Late Entry

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Celtic Treasures: Daily Scriptures and Prayer, gift, J. Philip Newell, prayer, reflection, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I don’t know how it got to be evening prayer time, but I trust that a late word from Philip Newell will serve as a worthy replacement for our normal morning prayer. You see, my morning started early with an important appointment and was followed by similar events until now…and it’s been steadily raining now – a beautiful rain really, quite nourishing, I’m sure, to the trees and the lawn. I have been really amazed at the unfolding of the springtime in our neighborhood. The flowering trees are glorious and the green, deciduous trees look like they’re already dressed for summer! But I digress…

Here is a brief prayer for evening reflection, perfect now because the rain has stopped and all is quiet.

In the silence of our hearts or in spoken words let us give thanks for the gift of this day and pray for the life of the world…

O God of heaven, you are present on earth. O God of the stars and planets, you are in the midst of the city. O God above all things, you are in the depths our being. The river of your eternal life runs through all things. Let us be glad to be bearers of your eternity. Let us be glad to find you in one another.

(J. Philip Newell (Celtic Treasure, p.150.)

A Pause for Reflection

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compassion, gratitude, hope, learn, reflection, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This morning I awoke to a cacophony of birdsong! The sun was up early (or so it seemed) and the birds appeared to have found their voice. Together, they announced a new day. And so it was in the human neighborhood last night. Announcements all over the airwaves were proclaiming the good news: a congressional bill that would favor the needy and allow people to lift themselves out of poverty, as well as three vaccines showing themselves capable of giving us permission to feel a physical connection. Holding hands was once again a promise, even hugging for those vaccinated would be allowed! The relief and joy in the voices and words of the reporters was visceral and came right through the screen to free us from our sad loneliness after almost exactly a calendar year of “social distance” from one another.

We are still asked to be vigilant as we celebrate success. It is so easy for euphoria to erase any attention to care or caution. But today is a day for a new song…a joy-filled anthem of gratitude for the creativity and sharpness of mind to find a vaccine, of the willingness to move forward for the good of the whole. It is happening. As we rejoice we ought to pause and ask ourselves and one another:

What have we learned from this dark time? What are the lessons that will take us into a new moment of care for the world? Where does compassion lie for those who have seemingly lost everything? How can we add our portion of light to the dawning day? And most of all, how will we express our gratitude to the God whose love for us is everlasting…

Morning Musing

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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)

Snippets

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convictions, keep watch, light, Matthew, messages, Philippians, psalm 141, reflection, shine, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Kitchen conversation this morning yielded an important lesson. Sister Paula picked up one of the devotional pamphlets from the table next to her and began to read a reflection. Set a guard over my mouth, Lord, it read. Keep watch over the door of my lips. (Ps. 141) A worthy prayer, we all agreed.

Messages are everywhere of how we should be in this world, especially in the USA in the run-up to our national elections. Psalm 141 could follow us around all day, finishing as the light disappears toward evening with the following verse: May my prayer come before you like incense, the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice…

As if that isn’t enough, the gospel acclamation for today fairly shouts: Shine like lights in the world as you hold on to the word of life. (PHIL 2) So as the Pharisees go off and plot how they might entrap Jesus in speech (MT. 22), we ought to remember these words and those of Paul that tell us how we were chosen. “For the gospel did not come to us in word alone but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.”

Have a meaningful day!

Right Timing

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creativity, kindness, reflection, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, transformation, wonder of creation

I’m always amazed at the transformation in the natural world that happens in the autumn here in the Northeast United States. Somehow, absent a catastrophic event like a hurricane, the “peak” weekend for the splendor of the colorful foliage – the weekend for “leaf peeking” is around Columbus Day (now being named by increasing numbers of people as “Indigenous Peoples Day”). It seems to make little difference whether or not there is good evidence for the timing but this year was a late blooming yet eventually spectacular event precisely on the central date of October 12th. Now it’s up to us to allow the leaves to fall, remembering the beauty of the miracle of transformation that has just happened.

In another example of synchronicity, today’s lectionary readings offer a commentary on this beautiful happening with Psalm 8. It begins: O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! Next is a reflection that could and should move us to wonder. The psalmist puts us directly in the midst of the miracle by a statement and then a question.

