03 Monday Feb 2020
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Who are we for the world? I just opened Daniel Ladinsky’s book, Love Poems from God, for a quick word for the day. Here is what I saw – just this brief message from the mystic, Hafiz. Put yourself into its picture, let yourself go and see if you are willing to act on it today.
I am a hole in a flute that the Christ’s breath moves through — listen to this music.
(And if you are brave and sing it, you might want to add a dance…)
07 Wednesday Mar 2018
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charity, give, love, Love Poems from God, retreat, St. Francis of Assisi, The Sophia Center for Spirituality
After all my preparation and the very meaningful retreat day yesterday for a wonderful group of welcoming parishioners, I have little to say today. I yield to St. Francis of Assisi for a poem that seems a perfect postscript for me and a meaningful thought for all of us.
God came to my house and asked for charity. And I fell on my knees and cried, “Beloved, what may I give?” “Just love,” He said. “Just love.” (Love Poems from God, p. 33)
09 Friday Feb 2018
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Daniel Ladinsky, love, Love Poems from God, pray, quiet, sacred voices, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, world
Yesterday as I was trying to put together a prayer for an upcoming meeting, I came across a stunning entry in the book Love Poems from God by Daniel Ladinsky who has translated the work of “twelve sacred voices from East and West.” This short poem fairly shouted a message for today’s world, especially in light of the military display yesterday that preceded today’s opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Korea. Try to imagine what the resulting visual would be if we really took these words of John of the Cross to heart.
IF YOU LOVE
You might quiet the whole world for a second if you pray.
And if you love, if you really love,
our guns will
wilt.
05 Friday Jan 2018
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Daniel Ladinsky, God, harmony, hearts, love, Love Poems from God, sacred voices, St. Thomas Aquinas, The Sophia Center for Spirituality
This morning I am feeling a desire to take life one moment at a time, conscious as I go through the day of all the people near and far who do not have the luxury of heated houses and blanketed beds in which they may choose to hunker down to wait out winter’s extreme behavior. This dangerous moment is deceptive in my neighborhood because the sun is streaming in and the sky is blue, whereas in many places the wind has caused storm surges from the beaches and lake effect snow measured in feet rather than inches to warn of possible catastrophe. My only warning of frostbite is looking out my bedroom window to see the wild dancing of the trees. Somehow this moment seems akin to the world situation where on some days there seems to be danger everywhere.
With these thoughts – feelings, really – I turned to Daniel Ladinsky’s book, Love Poems from God, that I sensed might stabilize me. The book has poems that are translations of what Ladinsky calls “twelve sacred voices from East and West.” I opened to the section on St. Thomas Aquinas whom I have always thought a brilliant mind. Ladinsky has opened to me a new appreciation for the soul of this great theologian and this morning I am challenged and comforted at the same time with the poem that follows here. May we all know the truth of it someday.
WE ARE FIELDS BEFORE EACH OTHER
How is it that they live for eons in such harmony –
the billions of stars –
when most men can barely go a minute
without declaring war in their mind against someone they know.
There are wars where no one marches with a flag,
though that does not keep casualties
from mounting.
Our hearts irrigate this earth.
We are fields before
each other.
How can we live in harmony?
First we need to
know
we are madly in love
with the same
God.
17 Friday Nov 2017
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Daniel Ladinsky, gift, kindness, Love Poems from God, Meister Eckhart, see, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wind
Last night as I was getting into bed the wind came up with a suddenness and ferocity that made me wonder if there was a storm to follow. It seemed to abate quickly though and did not disturb my sleep as sometimes happens. All seemed very quiet this morning as I woke saying, “not yet please,” grateful for the luxury of a slow start to the day with no perceptible weather event outside. I was mistaken, however, about the wind. While not singing, it seems eager to dance in the tall, straight maple tree just across the yard.
Sometimes when I’m sitting, just preparing mentally for a task, my eyes take in the books on the shelves to my left. It’s a comfort, really, to know that these friends sit waiting for me with so much to say! Yesterday the muted red cover of a book I did not recognize urged me to pull it out from its place on the bottom shelf. As I did, I realized the treasure I hadn’t opened lately. It’s a wonderful “gift that keeps on giving” and provided me with a lovely tidbit to share this morning. See what you think:
THE WIND WILL SHOW ITS KINDNESS
A man born blind can easily deny the magnificence of a vast landscape. He can easily deny all the wonders he cannot touch, smell, taste or hear. But one day the wind will show its kindness and remove the tiny patches that cover your eyes, and you will see God more clearly than you have ever seen yourself. (Meister Eckhart)
Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West by Daniel Ladinsky
The Sophia Center for Spirituality 