“Many people start on the spiritual path but never reach the end.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
All week long I have been thinking about my dear friend Sister Timothy Kirby who remained on the spiritual path her whole life and who has been and will continue to be an inspiration to other spirit seekers.
Sister Tim was lovelovelove to me, the embodiment of the first reading in my prayer book today which comes from I John 4: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God...God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” I've studied this text for a very long time—Brad and I chose it for our New Testament wedding text thirty-one years ago—and each time I read it I feel encouraged to become more loving. (Brad and my children probably wish I would read this text every morning because we would all reap the benefits.)
Teresa writes in The Book of My Life, “Many people start on the spiritual path but never reach the end.” I am a beginner on this path and have a very long way to go. Sister Tim is miles ahead of me, and now she has crossed over to walk on the other side. I plan to meet up with her someday, and I hope you will join us too. Until then, I'll just keep trudging along praying all the while that God keeps us moving in the direction of Sister Tim and that someday after all the walking—all those endless steps!—God and Tim and you and I will meet together in a circle of lovelovelove.
Amen.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 43
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of December 20-24:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of December 20-24:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Very Sad News
My dear friend Sister Timothy Kirby died yesterday afternoon. I keep remembering the passage in Revelation she helped me practice for Advent Vespers. I am thinking especially hard about when the voice from the throne speaks these words:
“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”
“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Keeping Jesus Present
“When I was in prayer, I would try to keep Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Good, present within me. I would think about a scene in his life and then try to picture it with my mind’s eye.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Very soon now it will be Christmas Eve, the night we remember the birth of baby Jesus, the newborn who was swaddled and lying in a manger in a barn because there was no room for him or his parents anywhere else.
To prepare myself for Christmas, I’m thinking of ways to keep the Christ child alive in my heart. In The Book of My Life, Teresa says she would remember the life stories of Jesus when she was praying, picturing him in her mind’s eye. I am doing that very thing these days—thinking of a baby boy who grew into a young man and remembering the life he lived which included many acts of social justice and ended with the humiliation and shame of death on a cross.
My Christmas wish is to find Jesus present within me every morning—“born in us today,” as we sing in the hymn—and I would like to be the Christ child's hands on earth. Will you join me? Together we can make Christmas come every single day of our lives.
Very soon now it will be Christmas Eve, the night we remember the birth of baby Jesus, the newborn who was swaddled and lying in a manger in a barn because there was no room for him or his parents anywhere else.
To prepare myself for Christmas, I’m thinking of ways to keep the Christ child alive in my heart. In The Book of My Life, Teresa says she would remember the life stories of Jesus when she was praying, picturing him in her mind’s eye. I am doing that very thing these days—thinking of a baby boy who grew into a young man and remembering the life he lived which included many acts of social justice and ended with the humiliation and shame of death on a cross.
My Christmas wish is to find Jesus present within me every morning—“born in us today,” as we sing in the hymn—and I would like to be the Christ child's hands on earth. Will you join me? Together we can make Christmas come every single day of our lives.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 42
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of December 13-17:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of December 13-17:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Serve and Soothe Your Companions
“And so, friends, if you want to lay a decent foundation, strive to be the least among you. Offer yourself as a slave to God and try to find ways to serve and soothe your companions.” Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle (1577)
Examples of what Teresa writes about can be found in everyday life, and I have a good example of the writing today from something that happened this morning.
Brad and I were late for church today because of a cup of coffee I just had to drink before we left the house. He was suspicious about the coffee—he thought it would make us late, I think—but he let it go the way good spouses in a long marriage often do. In fact, he drank a cup of coffee along with me and he didn’t pester me about it on the way to church either.
We were just barely late by the clock—8:32—but we felt very late because the church bulletins were all gone and we couldn’t find a place to sit in the Sanctuary. The third Sunday in December is our special music Sunday which means there is special music even before the service starts. Most parishioners remembered about the special music, but I didn’t…You know what I was thinking about (coffee).
Then a wonderful thing happened, something I didn’t deserve. “Let’s go to the balcony,” I whispered to Brad, and we headed up there. Our church is being remodeled and I hadn’t been up to the balcony in a long time. Were we ever in for some surprises. First of all, the new organ has completely overtaken the balcony and instead of room for sixty people the way it used to be there are only two rows with a total of eight chairs to sit on now. Of the eight chairs, five were already taken by a family of four (second row) and an elderly man with a camera (front row). I sat next to the elderly man and Brad sat next to me with one chair to spare.
“Do you want a bulletin?” the man behind us asked. “Yes, thanks, they are all gone,” I said. He and his wife nodded because they already knew. They shared one of their bulletins with us, and we settled into the service.
The seven of us ended up being quite a lovely worshipping community up there in the balcony, and I appreciated it very much. The elderly man was from out of town, there to hear his daughter play the organ and direct the choirs. “The organist is your daughter? I think she’s wonderful,” I told him. “She always was wonderful, even as a little girl,” he replied. When it was time for the offering, Brad took ours out of his pocket, but the man behind us said the ushers don’t come up to the balcony anymore and then he sent one of his sons down with the balcony offering. At communion time, Brad and I followed their family downstairs and to the communion rail. I asked the elderly man if he was coming, too. “No, I’ll stay here…You go ahead,” he said. Afterwards Brad and I goodbye to everyone and commented how good the music sounded from the balcony and how welcomed we felt.
Jesus always encouraged his disciples to help each other, and Teresa offers the same advice. In The Interior Castle, she instructs us to “try to find ways to serve and soothe your companions.” Our balcony companions made our worship experience a delightful one today—they welcomed us, they shared their bulletins, they helped us with offering and communion—and I will remember their kindness for a long, long time.
Examples of what Teresa writes about can be found in everyday life, and I have a good example of the writing today from something that happened this morning.
Brad and I were late for church today because of a cup of coffee I just had to drink before we left the house. He was suspicious about the coffee—he thought it would make us late, I think—but he let it go the way good spouses in a long marriage often do. In fact, he drank a cup of coffee along with me and he didn’t pester me about it on the way to church either.
We were just barely late by the clock—8:32—but we felt very late because the church bulletins were all gone and we couldn’t find a place to sit in the Sanctuary. The third Sunday in December is our special music Sunday which means there is special music even before the service starts. Most parishioners remembered about the special music, but I didn’t…You know what I was thinking about (coffee).
Then a wonderful thing happened, something I didn’t deserve. “Let’s go to the balcony,” I whispered to Brad, and we headed up there. Our church is being remodeled and I hadn’t been up to the balcony in a long time. Were we ever in for some surprises. First of all, the new organ has completely overtaken the balcony and instead of room for sixty people the way it used to be there are only two rows with a total of eight chairs to sit on now. Of the eight chairs, five were already taken by a family of four (second row) and an elderly man with a camera (front row). I sat next to the elderly man and Brad sat next to me with one chair to spare.
“Do you want a bulletin?” the man behind us asked. “Yes, thanks, they are all gone,” I said. He and his wife nodded because they already knew. They shared one of their bulletins with us, and we settled into the service.
The seven of us ended up being quite a lovely worshipping community up there in the balcony, and I appreciated it very much. The elderly man was from out of town, there to hear his daughter play the organ and direct the choirs. “The organist is your daughter? I think she’s wonderful,” I told him. “She always was wonderful, even as a little girl,” he replied. When it was time for the offering, Brad took ours out of his pocket, but the man behind us said the ushers don’t come up to the balcony anymore and then he sent one of his sons down with the balcony offering. At communion time, Brad and I followed their family downstairs and to the communion rail. I asked the elderly man if he was coming, too. “No, I’ll stay here…You go ahead,” he said. Afterwards Brad and I goodbye to everyone and commented how good the music sounded from the balcony and how welcomed we felt.
Jesus always encouraged his disciples to help each other, and Teresa offers the same advice. In The Interior Castle, she instructs us to “try to find ways to serve and soothe your companions.” Our balcony companions made our worship experience a delightful one today—they welcomed us, they shared their bulletins, they helped us with offering and communion—and I will remember their kindness for a long, long time.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 41
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of December 6-10:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of December 6-10:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
What God Wants
"Believe me, the safest thing is to want only what God wants. He knows us better than we know ourselves and he loves us. Let's place ourselves in his hands so that his will might be done in us. If we consciously maintain this intention, we cannot go wrong." Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle (1577)
My daughter Emily Rose is a senior at the University of Minnesota this year, and because of her I have a large number of people I care about who soon will be transitioning into life after college. Lately I've had it in my mind to talk to one of these students about whether or not he has ever felt called to the ministry. This young man will be graduating with a biology degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and I believe he would be a very fine teacher and coach; however, I also believe he would be a very fine Lutheran minister. At Christmastime, I hope to have a conversation with him about the ministry and whether he has considered it for his profession.
What would this conversation sound like? I certainly won't be telling a young college graduate how to live his life, but I will be praying for what God wants. In The Interior Castle, Teresa reminds us that God "knows us better than we know ourselves and he loves us." There are many ways to serve--God needs each of us and our special gifts--and what to do becomes clear as we move along the path. "Let's place ourselves in his hands," Teresa writes, "so that his will can be done in us. If we consciously maintain this intention, we cannot go wrong."
I am looking forward to Christmas when I will spend time with the young people who are home from college, and I'm especially looking forward to seeing one young man who will soon be holding a diploma in biology. Until then, I will be praying for God's continued blessings on all of these dear students and each of us as we seek to recognize what God wants, today and every day of our lives.
My daughter Emily Rose is a senior at the University of Minnesota this year, and because of her I have a large number of people I care about who soon will be transitioning into life after college. Lately I've had it in my mind to talk to one of these students about whether or not he has ever felt called to the ministry. This young man will be graduating with a biology degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and I believe he would be a very fine teacher and coach; however, I also believe he would be a very fine Lutheran minister. At Christmastime, I hope to have a conversation with him about the ministry and whether he has considered it for his profession.
What would this conversation sound like? I certainly won't be telling a young college graduate how to live his life, but I will be praying for what God wants. In The Interior Castle, Teresa reminds us that God "knows us better than we know ourselves and he loves us." There are many ways to serve--God needs each of us and our special gifts--and what to do becomes clear as we move along the path. "Let's place ourselves in his hands," Teresa writes, "so that his will can be done in us. If we consciously maintain this intention, we cannot go wrong."
I am looking forward to Christmas when I will spend time with the young people who are home from college, and I'm especially looking forward to seeing one young man who will soon be holding a diploma in biology. Until then, I will be praying for God's continued blessings on all of these dear students and each of us as we seek to recognize what God wants, today and every day of our lives.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 40
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of November 29 – December 3:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of November 29 – December 3:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
A Great Advantage, Part 2
“We are like fledgling birds who may not be ready to immediately soar but, by watching the parents, little by little learn to emulate them. This kind of assistance, I know, is a great advantage.” Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle (1577)
Last week I wrote about what a great advantage it was for Brad to have my mother in the kitchen with him this Thanksgiving. In the same way, I feel a great advantage in having the sisters at the monastery to help me in my spiritual learning. Yesterday I was definitely feeling thankful because I spent some time with my dear friend Sister Timothy Kirby in her new room at the monastery. (You may remember Sister Tim as the book club friend who fills me with lovelovelove and helps me to be a better human being.)
