I want to be remembered,
but not for what
I’ve done
or failed to do.
Now is the time
to sink into the back pages of life,
allow hopes and regrets
to dissolve and float away.
The grandfather clock
on the wall remembers
the passing of days.
It is never too late.
Embrace the silent forest.
Welcome gurgles of gratitude.
You are at home now.
Enjoy, listen and pray.
You are among the trees,
at home in the forest.
Walk among the trees.
Listen to Hildegard.
Experience the inhalation
and exaltation of existence.
As the healing heart of the cosmos
pulsates across the far-off sky,
listen deeply
as the trees say nothing.
In our tradition, we celebrate the beginning of Lent as Ash Wednesday. Another word for Lent is spring. The poet Rilke writes, “It’s spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
One metaphor for Lent is spring cleaning. It is a time when your home sparkles with radiance and a fresh sense of newness. We prepare ourselves with acts of love shown to all living beings.
While we celebrate these sacred moments of Easter, we are also reminded of the reality of death on this Ash Wednesday. As we give and receive ashes and are blessed, we pray that we may see the transformation of ashes across Ukraine. We pray for these brave people, that they and all the peoples of the world may find the blessings of peace.
Land, trees, flowers,
even rocks along the way,
be here now, new friends.
Cast your tomorrows
on the waters of life.
Welcome sacred seekers,
trust each new tomorrow.
Listen and wait,
expect surprises,
even if they upset your plans.
Consciousness makes it possible
for us to reflect on our awareness.
Each person receives the gift of reflection.
In so doing, we amplify our imagination,
impulse and intuition.
Perhaps now is the time
to dive deeply
into the increasing awareness
that is still possible
to heal what is broken
and renew the face of the Earth.
With this in mind,
I look forward
to each new tomorrow
and await the next teardrop to fall.
When the long night is over,
may your soul come to rest
in the days that remain.
May your listening heart
be embraced by holy mystery.
When the long day is over,
may we celebrate the dusk,
welcome the night,
then rise at dawn
to continue the quest.
At the precipice of new beginnings,
I sit back and sink
into each conscious moment.
With a heart broken open
to the beauty and brokenness of life,
I perceive the wisdom
of a listening heart
that I want to anticipate
and meet tomorrow.
Today I stop and hope to pray
with thanks for all I have received.
I offer friendship, trust and gratitude
to the Cosmic One,
who is present everywhere.
I pray for my heart,
for my soul,
for God in all things.
His creative energy and love
permeate all that is.
From this place,
the future of the church is born.
Energy is swirling,
churning into spiral paths,
flowing from memories of struggle,
waiting, yearning for fresh moments,
culminating moments.
Memories cascade
into the present moment,
embraced by laminating recollections.
Past struggles are surprised by days long gone,
while a new time appears:
a liberating time
of recollection, love and letting go.
With each passing day,
the cosmos opens,
the unexpected appears,
breakthroughs happen.
Never before
has such beauty shone through,
replete in every moment
pulsating and alive.
It is true that we need to see
beyond tomorrow,
as the cleansing morning sun
splashes light across the clear blue sky.
Where do I go
when the day seems dark?
What do I see
when the future seems cloudy?
For what do I pray
when all seems empty and lost?
Is there not a way to hope?
When time feels endless,
with nothing up ahead,
I nonetheless cast my eyes forward.
I trust the pain,
trust the invitation,
even if it seems
tomorrow will never come.
So often have I heard it said,
“I will not leave you lonely and afraid.”
No, I will I send you my spirit,
the comforter and paraclete,
to be with you in times of isolation
when you are frightened and alone.
Allow all two-ism to cease.
May companionship flourish into peace.
The Government of Canada has designated June as National Indigenous History Month and June 21 as National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is a time for recollections about when the First Nation’s children were separated from family, language, religion, and culture.
Recently we discovered that children were buried in clusters of unmarked graves in British Columbia. On these days of remembering, we can only conclude that other unmarked graves exist across Canada and beyond.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked the Canadian bishops for an apology. At this moment it has not yet been received.
May we honor indigenous people not only during this month but on each day.
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/06/11/215-graves-indigenous-children-kamloops-residential-school-oblates-catholic-church?fbclid=IwAR1Ha-pfpO_URM7Kw8sxFa08d9R2R42sme5gMTXWi4GKfMjSU8NPyWx_aY8
Listen to the promptings of your heart.
Have the expansive expectation
that you will find what you seek.
You won’t have to run after it.
It was there all the time.
Rest in this soft awareness.
The sacred one is by your side
Listen to the impulse of your heart.
It awaits like a shadow in the night,
whispering softly in the dark.
It reveals what is hidden.
In solitude, find a place to rest.
Is there such a thing
as death
when everything
is changed and ended?
Do we not live
beyond the grave?
What do you believe?
Or are you, like me,
Uncertain?
Wrestling with the prophets
is indeed our call.
Reimagining wisdom
is our life.
Imagining our second birth
is our challenge.
Listen to the silence
that you hear.
It’s filled with gratitude and hope.
Discover the place
where you belong,
where everything is healed.
May you remember
the translucent beauty
that’s called life,
the unspoken stories
that encircle your heart.
May your heart beat
for the story of what is not yet.
May your spirit give birth
to what is hoped for
and can be realized today.
You can’t do geo-justice
with your back to gun violence,
to racial disparity,
to planetary devastation.
You can’t do love
when your back is to the world,
when you’re awash in anger,
prejudice and pain.
Today we look forward.
We turn toward the world,
toward a time of balance,
of harmony and peace.