A Winding Road

Tags

comfort, God, God acts, God speaks, God's voice, Joyce Rupp, praise, pray, psalm 16, Stephen Mitchell, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Feeling a need for inspiration I pulled out the book, Prayer Seeds, by Joyce Rupp this morning. I wanted to hear and see something that would speak of hope or certainty to some deep place in my heart with the hope that it would do the same for others. I read a lot of Sister Joyce’s prayers, all lovely and appropriate for many occasions or seasons. This is, however, a season that we might call “out-of-time” so I needed to look further. At the top of page 167, there was a quote from Stephen Mitchell’s translation of selected psalms. It read:

Unnamable God, I feel you with me at every moment. You are my food, my drink, my sunlight and the air I breathe. (Psalm 16)

This could have been enough, I suppose, but then I thought, “What about people who are not feeling God at every moment these days?” so I found a selection of Mitchell’s psalm translations at another place on the internet. I feel a need to write two of them here as sort of a stream of consciousness: in on-going sentences rather than the traditional psalmody form, as if the speaker were walking a path while thinking/speaking. I don’t know why that seems important but I hope Stephen Mitchell would forgive this diversion from his work. It is my best offering for today.

God acts within every moment and creates the world with each breath. God speaks from the center of the universe, in the silence beyond all thought. Mightier than the crash of a thunderstorm, mightier than the roar of the sea, is God’s voice silently speaking in the depths of a listening heart. (Psalm 93)

Even in the midst of great pain, Lord, I praise you for that which is. I will not refuse this grief or close myself to this anguish. Let shallow people pray for ease: “Comfort us; shield us from sorrow.” I pray for whatever you send me, and I ask to receive it as your gift. You have put a joy in my heart greater than all the world’s riches. I lie down trusting the darkness, for I know that even now you are here. (Psalm 4)

Blessing of the Day

Tags

blessing, comfort, God's grace, grateful, joy, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, tranquility

After an amazingly good night of uninterrupted sleep and fortified with my first cup of coffee of the day, I go forward into a large gathering of Sisters of St. Joseph. It a sort of “homecoming” that we have each October as close as possible to the remembrance of our founding date. I found a blessing that we used this summer at the larger, whole Congregation meeting that (with a few changes) seems appropriate for this day, not only for us but for all of God’s people.

O God of all Goodness, whose infinite wisdom has brought us to this time and place in our history, we ask you to bless us today. May our lives be blessed with the fullness of God’s grace, the deep challenge of Christ and the wisdom and wonder of Spirit. May the coming days be tranquil, grateful and filled with the joy and comfort of God.

Emmanuel

Tags

comfort, death, Emmanuel, God is with us, grief, loss, Nativity of Mary, Peace, presence, sympathy, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Later this morning I will attend a memorial service for the son of a woman for whom I have great admiration. His death preceded his 54th birthday by just a few weeks and was quite sudden. The shock was compounded by the death of my friend’s husband just three weeks previous to that of her son. No words of sympathy or attempts to assuage such grief are adequate for one who bears the loss of those she calls the two great loves of her life. All we can offer is presence. And so I go. I suspect that this event will be a lesson in diversity of belief about God and life while also manifesting a depth of unity brought about by relationship and community.

Today is also the feast of the Nativity of Mary, Mother of Jesus, a woman of great love who could never have dreamed of what her life was to hold of joy and pain. We never know but can only hope to live into the happenings of life as we grow and change and accept and endure what comes to us. I take comfort during troubled times as I read and believe lines of the prophecy trusted throughout the Hebrew Scriptures that “the favored one” would “bear a son and call his name Emmanuel, which means God is with us.” May God be with us today and may wives and mothers and all who who endure great losses know peace and comfort in the memories of the love they have given and received.

 

 

 

 

 

Solace

Tags

Ancient Songs Sung Anew, answer, comfort, excuses, fault, forgiveness, God, goodness, heart, joy, judge, love, misery, path of life, presence, soul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This morning as I read Psalm 86 I thought of how blessed I am with good friends to whom I can go for comfort in troubled times. There are moments, however, when it is only God who will suffice as a sounding board – or when it feels as if that is true. When I have acted in a less than worthy manner or judged someone unjustly, I am likely to first seek God’s forgiveness until I work up the courage and humility to admit my fault to a human being. Excuses abound for bad behavior and it is only when the layers of babble are stripped away – usually in conversation with God – that I dare to admit my need for forgiveness. How blessed are we, therefore, to have a God whose name is Love! I am grateful to the psalmist today – and to the translator – for these comforting words that give me pause.

