Morning Musing

Tags

breath of life, God's presence, opportunity, purpose, reflection, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

It’s very cold outside in Windsor, New York today. And it’s snowing, that persistent, almost invisible kind of flakes that could come all day long and only equal about an inch of what we know to form when the humidity quotient is low. I am partial to snow of any kind. Of course the kind that allows snowman-building and good skiing is prettier but not so helpful for people who have to drive through it.

I may have said this recently but I always think when I see snow in the morning of something I heard long ago from someone whom I do not remember. “Snow is a new beginning,” the phantom person told me and so I hold on to that hope today, as I do each time I wake up to a snowy morning. Concomitantly, snow is a quiet happening, which always brightens my day.

Earlier this week I found a sheaf of smallish lime-green papers stuck in a 15-year old journal from my annual retreat in 2005. There were several pages of quotes from various sources (most likely to help with reflection in quiet moments), but just one page without a source. Somehow, it feels perfect for this slow, quiet, snowy morning. Do with it what you will.

Each day is a gift, an opportunity, a treasure—because God is the one who gives us the breath of life, places before us a purpose and direction, allows us to enjoy the wonder of God’s presence and the union of God’s love. You are not here by chance but by God’s choosing. God’s hand has formed you and made you the person you are. God compares you to no one else…You are one of a kind…You lack nothing God’s grace can’t give you. God has allowed you to be here at this time in history to fulfill God’s special purpose for this generation. (Anonymous)

Sentiments For Reflection

Tags

COVID19, gift of time, opportunity, pandemic, reflection, Rev. Lynn Ungar, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

It seems as if we could reflect daily on such sentiments that this poem by Rev. Lynn Ungar has expressed. This moment can perhaps be a gift of time and an opportunity to think of others more than ourselves as much as it is a fearful challenge.

Who Are the Winners?

Tags

hopes, inner light, joy, Olympics, opportunity, pride, represent, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, winning

I just read an article from Sports Illustrated that made me sad and angry at the same time. The gist of the article was the “poor showing” of the American athletes at the Olympics in the medal count. As I read, I had beautiful images before me of young men and women who all spoke of being thrilled at the opportunity to represent their country at this incredible event. Did they all hope for good outcome for themselves and their teammates? Of course! And were some expected to do better than they did? Certainly. But the faces that I saw most clearly were like those in one of the commercials about a small town in Ohio (I think) whose entire populace got up at 3:00AM to come together to watch the ladies cross-county skiing relay because one of their “own” was racing. There was a good chance that this four-person team would medal – even get the gold – but it was not to be. I watched the race, likely because of that commercial and the closeness of that community, feeling that I too was involved in their hopes. Their hometown heroine was first to race and did not perform as hoped. I believe the team came in fifth (ironically the position most denigrated in the article). What was obvious to me at the end of the race was the joy of those four in each other – no tears of regret or blame, no frowns, no grimaces – just clear pride in their country and their knowledge that each of them had done the best they could on that day in that race. And the memory of a moment in their lives when they had made America proud, medal or not.

As I noted above, the article was very outspoken about the number of our athletes who had finished fifth in their events. I wonder if the author might ever be considered the fifth best sports writer in the entire world and have some concept of how much work and energy would have to accompany that achievement. It seems we have not done a good enough job in some cases in teaching our youth that “it isn’t whether you win or lose but how you play the game.”

Sadness overcomes the anger now to think that we are more concerned with winning than with the way we comport ourselves. It is a hazard, I know, of living in the United States where there are so many ways in which we are privileged. It is my hope, however, that we never lose sight of what is best in us. I see it shine in that inner light that is so prevalent in our athletes this week as they do their best and know that it is always enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Friday

Tags

balance, Black Friday, frenzy, gift-giving, hungry, materialism, mindfulness, No Kid Hungry, opportunity, Santa Claus, service, Thanksgiving, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Santa Claus arrived with a flourish yesterday at the culmination of the Thanksgiving Day parade in NY City. He was quite animated, bouncing and waving in all directions to announce that the run-up to Christmas had begun. Although Hallmark movies had been filling the airwaves with Christmas carols since sometime in October, now it’s official and very serious. The internet is awash with advertisements for all kinds of amazing discounts on products and services. I heard on the national news last night that even airline ticket prices are slashed “for a limited time.” What began as a day-long opportunity for deep price reductions on the day after Thanksgiving has been running for a week already, but is still named, ironically, Black Friday.