This week Sister Tim moved into a non-cloistered room where she can receive visitors. I was glad to see her new space and practice my Advent Vespers reading with her. On Tuesday we are having St. Scholastica’s annual Advent service followed by an outdoor lighting ceremony. Sister Tim spends time with the Advent readers every year to insure the readings are as listener-friendly as possible. Before I met with Sister Tim, I’d practiced the reading so I wouldn’t disappoint her but I was pretty sure there'd be things she'd suggest for improvement. When it came time to read the text, she asked me to close the door so we wouldn’t be disturbed. Then I situated myself closer to the door than her chair, and I began to read. It was easy to visualize the two of us in the chapel with me at the podium and Sister Tim in the pew. What I read came from the Book of Revelation:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adored for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”
And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.”
When I finished, Sister Tim smiled at me encouragingly and said there were a couple of things I could think about doing to improve the reading. First, she said it would be good if I could practice the reading many times so that I could do it without looking down at the sheet so much. “You are telling a story,” she said. “If you look at the people, it makes it easier for them to listen to you.” I felt a bit of relief over this advice because I knew practicing a lot would be something I definitely could do…Whew!
The second thing she told me will be harder to do, but it captures my imagination and I’m having fun working on it. Sister Tim said to read the narrator's part differently from God's part so that people hear the two voices: “Think about how you would hear God speaking. ‘In a loud voice,’ it says. Think about how you would hear God speaking in a loud voice. When you read it, be the voice.”
I really liked that idea: Be the voice. I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to be John who has awakened from a dream after listening to the voice of the One seated on the throne, what it would be like to be John telling others the story of what I dreamed. I decided that God would sound like my friend Denise Starkey who is another member of our book club, so when I read that part I’m going to try to sound as confident and strong as Denise. And when I’m reading the narrator part I will be John, the dreamer and poet, sharing the vision of a new day for us all.
Teresa is right when she says, “We are like fledgling birds who may not be ready to immediately soar but, by watching the parents, little by little learn to emulate them. This kind of assistance, I know, is a great advantage.” What a great advantage I have experienced this week in having dear, dear Sister Tim guide me in my Advent reading! When I stand in the chapel next Tuesday afternoon proclaiming that God is coming to be among us, it will be so much better for the listeners because of Sister Tim’s assistance…Thanks be to God.
Last week I wrote about what a great advantage it was for Brad to have my mother in the kitchen with him this Thanksgiving. In the same way, I feel a great advantage in having the sisters at the monastery to help me in my spiritual learning. Yesterday I was definitely feeling thankful because I spent some time with my dear friend Sister Timothy Kirby in her new room at the monastery. (You may remember Sister Tim as the book club friend who fills me with lovelovelove and helps me to be a better human being.)
This week Sister Tim moved into a non-cloistered room where she can receive visitors. I was glad to see her new space and practice my Advent Vespers reading with her. On Tuesday we are having St. Scholastica’s annual Advent service followed by an outdoor lighting ceremony. Sister Tim spends time with the Advent readers every year to insure the readings are as listener-friendly as possible. Before I met with Sister Tim, I’d practiced the reading so I wouldn’t disappoint her but I was pretty sure there'd be things she'd suggest for improvement. When it came time to read the text, she asked me to close the door so we wouldn’t be disturbed. Then I situated myself closer to the door than her chair, and I began to read. It was easy to visualize the two of us in the chapel with me at the podium and Sister Tim in the pew. What I read came from the Book of Revelation:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adored for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”
And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.”
When I finished, Sister Tim smiled at me encouragingly and said there were a couple of things I could think about doing to improve the reading. First, she said it would be good if I could practice the reading many times so that I could do it without looking down at the sheet so much. “You are telling a story,” she said. “If you look at the people, it makes it easier for them to listen to you.” I felt a bit of relief over this advice because I knew practicing a lot would be something I definitely could do…Whew!
The second thing she told me will be harder to do, but it captures my imagination and I’m having fun working on it. Sister Tim said to read the narrator's part differently from God's part so that people hear the two voices: “Think about how you would hear God speaking. ‘In a loud voice,’ it says. Think about how you would hear God speaking in a loud voice. When you read it, be the voice.”
I really liked that idea: Be the voice. I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to be John who has awakened from a dream after listening to the voice of the One seated on the throne, what it would be like to be John telling others the story of what I dreamed. I decided that God would sound like my friend Denise Starkey who is another member of our book club, so when I read that part I’m going to try to sound as confident and strong as Denise. And when I’m reading the narrator part I will be John, the dreamer and poet, sharing the vision of a new day for us all.
Teresa is right when she says, “We are like fledgling birds who may not be ready to immediately soar but, by watching the parents, little by little learn to emulate them. This kind of assistance, I know, is a great advantage.” What a great advantage I have experienced this week in having dear, dear Sister Tim guide me in my Advent reading! When I stand in the chapel next Tuesday afternoon proclaiming that God is coming to be among us, it will be so much better for the listeners because of Sister Tim’s assistance…Thanks be to God.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 39
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of November 22-26:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 0
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of November 22-26:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 0
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
A Great Advantage
“We are like fledgling birds who may not be ready to immediately soar but, by watching the parents, little by little learn to emulate them. This kind of assistance, I know, is a great advantage.” Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle (1577)
Two hours ago my parents drove out of our family’s driveway in Duluth and headed down the highway, leaving behind good memories of a great Thanksgiving. They will soon be in St. Michael, Minnesota, where they plan to take my youngest sister, Amy, and her husband, Joel, out for dinner to celebrate Amy’s fortieth birthday.
The nicest thing about Thanksgiving is that it is a holiday with very little in the way of expectations except for a big meal and a grateful heart. Some of you dear readers may not know that I am not by any stretch of the imagination a cook—I call myself an “assembler”—however, I am married to someone who enjoys the chemistry of cooking and is curious about ways to improve his recipes. This Thanksgiving Brad and my mother experimented with tried and true recipes (white wine in the butter for turkey basting, for example, and a new ingredient—garlic—in the stuffing) and livened up the day most wonderfully.
This morning Brad was working on his caramel roll recipe because it came from my mother and he thinks his rolls still need improving. The problem he has is more one of looks than taste, but he wants his caramel rolls to be excellent in every way. Today Brad and my mom spent time in the kitchen, working on the best rolls yet. (“Eleanor, do you think this might work?” he asked…“Why don’t you try turning up the heat?” she responded.) Watching Brad and my mother in the kitchen was a good experience for me, and it reminds me of the way we improve in anything we love to do. It takes time, patience, and a little bit of mentoring.
In prayer’s third dwelling-place inside The Interior Castle, Teresa says, “We are like fledgling birds who may not be ready to immediately soar but, by watching the parents, little by little learn to emulate them. This kind of assistance, I know, is a great advantage.” Just as Brad has a great advantage in having my mother in the kitchen with him, I enjoy a great advantage in having the sisters at the monastery helping me with becoming a better soul friend to others. The reading, the listening and the praying are all improving my ability to be a spiritual companion…and I am very grateful!
Two hours ago my parents drove out of our family’s driveway in Duluth and headed down the highway, leaving behind good memories of a great Thanksgiving. They will soon be in St. Michael, Minnesota, where they plan to take my youngest sister, Amy, and her husband, Joel, out for dinner to celebrate Amy’s fortieth birthday.
The nicest thing about Thanksgiving is that it is a holiday with very little in the way of expectations except for a big meal and a grateful heart. Some of you dear readers may not know that I am not by any stretch of the imagination a cook—I call myself an “assembler”—however, I am married to someone who enjoys the chemistry of cooking and is curious about ways to improve his recipes. This Thanksgiving Brad and my mother experimented with tried and true recipes (white wine in the butter for turkey basting, for example, and a new ingredient—garlic—in the stuffing) and livened up the day most wonderfully.
This morning Brad was working on his caramel roll recipe because it came from my mother and he thinks his rolls still need improving. The problem he has is more one of looks than taste, but he wants his caramel rolls to be excellent in every way. Today Brad and my mom spent time in the kitchen, working on the best rolls yet. (“Eleanor, do you think this might work?” he asked…“Why don’t you try turning up the heat?” she responded.) Watching Brad and my mother in the kitchen was a good experience for me, and it reminds me of the way we improve in anything we love to do. It takes time, patience, and a little bit of mentoring.
In prayer’s third dwelling-place inside The Interior Castle, Teresa says, “We are like fledgling birds who may not be ready to immediately soar but, by watching the parents, little by little learn to emulate them. This kind of assistance, I know, is a great advantage.” Just as Brad has a great advantage in having my mother in the kitchen with him, I enjoy a great advantage in having the sisters at the monastery helping me with becoming a better soul friend to others. The reading, the listening and the praying are all improving my ability to be a spiritual companion…and I am very grateful!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 38
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of November 15-19:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1 (+1 with Centering Prayer Group)
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of November 15-19:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1 (+1 with Centering Prayer Group)
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Some Time in Nature
“A genuinely holy conversation can function as an authentic spiritual practice. Our guides might also recommend that we spend some time in nature.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Authentic spiritual practice comes in many forms, and every once in a while it’s good to change things up a bit and add something new. I do morning centering prayer as a spiritual practice, and God meets fallible me in these moments more often than I deserve. This week, however, I was surprised by how God came to me in the form of holy conversation, snow and trees in the monastery cemetery at St. Scholastica.
At noon on Wednesdays I walk with my friend Betty Preus. Most of the time we walk around the track in the athletic center, but this week we decided to walk outside and enjoy fresh air. As we started up the hill to the monastery cemetery, Betty was sharing a story from her heart—very much what Teresa would call “a genuinely holy conversation”—and I was listening as best I could. Then something very unusual happened.
When we reached the cemetery, it felt like we entered a different world and we both noticed it immediately. The weekend’s wet, heavy snow still covered the branches of the pine trees, the grass and the gravestones. A young deer was grazing under a pine tree. The circular path around the cemetery was clear and free of snow and ice, and we felt welcome to walk and talk as we have done in the past; however, it was quiet—so quiet, a quiet I hadn’t experienced for a long time—and we immediately stopped for a moment and took in the earth’s hush. “Do you think I should keep talking?” Betty said. I thought she should—it was a special sort of conversation, after all—but we decided after she was finished we’d walk the circle a few times in silence.
Sometimes we plan our spiritual time as I do with centering prayer, but other times the Holy One makes the plans and we find ourselves quite unexpectedly in the midst of more beauty and wonder than we could imagine. Grace can be plopped upon us—just like fresh, wet snow—when we least expect it. What a wonderful surprise!
Authentic spiritual practice comes in many forms, and every once in a while it’s good to change things up a bit and add something new. I do morning centering prayer as a spiritual practice, and God meets fallible me in these moments more often than I deserve. This week, however, I was surprised by how God came to me in the form of holy conversation, snow and trees in the monastery cemetery at St. Scholastica.
At noon on Wednesdays I walk with my friend Betty Preus. Most of the time we walk around the track in the athletic center, but this week we decided to walk outside and enjoy fresh air. As we started up the hill to the monastery cemetery, Betty was sharing a story from her heart—very much what Teresa would call “a genuinely holy conversation”—and I was listening as best I could. Then something very unusual happened.
When we reached the cemetery, it felt like we entered a different world and we both noticed it immediately. The weekend’s wet, heavy snow still covered the branches of the pine trees, the grass and the gravestones. A young deer was grazing under a pine tree. The circular path around the cemetery was clear and free of snow and ice, and we felt welcome to walk and talk as we have done in the past; however, it was quiet—so quiet, a quiet I hadn’t experienced for a long time—and we immediately stopped for a moment and took in the earth’s hush. “Do you think I should keep talking?” Betty said. I thought she should—it was a special sort of conversation, after all—but we decided after she was finished we’d walk the circle a few times in silence.
