Overwhelming Challenge

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Capitol, challenge, consciousness, grace, hate, John, love, Peace, reconstruction, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Never has it been more difficult to open my computer to consider what to say for a blog post. After yesterday, there seems no way to express the feelings that I now I share with all those in the U.S. who witnessed the wanton destruction that took place in Washington, D.C. yesterday. We now know some of the horror, sadness and upheaval that so many lands live with all the time. How are we to face what has happened and move beyond blaming to a consciousness of what has happened, in order to find peace and reconstruction of our government and our hearts?

As it happens, I found in my mailbox at noon today an answer that posed a gigantic challenge for me. Join me, if you will, in what will likely be a very difficult process of effort at healing. You see, I doubt we will be able to explain away the violence and if we do not meet it head on (the reasons for it, I mean) it will remain in our collective consciousness to our detriment. So here is what I found when I opened the devotional pamphlet that gives me hope for every day. It’s called Living Faith and that seems more essential today than ever before. Here is what awaited me of the actual lectionary readings for today. It was shocking in its challenge but struck me as exactly what I needed.

If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar, for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 JN 4:20). Consider that with respect to the events of yesterday and pray for grace.

Watch and Pray

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awakening, be watchful, consciousness, peaceful transition, prayer, resolution, solution, Taizé, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I have been sitting for quite awhile this morning, trying not to try…to say anything of merit but just to wait. A song comes to me from Taize, a chant that simply says “Stay with me. Remain here with me. Watch and pray.” I hear it over and over in my head and then I realize it is my prayer for the day. As Americans we are not generally very good at waiting for things to happen. And truly, things are always happening. In the spring the energies of the earth “wake up” and bring us the beauty and renewed life of the land. That is much more pleasing than the moment we are in now when nature is resting and death is the order of the day – a stark reality in human terms this year.

We cannot avoid the reality that is ours now. Neither can we waste the moment that is upon us. We wait for resolution of our political situation. It looks like nothing will happen for at least the next two months…but that is not true. Much is happening in preparation for the inauguration of a new political team. Watch the news. It will happen and we can only hope it will happen peacefully. So pray for a peaceful transition.

We are watching incremental growth in the death toll every day. And still people refuse to do the simple things that will stem the tide of this horrific loss. We wait for a simple solution and a vaccine is coming but why wait? Wear a mask, keep your distance and wash your hands. Is that so difficult?

And pray for an awakening of consciousness. There are so many ways in which we are unconscious. We think it is the duty of others to fix things. I ask myself today what is my ability and my responsibility to my community, my nation and the world. What more can I do than watch and pray? Am I even consistent in those two activities? Is that enough?

Out of Control

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consciousness, control, Meg Wheatley, perseverance, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The beautiful trees outside my bedroom window have lost all their leaves now. After the wind of the past few days and the rain all night that will be with us all day, they could not hold on. It is the way of things. We are moving into a new season and have no say in how it will affect us. It is out of our control.

It feels that way with most things now and Meg Wheatley reminds me today of our options on a day like this. It is clearly not within our power to change much of what goes on around us so we ought to take her advice today. She says this:

There is only one thing we can control in life — our own self. We can control our thoughts, our emotions, our responses. We can observe our behaviors and reactions and realize we made a choice. Therefore, we could choose a different response. If we have ourselves under control. (Perseverance, p.107)

That’s a wake up call for me if ever there was one! A good thing to remember and a place to put consciousness on a grey, rainy Saturday. How’s the weather in your corner of the world?

Bigger Barns

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bountiful harvest, consciousness, declutter, letting go, Luke, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I have been in the process of “de-cluttering” for some months now. It seems that’s the only good opportunity in this season of Covid-19. Sometimes I wake up with great incentive but when I look at the end of the day I see that I have gone through my closet and there are only four or five items in the box that I will give away. Maybe my intention for the day had been clearing out my e-mail list and I find it much longer than I expected with things I am sure I will give attention to in the near future so I turn off my computer after reading one or two “important” documents. And then there is my car which seems forever destined to have very little room for companions because of all the boxes that I call “my traveling office.”

I have always identified today’s gospel as “Bigger Barns” and often remind myself of my state of consciousness with that simple alliteration. I wonder at those times where “letting go” went as I take a deep breath and attempt a purge in whatever corner of my life or heart seems most cluttered. I wonder where I would choose to start if I heard God speaking to me as did the rich man in today’s gospel (LK 12) who was looking for a place to store his “bountiful harvest.”