My God, stoop down to me, and putting close your ear, let me speak my poverty, my misery of life to you, and then, I beg you, whisper back your answer clear. I am your faithful servant, and I trust you, Lord, to keep a watchful eye upon my path of life. Treat me with greatest mercy and most tender care, for you, my God, are all I have; there is no one else but you to whom I speak throughout the day. So I lift my soul to you, that you would flood my heart with secret joy. For in your presence goodness flows as constant as a stream, forgiving me. This is the essence of your love for anyone who calls to you. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p. 215)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guardian Angels

Tags

angel, attentiveness, comfort, faith, Guardian Angel, love, loving, personal, prayers, protection, safety, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Before I learned any of the prayers that are at the heart of my Church practice, I knew I had protection from heaven each night while I slept because of the simple prayer that helped me close my eyes in trust. You may have learned it too. In a sing-song voice to that matched the rhythm of the words, countless young people repeated night after night:

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this night be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide.

Some of us repeated the prayer upon awakening, grateful for having survived the night and wanting to keep the protection going throughout the day. It was simple. Just one word (changing “night” to “day”) gave us continued peace and safety from harm.

These days there are workshops galore for people whose connection to the spirit realm has endured and deepened into adulthood. There are books written about angels, especially the “big three” archangels: Gabriel, Raphael and Michael, named in Scripture and revered for particular reasons: Michael for protection from evil, Gabriel as a messenger of Good News and Raphael, known for mercy and healing (esp. of Tobias’ blindness in the Book of Tobit). In a simpler and more elemental way, however, people still have confidence in God’s care, often manifested as a belief in a personal Guardian Angel.

This is what we celebrate today: faith in the kind protection of a God whose attentiveness to us is personal and loving. Today might be a day to reflect on those persons in our life who have been “angels” for us in God’s service and to thank God for what we cannot see with our human eyes but still perceive in our experience of comfort, protection and – best of all – love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shifting the Lens

Tags

change, comfort, daily practice, fear, feelings, grace, gratefulness, gratitude, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I had a very serious and heartfelt conversation yesterday with someone whose life partner is dying. We spoke of many things. While the main and most important topic, of course, was constellated around fears about change and how to let go of this precious life together that has lasted so long, we also talked about how to face everything in the best way possible which included being honest about feelings and reactions, not skirting anything but facing things head-on with as much grace as possible. And then we spoke of gratitude. We came to the conclusion that the best way to proceed was to make it a daily practice to be thankful for one thing in their life together – great or small, no matter – and to share a conversation about the detail.

The recognition of the need to be intentional and resolute about such a practice brought a glimmer of light into the situation and a determination to focus on and talk about the gratefulness that is certainly at the heart of the relationship. Will this practice erase the pain in the experience of letting go that is upon these two loving and loved ones? Certainly not. I have a hope that it will shift things a bit, however, and serve to comfort my friend in the days to come.

Thinking about all that made me conscious that the above practice would be something worth adopting in any of our relationships – not just in a time of impending death. Why not start taking one precious person at a time – or the one person we most need to attend to on a daily basis – and share with him/her/them each day a reason for your gratitude. What have we got to lose? Even more to the point: what might we gain from the practice?

 

 

 

 

Abundant Blessings

Tags

beatitudes, blessings, care, christians, closeness, comfort, commitment, communion, enduring, faithful, happy, harmony, Matthew, mercy, Pope Francis, protect, renounce, see God, spiritual communion, tenderness, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unity, Wisdom network

The weekend just past was for me a time of great blessings. On Friday we welcomed a group of people – mostly new to us – who came for a workshop offered by our friend, Brigitte, here at our home. I met one of our guests, Patty, at the bus station. Patty lives in Manhattan and as we fell into easy conversation, I began to see our small town through her big city eyes. She was very interested in everything. From all reports, everyone at the workshop came and/or left very happy at all they found here. I was on the road, however, by 9:00 Saturday morning.

Saturday was full of joy in Syracuse (80 miles north) at the golden jubilee celebration of one of my companions in community for the past 50 years. By mid-afternoon I was back in the car for a glorious 2 1/2 hour ride to our Motherhouse near Albany where the energy was high. I arrived mid-stream of the annual Commitment Weekend for our lay Associates. I was happy to participate for the first commitment of four women, one of whom is a treasured member of our growing “Wisdom network.” I would think that anyone driving along the New York State Thruway during the weekend would have felt the intensity of loving, spiritual communion reaching from West to East!

Today’s lectionary readings include the gospel from Matthew, chapter 5 where Jesus preaches what we call the Beatitudes, often seen as the rule of life for Christians. Sister Mary Ellen chose this gospel reading for her jubilee celebration on Saturday as a text that has guided her living, but then she spoke of a new set of blessings given by Pope Francis as he celebrated the feast of All Saints last November in Sweden. He said on that occasion that the Beatitudes of Jesus given during the Sermon on the Mount are “the identity card” for the saints but then added that “new situations require new energy and new commitment,” and offered a new set of Beatitudes for modern Christians. Perhaps one or another or all of these will touch your heart and become a way of life and blessing for you.

