Christianity

SATURDAY READING: Miss Ivory Broom, by Robin Cody

September 15, 2012

From Portland Magazine I am in love with a six-year-old. She is in the first grade and rides in a wheelchair on my school bus to a special education class at Sitton Elementary School, far north in St. Johns, near the University. She is the first child I pick up each morning. We have some quality time together. First a little background on the human neural tube. In embryonic development, the neural tube begins as a flat plate of cells that folds down the center. The two edges loop to form a tube. The tube then develops into the brain and spinal cord. Unless it doesn’t. Something goes haywire in the unfolding of genetic instructions about how to make and run a human being. If the upper end of the neural tube (near the [...]

SCRIPTURE: Hearing My Master’s Voice

September 14, 2012

Hearing My Master's Voice by Julia Marks

During my lifetime I have read(ish) the Bible through(ish) a number of times. I have a collection of reading plans. One even from the time of Elizabeth I, with readings from 3 Kings and 4 Kings. I say read, when what I really mean is hum. I think that during my life, I have tended to hum with the imagined sound of a bassoon in the back of my mind while reading the Bible. It beats having to pay attention to it, after all. Except the good parts. I pay attention(ish) to the good parts. Like the story of Tamar in Genesis. The humming is so bad that in spite of the fact that every morning and evening, during prayers, I read that section of psalms that is carved out in my prayerbook (there was even quite a long time when, in addition [...]

POETRY: Elias — Variations on a Theme, by Thomas Merton

September 14, 2012

I Under the blunt pine In the winter sun The pathway dies And the wilds begin. Here the bird abides Where the ground is warm And sings alone. Listen, Elias, To the southern wind Where the grass is brown, Live beneath this pine In wind and rain. Listen to the woods, Listen to the ground. O listen, Elias (Where the bird abides And sings alone), The sun grows pale Where passes One Who bends no blade, no fern. Listen to His word. “Where the fields end Thou shalt be My friend. Where the bird is gone Thou shalt be My son.” How the pine burns In the furious sun When the prophets come To Jerusalem. (Listen, Elias, To the covering wing?) To Jerusalem Where the knife is drawn. (Do her children run To the covering wing?) Look, look, My son, At [...]

MYSTICISM: Fifteen Ways of Seeing the Light — (5) Clarity, by Peter Friederici

September 14, 2012

From the Georgia Review “. . . the natural limitation so flight sempiternally deny the satisfaction of desire. For this is the inherent irony of vision, that it reveals to us the space beyond our bodies, and the shortness of our grasp. Visual perception makes it possible for us to grasp for what is beyond, and, at the same time, to realize that we cannot reach it.” — F. Gonzalez-Crussi, The Five Senses The crispness of the light in the desert is my hunger, especially in the morning, when the rays slant in sidewise as if from a giant floodlight and throw every plant, every rock into sharp relief. It is a severe and yet mellow light, not yet charged with the overwhelming force and sapping heat of the middle part of the [...]

MYSTICISM: Three Ways to See the Sunset, by Richard Rohr

September 13, 2012

From The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See Three men stood by the ocean, looking at the same sunset. One man saw the immense physical beauty and enjoyed the event in itself. This man was the “sensate” type who, like 80 percent of the world, deals with what he can see, feel, touch, move, and fix. This was enough reality for him, for he had little interest in larger ideas, intuitions, or the grand scheme of things. He saw with his first eye, which was good. A second man saw the sunset. He enjoyed all the beauty that the first man did. Like all lovers of coherent thought, technology, and science, he also enjoyed his power to make sense of the universe and explain what he discovered. He thought about the [...]

