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Tag Archives: eyes

The World We Live In

25 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

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balance, eyes, guide, hear, hearts, Jesus, Luke, Matthew, news, pray, Proverbs, psalm 119, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

aheadlinesSometimes it’s difficult to know what to say in this complex and over-stimulating world  in which we now live. This morning as I was considering the lectionary readings one by one I kept getting interrupted with news flashes. It went something like this:

“All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the Lord who proves hearts.” (PRV 21:2) -> -> Major problems with New Yorker’s second Kavanaugh accuser…

“Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.” (PS 119:35) -> -> How today’s multi-cultural couples are making their wedding ceremonies uniquely their own.

“Blessed are those who hear the word of the Lord and keep it.” (LK 11:28) -> -> U.N to caution against populism as world leaders convene for the annual summit.

“Jesus said to them in reply, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.'” -> -> Former priest extradited to face child sexual abuse charges blamed cancer, prosecutors say.

I’m not saying there is any direct connection between the Scripture quotes and the specific news headlines. My point is to remind myself that no matter how bad or disturbing or confusing, or even wonderful (should that also be the case) the news is, it needs to be balanced with the basic premise of Scripture, repeated in several ways this morning, and that we need to look deeply into our hearts and minds to assess what we see and hear happening in the world. When it gets to be “all too much,” there’s that other piece of advice that comes to mind, i.e. “Go into your inner room, close the door and pray…” (MT 6:6)

 

 

 

 

 

Deeper into Stillness

27 Friday Jul 2018

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ears, eyes, hear, heart, John Philip Newell, light, listen, Praying With the Earth, presence, recognition, remember, Romans, silence, St. Paul, stillness, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

arabbitlisteningEverything is so still this morning. It reminds me of the line in Paul’s Letter to the Romans where he says that “all creation is on tiptoe, waiting for the children of God to come into their own.” That image is my favorite translation because it is so visual but also because it implies for me an intense use of both ears and eyes. We won’t see it if we have our eyes closed and we won’t hear it if we’re not really listening. Even if all of our five outer senses are engaged, there needs to be an interior readiness for the in-breaking of God’s presence. I’ve come to the conclusion that it is an incremental thing, sparked either by our own silence or by a communal encounter of recognition. Deeper than silence, the stillness becomes palpable and we know something that we didn’t know before – indescribable but deeply true. Again it is John Philip Newell whose prayer suffices for this morning.

It is when we are still that we know. It is when we listen that we hear. It is when we remember that we see your light, O God. From your Stillness we come. With your Sound all life quivers with being. From You the light of this moment shines. Grant us to remember You at the heart of each moment. Grant us to remember. (Praying with the Earth, p. 44)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The Opening of Eyes

09 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

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blind, demon, eyes, Jesus, life, love, Luke, Mark, seeing, speak, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vision

aeyeopenedLast Sunday, as I listened to a dramatic reading of the entire gospel of Mark, I was struck by the number of exorcisms Jesus performed. In the different ways that “evil spirits” manifested in people, Jesus commanded those “spirits” to “come out!” and the people were healed. I’m wondering this morning if all the synoptics were similarly engaged in reporting such events. My attention was a caught because today’s gospel from Luke (11:14-23) begins with Jesus “driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.”

That makes me think that the gospel writers use the term “demon” as we might not only when speaking about any sort sinful habit, as in “the demon rum,” but also with some physical conditions that are not easily dealt with. There are examples of physical cures in the gospels, as in “the man with the withered hand” but I wonder what I would learn by re-reading the texts with the intent to identify “demons,” how Jesus dealt with them, and what was the transformation that occurred upon the release.

As is often the case, a paper protruding from among my side-table books this morning gave me a clue to my wondering expressed above. We would do well, I think, to ponder moments in our lives when a light appeared in some way and see if it deepens our understanding of something heretofore inexplicable.

The Opening of Eyes
by David White

That day I saw beneath dark clouds
the passing light over the water,
and I heard the voice of the world
aaaaaa speak out,
I knew then as I had before
Life is no passing memory of what
aaaaaa has been,
Nor the remaining pages in a great book
aaaaaa waiting to be read.

