Always a choice . . .

 

An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story.  

 
I, too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times." He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.

But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing. Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit." The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?" The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed."

The Courage to be Myself . . .

I have the courage to . . .

Embrace my strengths ~

Get excited about life ~ Enjoy giving

and receiving love ~ Face and transform

my fears ~ Ask for help and support

when I need it ~

Spring free of the Superwoman Trap~

Trust myself ~ Make my own decisions

and choices ~ Befriend myself ~ Complete

unfinished business ~ Realize that I have

emotional and practical rights ~

Talk as nicely to myself

as I do to my plants ~ Communicate

lovingly with understanding as my goal ~

Honor my own needs ~

Give myself credit for my accomplishments ~

Love the little girl within me ~

Overcome my addiction to approval ~

Grant myself permission to play ~

Quit being a Responsibility Sponge ~

Feel all of my feelings and act on them

appropriately ~ Nurture others because

I want to, not because I have to ~

Choose what is right for me ~ Insist on being

paid fairly for what I do ~

Set limits and boundaries and stick by them ~

Say “yes” only when I really mean it ~

Have realistic expectations ~ Take risks and

accept change ~ Grow through challenges ~

Be totally honest with myself ~

Correct erroneous beliefs and assumptions ~

Respect my vulnerabilities ~

Heal old and current wounds ~

Savor the mystery of Spirit ~

Wave good-bye to guilt ~ Plant “flower,”

not “weed” thoughts in my mind ~

Treat myself with respect and teach others

to do the same ~

Fill my cup first, then nourish

others from the overflow ~

Own my own excellence ~

Plan for the future but live

in the present ~ Value my

intuition and wisdom ~ Know that I am

lovable ~ Celebrate the differences between

women and men ~ Develop healthy,

supportive relationships ~

Make forgiveness a priority ~

Accept myself just as I am now ~

Author Unknown

 

 

Sr. Nicole Trahan, FMI Preaches for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary...

Holy Wonder!

 

 

 

The Spirit of God is Always with Us at This Time, in This Place

 
We awaken in our time to a Universe which is holy,
to creation which is not an event in the past, but a living event of the present.
We enter a new mode of human presence where we are not merely observers,
but where each of us is a participant in this moment of evolution.

Like all other creatures, we carry with us Wisdom and Values,
the dynamics of the Universe. But unlike other creatures, we must choose whether and how we will live in harmony within this sacred web of creation. May we be open to the Source of All Being, Our God within and among us!

We have the capacity to wonder,
and to celebrate this great mystery of existence within such a magnificent Universe!  
In us the Universe enters into a great celebration of itself.
We are part of the Dance, the Great Work, the Great liturgy which is the Universe unfolding.

Glory to You, O God, Source of All Being!
This great Liturgy finds expression at this moment in us,
gathered here in a posture of prayerful openness, with listening hearts, loving spirits and a holy wonder.

May the sacred web that unites us with each other, our God and all creation,
ignite communities of light and hope throughout the Earth.
May we be open to the Source of All Being, Our God within and among us!
 

 Together We Pray:
 O Gracious, gentle Spirit of Love,
 Your energy permeates the Universe,
 Igniting Earth with
 Your Goodness, Truth and Beauty.
 Open our minds and hearts
 To a deeper awareness
 Of our interconnectedness with You,
 Each other and all creation.
May we experience
 Your unique presence
 Within the sacred web of creation.
-Author Unknown
 

 

A Visitation

 

 

The Thin Place

All we need to do is turn on the television or radio and we are bombarded with commercials encouraging us to find a “thinner” us. Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, and a plethora of newly designed fitness equipment promise to magically transform us and lead us to our inner, thinner self. But this is not the thin place to which I refer.
 
On one occasion I reflected on John Shea’s writings in the guide for the Sunday Gospels, entitled, “Finding the Thin Place.”  His teaching included the following short story:
A woman returned from a trip to the isle of Iona. When her gardener heard where she was, he quietly said, “Iona is a thin place.” “A thin place?” she asked. “There is very little between it and God,” the gardener explained.
 
Shea concluded with this question: “Are there thin places where the usual thickness between the sacred and the profane is only a fine membrane?” I stepped back into my inner self to reflect on this story, holding gently but profoundly this essential question. I then “leaned into” all those moments in my life where I experienced that fine membrane and contemplated some of those “thin places:” waiting for results after a medical exam; reading an  email notifying me of the death of a friend; receiving a phone call about the illness of a dear companion. Through my thoughts journeyed all the people who have struggled with the loss of a job, marriage difficulties, and financial problems, all while trying to remain faith-filled amidst such chaos in our church, our culture, and our government.

What if, in that painful “thin place,” God was present all the time? What if, when we are most vulnerable and feel not in control, God moves in with powerful grace and we find ourselves in a “thin place,” finally able to acknowledge that God is here with us and that we are not alone?
 
Recently, I had the privilege to visit with some of our older sisters who have “retired” from active ministry and are now dealing with a number of physical limitations.  As I listened, they spoke in “essences” . . . that which is really needed, important, valued, and essential.  They live very close to the “thin place,” unencumbered by the distractions and obstacles that often cloud our vision. Their words and insights are wise and comforting; their voices, soft and gentle.  Yes, they live very close to the “thin place,”  and when I left their presence, I knew that I too, like the woman in the story, had truly visited a “thin place.”

(Previously posted)
 

Life Lessons . . .

 

 

Lessons on Life

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.
If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
Don't judge life by one difficult season.
Persevere through the difficult patches
and better times are sure to come some time or later   
Author Unknown

Elyse Raby Preaches for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Woman of the Song . . .