I’m glad today is Monday. I’m always willing to start over on Monday. It’s getting late so I ought to get started before “overwhelm” sets in. May you have the kind of profitable day that I hope for. I will be satisfied, I hope, with crossing off at least some of the items on my “to-do” list. What about you?

Are You Ready?

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consciousness, preparation, ready, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

As I sit this morning waiting for words that will satisfy the need of today I become aware that the heat is on in our house. I’m not speaking metaphorically but literally. I can hear the furnace churning away through the vents in the floor. It’s just 37 degrees (F) outside – startling for those of us who are not aware of the turning going on out there. How did it get to be the last third of September? Do I really need to be trying on warmer clothes to see if they fit? Must I ready my brain and my heart for the shift to all that the change of season means? We’re on the verge of the autumnal equinox (9/22 – next Tuesday!) after which we cannot deny the shorter days. How will life be different this year as we move toward fall and then winter in the northern hemisphere? Where will we be at year’s end? And what of our neighbors to the south? Is there more than the weather to consider for all of us going forward?

I’m aware of a rising consciousness in me that warns not to wait, allowing myself to float along the days. (I think of the squirrels who will soon be gathering their nuts for winter.) What preparations will be necessary to meet the challenges of the endings and beginnings this time? I think it might be wise to begin shifting, to wake up, open our eyes and say “yes!”.

Preparation/Determination

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consciousness, discipline, gratitude, prayer, thanks, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, to do list

Pentecost is on the horizon – not ready yet to burst forth but definitely building in energy. I just made a list of necessary tasks, those that I need to complete before what we call “Ordinary Time” begins again. That season is the longest in its liturgical “counting” of weeks and it is dawning on me that it may, indeed, indicate a “new normal” for us, in some manner at least. Today is not a time for lament on what seems lost but an opportunity to begin (if we haven’t already) to recognize a new season of consciousness.*

As I hurriedly picked up a used envelope, soon to be discarded to the trash, on which to write a list of tasks to be done before Sunday, I noticed I had already used part of the space on the back for a random quote. That’s not unusual. I often find these messages of import, saved for later when they offer perfect advice for the new day. This one seems quite appropriate for my mood and the rising tide of determination in me this morning. (The sun just broke through the clouds to underscore the moment.)

The envelope reminded me: The transformative power of gratitude cannot be overestimated…If the only prayer you ever pray is “THANKS!” it is enough. Two messages that become one in my quest for meaning and discipline today. May it follow me through the hours and breathe in me as a recognition of having done my best (even if not having totally completed all tasks) by nightfall.

Where do you hope to be by the end of the day?

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N.B. *While it is true that Pentecost is my “push point” for newness, it may be helpful for all to know that there is still time to prepare for newness of spirit. The Sunday after Pentecost (June 7th) is Trinity Sunday, the actual day of transition. We take the Triune God with us as we step into the period of “counting” or Ordinary Time.

More Sheep

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consciousness, coronavirus, Jesus, John, sheep, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I love the extension of the image of sheep and shepherd from Sunday into the week. It’s as if Jesus was laying out some future plans for the world while he was still in this realm. Actually there is a very inclusive line in this morning’s gospel (JN 10: 11-18) that is very timely for our world right now.

“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold,” he says. “These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

While I’m not envisioning any kind of syncretism here, I would wish there to be some unity of vision among us in response to the coronavirus. (I realize this is huge stretch from topic to topic but it connected in my mind and heart at least tangentially.) So why is it so difficult to understand that we need to protect ourselves and others from what is clearly invisible? It’s not about religion or cultural practice but of a desire to assure the health, not only of ourselves and the people in our own country but also of all nations. It’s about survival on a broad scale and we are as responsible for it as everyone else in the world – and especially for those most vulnerable.

As states begin to open up to “normal life” again, I wonder whether we are destined to keep repeating our short sightedness. Will we wake up to a higher consciousness that calls us to care not only for ourselves and our loved ones but also for other “flocks” different from ourselves? What can I do to work toward that oneness of mind and care of our planet? What about you?

