A Look Back and Ahead

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breathe, deep breath, Macrina Wiederkehr, newness, sacred space, seven sacred pauses, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The sun has been up for quite a while now (8:33 AM) and I’m feeling a hint of what used to be my “regular work schedule.” I would be in an office by now, attending to the work of the week that is beginning. If I think further back, the bell for the first period class would have already rung and we would be on our way to France by now…Those would be the days when I was a teacher of French, of course.

Now life is quite different, especially because of the interruption of the Covid-19 pandemic which has reshaped much of life in the world, especially for people like me whose “work” has become a response to need in the religious congregation of St. Joseph founded in 1650 in France to do “all the works of which women are capable and which benefit the dear neighbor.” (from the Constitution of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet) I never thought much about what that could mean as I moved from high school teaching to parish religious education to diocesan service in the same, to spiritual direction for individuals and groups, to the creation of an entity supporting the work of spiritual growth wherever the need arose. But here I am, waking up each day to a newness, responding to need as I see fit. Today I will spend time on the telephone, listening to and loving at least one person—maybe more—to a realization of how much God loves her, and later ascertaining the value of a certain kind of retreat for a contemplative group in the beautiful state of Vermont.

Days like this call for deep breaths. Actually most days do that now and prayers like those offered by Macrina Wiederkehr in her book, Seven Sacred Pauses, are a necessity throughout the day. Here is one of my favorites:

In you, O God, I live and move and have my being. Morning’s bright beginning has worn away, and I am full of thoughts about the things I must accomplish this day. Remembering how you stole away from the crowd for personal prayer, I take a deep breath. I invited you into the ground of my being. I cannot leave my work right now but I can breathe. Breathe in me anew. I will follow your breath to the depth of my being. I will remember to pause. O Holy One, enter into the sacred space of my life and abide. Amen. (p. 84)

The Quiet Season

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activity, balance, breathe, content, daily living, find peace, forget concerns, God of the seasons, pray, rest, sacred space, set yourself free, silence, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

We inhabitants of the Northeast United States spent November and December in a mixture of gratitude for warm days and apprehension for a time when the winter would appear with a vengeance. Global warning had seemed to favor us with record high temperatures while predicting a serious plummeting to follow. Well, now it’s January and the other side of the coin has shown itself. The lovely “valley of opportunity” where I live has been spared the 21 inches of snow that fell just 80 miles to our north but frigid temperatures and high winds have forced caution in travel and consideration of cancellation of events. In the frustration of the uncertainty resulting from the weather’s control of my schedule, I am reminded of Thomas Merton’s advice for daily living – perfect as I face the second half of this week.

There should be at least a room, or some corner where no one will find you and disturb you or notice you. You should be able to untether yourself from the world and set yourself free, loosing all the fine strings and strands of tension that bind you, by sight, by sound, by thought, to the presence of other men. “But thou, when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret…” Once you have found such a place, be content with it and do not be disturbed if a good reason takes you out of it. Love it, and return to it as soon as you can, and do not be quick to change it for another…Let there be a place somewhere in which you can breathe naturally, quietly, and not have to take your breath in continuous short gasps. A place where your mind can be idle, and forget its concerns, descend into silence, and worship the Father in secret.

When I am too busy to remember the necessary balance of activity and rest, I bless the “God of the seasons” for an opportunity to surrender and find peace in the gift of winter time.

 

Greatly Blessed

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Assumption, Elizabeth, gratefulness, Luke, Mary, mindfulness, Mother of Jesus, opportunities, presence, sacred space, The Magnificat, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today is the traditional feast for Christians of the Assumption of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, into heaven where she reigns as Queen. As I have grown in years and in my knowledge of Scripture, I often think that Mary might be uncomfortable with that title. While it is true that Luke’s gospel for this morning quotes Mary proclaiming, in what has come to be known as The Magnificat, “From this day, all generations shall call me blessed,” she clearly gives the glory to God for every honor that has come to her. (“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked upon my lowliness…”) It is also true that the setting for this speech of Mary is the home of her kinswoman, Elizabeth, to whom she has fled upon learning that both of them are pregnant – Mary the teenager and Elizabeth the older woman, past the normal age for bearing children. It is only Elizabeth (no great crowd) that hears the words from Mary’s mouth about the favor of God. (LK 1:36-52) I love to think of them in Elizabeth’s kitchen, perhaps preparing a meal, sharing their fears and misgivings over their unexpected physical state but grateful for the presence of one another as trusted companions. It must have been a great comfort for both, but maybe especially for Mary as her situation was even more weighty than that of Elizabeth.

Presence in time of need is a precious gift, one of which I was quite mindful this week as I shared the family waiting room at the hospital where my sister had a hip replacement on Thursday. It was a quiet place, a kind of “sacred space,” but one where the entire room breathed deeply and gratefully each time a doctor appeared to share good news. It also extended beyond the hospital as other relatives and friends who had pledged prayer were waiting as well. I had a long list of texts to write in the end, many of which received immediate responses to my “great success” messages at the good news.

Today I hope to be mindful of the importance of the many opportunities to be present to the people I encounter, with the purpose of helping them to recognize the importance of who they are and what their presence can mean to stranger, friend or family for this woman who is feeling greatly blessed.

Make space for prayer

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corner, Father, Kathleen Deignan, pray, room, sacred space, set yourself free, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

“There should be at least a room, or some corner where no one will find you and disturb you or notice you. You should be able to untether yourself from the world and set yourself free, loosing all the fine strings and strands of tension that bind you, by sight, by sound, by thought, to the presence of others. ‘But thou, when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to the Father in secret…’ Once you have found such a place, be content with it and do not be disturbed if a good reason takes you out of it. Love it, and return to it as soon as you can, and do not be quick to change it for another.”

~ Thomas Merton
(from Thomas Merton’s Book of Hours by Kathleen Deignan)