MYSTICISM: Fifteen Ways of Seeing the Light — (4) Family History, by Peter Friederici

September 13, 2012

From the Georgia Review “. . . the natural limitation so flight sempiternally deny the satisfaction of desire. For this is the inherent irony of vision, that it reveals to us the space beyond our bodies, and the shortness of our grasp. Visual perception makes it possible for us to grasp for what is beyond, and, at the same time, to realize that we cannot reach it.” — F. Gonzalez-Crussi, The Five Senses “The value of exposure to light cannot very easily be overrated.” That’s what my grandfather wrote, in 1930, in the New York Times. A half-page in the New York Times to reproduce a lecture he’d given! He’d done quite well for himself, having come to this country from Germany only ten years earlier. He was [...]

POETRY: Isaac

September 12, 2012

The Three Angels Tell of the Birth of Isaac Hail! He will be born, A child of laughter and tears. You will bear a child And you will laugh unto tears, But laughter will stay at last. Isaac, do not fear! Young ram, do not be afraid! Ram, caught in the bush, The bush that burns, undestroyed, I am the fire and the ram. (Madeleine L’Engle) Sacrifice of Isaac O my father, am I really to go with you? And help you with the sacrifice to the Lord? You’ve never taken me before, and I’ve always wanted to go. Why do you weep, Mother? We won’t be long. I’m growing up, now, and it is right that I go with Father. Father, where is the lamb for the sacrifice? Father, what are you doing? Father — Father, how can the Lord want me? I am only a [...]

MYSTICISM: Fifteen Ways of Seeing the Light — (3) Photons, by Peter Friederici

September 12, 2012

From the Georgia Review “. . . the natural limitation so flight sempiternally deny the satisfaction of desire. For this is the inherent irony of vision, that it reveals to us the space beyond our bodies, and the shortness of our grasp. Visual perception makes it possible for us to grasp for what is beyond, and, at the same time, to realize that we cannot reach it.” — F. Gonzalez-Crussi, The Five Senses It begins with random atomic collisions in the heart of the sun, where the temperature exceeds 15 million degrees and the pressure is great enough to fuse hydrogen atoms, four apiece, into helium. A thousand billion pounds of hydrogen converted to nuclear energy every second, year upon year, eon upon eon, each pound as [...]

GOD 101: On the Marriage Of Heaven And Earth

September 11, 2012

This is a phrase that has dripped into my consciousness lately. Usually filtered through some larger context of an idea aimed for, but perhaps not quite reached. The Marriage of Heaven and Earth. It all begins, of course, with the concept of romantic love. I have always smiled benignly when I have read how mystics have thrown open not just their souls but also their hearts to God. Open themselves up to feel cravings, and satisfyings, the depth of sorrow and the bliss of, well, bliss. For God. For the air that we breathe, the surging of the ocean, the burning of the forests. I love you, they scream in their words. So I smile. What else is there for me to do? Thérèse of Lisieux (most definitely NOT one of my favorite mystics) [...]

MYSTICISM: Fifteen Ways of Seeing the Light — (2) Sunrise, by Peter Friederici

September 11, 2012

From the Georgia Review “. . . the natural limitation so flight sempiternally deny the satisfaction of desire. For this is the inherent irony of vision, that it reveals to us the space beyond our bodies, and the shortness of our grasp. Visual perception makes it possible for us to grasp for what is beyond, and, at the same time, to realize that we cannot reach it.” — F. Gonzalez-Crussi, The Five Senses If you were to awaken at first light, you might think it a pool of acid that quietly slipped along the horizon and was rising now to leach away the no-color of night, first into paleness and then into incandescence. Blackness gives way to translucent gold, the one tone as rich and deep as the other. As the sound of a lone [...]

PRAYER: The Lorica, or Deer’s Cry by Saint Patrick

September 10, 2012

I For my shield this day A mighty power: The Holy Trinity! Affirming Threeness, Confessing oneness, In the making of all Through love. II For my shield this day I call: Christ’s power in his coming and in his baptizing, Christ’s power in his dying On the cross, his arising from the tomb, his ascending; Christ’s power in his coming for judgment and ending. III For my shield this day I call: strong power of the seraphim, with angels obeying, and archangels attending, in the glorious company of the holy and risen ones, in the prayers of the fathers, in visions prophetic and commands apostolic, in the annals of witness, in virginal innocence, to the deeds of steadfast men. IV For my shield this day I call: Heaven’s might, Moon’s [...]

