Sleep Medicine

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angel of the Lord, Christmas, light of Christ, radiance, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Somewhere in the middle of the night, I read a paragraph from the Brothers of St. John the Evangelist. I had already been in bed for some time and sleep wasn’t coming. If I were a young child I would have said I was awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus but at this “older age” I knew that wasn’t the issue. I simply had too much on my mind that wouldn’t go away, I got up then and checked my e-mail (something never advisable!) and it was there that I found what I felt was worthy of sharing on this Christmas morning. Then I went back to bed and fell asleep immediately.

The angel of the Lord speaks these words to us tonight: do not be afraid; do NOT be afraid. We may live in dark times. We may be afraid of the dark. We may be afraid of the darkness of the world and of our own lives. But the light of Christ shining forth this night from the manger in Bethlehem promises to banish that darkness with the radiance of God’s glory. (Br. James Koester)

Today the sun is shining brightly and the darkness has truly been overcome so I send blessings to you on this special day. May your burdens be light and your hope abound!

Jan Minus Nine…And Counting

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balance, harmony, Jan Phillips, joy, light, love, No Ordinary Time, radiance

Because we are anticipating the Jan Phillips concert and workshop at the end of next week, I decided this morning to see what she had to say to me from her book No Ordinary Time. I’m never disappointed with what I find in this book. Here’s what found me today.

“Imagine that when we’re born, each one of us comes to earth with the radiance of, say, a hundred watt bulb. That’s our natural state – 100 watts. As we go through life, our job is to maintain that brightness, and even improve it if we can. What dims it, we learn through experience, is negativity, anger, resentments, regrets. What brightens it is harmony, balance, joy.

If you consider the people you encounter on a regular basis and reflect a little on their energy level, you could probably bring to mind a few who fit the 100 watt category, and others who are in the 50-60 watt vicinity. And you probably encounter 10 watt people every once in awhile, though chances are you don’t linger long. It’s the 100 watt-ers that keep your attention. These are people who don’t complain, who don’t say negative things about themselves or others, who are the first to offer help and the ones who stay until the work is done.

Hundred watt-ers laugh a lot, they draw people in like bears to honey. They’re the ones you wish you were more like. And now, you can choose to become one, if you want. All it takes is a little practice. First, you must become an observer to your own thoughts and words, so you are conscious of your thoughts and the words that you speak. Second, you must speak as if your words were materializing into your very life. This means no self-deprecating remarks and no negative comments about others. In other words, you must actually love yourself and love others as yourself.

If we operate from this premise, then we have a good chance of keeping our light bright. If we speak positively, think reverently, then we maintain our original state of grace. If we enter into a meeting imagining that every person there is a peer, then our encounters will begin to change. Once we start noticing our thoughts, becoming aware of their power, letting go of judgments, resistance, opposition, then we experience a more radiant energy. As we think, so shall we create.” (p.74-75)

(Learn about Jan’s visit to Binghamton at www.thesophiacenterforspirituality.org/events.html)

O Radiant Dawn, Come!

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birth, Christ, daily miracle, dawn, God, light, Messiah, metaphor, O Antiphons, radiance, sunrise, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Winter Solstice

The workings of the universe are often confusing for some non-science minds like mine. For example, we are approaching the Winter Solstice, the time of the shortest day and longest night in the northern hemisphere (and the opposite, of course, in the south). Sometimes it is the 21st of December, sometimes the 22nd. I just read that the solstice begins tonight for my time zone at 11:48PM – which is 4:48AM GMT (Universal Time). It’s all about the tilt of the earth’s axis, you see, and the angle and length of the sun’s rays hitting the earth. The  confusion comes because there are reports as well of the fact that the solstice doesn’t signal the day of the latest sunrise and earliest sunset because “solar time” – measured by the spin of the earth – isn’t exactly the same as clock time, which always measures a day as exactly 24 hours.

That’s enough science for me – or too much, really – at this early hour. All I need to know is that at this very moment (7:16AM EST) the sky outside my window is turning pink on the eastern horizon and I can expect (because the pink complements beautifully the blue that is also appearing, heralding a clear day) that the sun will burst forth in radiance if I sit here long enough to wait for it. Sunrise is a daily miracle, whether or not it is visible given the weather conditions of the day. It always happens and it is a wonderful metaphor of birth, splendid in its beauty and hope-filled in its consistency.

The O Antiphon for today reflects the nearness of the Messiah and the longing soon to be fulfilled. If you live in a place where the dawn has yet to “spring forth” and you have the leisure to do so, watch for it. Be aware of the coming of the light and note the moment when the sun appears, giving thanks for another day. If tomorrow is the arrival of the solstice in your time zone, like in mine, spend this day in conscious waiting, in gratitude for what will surely come.

O Rising Dawn, Radiance of the Light eternal and the Sun of Justice, come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.

O Dayspring, you bring God’s light into our darkness. You are the rising sun, the morning star that brightens lives and lifts spirits. Come, blaze in us and cast out all fear.