Sometimes we plan our spiritual time as I do with centering prayer, but other times the Holy One makes the plans and we find ourselves quite unexpectedly in the midst of more beauty and wonder than we could imagine. Grace can be plopped upon us—just like fresh, wet snow—when we least expect it. What a wonderful surprise!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 37
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of November 8-12:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of November 8-12:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Whatever Best Awakens You to Love
“Remember: if you want to make progress on the path and ascend to places you have longed for, the important thing is not to think much but to love much, and so to do whatever best awakens you to love.” Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle (1577)
Jesus told us the most important thing to remember is “love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” In other words, our life in Christ is all about love, love, love. It sounds easy, but in reality I’ve found nothing is more difficult.
When I think back through this past week, I did a small bit of loving others but most of my time was spent judging people and offering advice they weren’t seeking. I value thinking over loving almost every time, and this habit does not help me progress on the spiritual path. So what can I do to improve? Teresa’s answer would be “Lezlie, do whatever best awakens you to love,” so I’m pondering what might help me rouse myself into better loving.
Sister Timothy Kirby, one of the members of the book club I attend, comes to mind right away because this week our group met over lunch to discuss The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Sister Tim has lived in the monastery for seventy years, and she is one of the most loving, generous people I’ve ever met. When I’m with her, I find myself filled with patience and loving kindness which spills over into the rest of the day. My family probably wishes book club day could be every day…Tim’s love is contagious, and we are all better for it. She definitely wakes me up to what’s most important in life, and she and I plan to be together again—just the two of us—very soon.
I don’t know how other people keep love alive inside them, but I’d be interested in hearing how you do it. In the days and weeks to come, my hope is that we will follow Teresa’s advice and find ourselves doing more and more of whatever best awakens us to lovelovelove!
Jesus told us the most important thing to remember is “love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” In other words, our life in Christ is all about love, love, love. It sounds easy, but in reality I’ve found nothing is more difficult.
When I think back through this past week, I did a small bit of loving others but most of my time was spent judging people and offering advice they weren’t seeking. I value thinking over loving almost every time, and this habit does not help me progress on the spiritual path. So what can I do to improve? Teresa’s answer would be “Lezlie, do whatever best awakens you to love,” so I’m pondering what might help me rouse myself into better loving.
Sister Timothy Kirby, one of the members of the book club I attend, comes to mind right away because this week our group met over lunch to discuss The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Sister Tim has lived in the monastery for seventy years, and she is one of the most loving, generous people I’ve ever met. When I’m with her, I find myself filled with patience and loving kindness which spills over into the rest of the day. My family probably wishes book club day could be every day…Tim’s love is contagious, and we are all better for it. She definitely wakes me up to what’s most important in life, and she and I plan to be together again—just the two of us—very soon.
I don’t know how other people keep love alive inside them, but I’d be interested in hearing how you do it. In the days and weeks to come, my hope is that we will follow Teresa’s advice and find ourselves doing more and more of whatever best awakens us to lovelovelove!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 36
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of November 1-5:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of November 1-5:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
In Harmony
“As I see it, contemplative prayer is simply an intimate sharing between friends. It’s about frequently taking time to be alone with the One who loves us. If the friendship is to endure, the love must be honored and tended. The will of the two friends needs to be in harmony.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
This past weekend my husband, Brad, and I went to Little McDonald Lake near Perham, Minnesota, to help my parents close their lake place for the winter. I have been looking forward to our time with them because it’s always good to be together. Mom and Dad had almost everything “buttoned up,” so instead of frantically working we spent most of our time doing fun things—walking, talking, watching football and sharing meals. What I liked best is that Brad and I had the whole weekend to enjoy the company of my parents.
In the reading for today, Teresa explains what prayer is all about. “It’s about frequently taking time to be alone with the One who loves us,” she writes. “If the friendship is to endure, the love must be honored and tended. The will of the two friends needs to be in harmony.”
My favorite prayer times are very much like a wonderful weekend with my parents. I am with the One who loves me, just enjoying time together. The love we share is honored and tended through those precious minutes, and I find myself in harmony with the One Who Made Me. To pray is to place myself in God’s presence—kind of like driving to Little McDonald Lake to see my parents—and then experiencing God’s grace, wisdom, and companionship.
This past weekend my husband, Brad, and I went to Little McDonald Lake near Perham, Minnesota, to help my parents close their lake place for the winter. I have been looking forward to our time with them because it’s always good to be together. Mom and Dad had almost everything “buttoned up,” so instead of frantically working we spent most of our time doing fun things—walking, talking, watching football and sharing meals. What I liked best is that Brad and I had the whole weekend to enjoy the company of my parents.
In the reading for today, Teresa explains what prayer is all about. “It’s about frequently taking time to be alone with the One who loves us,” she writes. “If the friendship is to endure, the love must be honored and tended. The will of the two friends needs to be in harmony.”
My favorite prayer times are very much like a wonderful weekend with my parents. I am with the One who loves me, just enjoying time together. The love we share is honored and tended through those precious minutes, and I find myself in harmony with the One Who Made Me. To pray is to place myself in God’s presence—kind of like driving to Little McDonald Lake to see my parents—and then experiencing God’s grace, wisdom, and companionship.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 35
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of October 25-29:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of October 25-29:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
All That is Broken
“Prayer is the means by which we can repair all that is broken. Without prayer, it is almost impossible to make amends.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
I don’t know about you, but sometimes the brokenness of life is almost more than I can bear. This week was one of those weeks where I’ve had a hard time coping with the sorrow, loneliness and pain all around me. Everywhere I turn, people are suffering.
Early Sunday morning Kandyce Stoffel, a senior at the University of Minnesota, died after being struck from behind by a twenty-three year old drunk driver as she was walking with friends on 12th Avenue in southeast Minneapolis. There is so much sorrow in this first sentence that I'd encourage you to read it again (and hold all these young people in your heart). My daughter Emily Rose lives in the neighborhood, so when I heard the group was walking at the edge of the street because a construction site blocked the sidewalk, I knew exactly where Kandyce died.
Cecelia Zelman, ninety-five years old and in relatively good health, died in the early hours of Monday morning when most of the rest of Duluth was asleep. Celie was the mother of my friend Tom, chair of the English Department at St. Scholastica, and he was a frequent visitor to the Benedictine Health Center (BHC) where his mother lived. The BHC is attached to St. Scholastica, and Tom could walk from his office to Celie’s room in less than five minutes. When he was teaching last Friday, Tom had no reason to suspect that his mother’s room in the BHC would be vacant on Monday afternoon. It is an empty feeling to know that he will not be hearing his mother’s laugh anytime soon.
DeClan Sullivan, a junior at Notre Dame, died Wednesday after a portable lift he was standing on to film football practice blew over. The wind was gusting at 51 miles per hour, and it is reported that he left messages on Facebook that being up on the lift was “terrifying.” My nephew Charley Berno is a first-year student at Notre Dame, and my heart is heavy with grief for DeClan’s family and the Notre Dame community, especially DeClan’s friends and the friends of his younger sister who also attends Notre Dame.
When I find myself nearly immobilized by the pain around me, I remember what others I admire have said and done and sometimes that helps. In The Book of My Life, Teresa writes, “Prayer is the means by which we can repair all that is broken. Without prayer, it is almost impossible to make amends.” While a prisoner in Rome, Paul nevertheless remained steadfast and confident, writing: “Have no anxiety about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests by made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Today I am praying for strength and confidence during the uncertainty and sorrow life brings us. I am holding up Kandyce, Celie, DeClan and all those whose lives intersect with their lives. May we be bound together in love and may that love repair all that is broken, today and every day.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes the brokenness of life is almost more than I can bear. This week was one of those weeks where I’ve had a hard time coping with the sorrow, loneliness and pain all around me. Everywhere I turn, people are suffering.
Early Sunday morning Kandyce Stoffel, a senior at the University of Minnesota, died after being struck from behind by a twenty-three year old drunk driver as she was walking with friends on 12th Avenue in southeast Minneapolis. There is so much sorrow in this first sentence that I'd encourage you to read it again (and hold all these young people in your heart). My daughter Emily Rose lives in the neighborhood, so when I heard the group was walking at the edge of the street because a construction site blocked the sidewalk, I knew exactly where Kandyce died.
Cecelia Zelman, ninety-five years old and in relatively good health, died in the early hours of Monday morning when most of the rest of Duluth was asleep. Celie was the mother of my friend Tom, chair of the English Department at St. Scholastica, and he was a frequent visitor to the Benedictine Health Center (BHC) where his mother lived. The BHC is attached to St. Scholastica, and Tom could walk from his office to Celie’s room in less than five minutes. When he was teaching last Friday, Tom had no reason to suspect that his mother’s room in the BHC would be vacant on Monday afternoon. It is an empty feeling to know that he will not be hearing his mother’s laugh anytime soon.
DeClan Sullivan, a junior at Notre Dame, died Wednesday after a portable lift he was standing on to film football practice blew over. The wind was gusting at 51 miles per hour, and it is reported that he left messages on Facebook that being up on the lift was “terrifying.” My nephew Charley Berno is a first-year student at Notre Dame, and my heart is heavy with grief for DeClan’s family and the Notre Dame community, especially DeClan’s friends and the friends of his younger sister who also attends Notre Dame.
When I find myself nearly immobilized by the pain around me, I remember what others I admire have said and done and sometimes that helps. In The Book of My Life, Teresa writes, “Prayer is the means by which we can repair all that is broken. Without prayer, it is almost impossible to make amends.” While a prisoner in Rome, Paul nevertheless remained steadfast and confident, writing: “Have no anxiety about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests by made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Today I am praying for strength and confidence during the uncertainty and sorrow life brings us. I am holding up Kandyce, Celie, DeClan and all those whose lives intersect with their lives. May we be bound together in love and may that love repair all that is broken, today and every day.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 34
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of October 18-22:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of October 18-22:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Soaking in Silent Prayer, Part 2
“Seasoned practitioners of silent prayer, particularly if they have experienced the Prayer of Quiet and the Prayer of Union, sometimes find that as soon as they sit down with the intention to pray, the One they are praying to seems to be there listening. They become aware of feelings of tender love and faith and a deepening of their most cherished resolutions.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
All week I’ve been thinking about the soaking prayer blog entry I wrote last time, and I thought you might be interested in my favorite Sunday School story about soaking in silent prayer.
Nine years ago I used to teach 4th-6th grade students about prayer during the Sunday School opening time each week. We tried lots of different kinds of prayers, but my favorite one was the soaking prayer. Sometimes we would soak up God’s love, light, and healing for ourselves and other times we would soak for people who needed to feel God’s presence. Even now Sunday School teachers tell me what a lesson it was for them that the children took so easily to prayer time and how quiet the room got when we were soaking.
On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the United States was faced with terrible destruction and loss of life after four attacks from hijacked airplanes. Many of you will remember news footage of the World Trade Center Twin Towers being crashed into by jets and then burning down. Other news reports showed a gaping hole where a plane hit the Pentagon and the wreckage of an airplane full of passengers that crashed in rural Pennsylvania. The whole country was in mourning, and I wondered what kind of prayer would be best for the children when we came together on Sunday. I finally decided a soaking prayer would be a good choice.
“Who could use God’s love, light and healing today?” I asked as we prepared to pray about the tragic events. Hands went up around the room, and the excited children had lots of ideas. It’s been a long time since that Sunday morning, but I remember they mentioned the people who died, the family and friends of the people who died, and the helpers who were looking for people who were buried in the rubble. There were other ideas I don’t remember right now, but I do remember that I was hoping for an answer I wasn’t sure I’d get. After everyone had shared, that answer still had not been given…“Is there anyone else to pray for?” I asked.