 

The Song

When a woman in a certain African tribe knows she is pregnant, she goes out into the wilderness with a few friends and together they pray and meditate until they hear the song of the child. They recognize that every soul has its own vibration that expresses its unique flavor and purpose. When the women attune to the song, they sing it out loud. Then they return to the tribe and teach it to everyone else. When the child is born, the community gathers and sings the child's song to him or her.

Later, when the child enters education, the village gathers and chants the child's song. When the child passes through the initiation to adulthood, the people again come together and sing. At the time of marriage, the person hears his or her song. Finally, when the soul is about to pass from this world, the family and friends gather at the person's bed, just as they did at their birth, and they sing the person to the next life. (Internet)

 

Today, our Gospel of Luke (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081520-day.cfm) so fittingly presents to us the Women of the Song.  Their meeting is a prototype of a liturgy of Word and Bread. There is meeting, greeting, blessing, and sharing of the nourishment of their wisdom, wonder, and awe of what God has done for them.

Mary goes with haste and enters the house of Zachariah and greets Elizabeth. Elizabeth, no longer barren, is filled with a child who dances with joy at the recognition of the Word enfleshed within Mary. Elizabeth is bursting with a sense of the holy and sings a song of blessing upon Mary.Her loud cry of blessing is translated with the same words used to describe the loud cry of the Hebrews before the Ark of God’s presence when it was brought into their midst.  Mary is now the living Ark of God and the promise to God’s people has begun to be fulfilled in her.

In response to Elizabeth’s greeting, Mary proclaims a song of liberation for all people; one in which ideals are reversed and the household of God will be peopled by the poor, the hungry, and the ones with no power. 

These women, who stand pregnant in an embrace of joy, laughter, and praise for God’s marvels, will give birth to children of the Magnificat. These children in turn will one day stand together and sing their new song that would be revolutionary as well.  John will sing his song of justice and repentance, daring the people to prepare the way for the Messiah. His voice will ring out like “thunder in the desert.”

Jesus, son of Mary, will hear his song in the desert as well. He will claim his purpose to be Mission, Messiah, and Beloved. He will be Bread for the hungry, Shepherd for the marginalized, and Liberator for the oppressed. His song of the Beatitudes will break through to the hearts open to God’s reign

Mary is oftentimes presented as meek and mild, passive and submissive.  The problem with this interpretation is that it is impossible to reconcile it with the stories we have of Mary in the New Testament: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation, the flight into Egypt, losing Jesus in the Temple, going to bring Jesus home from his public ministry, the wedding feast at Cana, being at the foot of the cross, and Pentecost. No doubt, mindful of her song within, she pondered and treasured each experience of these joyful and sorrowful mysteries.

Certainly, the faith, trust, courage, and strength of Mary’s witness is most especially captured in her song of praise, the Magnificat – of which we hear proclaimed in the Gospel. Truly, the NT does not present a meek, fragile woman, lacking creativity and initiative.  It reveals an upright, resilient woman who put her free will at the disposal of God’s dream for her. This is what the feast of the Assumption celebrates; God remained utterly faithful to Mary through death, as she was unreservedly faithful to God in life.

“Your Yes dares us to believe in the impossible,

to embrace the unknown, and to expect the breaking through of mystery

onto our bleak and level horizons.

The words you heard, Mary, we will forever remember.

We will not be afraid, for the life that you birthed

will not be extinguished in our souls.” (Edwina Gately)

And may we all be blessed to have lived long enough to hear our song within, and to sing it to our world so as to have made a difference with our lives . . .

Sr. Gerardette Philips, RSCJ Preaches for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordina...

Waiting, Looking, Loving Time . . .

 

A Prayer

You keep us waiting.

You, the God of all time,

Want us to wait for the right time

in which to discover

Who we are, where we must go,

Who will be with us, and what we must do.

So, thank you . . . for waiting time.

 

You keep us looking.

You, the God of all space,

Want us to look in the right and wrong places

for signs of hope,

For people who are hopeless,

For visions of a better world

that will appear among the disappointments

of the world we know.

So, thank you . . . for the looking time.

 

You keep us loving.

You, the God whose name is Love,

Want us to be like you –

To love the loveless and the unlovely and the unlovable;

To love without jealousy or design or threat,

And most difficult of all, to love ourselves.

So, thank you . . . for loving time.

 

And in all this you keep us,

Through hard questions with no easy answers;

Through falling where we hoped to succeed

and making an impact when we felt useless;

Through the patience and the dreams

and the love of others;

And through Jesus Christ and his Spirit, you keep us.

(By Lisa Terneus of the Iona Community in Scotland)

https://iona.org.uk/

A Blessing Prayer . . .

 

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we will live deep within our hearts.

 

May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people and the earth, so that we will work for justice, equity, and peace.

 

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer so we will reach out our hands to comfort them and change their pain and sorrow into joy.

 

And may God bless us with the foolishness to think that we can make a difference in the world, so we will do the things which others say cannot be done.

 

Becoming our best selves . . .

"In the thousands of moments that string together 

to make up our lives, 

there are some where time seems to change

its shape and a certain light falls across our

ordinary path.  We stop searching

for purpose, we become it."

(Dawna Markova- I Will Not Die An Unlived Life)

https://www.dawnamarkova.com/

A Quieting Prayer . . .

I weave a silence on my lips,
I weave a silence into my mind,
I weave a silence within my heart.

I close my ears to distractions,
I close my eyes to attentions,
I close my heart to temptations.

Calm me, O God, as you stilled the storm,
Still me, O God, keep me from harm.
Let all the tumult within me cease,
Enfold me, God, in your peace.
(Author Unknown ~ Celtic Tradition)

Emily R. John Preaches for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

If you can’t

let go,

then hang on

loose!

 

(Melody Beattie)

https://melodybeattie.com/