– Blessed are those who remain faithful while enduring evils inflicted on them by others and forgive them from their heart.

– Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalized and show them their closeness.

– Blessed are those who see God in every person and strive to make others also discover him.

– Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home.

– Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others.

– Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians.

“All these are messengers of God’s mercy and tenderness,” Pope Francis said. I would suggest just one change to his writing. I would suggest that we not stop at praying for Christian unity but rather pray and work for the unity of all people on earth, living in harmony in this, our common home.

Have a blessed day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real Power

Tags

comfort, destruction, Good Shepherd, Isaiah, meditation, power, real power, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

There is so much that I could learn from a serious study of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Perhaps in my retirement…if such a time should ever come! Today’s reflection is simple – yet complex – coming from chapter 40:1-11. Isaiah’s message begins with tenderness. Comfort, give comfort to my people says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem…So begins what then sounds like destruction of all we know as life on this planet (All flesh is grass…withering…) in a show of force by a God that claims to come with power and rule by his strong arm. Immediately following on all of that comes, as conclusion, the promise that our God is rather like a shepherd. He feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom and leading the ewes with care.

What then is real power? Can we recognize it in the manifestations of God that stand in juxtaposition to the “power” of this world? Isaiah has much more to say about who God is and why but I would recommend these eleven verses as a worthy meditation for this feast of St. Nicholas.

 

 

 

 

 

Everything Is Beautiful in Its Own Way

Tags

achieving goals, beauty, cheerfulness, comfort, environment, gratitude, little things, presentation, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, work

I’ve been very conscious here in St. Paul, Minnesota of how the surrounding environment affects the way a task proceeds to its conclusion. I think I must appear to be the proverbial “kid in a candy store” to the six Sisters here with me to finish our committee work. We’re staying at what used to be the novitiate of this province and now is used as a guest house – a huge building, beautifully appointed by a lovely woman named Diane who makes it feel like home – and then some. Walking through the halls and peeking into rooms, I am constantly saying to the Sisters, “Look at this picture!” or “Did you see that beautiful vase at the end of the hall?!” There is so much beauty everywhere that my eyes don’t know where to look first when I walk a new hallway!

Last evening we went to dinner at a restaurant to celebrate the two years of our work together that has been a privilege for all of us. Not only was the food delicious in taste and presentation but everything about the experience added to our enjoyment. Perhaps the best element of all in that environment was Kate, our server. We all agreed on her importance to the meal and upon reflection I realize that all the servers worked as a team, charged with several tables each but aware of all the diners and helping each other as any need arose. Their work was smooth, unobtrusive and cheerfully done and made our meal a real treat.

Sometimes it’s the little things that turn out to be big things when the big things are in process. Beauty, comfort, cheerfulness…so many things can help to set the stage for achievement of a goal. And then what remains is gratitude.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Upper Room

Tags

apostles, Ascension. Pentecost, comfort, common memory, Jesus, retreat, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, upper room

During this time between the feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost, we might think of what it was like for the apostles who were gathered, tradition tells us, in a place that must have been like a suspension between breathing in and breathing out. They had experienced the loss of Jesus (twice, really – once at his physical death and now as his resurrected self left this planet) and were waiting for what Christ had promised, the Spirit who was to remain with them, guiding all that they were to accomplish. They were used to being confused by things that Jesus had said and they had certainly been on a rollercoaster ride since the events of his trial, crucifixion, resurrection and his recent departure. Probably the only thing that gave them comfort during these days was the fact that they were together, sharing their common memory, their belief in Jesus and their hope in what he had said to them as well as their lack of understanding of what they were to do now. Jesus had told them it was their turn to “light up the world” but they were still unclear about how that was to happen. So they waited and prayed.

This past weekend we had an extraordinary group of women here at our retreat center – a small group of seven not counting presenters. They are serious seekers who are dedicated to their spiritual growth. My turn at sharing with them was yesterday morning and it was an extraordinary time of grace for me. The energy of love and willingness created an openness that allowed me to think more of them than of myself – not concerned for what I was presenting but rather for what they were hearing – so that we would all leave with tools for the transformation, not just of ourselves but for that part of the world that is ours to influence. Most likely the change won’t come with the sound of trumpets but rather will emerge from the silence of our hearts – a silence in which we know that love is the answer, the only one that can save the world.

So as we wait this week for the great feast of Pentecost my prayer is for all those who are praying for direction or for the courage of their convictions or for trust or willingness, that we all may be able to emerge from our quiet spaces to stand in the marketplace being the change we wish to see in the world.