It is the opening of eyes, long closed.
It is the vision of far off things,
aaaaaa seen for the silence they hold.
It is the heart after years of secret conversing,
aaaaaa speaking out loud in a clear air.
It is Moses in the desert fallen to his knees
aaaaaa before the lit bush.
It is the man throwing away his shoes
aaaaaa as if to enter heaven,
And finding himself, astonished,
Opened, at last, to falling in love
aaaaaa with solid ground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holy Doctor

15 Sunday Oct 2017

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bless, Carmelite, compassion, Doctor of the Church, endurance, eyes, God, good, John Michael Talbot, love of God, ministries, mysticism, patience, religious education, Roman Catholic Church, spiritual practice, St. Teresa of Avila, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

astteresaofavilaToday is the feast of Teresa of Avila. Because it is Sunday, always a “first class feast,” we don’t hear about Teresa this year. I find it difficult to let it go by, however, without some mention of this woman who is one of only four women thus far in the history of the Roman Catholic Church to achieve the title of “Doctor of the Church.” Sister Teresa was a mystic, but also very active, tireless in her work of reforming the Carmelite order of nuns in the 1500’s in the most rigorous – some thought too extreme – way. Her writings were extensive and her spiritual practice was constant, although for many years she suffered many physical illnesses and a deprivation of any spiritual consolation. She never despaired, even in the face of investigation by the Inquisition, and her writings are considered one of the great treasures of Christian mysticism.

My personal experience of the gift of Teresa’s influence is twofold. When I was 16 years old and considering entering the convent, I received a “holy card” inscribed with a piece of advice written by Teresa. For over 50 years I have held it close and shared it with people I thought would benefit from hearing it. I say it gratefully again today in the translation in which I received it:

Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you. All things are passing; God never changes. Patient endurance attains all things. The one who possesses God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.

Many years later, I heard a song by John Michael Talbot whose lyrics are attributed to Teresa, but not found in her writings. I offer it often when speaking to people who work in religious education or other ministries – and lately use it in any situation where I want to emphasize to people how important we are in bringing the love of God to others. Please take a moment to consider it as a word to you today.

Christ has no body now but yours; no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which He looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world.  Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes. You are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Refreshment

03 Sunday Sep 2017

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eyes, hearts, hope, Mary Oliver, rest, Sabbath, St. Paul, thanks, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

ahugtree

It rained all night last night and I slept a grateful nine hours, with only two brief moments of waking just to reposition myself in my bed. Having those two events to take forward, I feel some inner turning as well. Perhaps it’s because it happens to be Sunday, my traditional day of Sabbath rest, however that unfolds.

The gospel acclamation for this morning spoke the message to me first, saying: May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call. Then a program from a long-ago event fluttered out from between two books on my side table offering me an enrichment of Paul’s words from the pen of Mary Oliver. In her inimitable style she gave me all these images to consider.

There are lots of words meaning thanks.
Some you can only whisper.
Others you can only sing.
The peewee whistles instead.
The snake turns in circles,
The beaver slaps his tail
on the surface of the pond.
The deer in the pinewoods stamps his hoof.
Goldfinches shine as they float through the air.
A person, sometimes, will hum a little Mahler.
Or put arms around old oak tree.
Or take out lovely pencil and notebook to find a few
touching, kissing words.

What more would I ask on this first day of the rest of my life?

Looking Ahead

14 Wednesday Jun 2017

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Book of Hours, dusk, Entering the Silence, eyes, grace, hearts, holy expectation, joy, light, love, Peace, reflections, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton, trial, truth

ajesusduskThis morning I found a quote in Thomas Merton’s Book of Hours that I hope to remember as the day progresses. It is in his Wednesday reflections at dusk, so I thought that if I kept it in my heart and consciousness all day, maybe I could say the same as life unfolds and I arrive at evening.  It’s a new way to pay attention to the events of the day, a “holy expectation” perhaps – at least worth a try. Here is what he says:

Today, in a moment of trial, I rediscovered Jesus, or perhaps discovered him for the first time. I came closer than ever to fully realizing how true it is that our relations with Jesus are something utterly beyond the level of imagination and emotion. His eyes, which are the eyes of Truth, are fixed upon my heart. Where his glance falls, there is peace; for the light of His Face, which is the Truth, produces truth wherever it is found. There too is joy: and he says to those he loves, I will fix my eyes upon you. His eyes are always on us everywhere and in all times. No grace comes to us from heaven except He looks upon our hearts. (Entering the Silence) 

May our travels through this day be suffused with the joy of seeking Truth and recognizing it when it is found. Safe travels, everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

The Eyes of Our Hearts

25 Thursday May 2017

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Acts of the Apostles, Ascension, enlightened, Ephesus, eyes, heart, miracle, Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wisdom

aascensionToday Christians celebrate the feast of the Ascension, remembering the day when Christ left the earth after commissioning his apostles to “go into the whole world and tell the good news.” The gospels vary in their descriptions of the event and the book following these accounts, the Acts of the Apostles, opens with its own variation of the fact that “he was lifted up” and disappeared from their sight. It’s one of those events that I think “you had to be there” because it seems like something that has to be seen to be believed. Yet, for over 2,000 years, people the world over have heard and believed and followed the instructions that Jesus gave at that time. That is, perhaps, the best testimony to the truth of what Jesus was all about here on earth – the fact that those he commissioned did what he asked so effectively that the message has endured through all this time.

