—it has arrived here in New York. Actually, we will have a temperature high of 10 degrees today but wind chills will put us deep into the negative category calling us all to stay inside.

Just after having read about the weather, I picked up one of the little books that gives me hope. Today it’s the one called Morning Prayer, Evening Praise, from Paulist Press that has been bouncing around our house since 1997. Flipping through the somewhat yellowed pages, I happened upon the familiar St Patrick’s Breastplate. Perhaps you know it: Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me…

It goes on, but as I read that much I had a sensation of a great blanket being wrapped around me and the blanket was Christ. It was a blanket of wool, as if from a sheep on one side and of warmth on the other. A lovely image for me today…May you be similarly wrapped in God’s grace!

Dawning Light

Tags

Christ, confluence, darkness, light, light bearer, light of Christ, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The word confluence comes to mind today as I sit to gather my thoughts. Often there are too many to harness into anything even remotely reasonable or logical but the need to do so is sometimes so important! At such times, I feel that letting anything go might be like losing a diamond. So I sit here winnowing…

Light and darkness are great words for this week and the SSJE brothers say it best, I think, in their “word” for today. Listen: There are so many people now shrouded in darkness. Be a light-bearer. Pray that the light of Christ be mirrored in your countenance: through your prayer, voice, writing and giving. Don’t hide the light. Let it shine! (Br. Curtis Almquist, Society of St. John the Evangelist)

Interestingly, having simply shared that energetic expression, I am now calmed and the need for more has dissolved. I’m sure (as a woman in labor is sure that the contractions will return) that the need for some more precise explication of what I’m feeling may emerge before the dawn of Friday. So I wish you good light in and around you today and hope for tomorrow. May it be so for us all!

Fully Alive

Tags

Christ, fully alive, John Philip Newell, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

At the beginning of this week, our prayer might well be one of the desire to be fully alive. John Philip Newell has just such a prayer, invoking the Trinity on our behalf for that gift. May it be ours for this day…this week…our lives.

The vitality of God be mine this day, the vitality of the God of life. The passion of Christ be mine this day, the passion of the Christ of love. The wakefulness of the Spirit be mine this day, the wakefulness of the Spirit of justice. The vitality and passion and wakefulness of God be mine that I may be fully alive this day – the vitality and passion and wakefulness of God that I may be fully alive! (Celtic Benediction, p.53)

Good News

Tags

body of Christ, Brother Curtis Almquist, Christ, Society of Saint John the Evangelist, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

In a newly begun daily message, the Society of St. John the Evangelist has, I think, really “hit the mark.” The message is simple, clear and totally on point so I share it in gratitude for what I hope to remember throughout this day and beyond. See if you agree.

We’re the best that Jesus has got, we all in whom — so we say and pray–Jesus lives. We become what we have received: the body of Christ. Then we go and be that in the world that God so loves. (Br. Curtis Almquist, ssje)

Can You Really Hear It?

Tags

Christ, love, love your neighbor as yourself, neighbors, Romans, St. Paul, The Golden Rule, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

St. Paul is very direct in his letter to the Romans today about what is necessary in the following of Christ. (ROM 13: 8-10) He starts right out this morning with a clear imperative saying “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another.” A rather shocking statement, I would guess, in that place and time – or even now. Then, as if they may not have understood, or in case they were distracted, he reminds his readers what he means by enumerating the tenets of the Commandments given to Moses on Sinai. After saying what is not allowed by the commandments (killing, stealing, coveting) he sounds like a parent saying “and whatever other commandment there may be…” as he shifts to the affirmative by saying what we must do. It’s the second half of what we know as The Golden Rule: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

I keep thinking of how this message must have been received – and how we ourselves receive it today. Unless we stop and allow it to enter deeply into our consciousness we will certainly miss the depth of meaning. The word “love” has become devalued in our day. We say we love our houses and our cars and our jobs and our new clothes…all possessions. It’s much more difficult sometimes to love our co-workers or our teenagers, or the driver who cuts us off on the highway…or even those who commit unspeakable crimes. Have you ever heard the saying;”Hate the sin but love the sinner?” All of that is included in Paul’s message, also known as the teachings of Jesus…All of it.

Some serious reflection necessary here.

Continually Come!

Tags

Christ, come, Heart of Jesus, Hearts on Fire, love, O Antiphons, St. Claude La Colombiere, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This morning, in praying with the Jesuits from their little book, Hearts on Fire, I once more saw the word, “Come!” Having spent almost the last quadrant of Lent reflecting on the O Antiphons whose petitions begged for a renewed recognition of Christ’s presence to us, I welcomed this continuation of the theme. In part, the prayer offered the following.

