Circle me, Lord.
Keep peace within, keep harm without.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep love within, keep hate without.
Celtic Prayer
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Thoughts From Merton
The message of God's mercy to man must be preached. The word of truth must be proclaimed. No one can deny this. But there are not a few who are beginning to feel the futility of adding more words to the constant flood of language that pours meaninglessly over everybody, everywhere, from morning to night. For language to have meaning there must be intervals of silence somewhere, to divide word from word and utterance from utterance. He who retires into silence does not necessarily hate language. Perhaps it is love and respect for language which imposes silence upon him. For the mercy of God is not heard in words unless it is heard, both before and after the words are spoken, in silence.
Thomas Merton. Disputed Questions (New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1965): 195.
Thomas Merton. Disputed Questions (New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1965): 195.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Morning Meditation
A gentle rain as daylight arrives
leaving prints upon the stately tulip
Soaking in silence, listening for the sounds of this day
from the soft deep chair
Lady Wisdom leaving whispered writings upon the soul
Etchings on all living things
Colours of life
Breath of God
the wonder of Holy Presence
ordinary space that becomes Sacred
an ordinary moment that is transformed by Mystery.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Her Presence in the Waiting
Places of waiting can be lonely; can feel as if you have entered a time capsule where the relativity of life around you has ceased to be a place you interact with. Yet as one holds that, you also hold the fact that places of waiting call you to remain alive, be very present, and to become more deeply aware of what is happening in the immediate and allow every level of your being to open to seeking what this time is speaking to you and risking the unknown to find something important on this pilgrimage that is one’s own life. Or could it be risking finding Who waits there with us?
When I have found myself in really tough spaces in life it has so often been my women friends who have come alongside me, who listen, who don’t seek to give the answers, but wait with me and their tender nurturing is very comforting. In the weeks of waiting in several hospitals, waiting for my husband to go through various treatments, so often sinking into Holy Presence was the way to stay breathing, to keep going, to know that we would all get through this.
She was there waiting and ready to listen. I was surprised to find Her there – traditionally, out of long habit when I speak to the Almighty it is the male presence yet this time it was so distinctly female, so definitely the company of a woman friend, a woman heart that came and joined me! The Lover presence, the Beloved, Abba, Lady Wisdom – They have all come to keep me company and show me Holy Wisdom in this pilgrimage that I walk. But there in the hospital room it was the nurturing company of Mother God’s heart who waited for me to share my fears of losing my husband way too soon, my fears that he would have some massive haemorrhage and never be the same again, my fatigue at trying to stay strong and positive with the unknowns, and the reality that all of this was overwhelming to me. Feminine God to feminine heart and soul we sat together, and I found peace, found a taste of freedom that comes in the dark places and experienced the Mother heart of God as I have never known it before. It was Her wisdom that encouraged me to keep hope that all would be well, that perfect love cannot sit with fear.
We are all made in the image of Them – yet never before have I seen and experienced the Mother heart of God so beautifully. It was a new way to see the Divine image in my own being as in love I tried to give tender care to my husband. Hard places of waiting must also be places of image bearing, image revealing.
Wisdom abides in deep recesses of the heart; who is at home to receive Her?
O friends, do not hide from Her grace; silent be, listen well as She bestows inspiration to lighten your way, to guide you on life’s pathway.
Recognize and follow the unique gifts given unto you; remain steadfast with Wisdom at your side.
Those who hear and heed the inner promptings of their heart, become attuned to the Universal Song.
Lumen Christi...Holy Wisdom
Pg 9 Lumen Christi, Nan Merrill
When I have found myself in really tough spaces in life it has so often been my women friends who have come alongside me, who listen, who don’t seek to give the answers, but wait with me and their tender nurturing is very comforting. In the weeks of waiting in several hospitals, waiting for my husband to go through various treatments, so often sinking into Holy Presence was the way to stay breathing, to keep going, to know that we would all get through this.
She was there waiting and ready to listen. I was surprised to find Her there – traditionally, out of long habit when I speak to the Almighty it is the male presence yet this time it was so distinctly female, so definitely the company of a woman friend, a woman heart that came and joined me! The Lover presence, the Beloved, Abba, Lady Wisdom – They have all come to keep me company and show me Holy Wisdom in this pilgrimage that I walk. But there in the hospital room it was the nurturing company of Mother God’s heart who waited for me to share my fears of losing my husband way too soon, my fears that he would have some massive haemorrhage and never be the same again, my fatigue at trying to stay strong and positive with the unknowns, and the reality that all of this was overwhelming to me. Feminine God to feminine heart and soul we sat together, and I found peace, found a taste of freedom that comes in the dark places and experienced the Mother heart of God as I have never known it before. It was Her wisdom that encouraged me to keep hope that all would be well, that perfect love cannot sit with fear.
We are all made in the image of Them – yet never before have I seen and experienced the Mother heart of God so beautifully. It was a new way to see the Divine image in my own being as in love I tried to give tender care to my husband. Hard places of waiting must also be places of image bearing, image revealing.
Wisdom abides in deep recesses of the heart; who is at home to receive Her?
O friends, do not hide from Her grace; silent be, listen well as She bestows inspiration to lighten your way, to guide you on life’s pathway.
Recognize and follow the unique gifts given unto you; remain steadfast with Wisdom at your side.
Those who hear and heed the inner promptings of their heart, become attuned to the Universal Song.
Lumen Christi...Holy Wisdom
Pg 9 Lumen Christi, Nan Merrill
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