PRAYER: Prayers For The Journey (Celtic)

September 10, 2012

The whole idea of the journey is basic to humanity. I think of the universality of the image of the quest, the myths of the odyssey or the search for the Holy Grail, the many stories of wandering and exodus. The monastic life has always been that of continual conversion, moving on, the never-ending transformation of the old into the new. — Esther de Waal, The Celtic Way of Prayer The path I walk, Christ walks it Saint Columba The path I walk, Christ walks it. May the land in which I am be without sorrow. May the Trinity protect me wherever I stay, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Bright angels walk with me — dear presence — in every dealing. In every dealing I pray them that no one’s poison may reach me. The ninefold people [...]

MYSTICISM: Fifteen Ways of Seeing the Light — (1) Talisman, by Peter Friederici

September 10, 2012

From the Georgia Review “. . . the natural limitation so flight sempiternally deny the satisfaction of desire. For this is the inherent irony of vision, that it reveals to us the space beyond our bodies, and the shortness of our grasp. Visual perception makes it possible for us to grasp for what is beyond, and, at the same time, to realize that we cannot reach it.” — F. Gonzalez-Crussi, The Five Senses A small rounded stone in my pocket: dark brown, no larger than a half-dollar. It looks quite the same as approximately 1,600,000,000 other stones that you could pick up for free in the southwestern quarter of Arizona. I carry it with me. Here. Hold it in the light. See the rich brown coating of desert varnish, [...]

SERMON: Loneliness And Solitude, by Paul Tillich

September 9, 2012

And when he had sent multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. (Matthew 14:23) “He was there, alone.” So are we. Man is alone because he is man! In some way every creature is alone. In majestic isolation every star travels through the darkness of endless space. Each tree grows according to its own law, fulfilling its unique possibilities. Animals live, fight and die for themselves alone, confined to the limitations of their bodies. Certainly, they also appear as male and female, in families and in flocks. Some of them are gregarious. But all of them are alone! Being alive means being in a body — a body separated from all other bodies. And being [...]

SATURDAY READING: Fighting the Noonday Devil by R. R. Reno

September 8, 2012

From First Things For most of the modern era, Christian apologists have emphasized the role of pride as the primary barrier to faith. Take Milton, for example. At the outset of Paradise Lost, Satan rallies his fellow fallen angels with a speech of exculpation. Bidding farewell to the “Happy Fields” now lost, Satan hails the “infernal world,” promising his followers that they, with him, might make “Heav’n of Hell.” What seems a disaster can be made a victory. Satan’s reasoning is simple. “Here at least,” he says, “we shall be free.” “Here,” he continues, “we may reign secure.” The gain, then, is autonomy and self-possession. Thus, in famous words, Milton has Satan pronounce the purest [...]

PRAYER: Celtic Prayers To The Guardian Angels

July 23, 2012

From Celtic Vision and Celtic Spiritual Verse The Soul-Shrine God, give charge to Thy blessed angels, To keep guard around this stead tonight, A band sacred, strong, and steadfast, That will shield this soul-shrine from harm. Safeguard, Thou, God, this household tonight, Themselves and their means and their fame, Deliver them from death, from distress, from harm, From the fruits of envy and of enmity. Give Thou to us, O God of peace, Thankfulness despite our loss, To obey Thy statutes here below, And to enjoy Thyself above. The Cross of the Saints and the Angels The cross of the saints and of the angels with me From the top of my face to the edge of my soles. The Saints and Angels The circle of the saints around you wound, The circle of [...]

