Dawning Light

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J. Philip Newell, light, morning praise, pray, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

6:39AM: The snow of the past 48 hours has finally stopped and we will see temperatures above 40 degrees today (perhaps). It is a day, then, for morning praise. I choose J. Philip Newell for my prayer partner:

For the first showings of the morning light and the emerging outline of the day, thanks be to You, O God. For earth’s colors drawn forth by the sun, it’s brilliance piercing clouds of darkness and shimmering through the leaves and flowing waters, thanks be to You. Show me this day amidst life’s dark streaks of wrong and suffering the light that endures in every person. Dispel the confusions that cling close to my soul, that I may see with eyes washed by Your grace, that I may see myself and all people with eyes cleansed by the freshness of the new day’s light. (Celtic Benediction, p. 40)

Newell then suggests that we pray for the coming day and for the life of the world. I suggest we try for a rising of hope in that prayer. We need it!

Still Waiting

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Advent, Incarnation, power, pray, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, waiting, weakness

While I know that Advent is the season of preparation, of waiting: for Christmas, for the “coming of the Lord,” I’ve never encountered so many iterations of the same question to those whose are doing the waiting. My assumption always was that everyone knew the answer to the question, What are you waiting for? but this year people seem to asking for much more specificity in their seeking. This morning, in a great posting from Emmanuel Monastery sent to me by a friend, I read the following expansion with leading questions:

1. “What am I waiting for this Advent?” How will you recognize its coming?
2. We pray, “come in your power.” What would that look like for you?
3. We pray, “come in your weakness.” What would that look like for you?

The author invites us to go deeper in our pondering. Are you willing to consider both power and weakness in light of the Incarnation of Christ into the world?

Perspective

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divisiveness, Maronite, perspective, pray, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Last evening as we watched one more Hallmark movie, I commented to Sister Elizabeth that the judgment two of the characters had made was such a clear example of their differing worldview. Each of them thought they were correct in their view, and could not see how the other could understand things in any other way. It was a great lesson in how several factors determine our perspectives on issues and behaviors and need always to be considered when challenged. Things like male/female, “class status,” country of origin (even ancestry), education and many more should never be discounted in serious conversation. We are facing that kind of issue of self-knowledge and acceptance now as we prepare for national elections. How wonderful it would be if we all really listened to what candidates are saying rather than just deciding by whether they are democrats, republicans or independents!

This morning I was reminded of all this as I read about the “Saint of the Day” in the Franciscan media website. I realized how provincial I am as I learned of Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and his companions. Emmanuel was a Franciscan friar of the Maronite rite, a missionary in Syria, who suffered martyrdom in the mid-nineteenth century for his faith. The last line of the reflection about this saint called readers to “pray for the Church in Syria.”

Likely because 217 of the 266 popes in our history have been from Italy, it’s easy to think “Holy Roman Catholic Church” without considering the 6 Popes who have come from Syria…or the others who are in the minority, including our present Pope Francis from Argentina (whose parents were, however, Italian immigrants which muddies the waters of my point a bit.)

Maybe today would be a good day to explore the Maronite Rite, a facet of my own religion with which I have only a passing acquaintance, to broaden my perspective in this season of divisiveness on so many fronts in our country. A tiny step, perhaps, but a start. Oh yes, and then to pray for the Church in Syria!

A Winding Road

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comfort, God, God acts, God speaks, God's voice, Joyce Rupp, praise, pray, psalm 16, Stephen Mitchell, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Feeling a need for inspiration I pulled out the book, Prayer Seeds, by Joyce Rupp this morning. I wanted to hear and see something that would speak of hope or certainty to some deep place in my heart with the hope that it would do the same for others. I read a lot of Sister Joyce’s prayers, all lovely and appropriate for many occasions or seasons. This is, however, a season that we might call “out-of-time” so I needed to look further. At the top of page 167, there was a quote from Stephen Mitchell’s translation of selected psalms. It read:

Unnamable God, I feel you with me at every moment. You are my food, my drink, my sunlight and the air I breathe. (Psalm 16)

This could have been enough, I suppose, but then I thought, “What about people who are not feeling God at every moment these days?” so I found a selection of Mitchell’s psalm translations at another place on the internet. I feel a need to write two of them here as sort of a stream of consciousness: in on-going sentences rather than the traditional psalmody form, as if the speaker were walking a path while thinking/speaking. I don’t know why that seems important but I hope Stephen Mitchell would forgive this diversion from his work. It is my best offering for today.

God acts within every moment and creates the world with each breath. God speaks from the center of the universe, in the silence beyond all thought. Mightier than the crash of a thunderstorm, mightier than the roar of the sea, is God’s voice silently speaking in the depths of a listening heart. (Psalm 93)

Even in the midst of great pain, Lord, I praise you for that which is. I will not refuse this grief or close myself to this anguish. Let shallow people pray for ease: “Comfort us; shield us from sorrow.” I pray for whatever you send me, and I ask to receive it as your gift. You have put a joy in my heart greater than all the world’s riches. I lie down trusting the darkness, for I know that even now you are here. (Psalm 4)

Twins

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family, pray, siblings, St. Benedict, St. Scholastica, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, twins

Today is the feast of St. Scholastica, sister of the “famous” St. Benedict. I knew they were siblings who both led religious communities. What I didn’t know until today was that they were twins. I don’t suppose that predestined them to be close in mind and heart but it is known to often be significant in the lives of twins. For these two saints the connection seems quite important. Scholastica founded a monastery just 5 miles from her brother. Because of the strict rules of the time, they met once a year at a farmhouse because Scholastica was not permitted in the monastery of her brother. They spent their time, as one would suspect, discussing spiritual matters.