When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars which you set in place – Who are we that you should be mindful of us, that you should care for us? Yet you have made us little less than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor…

Let us give thanks for the kindness and creativity of our God and revel – perhaps through video and photos – in the wonders that we continue to see in the turning of the seasons throughout the year.

Life Today

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COVID19, let go, new normal, point of view, reflection, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I have sheer curtains on my bedroom window that faces the East. Yesterday at midday I pulled the right side to close off what was becoming a blinding sunshine. We had been expecting rain but I rarely believe the forecasters these days because even if they are correct to a degree, our rain is often a brief interlude rather than an all-day event. The same can be said of sunshine where we live. We take it when it comes but never count on early reports.

As I sat here earlier this morning to consider what might be a worthwhile topic for today, I noticed the drawn curtain. I could see only half of the scene outside and only half of the breeze was kissing my toes, exposed as they were and perpendicular to the floor in my trusty recliner! I had to get up and open to the full view to get the effect of the large maple in shade, towering over my favorite delicate pear tree to the left. She was shimmering in the breeze and everything seemed then to be in balance.

That whole brief experience – narrow view moving to a wider picture – reminded me of the “glass half-empty or half-full” phrase. I have had over 100 days now to make something of the slower pace of life that the COVID- 19 pandemic has afforded me. I hesitate to judge it without a lot of reflection because I think it is more complicated than just a passing thought can afford it. It may be that today is perfect for making one of those “pros and cons” lists to see what has been helpful, what has been challenging and what has been downright difficult in this spring-to-summer hiatus. If I manage to stay with the reflection long enough, maybe I’ll start working on a way to let go of outcome in case this does become what people are calling our “new normal.”

Precious Lessons

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just being, Peace, presence, reflection, silence, stillness, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I’ve just had a 40-minute quiet time with our cat on my lap. It was quite spontaneous. I sat down with my first cup of coffee in hopes of clearing my head and realized I forgot to bring my reading glasses downstairs. I thought just sitting quietly for awhile would be a good thing. Precious (yes, that’s really her name!) must have had the same thought because she looked at me from across the room. I sent her a telepathic “Okay, Come on!” and she immediately jumped down from her perch and landed on my lap. Neither of us disturbed the other at all. I just let my thoughts float through and disappear; she, I presume, did the same. It was as if we had made a pact of silence and immobility as her quiet presence called me to a deeper stillness.

I am grateful for those times of reflection and/or no thought which are more common than ever these days. Perhaps this is the best gift of staying at home. Although I have projects to last a lifetime that I could be doing, I am feeling less and less need to complete them at any particular time because I am learning more than ever the value of “just being.”

If you are schooled in responsibility, I would suggest taking some time (definitely more than you think necessary) to just sit, or go for a walk or, in any way that would be unusual, “waste” some time until doing so can start to feel good and the ensuing peace brings a smile to your face.

Sentiments For Reflection

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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.

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…

Sunday – All Day

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prayer, reflection, ritual of prayer, Sister Joan Chittister, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily

This morning I have a sense of recognition and remembrance that feels a bit like Sundays of long ago. It’s very quiet in our house. There was the “coffee chat” – the first sighting of our housemates in the kitchen – but the stillness that feels related somehow to the cold outside has now returned and we are left by ourselves to reflect on this weekly “holy day.” Before work schedules in the world were “24/7” we Catholics had a rule that said “No unnecessary servile work on Sundays.” Happily, that meant no serious cleaning, no heavy lifting…I couldn’t even iron my father’s handkerchiefs – a privilege I dearly loved.

What was the point of all that? Why was Sunday special for us as Saturday for the Jewish people in the next town? In describing the Sunday rituals of prayer in her monastery, Sister Joan Chittister offers the following thoughts.

Prayer is the filter through which we view our worlds. Prayer provokes us to see the life around us in new ways…Prayer is meant to call us back to a consciousness of God here and now, not to make God some kind of private getaway from life…prayer puts us in contact with past and future at once so that the present becomes clearer and the future possible. (Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, pp. 28-9)

While we still honor a day of the week with ritual, as do others in keeping with their religious traditions, it is helpful sometimes to step out of our routines and set aside a whole day for reflection on just what Sister Joan is talking about. I ask myself when was the last time I did this? What about you?