Come, lovable Heart of Jesus. Place your heart deep in the center of our heartsand enkindle in each heart a flame of love as strong, as great, as the sum of all the reasons that I have for loving you, my God. (p. 95, St. Claude La Colombiere)

Almost There

Tags

Christ, Emmanuel, enlighten, hope, Joseph, journey of faith, King of the Nations, Mary, O Antiphons, radiant dawn, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Although away from the internet for two days, I have been very present to the O Antiphons. My favorite (except for the last but easily twinned with it) is the fifth, translated variously as “Rising Sun,” “Morning Star” or “Dayspring.” I prefer my own rendition (which I did not invent but heard somewhere along my journey of faith). As I wait today for the light to come, signaling a new day, my heart hopes for the sun to break forth over the mountain across the river. Such a powerful symbol of returning light can awaken me to a new day as nothing else can and so is best described as “Radiant Dawn.”

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness, come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

The sixth antiphon, wherein Christ is called “King of the Nations,” breaks all the definitional laws of how the world sees a ruler. Coming as a helpless baby to a poor family, living as a carpenter’s apprentice and then an itinerant preacher and lover of all certainly topples all notions of kingship. Isaiah describes his reign as follows: He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they train for war again. (IS 2:4) Is this not the king we long for? The one we know to bring us to a new “radiant dawn?”

O King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone making both one: Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay.

This is the one we call Emmanuel, God with us. I will save consideration of this Great Light until tomorrow when the birthing begins and the promise is ready to be revealed.

A Short Weekday Prayer

Tags

Celtic Treasures: Daily Scriptures and Prayer, Christ, efficacious prayer, image of God, John Philip Newell, love, prayer, strength, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I just read a short essay about the efficacy of prayer and subsequently opened John Philip Newell’s book of Celtic Treasures: Daily Scriptures and Prayer. I found what I see as a strong example of an efficacious prayer, that is, a prayer that brings about the reality of what it expresses if we believe what we are saying. See if you don’t agree.

You have shown us love, O Christ. You have shown us God. Show us also our true face and the true face of every human being. Show us the desire for love and the strength to give ourselves in love that are woven into the fabric of our being. For we are made in the image of love, O Christ. We are made in the image of God.  (p. 218)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let All The Earth Cry Glory!

Tags

Christ, divine influence, existence, God, Lord, power, radical transformation, Teilhard de Chardin, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unity, universe

After a weekend of observing radical transformations of vast fields into vibrant green carpets and watching the waning sun splash patterns of color like the best abstract artists – not to mention the truest blue of the sky, I turn to Teilhard de Chardin for a fitting prayer of gratitude this morning. He does not disappoint.

Glorious Lord Christ:
the divine influence secretly diffused and active in the depths of matter,
and the dazzling centre
where all the innumerable fibres of the manifold meet;
power as implacable as the world and as warm as life;
you whose forehead is of the whiteness of snow,
whose eyes are of fire,
and whose feet are brighter than molten gold;
you whose hands imprison the stars;
you who are the first and the last,
the living and the dead and the risen again;
you who gather into your exuberant unity
every mode of existence;
it is you to whom my being cries out
with a desire as vast as the universe:
“In truth you are my Lord and my God!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practice Circle

Tags

centering prayer, chnating, Christ, gestured prayer, gratitude, lectio divina, Peace, silent meditation, spiritual practice, thanks, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Again yesterday I was reminded of the importance of spiritual practice but this time that message came in a group gathering. Five of the seven members of our “practice circle” who were able to be present came together in Estelle’s lovely living room for what has become an increasingly important monthly meeting. As we first checked in with present events in our personal lives – some painful or difficult – we also expressed our gratitude for the sunshine and promise of spring (regardless of the 25 degree temperature and mounds of snow outside!) as well as our enthusiasm for being together.

The afternoon unfolded in chanting, our gestured prayer leading to 20 minutes of what was profound silent meditation, lectio divina (reflection on a timely passage written in the early 1900’s), more chanting and a shorter, 10-minute centering prayer period. As we prepared to leave, our final “check-out” comments were all about gratitude for the deep sharing – both verbal and silent – that left us feeling uplifted and/or more able to proceed with life.

Driving away as I reflected on the importance of such experiences, a long revered adage floated through my brain. Christ is the peace between us, I remembered, and I smiled with thanksgiving to God.