One boy in the back of the room raised his hand, and I called on him. “I think we should pray for the people who got paid to fly the planes into the buildings,” he said.
“Yes,” I said. “I think it might be good if we included them, too.”
So we bowed our heads, closed our eyes, and sent God’s love, light and healing to the ones who needed it.
Teresa writes that during silent prayer the One we are praying to seems to be there listening. I believe very strongly that some of the children would understand her words about what prayer does for those who pray: "They become aware of feelings of tender love and faith and a deepening of their most cherished resolutions.” I am so thankful that our Sunday School classes practiced silent prayer, and I am hopeful that some of the children have used the soaking prayer since then when they have faced times of hardship and need.
All week I’ve been thinking about the soaking prayer blog entry I wrote last time, and I thought you might be interested in my favorite Sunday School story about soaking in silent prayer.
Nine years ago I used to teach 4th-6th grade students about prayer during the Sunday School opening time each week. We tried lots of different kinds of prayers, but my favorite one was the soaking prayer. Sometimes we would soak up God’s love, light, and healing for ourselves and other times we would soak for people who needed to feel God’s presence. Even now Sunday School teachers tell me what a lesson it was for them that the children took so easily to prayer time and how quiet the room got when we were soaking.
On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the United States was faced with terrible destruction and loss of life after four attacks from hijacked airplanes. Many of you will remember news footage of the World Trade Center Twin Towers being crashed into by jets and then burning down. Other news reports showed a gaping hole where a plane hit the Pentagon and the wreckage of an airplane full of passengers that crashed in rural Pennsylvania. The whole country was in mourning, and I wondered what kind of prayer would be best for the children when we came together on Sunday. I finally decided a soaking prayer would be a good choice.
“Who could use God’s love, light and healing today?” I asked as we prepared to pray about the tragic events. Hands went up around the room, and the excited children had lots of ideas. It’s been a long time since that Sunday morning, but I remember they mentioned the people who died, the family and friends of the people who died, and the helpers who were looking for people who were buried in the rubble. There were other ideas I don’t remember right now, but I do remember that I was hoping for an answer I wasn’t sure I’d get. After everyone had shared, that answer still had not been given…“Is there anyone else to pray for?” I asked.
One boy in the back of the room raised his hand, and I called on him. “I think we should pray for the people who got paid to fly the planes into the buildings,” he said.
“Yes,” I said. “I think it might be good if we included them, too.”
So we bowed our heads, closed our eyes, and sent God’s love, light and healing to the ones who needed it.
Teresa writes that during silent prayer the One we are praying to seems to be there listening. I believe very strongly that some of the children would understand her words about what prayer does for those who pray: "They become aware of feelings of tender love and faith and a deepening of their most cherished resolutions.” I am so thankful that our Sunday School classes practiced silent prayer, and I am hopeful that some of the children have used the soaking prayer since then when they have faced times of hardship and need.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 33
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of October 11-15:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of October 11-15:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Soaking in Silent Prayer
“Seasoned practitioners of silent prayer, particularly if they have experienced the Prayer of Quiet and the Prayer of Union, sometimes find that as soon as they sit down with the intention to pray, the One they are praying to seems to be there listening. They become aware of feelings of tender love and faith and a deepening of their most cherished resolutions.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
This morning I met with my spiritual directee and we started our time together by having a cup of coffee out of Cheryl Husby’s prayer mugs. We sat side by side in the Shalom Room at the monastery with the sun shining on our faces, and for the first ten minutes of our time together we looked out the window at the lake, trees and sky while we drank our coffee, praying silently—“protect, help, heal, guide, guard, love, bless” was my prayer for the dear one beside me—and soaking in God’s love.
The soaking prayer is one of the best prayers for me because it brings me close to God. I realize that God is with us always, but I often forget in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Sometimes I hold a cup of coffee in my hand while I soak, but how to do the soaking prayer is up to the individual and the possibilities are endless. Yesterday I was at a luncheon for Duluth’s Safe Haven Shelter for Battered Women, an organization I am fond of because it does excellent work in our community on behalf of vulnerable women and children. One of the other supporters of Safe Haven is a woman I taught Sunday School with nine years ago and admire very much. Before we sat down to eat she said, “Lezlie, do you remember the soaking prayer you taught when we were in Sunday School together? That was a long time ago! Anyway, I pray the soaking prayer when I take a bath. One day my sister called when I was praying that way, and I told her that I was just praying to God and soaking in my tub.”
Isn’t that a great story? It warms my heart, and I think that Teresa would like it too. In The Book of My Life, Teresa writes, “Seasoned practitioners of silent prayer, particularly if they have experienced the Prayer of Quiet and the Prayer of Union, sometimes find that as soon as they sit down with the intention to pray, the One they are praying to seems to be there listening. They become aware of feelings of tender love and faith and a deepening of their most cherished resolutions.”
Soaking in silent prayer is an opportunity available to us every day, and it has given me renewed strength for the difficulties I face in life. Maybe you will find it useful, too…Please consider joining me in experiencing God’s grace and a good soak!
This morning I met with my spiritual directee and we started our time together by having a cup of coffee out of Cheryl Husby’s prayer mugs. We sat side by side in the Shalom Room at the monastery with the sun shining on our faces, and for the first ten minutes of our time together we looked out the window at the lake, trees and sky while we drank our coffee, praying silently—“protect, help, heal, guide, guard, love, bless” was my prayer for the dear one beside me—and soaking in God’s love.
The soaking prayer is one of the best prayers for me because it brings me close to God. I realize that God is with us always, but I often forget in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Sometimes I hold a cup of coffee in my hand while I soak, but how to do the soaking prayer is up to the individual and the possibilities are endless. Yesterday I was at a luncheon for Duluth’s Safe Haven Shelter for Battered Women, an organization I am fond of because it does excellent work in our community on behalf of vulnerable women and children. One of the other supporters of Safe Haven is a woman I taught Sunday School with nine years ago and admire very much. Before we sat down to eat she said, “Lezlie, do you remember the soaking prayer you taught when we were in Sunday School together? That was a long time ago! Anyway, I pray the soaking prayer when I take a bath. One day my sister called when I was praying that way, and I told her that I was just praying to God and soaking in my tub.”
Isn’t that a great story? It warms my heart, and I think that Teresa would like it too. In The Book of My Life, Teresa writes, “Seasoned practitioners of silent prayer, particularly if they have experienced the Prayer of Quiet and the Prayer of Union, sometimes find that as soon as they sit down with the intention to pray, the One they are praying to seems to be there listening. They become aware of feelings of tender love and faith and a deepening of their most cherished resolutions.”
Soaking in silent prayer is an opportunity available to us every day, and it has given me renewed strength for the difficulties I face in life. Maybe you will find it useful, too…Please consider joining me in experiencing God’s grace and a good soak!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 32
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of October 4-8:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of October 4-8:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Don’t Forget to Observe a Sabbath
“Again, for those of you who are intellectually inclined, I would recommend that you not spend all your time thinking. Even though discursive reason has its place, and it can actually enhance the delight of prayer, intellectuals forget to observe a Sabbath once in a while and give their minds a rest from all that labor. They think it would be a waste of time. But I consider such waste a tremendous boon.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
This afternoon I was zipping through St. Scholastica’s cloister walk between the school and the monastery, thinking about a presentation I was about to give while I was shutting off the sound on my mobile phone. In the process I nearly bumped into one of my favorite people, Sister Monica McLaughlin, Professor Emeritus and former chair of the music department.
“Oh, Sister Monica, I’m sorry!” I said as I stopped short of crashing into her. “I’m trying to do too many things at once.”
“Yes, I can see that” was her gracious reply.
My life lately has been the opposite of what Teresa advises, and it almost caused a collision in the cloister walk. Teresa reminds those of us who rush around, thinking and doing, that we should give ourselves a rest. “There is a time for thinking,” she writes, “and a time for being.” I’ve been focusing on getting many things accomplished in a small amount of time instead of on creating breathing room in my schedule for a much-needed break. This afternoon’s almost-collision woke me up to what was happening, so when I got home from school I sat in the sunshine for awhile quietly listening to music and looking at the lake.
How refreshing those sunshine moments were—just exactly what I needed—and I’m very glad I listened to Teresa today.
This afternoon I was zipping through St. Scholastica’s cloister walk between the school and the monastery, thinking about a presentation I was about to give while I was shutting off the sound on my mobile phone. In the process I nearly bumped into one of my favorite people, Sister Monica McLaughlin, Professor Emeritus and former chair of the music department.
“Oh, Sister Monica, I’m sorry!” I said as I stopped short of crashing into her. “I’m trying to do too many things at once.”
“Yes, I can see that” was her gracious reply.
My life lately has been the opposite of what Teresa advises, and it almost caused a collision in the cloister walk. Teresa reminds those of us who rush around, thinking and doing, that we should give ourselves a rest. “There is a time for thinking,” she writes, “and a time for being.” I’ve been focusing on getting many things accomplished in a small amount of time instead of on creating breathing room in my schedule for a much-needed break. This afternoon’s almost-collision woke me up to what was happening, so when I got home from school I sat in the sunshine for awhile quietly listening to music and looking at the lake.
How refreshing those sunshine moments were—just exactly what I needed—and I’m very glad I listened to Teresa today.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 31
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of September 27–October 1:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of September 27–October 1:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Freedom to Be Healthy and Whole
“O God, help me! How a soul suffers when she loses the freedom to be who she truly is. What torment she endures. I am amazed to see that I survived such pain. Praise be to God, who gave me life when I was on the brink of such a deadly death.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
On Saturday when I meet with the Shalom Program leaders and students, I’ll be sharing gratitude for the way St. Scholastica’s spiritual direction class has been helping me move into the greater and greater freedom of being Lezlie.
As a young adult, I was thankful my parents encouraged me to become the very best Lezlie I could be. They weren’t interested in making me into an Amelia or a Janet or a Suzy. I’m sure sometimes it was hard for them because they could have told Suzy what to do. Instead, they expected Lezlie to think for herself and make good decisions. These days as I mature in the spiritual life, I am thankful God encourages me to become healthy and whole, developing into the best Lezlie I can be.
Teresa writes, “How a soul suffers when she loses the freedom to be who she truly is.” One of the biggest advantages of spiritual companioning is the opportunity it gives us to move away from the pain of the phony self and in the direction of health and wholeness. Teresa’s words remind us that we can reach out at any time for the freedom God gives to become who we truly are, and we can join Teresa in saying “Praise be to God.”
On Saturday when I meet with the Shalom Program leaders and students, I’ll be sharing gratitude for the way St. Scholastica’s spiritual direction class has been helping me move into the greater and greater freedom of being Lezlie.
As a young adult, I was thankful my parents encouraged me to become the very best Lezlie I could be. They weren’t interested in making me into an Amelia or a Janet or a Suzy. I’m sure sometimes it was hard for them because they could have told Suzy what to do. Instead, they expected Lezlie to think for herself and make good decisions. These days as I mature in the spiritual life, I am thankful God encourages me to become healthy and whole, developing into the best Lezlie I can be.
Teresa writes, “How a soul suffers when she loses the freedom to be who she truly is.” One of the biggest advantages of spiritual companioning is the opportunity it gives us to move away from the pain of the phony self and in the direction of health and wholeness. Teresa’s words remind us that we can reach out at any time for the freedom God gives to become who we truly are, and we can join Teresa in saying “Praise be to God.”