I recognize the value of shopping for gifts when prices are reduced but the frenzy that has been happening already in cities and towns across our country, especially last night and in the early hours of this morning, is a growing concern in a country of great wealth where at least 1 in 7 people (1 in 5 children) lack proper access to food during any given year. (Feeding America) Clay Dunn, chief communications officer at the nonprofit No Kid Hungry reminds us that often the issue for poor families is making difficult choices like whether to buy food or pay the electric bill.

There are certainly many organizations (including the two mentioned above) that strive to make us aware of the needs and give us the opportunity to be part of the solution to this and other issues of poverty in our country. I simply call our attention to the image of extreme materialism – leading sometimes to violence engendered by a crowd mentality – that manifests on this day, all in service to the “season of gift-giving.”

My prayer for all of us today is one of mindfulness and hope for a return to balance. With that intention, I plan to stay home today and consider my giving and getting that will hopefully lead to a simple, peaceful season of Advent that culminates in a meaningful celebration of Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

Disciplined Disciples

Tags

adversity, Alan Cohen, challenge, compassion, discipline, Easter, gift, greatness, humble, love, Mark, opportunity, remain firm, sober, strength, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vigilant, wisdom

I was a little surprised in this second week of the Easter season to read that today’s second reading was Mark’s version of the gospel for the feast of the Ascension of Christ into heaven. Then I realized the date; March 25th is the feast of St. Mark, Evangelist. Knowing that, I read again the advice that Jesus gave to his disciples before leaving them “in charge” to carry on his mission. Simply stated, his advice was three-fold: humble yourselves, be sober and vigilant, remain firm. Each of those imperatives takes discipline, certainly, and we can expect some false steps along our way to perfection.

I checked Alan Cohen’s thought for today and found a little solace for the road. In a page entitled “Best When It’s Worst” Cohen wrote the following: Adversity is a gift if we make it work on our behalf. Challenge is not a curse or a punishment, but an opportunity to shine. If life were easy all the time, we would not deepen in love, compassion, and wisdom, or learn how to sink a pipeline into the well of true strength within us. Often we do not know how powerful we are until we are faced with a challenge that draws forth our greatness.

When an act in life counts, there is a source of strength within us that grows to meet the challenge. Some people demonstrate superhuman abilities, such as pushing a wrecked car off an injured person. Where do they find the strength? It was within them all the time; the worst brought out the best.

Whatever our challenges today, may we remember to forge ahead, remembering that we are not alone and that our strength does not come from outside us – in external circumstances or events – but from inside where the living Spirit of God is our strength and our guide.

Mindful Celebration

Tags

blessed, citizen, divisive, Fourth of July, opportunity, Peace, privilege, Psalm 145, remembrance, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, United States

In the midst of horrendous acts of terror and destruction reported from around the world and even in our own country, we celebrate today our national holiday. I am often aware of the privilege of having been born in the United States of America, the “Land of Opportunity.” My grandparents sought and took that chance for a better life and I look back to my parents (members of Tom Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation”) and now to my siblings and cousins and see how blessed we have been.

With all our country’s challenges at present there is reason to lament. The widening gap between rich and poor, the increasingly divisive political rhetoric, the obvious disturbance caused by climate change cause me to wonder sometimes about our future. But then I think of all the great advances and advantages that we have here in the United States – all the remarkable inventions and discoveries, all the achievements of the young as well as some who have been working on the same problem all their adult lives who have just had the breakthrough that pushes our science to new heights. I watch hordes of people come forward to help in times of trouble and feel the joy of an announcement and photos of the long awaited birth of a new “citizen” in our family. Learning to live in the darkness and light of life without giving in to depression and sadness or appropriating for ourselves the credit for all good outcomes is sometimes quite a task. For me, the possibility of peace in the midst of it all lies in the recognition of my place and responsibility in the grand scheme of things.