Zooming Along

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communication, consciousness, gratitude, information, love, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, virtual connection, Zoom

Each day now it becomes more apparent to me how much life has changed. As I say that, phrases come flowing forward from the recesses of my brain, like “in the twinkling of an eye.” That one isn’t really accurate because the change has been incremental and continues as the virus has spread but sometimes it seems as if “the rug has been pulled out from under us.” That seems a more accurate assessment because it is about the recognition and/or the acknowledgement of the shifts that has reached each of us in similar (but probably not matching) ways.

For many of us, the greatest change is in the way that we receive and share information. While there are many relatively new platforms for connecting, one that seems simple and therefore quite accessible to many people is ZOOM! I have been personally grateful for this way of virtual connection for about five years now as it allows me to join “nun” meetings in Albany, New York that would otherwise necessitate five hours of driving to and fro. In addition I am now connected with my Sisters and other people all across this country and even sometimes across the world.

While still not as satisfying as a “face-to-face” encounter, technology has facilitated connections that would be impossible without it. Paying attention to that fact reminds me to give thanks for the great minds that have created the programs now available to us. From that consciousness I am led to celebrate those scientists who are working diligently to find new ways to heal us of this pandemic and those who care for our sisters and brothers infected by the virus.

I could spend my days now zooming from one thought stream to another! It does seem that “everybody’s doing it!” What I hope will always be my companion on these journeys is a huge amount of gratitude and love for those I encounter along these virtual pathways. I wish the same for all of us.

One Heart and One Mind

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Acts of the Apostles, common good, community, consciousness, counterintuitive, difficulty, freedoms, generosity, one heart and one mind, step up, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I felt a wave of sadness as I read the lectionary texts this morning. It began with the first line of the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (4:32-37).

The community of believers was of one heart and one mind, and no one claimed that any of their possessions were their own, but they held everything in common.

Immediately images flashed across the screen of my mind, videos from yesterday’s news of demonstrations in Pennsylvania against the closure of all gathering places in the state: factories, offices, restaurants, beaches – everywhere that people might congregate. They were not peaceful demonstrations but angry protests against what people saw as government attempting to take away the freedoms on which our country was founded. I was appalled to see the majority of those gathered without masks in close crowds and automatic rifles at the sides of some people who were waving American flags as well.

Where is the sense of the common good in those pictures? I live in New York State, three miles from the border from Pennsylvania and 175 miles from that state capital – as the crow flies and from where the wind blows. We have been diligent to assure no spread of COVID-19 and all of our efforts may be undone by yesterday’s activities, actually taking place in many cities across the country.

As I write this I am conflicted because I am also aware of the difficulties facing people who have lost their jobs and who have received no financial help from the government thus far. I understand the frustration that builds every day because of the restrictions placed on us – of travel, of visiting loved ones, of wondering how long we will have enough food to eat. And then I begin to think of the generosity of nurses and doctors and bus drivers and first responders of all kinds who put themselves in danger each day to preserve life and the common good in service to those in need.

It is a sad and frustrating and unsettling time – not just in our country this time but in the whole world. It will take a mighty effort for us to wake up, to step up to a higher plane of consciousness, equal to the challenges we face now, especially those that call us to greater care for life than for anything else.

Are we equal to the challenge? It is not something we can do alone. It is counterintuitive that now we are told to stay away from others – at least 6 feet way. Can we survive this without physically connecting, starved of hugs as we are? It will take a monumental effort to move toward “one heart and one mind” in this complex world of ours. But it is the only world we have.

We will survive together or we will not survive at all. How do you propose that we “step up?”

Coming Around Again

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consciousness, cycles, journey, journey of life, life, Sisters of St. Joseph, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, understanding

While searching this morning for a bill I need to pay within the next few days, I came across something I wrote in 1986 to welcome three new members to the novitiate of our Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph. I didn’t remember the content and was somewhat surprised when I read the talk because I found it all together pertinent to the present moment. Truth be told, it would probably be relevant to most of our days. Here is the second paragraph of the document.

One comforting thing about the journey of life is that it is a cyclic one: we have more than just one chance at things. We praise from the rising to the setting of the sun and the next day we rise to praise again. There are days on which the sun seems slow to come up, and those on which we fear the sunset will never come, but if we have awakened to the meaning of life, we begin to see the journey not as a monotonous cycle but rather as a spiral wherein each day is a new opportunity to achieve new heights of consciousness of what the journey is all about.

We have great opportunities during this hiatus from our normal activities. Perhaps we might spend some time today spiraling up to a new and deeper understanding (or at least an inkling) of the meaning of our life journey.