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 30
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of September 20-24:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of September 20-24:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Back Each Other Up
“People are so lazy regarding the things of God that those of us who love and serve him need to back each other up if any of us are going to make any progress on the path.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Late Monday afternoon I was running up the central staircase of St. Scholastica’s Tower Hall on the way to my office where I planned to drop off the day’s meeting notes and then head on home. One of my friends was coming down the same staircase, and her face lit up when she saw me. “Hi, how are you?” she said. “I’ve been reading your blog, and I’m wondering how the meeting with your pastor went last week.”
Teresa says it’s important that we back each other up when it comes to the spiritual life, and I’ve been thinking for the last forty-eight hours how very much it means to have friends who are supporting me on the journey.
Last week my pastor and I talked about ways to use my spiritual direction training at the church, and it can be counted as one of the most stimulating conversations I’ve had in a long, long time. Also, an amazing thing happened during the meeting, something Teresa would have understood. The Holy One stepped into the room with us for awhile—the door did not open or close, but Someone Else was there for a time—and later on we went back to two from three. During the whole conversation I had the sense I was in the right place at the right time, just where I was meant to be.
Added to the blessing of this conversation is the blessing of friends who care about me, ask questions, and back me up. I am so thankful for everything that has happened this week, and I am especially grateful for a chance meeting on the stairs at the end of the day…
What a gift!
Late Monday afternoon I was running up the central staircase of St. Scholastica’s Tower Hall on the way to my office where I planned to drop off the day’s meeting notes and then head on home. One of my friends was coming down the same staircase, and her face lit up when she saw me. “Hi, how are you?” she said. “I’ve been reading your blog, and I’m wondering how the meeting with your pastor went last week.”
Teresa says it’s important that we back each other up when it comes to the spiritual life, and I’ve been thinking for the last forty-eight hours how very much it means to have friends who are supporting me on the journey.
Last week my pastor and I talked about ways to use my spiritual direction training at the church, and it can be counted as one of the most stimulating conversations I’ve had in a long, long time. Also, an amazing thing happened during the meeting, something Teresa would have understood. The Holy One stepped into the room with us for awhile—the door did not open or close, but Someone Else was there for a time—and later on we went back to two from three. During the whole conversation I had the sense I was in the right place at the right time, just where I was meant to be.
Added to the blessing of this conversation is the blessing of friends who care about me, ask questions, and back me up. I am so thankful for everything that has happened this week, and I am especially grateful for a chance meeting on the stairs at the end of the day…
What a gift!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 29
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of September 13-17:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of September 13-17:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Give Yourself Over to God, Part 2
“And so, if I were asked for my advice, I would say this: if a worthy inspiration arises in you, never hesitate to manifest it. Do not let fear rule your actions. If you give yourself over to God and practice detachment, there is no reason to be afraid that things won’t turn out. God is all-powerful. May he be blessed forever.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
When I look to Teresa for advice, there are certain passages I turn to over and over again. “If a worthy inspiration arises in you, never hesitate to manifest it” is high on my list, and this is the second time I have used it for The Wisdom Project. When I wrote on this passage in May, God was whispering in my ear about a place for Rebecca to stay after graduate school. Today I am following Teresa’s advice again, and we’ll see where it leads me.
As you can probably tell from reading my blog, I am enjoying my spiritual direction class very much. On Saturday we had the first group meeting to begin our last year, and it was fun to see everyone and get caught up on what’s been happening in their lives. Even more importantly, we had a chance to begin practicing spiritual companioning and I am more convinced than ever that the Shalom Program is just where I belong.
Today I called my church to explore ways I could use my spiritual direction skills in the parish when my coursework is completed in May. Tomorrow I will be meeting with our visitation pastor, Sonja Anderson, for a more in-depth conversation about what the church needs and where my gifts might fit in. I am very inspired by this turn of events, and I’ll keep looking to Teresa as I make my way along the path. Until tomorrow I’ll keep Teresa’s advice in my heart and on my lips: “If you give yourself over to God and practice detachment, there is no reason to be afraid that things won’t turn out.”
I’ll keep you posted!
When I look to Teresa for advice, there are certain passages I turn to over and over again. “If a worthy inspiration arises in you, never hesitate to manifest it” is high on my list, and this is the second time I have used it for The Wisdom Project. When I wrote on this passage in May, God was whispering in my ear about a place for Rebecca to stay after graduate school. Today I am following Teresa’s advice again, and we’ll see where it leads me.
As you can probably tell from reading my blog, I am enjoying my spiritual direction class very much. On Saturday we had the first group meeting to begin our last year, and it was fun to see everyone and get caught up on what’s been happening in their lives. Even more importantly, we had a chance to begin practicing spiritual companioning and I am more convinced than ever that the Shalom Program is just where I belong.
Today I called my church to explore ways I could use my spiritual direction skills in the parish when my coursework is completed in May. Tomorrow I will be meeting with our visitation pastor, Sonja Anderson, for a more in-depth conversation about what the church needs and where my gifts might fit in. I am very inspired by this turn of events, and I’ll keep looking to Teresa as I make my way along the path. Until tomorrow I’ll keep Teresa’s advice in my heart and on my lips: “If you give yourself over to God and practice detachment, there is no reason to be afraid that things won’t turn out.”
I’ll keep you posted!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 28
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of September 6-10:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of September 6-10:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Wild Ride
“Blessed be you, O Lord, who has made me incompetent and useless!” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Today while I was doing centering prayer, my mind was doing anything and everything else. It was as disruptive as an unruly colt. I experienced a wild ride as it threw off my prayer word (dwelling-place) and began planning my day and counting all my worries. I guided it gently back to dwelling-place and it bounced the word off its back and into the dust. Over and over again this happened until I finally experienced a tiny bit of peace by sinking into dwelling place, only to have the kitchen timer beep the signal that my centering prayer time was complete.
Who knew centering prayer could land me in the dirt and nearly break my bones? In the chapter called Joyful Abandon from The Book of My Life, Teresa writes—“Blessed be you, O Lord, who has made me incompetent and useless!” My prayer today echoes hers—“Blessed be you, O Lord, who has given me a mind like an unruly colt!”
Some centering prayer days are full of grace and light. Others are like mine was today. This morning the exercise did not seem entirely fruitful, but I got good practice at beginning again. The key for me on days like today is in remembering my centering prayer time is not about whether I am successful at dwelling in a contemplative state but rather whether I am successful at sitting in the chair and returning, returning, returning to the word.
The best thing for me to do now is to thank God, dust myself off and begin centering prayer all over again tomorrow.
Today while I was doing centering prayer, my mind was doing anything and everything else. It was as disruptive as an unruly colt. I experienced a wild ride as it threw off my prayer word (dwelling-place) and began planning my day and counting all my worries. I guided it gently back to dwelling-place and it bounced the word off its back and into the dust. Over and over again this happened until I finally experienced a tiny bit of peace by sinking into dwelling place, only to have the kitchen timer beep the signal that my centering prayer time was complete.
Who knew centering prayer could land me in the dirt and nearly break my bones? In the chapter called Joyful Abandon from The Book of My Life, Teresa writes—“Blessed be you, O Lord, who has made me incompetent and useless!” My prayer today echoes hers—“Blessed be you, O Lord, who has given me a mind like an unruly colt!”
Some centering prayer days are full of grace and light. Others are like mine was today. This morning the exercise did not seem entirely fruitful, but I got good practice at beginning again. The key for me on days like today is in remembering my centering prayer time is not about whether I am successful at dwelling in a contemplative state but rather whether I am successful at sitting in the chair and returning, returning, returning to the word.
The best thing for me to do now is to thank God, dust myself off and begin centering prayer all over again tomorrow.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 27
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of August 30 – September 3:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 0
Thursday 0
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of August 30 – September 3:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 0
Thursday 0
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Nothing But Good
“‘Never give up this practice, because it can do you nothing but good,’ he told me. So I began to engage in prayer again, and I have never ceased.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
This is the twenty-seventh week of my Friday Prayer Reports.
When I started The Wisdom Project, it was with the hope that I would be able to engage in a more regular prayer life. I wanted to follow Father Barrόn’s advice to Teresa: “Never give up this practice.” My prayer time has brought “nothing but good,” as Father Barrόn suggests, and the prayers have sustained me, especially in times of sadness, difficulty and transition.
I do not always make my goal of doing centering prayer at least four days a week, but I have been praying regularly. With help from the Holy One, I hope to continue on this path without ceasing…Will you join me? We can encourage each other in the effort and give the glory to God.
This is the twenty-seventh week of my Friday Prayer Reports.
When I started The Wisdom Project, it was with the hope that I would be able to engage in a more regular prayer life. I wanted to follow Father Barrόn’s advice to Teresa: “Never give up this practice.” My prayer time has brought “nothing but good,” as Father Barrόn suggests, and the prayers have sustained me, especially in times of sadness, difficulty and transition.
I do not always make my goal of doing centering prayer at least four days a week, but I have been praying regularly. With help from the Holy One, I hope to continue on this path without ceasing…Will you join me? We can encourage each other in the effort and give the glory to God.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 26
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of August 23-27:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of August 23-27:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Cultivating the Soil
“Let the beginner think of herself as a gardener who is preparing to plant a garden for the delight of her Beloved. But the soil is barren and full of noxious weeds. His Majesty himself pulls up the weeds and replaces them with good seed. Bear in mind that the minute the soul sets out on the path of prayer and service, God has already begun to cultivate her soil in this way.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
We are now in the middle of summer in Duluth, a time when gardens of all types are in full bloom. I had lunch with my friend Margaret today and she told me people are stopping in front of her house these days to admire her flowers (especially the tall and beautiful gladiolus). Sometimes when we are at this point in the summer, it’s hard for me to remember how fragile the first green shoots are when they poke up through the soil. It’s also hard for me to remember how important good soil is, from the start and onward, to the health of each young plant.
Teresa likes to use gardening images when she talks about the spiritual life, and she tells us that spiritual beginners get plenty of help when they dedicate their work to the Master Gardener. What encouraging news for those of us who are working to improve our gardens, even if they have been completely neglected for a long time! Teresa’s advice is very pointed:
Do you have barren soil? Then count on the Master Gardener to use plentiful amounts of good seed to make the garden sprout.
Do you have weedy soil? Then count on the Master Gardener’s help—the Master Gardener himself, she says—to pull out the terrible weeds and cover the ground with an abundance of good seed.
Teresa says no matter what our situation, our soil will improve with the Master Gardener’s attention: “Bear in mind that the minute the soul sets out on the path of prayer and service, God has already begun to cultivate her soil in this way.”
A spiritual garden is different from a garden outside our front door because most of us do not have a professional gardener helping us with weeding and watering the flowers in our yard; however, when it comes to the spiritual life, we all have a Master Gardener more than willing to weed, water and work with us to create a fragrant garden of fruit and flowers.
Blessed be the Master Gardener.
We are now in the middle of summer in Duluth, a time when gardens of all types are in full bloom. I had lunch with my friend Margaret today and she told me people are stopping in front of her house these days to admire her flowers (especially the tall and beautiful gladiolus). Sometimes when we are at this point in the summer, it’s hard for me to remember how fragile the first green shoots are when they poke up through the soil. It’s also hard for me to remember how important good soil is, from the start and onward, to the health of each young plant.
Teresa likes to use gardening images when she talks about the spiritual life, and she tells us that spiritual beginners get plenty of help when they dedicate their work to the Master Gardener. What encouraging news for those of us who are working to improve our gardens, even if they have been completely neglected for a long time! Teresa’s advice is very pointed:
Do you have barren soil? Then count on the Master Gardener to use plentiful amounts of good seed to make the garden sprout.
Do you have weedy soil? Then count on the Master Gardener’s help—the Master Gardener himself, she says—to pull out the terrible weeds and cover the ground with an abundance of good seed.