POETRY: At the River Clarion, by Mary Oliver

June 27, 2012

I don’t know who God is exactly. But I’ll tell you this. I was sitting in the river named Clarion, on a water splashed stone and all afternoon I listened to the voices of the river talking. Whenever the water struck a stone it had something to say, and the water itself, and even the mosses trailing under the water. And slowly, very slowly, it became clear to me what they were saying. Said the river I am part of holiness. And I too, said the stone. And I too, whispered the moss beneath the water. I’d been to the river before, a few times. Don’t blame the river that nothing happened quickly. You don’t hear such voices in an hour or a day. You don’t hear them at all if selfhood has stuffed your ears. And [...]

PRAYER: A Novena For Ascension, Including the Prayer of Praise to Jesus In Glory

May 17, 2012

Author unknown Jesus, I honor you on the feast of your Ascension into Heaven. I rejoice with all my heart at the glory into which you entered to reign as king of Heaven and Earth. When the struggle of this life is over, give me the grace to share your joy and triumph in Heaven for all eternity. I believe that you entered into your glorious kingdom to prepare a place for me, for you promised to come again to take me to yourself. Grant that I may seek only the joys of your friendship and love, so that I may deserve to be united with you in Heaven. In the hour of my own homecoming, when I appear before your Father to give an account of my life on Earth, have mercy on me. Jesus, in our love for me you have brought me from evil to good [...]

PRAYER: A Novena To The Holy Spirit For The Virtue Of Restraint

March 22, 2012

Author unknown On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses I offer myself, soul and body to you, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of your purity, the unerring keenness of your justice, and the might of your love. You are the strength and light of my soul. In you I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve you by unfaithfulness to grace, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against you. Guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for your light, and listen to your voice, and follow your gracious inspirations. I cling to you and give myself to you and ask you, by your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced feet of Jesus and looking at [...]

PRAYER: It Would Be So Easy, Lord…., by Michel Quoist

February 6, 2012

It would be so easy, Lord, to abandon the struggle for a better world… this world which is still being born! It would be so easy to give up the exhausting meetings, the discussions, the reports, the innumerable actions and commitments that are supposed to be essential, and the evenings of utter weariness, when I am more and more doubtful about how they can possibly help my brothers and sisters. It would be so easy to listen to those voices around me, voices that seem wise, friendly and even affectionate, voices saying to me: “You’re getting excited,” “You’re banging your head against a wall,” “You’re missing the point,” voices whispering insidiously behind my back: “He [...]

PRAYER: A Novena To The Sacred Heart Of Jesus For The Virtue Of Compassion

January 26, 2012

Author unknown O my Jesus, you have said, “Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock. I seek and ask for the grace of feeling compassion for my friends and loved ones. O my Jesus, you have said, “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of feeling compassion for my enemies. O my Jesus, you have said, “Truly I say to you, Heaven and Earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of feeling compassion for myself. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have [...]

PRAYER: A Prayer To Saint Francis Of Assisi On The Virtue Of Obedience

January 23, 2012

Author unknown Heavenly Father, you have given us the saints to be our models, patrons, and friends. Today we turn to Saint Francis of Assisi, and as you helped him reflect the image of Christ through his life of poverty and humility, grant us, through his intercession, the graces we so much need for soul and body. Especially we ask for: (STATE REQUEST). We also ask your blessings on all those whom we love. May the example of Saint Francis inspire us to grow in holiness as we imitate his joyful love. We ask this in your merciful love, through the merits of Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. The words of Saint Francis: Holy obedience confounds all the desires of the [...]

PRAYER: How To Pray The Chaplet Of Divine Mercy

January 18, 2012

(A chaplet is a prayer that is said with the aid of a rosary. This chaplet can be used as a novena. I include the daily prayers for the novena at the end of the list of prayers for the chaplet. This chaplet is sometimes sung. There are various tunes used for this purpose, and some can be heard on YouTube.) Optional Opening Prayer You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty yourself out upon us. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in you. Amen. On the cross The Our Father Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed [...]