Mindfulness of our relatedness to and reverence for all of creation and gratitude for God’s care at every moment seems a place to begin today’s celebration. I call on today’s liturgical text of the psalmist’s words for a fitting tribute to the One who is the Giver of all good gifts. Psalm 145 proclaims the following:

O Sovereign God, all-powerful, your name I praise above all else. Each day that comes I add another note of song that I shall never cease to sing, for you, Almighty One, are great beyond my telling. Of you there is no limit and no end. Each generation speaks its word, its view of you, and so your power passes through the ages. In awe I ponder all that you have done. I see its beauty and its grandeur everywhere. Yes, all shall finally see and know it too, and recount in full to everyone. And so the news of you shall spread and grow, and all shall add their voice to sing this song of deep remembrance.

Blessings to us and all the world. Happy 4th!

 

Happy Fourth

Tags

community, creativity, Fourth of July, generosity, identity, immigrants, opportunity, Peace, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, United States, world

Yesterday I was frustrated because there was an internet glitch that kept me from posting this daily blog. This morning when I checked to see if anyone had visited our site yesterday, I found that people did view 15 previous posts and that in addition to the United States the visitors came from Panama, Australia, Nigeria and Germany. It is a miracle to me that in the span of my lifetime our world has progressed from “party-line” telephones, where we had to share phone connection with neighbors, to the worldwide web of instant global reach. This progression (as well as many others) is not the achievement of one nation but rather a sometimes competitive and sometimes cooperative venture among countries.

Today the United States celebrates our national holiday of independence. I am grateful to live in this land of great opportunity, creativity and generosity. Knowing that we are at the same time fiercely independent and sometimes mired in the greed that can be a by-product of success, I remember that we have been, throughout our history, built on the efforts of our immigrant ancestors and that our responsibility is as large as our achievement. I have been changed in writing this blog almost every day. I can no longer just be conscious of my personal life or my identity as an American descended from Irish Roman Catholic immigrants. In pondering my message for the day, I need to be aware of others as far away as the Philippines or South Africa or Finland or…

As we give thanks for the blessings of peace and prosperity in this land today, my prayer will be for a future of world community where all are able to celebrate having what they need and to share life with neighbors across the globe.

Up On the Roof

Tags

Capernaum, faith, forgiveness, God's grace, Jesus, labor, Mark, opportunity, paralytic, roof, surrender control, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

We recently had the roof over our kitchen repaired. It wasn’t just the addition of a new layer of shingles. Because it had been leaking, the roofers had to take off what was there down to the wood layer to make sure everything was tight and secure so we would be warm and dry this winter. Having helped with a roof myself once, I know what a labor-intensive job it can be.

Clearly, construction in the time and location of today’s gospel story was different. Mark (2:1-12) talks about the great crowd that had gathered to listen to Jesus at his home in Capernaum such that there was no room for everyone “even around the door.”  When four men who arrived carrying a paralytic on a mat couldn’t find any way in, they just “opened up the roof above him and after they had broken through, let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.” I always found that a rather stunning line both because it was an ingenious way to get the attention of Jesus and because of their ability to actually accomplish the feat – to say nothing of the fact that they were defacing someone else’s property. It didn’t seem to faze Jesus, however, so I’m thinking that the roof was easily repaired. It appears that Jesus was impressed by the ingenuity and the faith of the four men and his response speaks to the importance of community as well, I think. Mark says, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.'”

Sometimes we need to rely on others when we are unable to manage on our own. Whether it be someone to drive us to Church or to sit with us during a time of suffering, perhaps it is our willingness to surrender our need for control of the situation that will bring us the solution or the peace that we need. The by-product is giving someone else the opportunity to be God’s grace for us in that moment in whatever creative way s/he is able and willing to be. But I’d suggest trying to find a solution that keeps us on the ground.