Up, Up and Away!

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God's name, how wonderful your name, Israel, Kathleen Degnan, Lectionary, Lord, pilgrims, psalm 8, sacred, spiritual experience, spiritual journey, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

Psalm 8 is one of my “top three” favorites. It is no wonder that it should appear in the lectionary this morning as I leave home today to begin a pilgrimage that will take me to Israel tomorrow. The refrain, O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! is an apt title, I think, for what will be a voyage of some 5,600 miles (one way!) to reach a place that is sacred to the three Abrahamic faiths. Along the way I hope to see the sunset from above and know the clarity of the atmosphere from at least 6 miles above the earth. Flying – even in a plane – is a spiritual experience for me and I relish the time even as I look forward to the adventure on the ground.

Because I cannot predict what the days will hold and want to be free to immerse in all the activities and reflection on what we experience, I decided to dedicate the two weeks of my absence to Thomas Merton, as we continue to be mindful of him during the centennial year of his birth. I have probed Thomas Merton’s Book of Hours by Kathleen Deignan for snippets from various Merton texts and have asked our administrative assistant, Mary Pat Hyland to post one each day until I return. I trust this will be a worthy exercise.

Just as I do not travel alone but with 20 other pilgrims, so I am aware of connections to others near and far who share the spiritual journey with me. So I have packed everyone in my suitcase and look forward to the journey that will, I hope, culminate in a deepening of appreciation for all of us of God’s wonderful name in all the earth.

Roses in December

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Aztec, birdsong, cloak, fidelity, holiness, message, Mexico, miracles, Native Americans, Our Lady of Guadalupe, pilgrims, roses, sign, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a celebration especially dear to those who claim their heritage as natives of Mexico and, by extension, all Native Americans and native peoples everywhere. It is the story of clearly documented appearances of the Blessed Mother, Mary, to a 57 year-old peasant who was on his way to a Saturday Mass to honor her in a small village near Mexico City on December 9, 1531. As he passed the hill of Tepeyac, Juan Diego heard beautiful music like birdsong and saw in a radiant cloud a beautiful young woman dressed as an Aztec princess. She spoke in his native language directing him to go to the bishop of Mexico to tell him she desired a chapel built in her honor on that hill. He did as he was instructed. The bishop told him to ask for a sign from the lady. Although he tried to avoid her because of his need to care for his sick uncle, she found him again on December 12th, saying that his uncle would recover, and gave him roses which he carried to the bishop in his cloak. When he opened his cloak, the roses tumbled to the floor and the bishop fell to his knees in prayer because on the cloak was imprinted the image of Our Lady just as Juan Diego had described her. This image is now well-known to pilgrims world-wide and the story reminds us that God does not discriminate in the choice of those who carry the message of love into the world. We are all called to holiness and fidelity in the everyday events of our lives. Who knows what miracles await?

Giving Thanks

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blessing, happy thanksgiving, joy of heart, Peace, pilgrims, Sirach, Thanksgiving, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This morning my world is blanketed in white. I give thanks for the beauty of snow as I pray for safety of travelers, shelter for the homeless and peace in places of unrest. Because we celebrate in our country today the great feast of Thanksgiving, I reflect on those early settlers who came here seeking new life. Remembering that it wasn’t an easy journey but that over time and generations immigrants like my grandparents built a nation that is strong in its foundations if imperfect in its unity, I am grateful. Today we cannot think only of our own surroundings or our country as we have become a world community in our time. I celebrate the cross-cultural connections that are possible now through which we celebrate the diversity among us even while we are stretched toward understanding of the ways in which we are the same.

I choose the wisdom of the Book of Sirach 50:22-23 for a blessing to all today with a wish that giving thanks becomes ever more prominent in our daily practice. It says: Now I bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb and fashions them according to his will. May God grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you.

Happy Thanksgiving!