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.