A Spiritual Journey

 

And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles,
no matter how long,
but only by a spiritual journey,
a journey of one inch,
very arduous and humbling and joyful,
by which we arrive at the ground at our feet,
and learn to be at home.

 

~ Wendell Berry ~

 

(Collected Poems)

God of day and night . . .

 

God, you have been with me all through the day, stay with me now.  As the shadows lengthen into darkness let the noisy world grow quiet, let its feverish concerns be stilled, its voices silenced.

In the final moments of this day remind me of what is real, true, and good. But let me not forget that you were as present in the stresses of the day just past as you are now in the silence of this night.

You have made me for day and for night, for work and for rest, for both heaven and earth. Here in this night, let me embrace and not regret the mysterious beauty of my humanity. Keep me in the embrace of your unconditional love through the night,               and the day to come.

Surround us with your silence and give us the rest that only you can give   . . .  peace now and forever.  (Adapted: My Day Is Ending, Evelyn Underhill . . . original source unknown)

 

 

The Presentation: A Story of Faithful Waiting!

 

Embracement

A presentation in the Temple . .
A mother purified according to the Law.
A child anointed, blessed, and praised. 
A child cradled in the arms of Simeon.

Simeon . . . One not to experience death
Until his eyes beheld his Savior,
Yet within his embrace
He holds the Prince of Peace.

Ah, Anna . . .  a prophetess and temple-dweller
Gives praise and thanks for this child of redemption.
She has waited, prayed, and fasted
Eager to be filled with the richness of this sacred moment.

Both old ones, fragile in age and sight,
Experience crystal-clear vision of the God-child
Who rests in their arms – the God-child that visits their temple-dwelling.
The child rests with peace.
The child receives praise and blessing.
The child receives anointing
In this ritual of purification.

However, in time yet to be, this child will be embraced
In the arms of his mother as he is removed from his cross
To be anointed again, and received into his temple of rock . . .
Embraced by earth . . . a tomb of Passover
Waiting, resting, resurrecting!

And so little child, grow strong in body
And wise in spirit.
Grow in the favor of God
For your time has come, your hour has come 
To release the captives, to give sight to the blind,
To set the oppressed free, to proclaim the Good News
For you are the Anointed One!

A child of favor, O child anointed, teach us to release
All that is held captive and oppressed within us.
Teach us to seek the wisdom and courage that is deep within 
Our very selves so that we may proclaim the Good News . . .
Be Good News! Amen. Amen.

 

Knot In Your Life!

The Knots Prayer

O God,
please untie the knots
that are in my mind,
my heart, and my life.

Remove the have nots,
the can nots and the do nots
that I have in my mind.

Erase the will nots,
may nots, might nots
that find a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots,
would nots, and should nots
that obstruct my life.

And most of all, God,
I ask that you remove from my mind
my heart and my life all of the      

‘am nots'
that I have allowed to hold me back,
especially the thought
that I am not good enough.

Amen.

Author Unknown . . .

Heart-warming Prayer of Love. . .

Artist: Doris Klein, CSA

God speaks to the Soul . . .
And God said to the soul:
I desired you before the world began.
I desire you now as you desire me,
And where the desires of two come together
There love is perfected.

How the soul speaks to God . . .
God, you are my lover,
My longing,
My flowing stream,
My sun,
And I am your reflection.

How God answers the soul . . .
It is my nature that makes me love you often,
For I am love itself.
It is my longing that makes me love you intensely,
For I yearn to be loved from the heart.
It is my eternity that makes me love you long,
For I have no end.
Prayer of Mechtild of Magdeburg

Look - it - ing!!

 Story: The Land of the Mighty Mountain

There was once a country famed far and wide for its holy mountain.  People from all over the world had heard about the holy mountain, but the strange thing was, the people who actually lived in that country had a habit of walking around with their eyes always focused on the ground.  They never lifted their heads. And if you asked them what they were doing, they would tell you: ‘We are searching for the holy mountain, of course. Why don’t you join us in the search? This is where you must look.’

And so they lived their lives, restless, moving round in circles, walking up and down the many lanes and alleyways of their country, poring over their maps and arguing with each other about where, exactly, the holy mountain was to be found.

Meanwhile, the holy mountain soared to the skies, waiting patiently for the people to discover its beauty and its power, and saddened to watch them picking their way through the world and never stopping to look up.

In one part of the country, there was a large lake, with water as smooth as glass. The mountain was reflected in this lake, and many of the people of that country would gather around the lake, point to the reflection and claim that they had discovered the mountain.  Some of them jumped into the lake and were drowned. Others thought that the mountain had an evil influence, and turned away from the lake. Others decided that, after all, there was no such thing as a holy mountain.

Then one day, amid all the hustle and bustle of the people’s desperate search for the mountain, one of them fell over, and was almost trampled to death by the milling feet all around him. He lay there, flat on his back, thinking that his end must surely be close, when to his amazement; he looked up and saw the holy mountain towering serenely above him. He tried to tell everyone what he had seen, but no one believed him, so he set off alone to seek out the path that would lead him to the mountain.

It was a hard journey, for the path was sometimes steep and perilous, and he kept losing sight of his goal. Many times he fell in his journeying, and every time he fell, he would see, once more, the mountain he was searching for, and be encouraged to keep on walking.  And as he walked, he noticed that the only other people on the path to the mountain were disabled or sick, or were carrying some great load that had made them topple over in their need.  He realized that only those who had fallen were ever able to see the mountain, and only those who knew the full meaning of the word ‘down’ could ever look up. (Source Unknown)



The view of the mountains over Baker Lake in Shasta County, California.

Ever-Present God!

 May God stand with you when you are devastated by tragedy or 

circumstance. When you become paralyzed by your reality, 

may God catch you in arms of tenderness and hold you 

with unwavering love. May you be stilled and quieted by the 

realization that God will never let you go or abandon you. 

May you know the blessing of God's Care for you. --Maxine Shonk, OP