There is a sweet story about Scholastica that made me smile this morning. It seems that Scholastica was aware that the end of her life was near and she asked her brother on their yearly visit to stay the night with her. Not wanting to spend a night away from his monastery, Benedict refused. Scholastica then prayed asking God to let Benedict remain with her until the next day, whereupon a severe thunderstorm broke out, preventing a return to their monasteries.

Here’s the good part…Benedict cried out, “God forgive you, Sister. What have you done?” Scholastica replied, “I asked a favor of you and you refused. I asked it of God and he granted it.” They parted the next morning after their long discussion. Scholastica died three days later and Benedict saw her soul rising to heaven in the form of a white dove. He buried her in a tomb that he had prepared for himself. (www.franciscanmedia.org)

That might be a story that deserves a “You go, Girl!” and today might be a good day to pray for our siblings and/or those close to us like family, asking God for whatever might be favorable in their lives.

The Last Day

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accept the challenge, be grateful, be kind to yourself, New Year, pray, reflection, rejoice, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, time, year in review

Today is the last day of the year. That is not “new news” to anyone but it does invite reflection. My mother used to tell us not to wish for time to pass more quickly no matter what we were waiting for, because as we got older things – time – would seem to speed up and we would wish it would slow down. She was a wise woman and now I know the truth of her prediction.

Today I hope to take some time to reflect on 2019 asking myself questions about the high points and the low points: what were they and why do I see them that way. I will consider the important happenings and the people who figured most importantly into my days. What have I learned from/during this year? Is there anything left “hanging” that needs to be completed and am I willing/able to complete it?

You have your own questions and memories from the year. In your review, should you wish to “accept the challenge,” be kind to yourself in judging it all. Be grateful for all you have learned about yourself that you wish to take into 2020 (a great image for seeing clearly) and thank God for another chance to begin. Rejoice that you are still alive and smile at the people who cross your path today. Pray for those who need your prayer and smile at God who knows how to answer better than we do. Have a blessed new year…

The Persistent Widow

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faith, Luke, pray, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today the gospel reminds us of a parable about a widow wanting justice from a judge who only saw her as an annoyance. You can read it if you choose (LK 18: 1-8) but right now I’m interested in the first and last verses between which the parable is sandwiched. The directive at the beginning and the question at the end of the passage should wake us up if the “meat” in the middle does not!

Jesus told his disciples parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. (vs. 1)…But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (vs. 8)

Padre Pio

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healing, hope, light, Padre Pio, pray, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, suffering, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, the stigmata

Today Christians everywhere celebrate Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, who died on this date in 1968. We know him as Padre Pio. There is much to say about this humble servant of God, which you can find on http://www.franciscanmedia.org or in any number of books, documentaries and internet sites or perhaps from people, still alive, who have had experience of his life. It was not easy; he suffered spiritually and physically, and, perhaps most of all, psychologically from the words and actions of those who did not believe the movements of God in his life.

The verse before the gospel in today’s lectionary could be called “difficult grace” in the life of Padre Pio. It calls us all to humility and truth in recognition of our gifts, and reads as follows: Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Clearly, Padre Pio did not take credit for his extraordinary gift of healing or complain about the trials of his suffering, especially when he received the stigmata (the wounds of Christ in his physical form). It was his willingness to serve God in whatever way was asked of him that we honor today.

May we be willing each day to do the same.

A Heartfelt Promise

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mercy, pray, proclaim, psalm 52, thank you, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust

This morning’s lectionary psalm response evoked in me an image of a young person kneeling by her bed, praying to God in sincere and fervent declaration, her first prayer of the day. See what it offers for you.

“ I, like a green tree in the house of God, trust in the mercy of God forever. I will thank you always for what you have done and proclaim the goodness of your name before your faithful ones.” (PS 52: 10-11)

Summer Heat

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God, hear the message, heatwave, holy ground, hope, Moses, open heart, plan, pray, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I am sitting in an air-conditioned bubble, knowing about the dangerous heat index only because there is a large television on the wall in front of me constantly running today’s temperatures across the screen as the biggest news of the day. It is scheduled to reach 99 degrees F. by noon in St. Louis where I am and the headline right now is that the heat index across the country will reach 100F. for over a million people and will shatter heat records – over 150 of them – this week. It’s not just the 100 but the 111 in Virginia and elsewhere that makes me want to corral all the poor or aged people and bring them to our climate-controlled conference venue where we will need to remember to bring our shawls or sweaters to our session.

As I turn to the Scriptures for comforting news I hear God calling to Moses, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground…I will be with you…” I can usually twist and turn and fit the messages I find to my daily circumstances. Today I wish only to note for myself that God was speaking all those centuries ago and I am here now to hear the message. I can do nothing about the heat or the storms except to trust the generosity of people and local governments to open places of safety for their citizens.

So with that hope and the knowledge that I am privileged to stand this day on holy ground to pray and plan with my Sisters from near and far (see recent posts), I go about the work that is mine to do asking only for an open heart.