“ Wherever you land, be content. “. I often wonder:  why was I born in this time, in this place to these parents?  Perhaps a common question. I suppose one answers it day by day, year by year as one’s life unfolds. I am simply asked to trust and to be attentive to whatever is before me. Here. Now.

“Without imposing your ideas”. Last week, I made a big mistake. I tried to impose an inappropriate discipline on a meditative movement class offered to people with mental illness. In my displaced zeal, I forgot that the priority of the class is to offer an experience of “chi” or energy to whoever shows up.  Teaching specific movements is only secondary. Divine grace was at work, in spite of me. Thank God. Hopefully, I will remember to get out of the way next time.

“There is a divine way of doing everything”:  As I age, I catch myself thinking “I am not DOING anything”. Well, it is true that I am not doing what I used to do. But a re-ordering of my life has the potential to create new energy – if I stop resisting it and allow Divine energy to move through me and flow out from me. Then I can  “do” my life differently.

“I don’t want to do THIS anymore. Several times in my life,  I let go of what I thought I was meant to do without knowing what would come next. A little risky since I am my sole financial support. However, those “emptyings” always made room for Spirit. I have never experienced a sudden transformation. The best that I can describe what is happening in me is something I read in the Inter-Spirituality sessions. There is a crescent moon and also a shadow of the full moon. Over time, the crescent moves toward full. Over and over.  This seems to fit with my calling the crescent moon “OM”, the Divine present and being revealed.

Peeling Away: I do a meditative movement practice called tai chi chih. Part of the practice is to strip away any non essential parts of each movement – a little extra turn of the wrist, a turn of the head, an extension of the arms. The invitation is to notice the layers that cover our true selves and gradually allow them to be stripped away. One must allow the process to happen in God’s time and in God’s order. As layers are peeled away physically – and spiritually – energy flows more freely, leading to new awakenings.  Be patient, be attentive, be reverent.

Canticle of the Turning: Father Thomas’ words reminded me of the canticle. One verse:”Though i am small, my God, my all. You work great wonders in me   And your mercy will last. From the depths of the past to the end of the age to be. “   For me, the canticle speaks of transformation: of me, of you, of all creation. It is a transformation in process that is often hidden amidst the tragedies and traumas of our time   When I surrender to this turning, I find hope

My word for grace?  “SURPRISE”

 

“A walking with”. Thank you, Adeline, for your reflection on Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to Canada. We in the US have much to learn from our Canadian sisters and brothers and from Pope Francis. Humility and truth are essential if we are to heal the wounds of white supremacy in all of its forms. May the Pope’s visit be transformative for Canadians and the world. .

“You don’t have to be anybody. Just be what you are already. “. As I head off to a meal with a small group of high school friends, I will carry this invitation with me. I often find myself speechless in conversations about travel, shopping, grandchildren, restaurants, movies, etc.  So, let me be a good and focused listener as I hear the reality of these women’s’ lives.  We have all weathered storms of one kind or another. something worthy of celebration.

And we thought it was their mental illness. Years ago, I worked with a mental health program. Whenever tragedy struck, some of the clients felt it as if it had happened to them. At the time, we thought it was their mental illness. Looking back, I realize that their hearts were opened to the presence of the divine everywhere and felt a kinship with all beings.

“Grace is everywhere. Love abounds. The sacrament of everyday life.”

I live in a senior apartment. There are 99 one bedroom apartments. There are no extra services, although there is a community room and some welcoming outdoor spaces. There have been no community activities since the pandemic. Last week, we had a going away party for two women who will be moving to be closer to family.  More than 15 people came. Lots of memories and laughter. We turned an empty, lonely room into a welcoming and joyful place. Truly,  grace was everywhere.

Never Tasted So Good. It was 5AM on Sunday, December 9, 2018. Three of us sat at the dining room table   Mom had died about 8:30 PM the night before. It was a peaceful death. Our collective yawns indicated a night with very little sleep. The only coffee in the house was Yuban DeCaf.  My sister went on a “rescue mission” to a nearby Starbucks ( there is always a Starbucks nearby) and returned with strong coffee and sweet rolls. As the three of us sat quietly, we shared what we had witnessed: “a life well -lived, a departure well-done”. Mom’s caregiver Lola was with us. She had lived with Mom for seven years and was like a sister.  I shall always remember that morning: at the table, with breakfast, lingering over the memory of an ordinary person who was quite special.

Come. Have breakfast. Pre- COVID, St Francis parish hosted 16 people each night. There were cots for their sleeping bags; there were 16 spaces on the patio of the Parish  Center.  Each morning, two volunteers prepared  a simple breakfast. Coffee, juice, cereal, yogurt, boiled eggs, toast. Once everything was set out, the guests were invited to come in. Many of the guests had been coming for many days; they had their usual place at one of the tables, their favorite coffee cup   Some guests quietly visited; others savored the early morning quiet. By 7AM they were gone, off to face another day as homeless people, a day that might bring discomfort, challenges, unexpected kindnesses. Both guests and volunteers knew that these brief moments were graced moments. Although we did not set a place for the Christ, there was a Presence that flavored everything.

Wounded Hands:  when I look at the image, I see hands, wounded hands, intertwined hands. Each reaching for the sun, each realizing that they can only touch that sun if they rise together, that both death and resurrection must be understood as universal human experiences.

“ Terrifying and liberating”:  a description of resurrection, Christ’s; ours;  mine. A paradox that silence can hold.

Did it end?  Did I end?  I have done the meditation twice. Both times I ended up in a big empty space that was free of attachments. I felt no need to get up and “do something”. Is this what death feels like?  I wonder.

[Author]

Posts