It’s a miracle, really, given that those same accounts add details about the event that reveal the on-going lack of understanding of the message on the part of the apostles. One says they asked if this was the moment when Christ would restore the kingdom of Israel. Matthew’s gospel says today that as they came to the mountain, summoned by Christ, “when they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.” There is a level of comfort – or maybe relief – in those accounts on days when it all sounds impossible to me, never having seen anyone disappear into thin air.

Once again it is Paul who gives the key to a solution today in his prayer for the early community in Ephesus. He says, “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your heart be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call…” So, no matter how hard we try, our minds cannot grasp these mysteries; it is only by opening our hearts and seeing from that place that we can know and trust in a deeper way what Jesus, the Christ, was doing here on earth and continues to do through us in “a Spirit of wisdom.”

Proverbs

20 Tuesday Sep 2016

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Book of Proverbs, cry of the poor, diligent, eyes, haste, hear, hearts, Lord, poverty, Proverbs, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

apoorpersonI don’t often think about the biblical Book of Proverbs but this morning I was reacquainted with how pithy and sensible – and sometimes wry or ironic – they are. Here are a couple from chapter 21 that appear this morning and are worth more than a passing glance.

  1. All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the Lord who proves hearts.
  2. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
  3. The plans of the diligent are sure of profit, but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty.
  4. Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.
  5. He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard.

 

 

 

 

 

Remembering

06 Wednesday Jul 2016

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dreaming, dreams, eyes, heart, holy name, Psalm 105, remember, rise, seekers, sing, songs of praise, St. Patrick's Breastplate, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, tidings, voice, wisdom, wonder

astpatrick

Most nights I wake up knowing that I have been dreaming but without any sense of the content of the dreams. This morning as I read an alternate translation of the psalm for today, several quick dream images jumped into view. They seem unconnected and inscrutable but I wonder if they were brought forth by the call of the psalm which is a lovely way to begin the morning. Listen:

O God, we rise in thanks to call upon your name; we rise to spread the tidings of your deeds. We rise to sing you songs of praise recounting every work and word in music’s voice; we rise to sing in honor of your holy name. Let every seeker’s heart rejoice and search for you with all their strength until they stand before the beauty of your face, remembering. Remember, remember everything you can recall, remember every work and wonder, remember every word God speaks to you in wisdom…(Ps. 105: 1-5)

I am fairly certain I’ve used those words before. This morning it has the feeling of the famous prayer of St. Patrick’s Breastplate, first calling to God and then to ourselves, urging remembrance. No matter, I suppose, if it is a repetition since new eyes will see it today, just as I see it with new eyes and feel the call more deeply in my heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Treasure

17 Friday Jun 2016

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darkness, eyes, Jacques Lusseyran, Jesus, lamp, light, Matthew, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, World War II

aeyes

The Scriptures abound with references to the body, often in the way of metaphor or analogy. Today Jesus speaks about the eye and even though I travel deeper than my physical body for meaning, I am incredibly grateful for my physical eyes as I see the sun sparkling on the pear tree outside and making patterns on my hands as I type – patterns that change with the breeze rustling the leaves of the ancient maple tree to the right of my window. At the same moment I am grateful for the advances in medicine that prolong eye health in so many ways (especially as I await the “ripening” of cataracts that I know can be dissolved with a laser beam!).

But on to the deeper meaning of “the eye” in terms of darkness and light. Jesus says: The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, the whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.” (MT 6: 19-23) I think of Jacques Lusseyran in his book, And There Was Light. Blinded before his eighth birthday, Lusseyran was a fearless, energetic, loving child who became a leader of the French Resistance during World War II, surviving a concentration camp as a leader whose light shone in that darkness and was responsible for many lives saved. What was the source of his light? What is the wattage of my lamp today as I prepare to welcome a group of spiritual seekers who will be our guests this weekend? Do I know the source of my strength? I believe it all springs from the introductory line to the above quote where Jesus gives the core message at the center of everything.

Where your treasure is, Jesus says, there will your heart be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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