Teresa says no matter what our situation, our soil will improve with the Master Gardener’s attention: “Bear in mind that the minute the soul sets out on the path of prayer and service, God has already begun to cultivate her soil in this way.”
A spiritual garden is different from a garden outside our front door because most of us do not have a professional gardener helping us with weeding and watering the flowers in our yard; however, when it comes to the spiritual life, we all have a Master Gardener more than willing to weed, water and work with us to create a fragrant garden of fruit and flowers.
Blessed be the Master Gardener.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 25
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of August 16-20:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of August 16-20:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Becoming
“I’m not telling you all this for nothing. It may seem like I am making a big deal of trivial things, but these things are of vital importance to a fledgling soul when she is first learning to fly. As they say, her feathers have not yet grown in and she needs all the help she can get. Still, I know that no one will believe what I’m saying unless he has been through it himself. It is only because I hope to God that you will help many souls that I even bother to mention it here.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
I’m thinking about the many ways we find ourselves in a state of “becoming” because:
Today my sister Bobette loaded her oldest son Charley and his many belongings into her car and started driving from Plymouth, Minnesota, to South Bend, Indiana. There Charley will join about 2,000 other newbies for his first year of college.
Today my daughter Rebecca had an interview for an entry-level position in Duluth. Although she has passed her licensing examination and has a Master’s in Social Work, this job would be a very good one for her because she’s high on book knowledge but low on work experience.
Today I sat in my chair for centering prayer, working toward my goal of a more regular prayer life. Things are coming together for me, but not nearly as fast as I’d like. When I get myself settled for prayer time, it’s easy to remember these words from Teresa: “As they say, her feathers have not yet grown in and she needs all the help she can get.”
When Rebecca graduated from high school six years ago, I wrote a poem called “Becoming” to mark the occasion. I hadn’t read Teresa’s memoir yet, but her bird image is the same one I used:
Becoming
First praise is not for the bird in flight,
not for her strength or grace.
It begins with the beak pecking,
pecking against shell,
the wet wing flapping against air,
the squawking that comes before song.
The feathery one flies and sings,
but she starts (so small, so quiet)
as a heart, beating inside an egg.
Throughout our lives we are constantly in a state of becoming. Charley is off to college, Rebecca is looking for work, and I am seeking God. None of us is ready to fly, but our hearts are beating, beating, beating as we peck and flap and squawk in preparation for all that is to come.
I’m thinking about the many ways we find ourselves in a state of “becoming” because:
Today my sister Bobette loaded her oldest son Charley and his many belongings into her car and started driving from Plymouth, Minnesota, to South Bend, Indiana. There Charley will join about 2,000 other newbies for his first year of college.
Today my daughter Rebecca had an interview for an entry-level position in Duluth. Although she has passed her licensing examination and has a Master’s in Social Work, this job would be a very good one for her because she’s high on book knowledge but low on work experience.
Today I sat in my chair for centering prayer, working toward my goal of a more regular prayer life. Things are coming together for me, but not nearly as fast as I’d like. When I get myself settled for prayer time, it’s easy to remember these words from Teresa: “As they say, her feathers have not yet grown in and she needs all the help she can get.”
When Rebecca graduated from high school six years ago, I wrote a poem called “Becoming” to mark the occasion. I hadn’t read Teresa’s memoir yet, but her bird image is the same one I used:
Becoming
First praise is not for the bird in flight,
not for her strength or grace.
It begins with the beak pecking,
pecking against shell,
the wet wing flapping against air,
the squawking that comes before song.
The feathery one flies and sings,
but she starts (so small, so quiet)
as a heart, beating inside an egg.
Throughout our lives we are constantly in a state of becoming. Charley is off to college, Rebecca is looking for work, and I am seeking God. None of us is ready to fly, but our hearts are beating, beating, beating as we peck and flap and squawk in preparation for all that is to come.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 24
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of August 9-13:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of August 9-13:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Experience, Sound Judgment and The One Who Makes All Things Possible
“This is why it’s so important to work with guides who are well informed, exhibit good judgment, and have experienced spiritual things themselves. It wouldn’t hurt if they had some formal education as well. If they cannot meet all these criteria, they should at least have experience and sound judgment.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
As you may recall from my earlier posts, I am blogging for The Wisdom Project as part of my spiritual direction training program through the St. Scholastica Monastery. The Shalom Program is a two-year formal course of study, prayer and reflection, and it is helping me deepen my faith and learn how to be a soul friend to others.
Now that we are about to begin our second year, each student in the Shalom Program needs to find a person interested in the spiritual life who is willing to work with an inexperienced advisor for the next nine months. We were asked to find someone to guide who was not a friend, co-worker or family member. I wondered how I’d ever find anyone who wasn’t one of those things; however, as you know, God makes plans for us—plans for good and not for evil—and yesterday I found out a little bit more about what The One Who Makes All Things Possible was setting up.
Yesterday afternoon I went over to see my friend Cheryl Husby, the prayer mug lady. I was at Cheryl’s house to pick up prayer mugs for my mother who is giving them as gifts to her birthday club friends at Christmastime. (My mother plans ahead.) After I walked into the kitchen and admired all the mugs, Cheryl put on some tea and asked how the summer had been going. “I’ve got something I need your help with,” I said. “Do you know anyone who would like a spiritual-advisor-in-training? I need to find someone who is not a friend, co-worker or family member to help me with my spiritual direction class.”
Cheryl thought of someone right away and said she couldn’t believe the timing because it was her friend’s birthday party that night. (Sometimes God shows off. Have you noticed this before? If not, start paying attention because it happens frequently.) Then Cheryl asked if it would be okay to give the spiritual-advisor-in-training time to her friend as a birthday present. Of course I said—“Yes, yes, yes!” And before I went to sleep last night, Cheryl called to say that her friend loved the present. And I do, too.
Teresa says the best spiritual guides are “well informed, exhibit good judgment, and have experienced spiritual things themselves.” I really don’t know how good I’ll be as a spiritual guide, but we’ll get some clues as the year goes on. At least I’m off to a good start with help from my friend Cheryl and a little showing off from You Know Who.
In the week to come, may we look for the many ways in which God shows off and may we send thanks for the blessings we find strewn upon our paths.
As you may recall from my earlier posts, I am blogging for The Wisdom Project as part of my spiritual direction training program through the St. Scholastica Monastery. The Shalom Program is a two-year formal course of study, prayer and reflection, and it is helping me deepen my faith and learn how to be a soul friend to others.
Now that we are about to begin our second year, each student in the Shalom Program needs to find a person interested in the spiritual life who is willing to work with an inexperienced advisor for the next nine months. We were asked to find someone to guide who was not a friend, co-worker or family member. I wondered how I’d ever find anyone who wasn’t one of those things; however, as you know, God makes plans for us—plans for good and not for evil—and yesterday I found out a little bit more about what The One Who Makes All Things Possible was setting up.
Yesterday afternoon I went over to see my friend Cheryl Husby, the prayer mug lady. I was at Cheryl’s house to pick up prayer mugs for my mother who is giving them as gifts to her birthday club friends at Christmastime. (My mother plans ahead.) After I walked into the kitchen and admired all the mugs, Cheryl put on some tea and asked how the summer had been going. “I’ve got something I need your help with,” I said. “Do you know anyone who would like a spiritual-advisor-in-training? I need to find someone who is not a friend, co-worker or family member to help me with my spiritual direction class.”
Cheryl thought of someone right away and said she couldn’t believe the timing because it was her friend’s birthday party that night. (Sometimes God shows off. Have you noticed this before? If not, start paying attention because it happens frequently.) Then Cheryl asked if it would be okay to give the spiritual-advisor-in-training time to her friend as a birthday present. Of course I said—“Yes, yes, yes!” And before I went to sleep last night, Cheryl called to say that her friend loved the present. And I do, too.
Teresa says the best spiritual guides are “well informed, exhibit good judgment, and have experienced spiritual things themselves.” I really don’t know how good I’ll be as a spiritual guide, but we’ll get some clues as the year goes on. At least I’m off to a good start with help from my friend Cheryl and a little showing off from You Know Who.
In the week to come, may we look for the many ways in which God shows off and may we send thanks for the blessings we find strewn upon our paths.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 23
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of August 2-6:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of August 2-6:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Trust in God for Something
“‘Your resources may be limited,’ Father Ibañez said, ‘but you have to trust in God for something.’” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Every week Teresa’s story speaks to me and gives me courage to keep doing the work God asks me to do.
In The Book of My Life, Teresa writes about founding St. Joseph’s, a monastery for cloistered women. She believed God gave her the vision to start the monastery; however, she did not have the funding to make it happen. Teresa’s advisor, Father Ibañez, encouraged her to follow her instincts by saying—“Your resources may be limited, but you have to trust in God for something.”
You have to trust in God for something. Those words resonate with me. Do they resonate with you? What are you trusting in God for today?
There are many things on my list, but the one most like Teresa’s monastery is a building project happening in Duluth for children who suffer from mental illness. Just like Teresa, I do not have the funding to make the project happen but I do have belief that God is in charge and wants me to work for the project’s completion.
In 1997 when our daughter Rebecca was only eleven years old, she was diagnosed with depression. Those dark February days were made even darker when Brad and I learned that the waiting list to see a child psychiatrist was three months long. At the time, Rebecca was unable to sleep and she was so full of anxiety caused by her suicidal thoughts that she could not eat. Through no fault of her own—bad genetic history was the culprit—our little girl was intensely suffering, and we found ourselves in a medical system that was too overburdened to offer immediate support.
Rebecca’s story has a happy ending because she was eventually—sooner than three months, thanks to some helpful friends—able to access specialized medical care of the highest quality. In the last thirteen years, Rebecca has learned to live with her illness and move herself toward greater independence, health and happiness. Now twenty-four years old, she studies hard, works hard, travels internationally and cooks better than I do. On May 22 of this year she graduated with a master’s degree in social work from St. Catherine’s University, and she is now looking for full time employment. Her father and I are so proud of her!
Brad and I believe strongly that more mental health facilities and services are needed for families. It probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: Three months is too long to wait with a suffering child for specialized medical attention. These days the child psychiatrist waiting list is still three months long or longer in Duluth because our community does not have enough physical resources and personnel to provide immediate care as needed.
The Duluth building project will put an end to the three-month waiting list for the mentally ill children, adolescents and young adults of the area. Brad and I are working to fund one of the family kitchen/lounges. It is a $75,000 undertaking, and we are 43% of the way to our goal with 50 gifts totaling $32,296. I am looking forward to the day when the mental health building is a reality and all of our kitchen helpers are eating cookies in that beautiful place. I plan to sprinkle a few cookie crumbs on the floor to bless the building! I’ll also look up to the ceiling and say a silent prayer to the One We Trust who makes all things possible.
Teresa writes, “So although I was aware that we had almost no money, I believed the Lord would help us and arrange other ways for us to thrive.” God helps us thrive no matter what our weakness, and we can trust in God’s love and kindness every day of our lives.
Every week Teresa’s story speaks to me and gives me courage to keep doing the work God asks me to do.
In The Book of My Life, Teresa writes about founding St. Joseph’s, a monastery for cloistered women. She believed God gave her the vision to start the monastery; however, she did not have the funding to make it happen. Teresa’s advisor, Father Ibañez, encouraged her to follow her instincts by saying—“Your resources may be limited, but you have to trust in God for something.”
You have to trust in God for something. Those words resonate with me. Do they resonate with you? What are you trusting in God for today?
There are many things on my list, but the one most like Teresa’s monastery is a building project happening in Duluth for children who suffer from mental illness. Just like Teresa, I do not have the funding to make the project happen but I do have belief that God is in charge and wants me to work for the project’s completion.
In 1997 when our daughter Rebecca was only eleven years old, she was diagnosed with depression. Those dark February days were made even darker when Brad and I learned that the waiting list to see a child psychiatrist was three months long. At the time, Rebecca was unable to sleep and she was so full of anxiety caused by her suicidal thoughts that she could not eat. Through no fault of her own—bad genetic history was the culprit—our little girl was intensely suffering, and we found ourselves in a medical system that was too overburdened to offer immediate support.
Rebecca’s story has a happy ending because she was eventually—sooner than three months, thanks to some helpful friends—able to access specialized medical care of the highest quality. In the last thirteen years, Rebecca has learned to live with her illness and move herself toward greater independence, health and happiness. Now twenty-four years old, she studies hard, works hard, travels internationally and cooks better than I do. On May 22 of this year she graduated with a master’s degree in social work from St. Catherine’s University, and she is now looking for full time employment. Her father and I are so proud of her!
Brad and I believe strongly that more mental health facilities and services are needed for families. It probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: Three months is too long to wait with a suffering child for specialized medical attention. These days the child psychiatrist waiting list is still three months long or longer in Duluth because our community does not have enough physical resources and personnel to provide immediate care as needed.
The Duluth building project will put an end to the three-month waiting list for the mentally ill children, adolescents and young adults of the area. Brad and I are working to fund one of the family kitchen/lounges. It is a $75,000 undertaking, and we are 43% of the way to our goal with 50 gifts totaling $32,296. I am looking forward to the day when the mental health building is a reality and all of our kitchen helpers are eating cookies in that beautiful place. I plan to sprinkle a few cookie crumbs on the floor to bless the building! I’ll also look up to the ceiling and say a silent prayer to the One We Trust who makes all things possible.
Teresa writes, “So although I was aware that we had almost no money, I believed the Lord would help us and arrange other ways for us to thrive.” God helps us thrive no matter what our weakness, and we can trust in God’s love and kindness every day of our lives.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 22
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of July 26-30:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of July 26-30:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Carry Love With Us
“I’d like to conclude by saying this: whenever we think of Christ, we should think of his love. It is with love that he has bestowed so many gifts on us. It is with love that God has given us such a sign and promise of his great love. Even if we are just beginning on the path and are still very wretched, let us strive to carry this divine love with us wherever we go and to increasingly awaken ourselves in love.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
On Monday morning my friend Rachel Moseley had surgery for breast cancer. She is doing well, but it’s a hard situation for everyone concerned. Ever since I learned about Rachel’s surgery, I’ve been thinking about the way that Jesus healed—sometimes even unconsciously—people who came into his presence, and I’ve been wanting to have some of that healing power to share with others in my life.
Although Jesus healed people instantly, nobody in my life has been able to do that. However, I have been in the presence of people who carried love inside them, as Teresa says, and it has made a remarkable difference in the lives of people they know. For example, my grandmother Gradys Stokke Anseth, daughter of Norwegian pioneers, was born 101 years ago today in northwestern North Dakota. Gladys possessed great love and knew how to bring its healing comfort to all around her, especially when they found themselves groaning under the weight of illness or injury.
My mother has Gladys’s gift of being able to make people feel loved—generously loved from the top of the head to the tips of the toes—no matter what their circumstances, and Teresa would be glad to see that healing power continue through the generations. I just got back from spending time with my mother, and I’m praying her great love will continue to be poured into me until I, too, am filled to overflowing. It's going to take some time...My mother makes loving others look easy, but I think it can be very, very hard work.
Teresa would applaud my mother’s effort that looks so effortless—the joy of love and all its healing power—and so I’m using Teresa’s words to encourage myself and others interested in this holy work: “Let us strive to carry this divine love with us wherever we go and to increasingly awaken ourselves in love.”
My prayer today is a simple one: May we learn to carry love to each other much like my dear grandmother learned to carry water from North Dakota wells to the homestead all those many years ago, and may the holy work we do and its healing power always be for the love and glory of God.
On Monday morning my friend Rachel Moseley had surgery for breast cancer. She is doing well, but it’s a hard situation for everyone concerned. Ever since I learned about Rachel’s surgery, I’ve been thinking about the way that Jesus healed—sometimes even unconsciously—people who came into his presence, and I’ve been wanting to have some of that healing power to share with others in my life.
Although Jesus healed people instantly, nobody in my life has been able to do that. However, I have been in the presence of people who carried love inside them, as Teresa says, and it has made a remarkable difference in the lives of people they know. For example, my grandmother Gradys Stokke Anseth, daughter of Norwegian pioneers, was born 101 years ago today in northwestern North Dakota. Gladys possessed great love and knew how to bring its healing comfort to all around her, especially when they found themselves groaning under the weight of illness or injury.
My mother has Gladys’s gift of being able to make people feel loved—generously loved from the top of the head to the tips of the toes—no matter what their circumstances, and Teresa would be glad to see that healing power continue through the generations. I just got back from spending time with my mother, and I’m praying her great love will continue to be poured into me until I, too, am filled to overflowing. It's going to take some time...My mother makes loving others look easy, but I think it can be very, very hard work.
Teresa would applaud my mother’s effort that looks so effortless—the joy of love and all its healing power—and so I’m using Teresa’s words to encourage myself and others interested in this holy work: “Let us strive to carry this divine love with us wherever we go and to increasingly awaken ourselves in love.”
My prayer today is a simple one: May we learn to carry love to each other much like my dear grandmother learned to carry water from North Dakota wells to the homestead all those many years ago, and may the holy work we do and its healing power always be for the love and glory of God.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 21
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of July 19-23:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of July 19-23:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Simply Live
"As we advance on the path, we will not have to strive so hard to remember that all things are impermanent, that everything is nothing, and that any refuge we find here on earth is not real refuge at all. Eventually we will discover that sometimes we need to forget these things and simply live.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
I had a wonderful “simply live” moment this week that could become a prayer for many of us if we would consciously give ourselves a little time to stop striving and start enjoying the small pleasures we find in everyday life.
It’s summertime in Minnesota which means many days of blue skies and bright sunshine along with leafy green trees in the woods and warm(er) water in the lakes. July also means it’s berry time, so last weekend Brad and I went raspberry picking at a farm just outside of Duluth. An hour’s worth of raspberry picking was eaten up before Brad went back to work on Monday, and those berries definitely were a significant part of our long and lovely weekend.
Then on Tuesday night of this week Brad and I had dinner with a group of friends not too far from Big Fork, Minnesota, at an old lodge tucked away in the woods. The lodge had views of water on two of its four sides—I loved the view—and we ate dinner inside an old screened porch which has for more than fifty years provided many memorable summer nights like the one we were experiencing. The dinner was carefully prepared—asparagus wrapped in bacon, walleye, fresh bread with flecks of wild rice—and served with love by the host’s grandchildren. However, the most special part of the dinner was the dessert—five fresh blueberry pies the host had made the night before.
It’s been a long time since I enjoyed blueberry pie with a generous scoop of ice cream, and I loved every bite. “Simply live” is what Teresa would have said if she had been with us on the porch. Sometimes life gets reduced to small bites of fresh pie made by a man who spent his summers picking blueberries near the woods. As he talked about being young and picking berries, as he talked about baking pies and getting them all just right, as I listened and ate and then ate some more, I found myself making a memory that will live inside me for a long, long time.
The wise ones have much to teach us: All things are impermanent, everything ends up being nothing in the end, and any refuge we find is not lasting. But still, it’s helpful to remember that although life is full of uncertainty and doubt, there are those golden moments when we can rest at night telling stories and laughing with friends and family, enjoying a multitude of plump blueberries baked inside a most delicious blueberry pie.
How good it is to simply live!
I had a wonderful “simply live” moment this week that could become a prayer for many of us if we would consciously give ourselves a little time to stop striving and start enjoying the small pleasures we find in everyday life.
It’s summertime in Minnesota which means many days of blue skies and bright sunshine along with leafy green trees in the woods and warm(er) water in the lakes. July also means it’s berry time, so last weekend Brad and I went raspberry picking at a farm just outside of Duluth. An hour’s worth of raspberry picking was eaten up before Brad went back to work on Monday, and those berries definitely were a significant part of our long and lovely weekend.
Then on Tuesday night of this week Brad and I had dinner with a group of friends not too far from Big Fork, Minnesota, at an old lodge tucked away in the woods. The lodge had views of water on two of its four sides—I loved the view—and we ate dinner inside an old screened porch which has for more than fifty years provided many memorable summer nights like the one we were experiencing. The dinner was carefully prepared—asparagus wrapped in bacon, walleye, fresh bread with flecks of wild rice—and served with love by the host’s grandchildren. However, the most special part of the dinner was the dessert—five fresh blueberry pies the host had made the night before.
It’s been a long time since I enjoyed blueberry pie with a generous scoop of ice cream, and I loved every bite. “Simply live” is what Teresa would have said if she had been with us on the porch. Sometimes life gets reduced to small bites of fresh pie made by a man who spent his summers picking blueberries near the woods. As he talked about being young and picking berries, as he talked about baking pies and getting them all just right, as I listened and ate and then ate some more, I found myself making a memory that will live inside me for a long, long time.
The wise ones have much to teach us: All things are impermanent, everything ends up being nothing in the end, and any refuge we find is not lasting. But still, it’s helpful to remember that although life is full of uncertainty and doubt, there are those golden moments when we can rest at night telling stories and laughing with friends and family, enjoying a multitude of plump blueberries baked inside a most delicious blueberry pie.
How good it is to simply live!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 20
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of July 12-16:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of July 12-16:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Fame and Blame
“Do you know what I think our greatest concern should be? Becoming detached from our lives and relinquishing our self-importance. All we need to do is tell the truth and hold it up for the greater glory of God. Fame and blame should be equally meaningless to us. In fact, those who risk everything for God will find that they have both lost it all and gained it all. I’m not claiming to have achieved this kind of equanimity myself, but I’m working on it.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
When I read Teresa’s words, I have a feeling she’d have lots to say about the “fame and blame” lifestyle of the 21st century. Most of it would likely be a repeat of what she counseled her Spanish friends in 1562. Teresa encourages us to detach from ourselves and work for the Holy One. She writes, “All we need to do is tell the truth and hold it up for the greater glory of God. Fame and blame should be equally meaningless to us.”
How different this attitude is from the way many people think today. In 1968, American artist and pop culture guru Andy Warhol was quoted as saying: “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” What he predicted has certainly come close to being true, and through the years people have become more consumed with fame and blame than ever.
With the world’s increasing emphasis on Google searches, reality shows, and YouTube videos, many people—even people of faith—find themselves striving harder for their 15 minutes of fame than they do to make God’s kingdom come. It is easy to succumb to this way of thinking because we are surrounded by it. How can we maintain wisdom in the face of all this emphasis on self? We can follow Teresa’s advice to work on becoming detached and relinquishing our self-importance all the while knowing that Teresa herself found these skills to be difficult to accomplish.
As Teresa says, equanimity is lifetime work…May we begin today and support each other in the effort.
When I read Teresa’s words, I have a feeling she’d have lots to say about the “fame and blame” lifestyle of the 21st century. Most of it would likely be a repeat of what she counseled her Spanish friends in 1562. Teresa encourages us to detach from ourselves and work for the Holy One. She writes, “All we need to do is tell the truth and hold it up for the greater glory of God. Fame and blame should be equally meaningless to us.”
How different this attitude is from the way many people think today. In 1968, American artist and pop culture guru Andy Warhol was quoted as saying: “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” What he predicted has certainly come close to being true, and through the years people have become more consumed with fame and blame than ever.
With the world’s increasing emphasis on Google searches, reality shows, and YouTube videos, many people—even people of faith—find themselves striving harder for their 15 minutes of fame than they do to make God’s kingdom come. It is easy to succumb to this way of thinking because we are surrounded by it. How can we maintain wisdom in the face of all this emphasis on self? We can follow Teresa’s advice to work on becoming detached and relinquishing our self-importance all the while knowing that Teresa herself found these skills to be difficult to accomplish.
As Teresa says, equanimity is lifetime work…May we begin today and support each other in the effort.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 19
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of July 5-9:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of July 5-9:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Connection and Companionship, Part 2
"This is why I would advise anyone who practices prayer, at least in the beginning, to cultivate connection and companionship with like-minded souls. This is very important, because we can help each other make progress on the path of prayer and bring each other greater benefits." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
This is the nineteenth week of The Wisdom Project, and it’s a good time to reflect on what I’m doing and why. Teresa says connection and companionship are helpful to people as they are practicing prayer, and I was hoping that through my writing I would be able to build a community of wisdom seekers. A gift came to me in the mail last week, a visible sign that this hope is being fulfilled, and it gave me great happiness.
The gift came in the form of a package from my best friend, Charlotte Konrad, who lives in Winnipeg. Inside was a lovely, handmade card made by Charlotte with an encouraging message: “…I have been journeying with you, reading and leaning on your blog, and exploring this mystery of ‘wisdom’ a bit myself. Of course when you explore, you write. When I work through something I have to letter it. So here is a copy of one of my proceedings. I read through the wisdom literature including Sirach etc. which I have never done. Of course I read it out of my copy of the St. John’s Bible which was inspiring on many levels.”
After reading the card, I admired the artwork she sent me, a quotation from the Wisdom of Solomon:
Wisdom
hastens to make
herself known
by those who
desire her and she
graciously appears
to them in their
paths
“Deep calls to deep” it says in one of the psalms, and Charlotte’s calligraphy brings the psalms to mind. The Wisdom Project won’t be completed until March, and I have a long way to go before then. Charlotte’s gift with its lettered beauty and depth of meaning will help me in the many days to come.
Teresa’s words and Charlotte’s gift have caused me to reflect on the blessing of companionship. How fortunate I am to have like-minded friends to travel with me on the wisdom journey! May we find ourselves mutually enriched by our time together, and praise the Holy One for the love and inspiration we share.
This is the nineteenth week of The Wisdom Project, and it’s a good time to reflect on what I’m doing and why. Teresa says connection and companionship are helpful to people as they are practicing prayer, and I was hoping that through my writing I would be able to build a community of wisdom seekers. A gift came to me in the mail last week, a visible sign that this hope is being fulfilled, and it gave me great happiness.
The gift came in the form of a package from my best friend, Charlotte Konrad, who lives in Winnipeg. Inside was a lovely, handmade card made by Charlotte with an encouraging message: “…I have been journeying with you, reading and leaning on your blog, and exploring this mystery of ‘wisdom’ a bit myself. Of course when you explore, you write. When I work through something I have to letter it. So here is a copy of one of my proceedings. I read through the wisdom literature including Sirach etc. which I have never done. Of course I read it out of my copy of the St. John’s Bible which was inspiring on many levels.”
After reading the card, I admired the artwork she sent me, a quotation from the Wisdom of Solomon:
Wisdom
hastens to make
herself known
by those who
desire her and she
graciously appears
to them in their
paths
“Deep calls to deep” it says in one of the psalms, and Charlotte’s calligraphy brings the psalms to mind. The Wisdom Project won’t be completed until March, and I have a long way to go before then. Charlotte’s gift with its lettered beauty and depth of meaning will help me in the many days to come.
Teresa’s words and Charlotte’s gift have caused me to reflect on the blessing of companionship. How fortunate I am to have like-minded friends to travel with me on the wisdom journey! May we find ourselves mutually enriched by our time together, and praise the Holy One for the love and inspiration we share.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 18
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of June 28-July 2:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of June 28-July 2:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
A Few Humble Acts
“Believe me, in the presence of Infinite Wisdom, a little study of humility and a few humble acts are worth more than all the knowledge in the world.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Have you seen someone doing a humble act that made you rejoice?
It happened to me in early June when I was coming out of the grocery store just behind a bent-over, old man who was slowly walking with a sack of groceries in each hand.
A very tall, dark-haired young man—he looked like a university basketball player—came walking out of the store after me and caught up to the older man in two long strides. “Would you like me to carry your groceries?” he asked.
“Yes, that would be fine” was the reply. So the older man gave his groceries to the younger and they walked side by side all the way to the car.
Since then, I’ve been thinking about these two men. It’s been my own “little study of humility.” How grateful I am to have been a witness to this humble act! I’ve been looking for more examples, but I haven’t found any. Is it because humble acts are small things that don’t draw attention to themselves and are easy to miss, or is it because fewer people are committed to quiet service? While I sort out answers to these questions, I’m going to be watching for a few more humble acts and I hope you will join me.
May the presence of Infinite Wisdom guide our actions into service for others and may blessings fall like summer rain upon the old and young man, today and every day.
Have you seen someone doing a humble act that made you rejoice?
It happened to me in early June when I was coming out of the grocery store just behind a bent-over, old man who was slowly walking with a sack of groceries in each hand.
A very tall, dark-haired young man—he looked like a university basketball player—came walking out of the store after me and caught up to the older man in two long strides. “Would you like me to carry your groceries?” he asked.
“Yes, that would be fine” was the reply. So the older man gave his groceries to the younger and they walked side by side all the way to the car.
Since then, I’ve been thinking about these two men. It’s been my own “little study of humility.” How grateful I am to have been a witness to this humble act! I’ve been looking for more examples, but I haven’t found any. Is it because humble acts are small things that don’t draw attention to themselves and are easy to miss, or is it because fewer people are committed to quiet service? While I sort out answers to these questions, I’m going to be watching for a few more humble acts and I hope you will join me.
May the presence of Infinite Wisdom guide our actions into service for others and may blessings fall like summer rain upon the old and young man, today and every day.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 17
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of June 21-25:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1 (+1)
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of June 21-25:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1 (+1)
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Living Water
“Oh, how many times have I remembered the living water that Christ told the Samaritan woman about! I have always been very fond of the Gospel passage. From the time I was a little girl, I often begged the Lord to give me that living water, long before I understood how good the water is. I kept a picture with me of the Lord coming to that well with these words inscribed beneath it: ‘Sir, give me this water.’” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
For the last two weeks I have been keeping an unusual schedule—summertime brings its own unique challenges—and the number of times I’ve been able to accomplish morning prayer has greatly been diminished. (If you want proof, check my prayer reports.)
What a difference morning prayer makes! I certainly can tell my life is not as centered without centering prayer. I’m someone who needs lots of sleep, but it’s getting to the point where I may need to begin getting up extra early to get my prayer time in because I need that time with the Holy Presence to live my life the way it’s meant to be lived.
Teresa knew the value of regular prayer, and she also knew it was the living water which quenches thirst forever, the water Jesus spoke of in the Bible. In John’s gospel,the Samaritan woman asked Jesus for that water; in The Book of My Life, Teresa tells us she longed for it, too. May I be the third to request it, and may your request be added to mine...All of us who know the value of this living water can call upon Christ to come to the well and help us draw it day after day after day.
Praise be to Christ and the mystery of the living water.
For the last two weeks I have been keeping an unusual schedule—summertime brings its own unique challenges—and the number of times I’ve been able to accomplish morning prayer has greatly been diminished. (If you want proof, check my prayer reports.)
What a difference morning prayer makes! I certainly can tell my life is not as centered without centering prayer. I’m someone who needs lots of sleep, but it’s getting to the point where I may need to begin getting up extra early to get my prayer time in because I need that time with the Holy Presence to live my life the way it’s meant to be lived.
Teresa knew the value of regular prayer, and she also knew it was the living water which quenches thirst forever, the water Jesus spoke of in the Bible. In John’s gospel,the Samaritan woman asked Jesus for that water; in The Book of My Life, Teresa tells us she longed for it, too. May I be the third to request it, and may your request be added to mine...All of us who know the value of this living water can call upon Christ to come to the well and help us draw it day after day after day.
Praise be to Christ and the mystery of the living water.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 16
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of June 14-18:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 0
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of June 14-18:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 0
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Gift of Freedom
“If the beginner on the path to prayer is not a monastic but a person who lives in the world, she should take advantage of the gift of freedom to choose her own spiritual director and praise God for it.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
This afternoon I met with my spiritual director, Sister Kathie McLaughlin, for a refreshing conversation on God’s grace which is ever-present and moving throughout the universe in ways we see and cannot see, and quantum physics with its many scientific principles like relativity, uncertainty, probability and nonlocality. Sister Kathie had recommended a book on quantum physics called Paradoxology written by Miriam Therese Winter, so we spent a good portion of our time considering various ideas from the book. It seems to me that many of the ideas of quantum physics are ones I have been attracted to as spiritual principles and I find it heartening and somewhat amusing that these principles are linked to science. It’s been a pleasure to learn of the connection between “the natural and supernatural” as Sister Kathie says, and it is just one example of the many joys I’ve found in spiritual direction.
Teresa frequently mentions her experiences in spiritual direction, but more often than not she finds herself at odds with her spiritual directors. No doubt she would have liked choosing her own spiritual director; however, as a monastic she was not at liberty to do so. Teresa writes, “If the beginner on the path to prayer is not a monastic but a person who lives in the world, she should take advantage of the gift of freedom to choose her own spiritual director and praise God for it.”
Tonight I am reflecting on “the gift of freedom” I have in being able to choose a spiritual director with whom I work well, and I am praising God for the time I spend with my dear spiritual friend. May you, too, take advantage of your freedom and choose a friend with whom you can share all the joys and sorrows of the spiritual life. You will be glad you did!
This afternoon I met with my spiritual director, Sister Kathie McLaughlin, for a refreshing conversation on God’s grace which is ever-present and moving throughout the universe in ways we see and cannot see, and quantum physics with its many scientific principles like relativity, uncertainty, probability and nonlocality. Sister Kathie had recommended a book on quantum physics called Paradoxology written by Miriam Therese Winter, so we spent a good portion of our time considering various ideas from the book. It seems to me that many of the ideas of quantum physics are ones I have been attracted to as spiritual principles and I find it heartening and somewhat amusing that these principles are linked to science. It’s been a pleasure to learn of the connection between “the natural and supernatural” as Sister Kathie says, and it is just one example of the many joys I’ve found in spiritual direction.
Teresa frequently mentions her experiences in spiritual direction, but more often than not she finds herself at odds with her spiritual directors. No doubt she would have liked choosing her own spiritual director; however, as a monastic she was not at liberty to do so. Teresa writes, “If the beginner on the path to prayer is not a monastic but a person who lives in the world, she should take advantage of the gift of freedom to choose her own spiritual director and praise God for it.”
Tonight I am reflecting on “the gift of freedom” I have in being able to choose a spiritual director with whom I work well, and I am praising God for the time I spend with my dear spiritual friend. May you, too, take advantage of your freedom and choose a friend with whom you can share all the joys and sorrows of the spiritual life. You will be glad you did!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 15
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of June 7-11:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of June 7-11:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Have No Fear
“As I sat in the oratory, weary to my core, I suddenly heard a voice say, ‘Have no fear, my daughter, for I AM, and I will never leave you. Have no fear.’” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Today during my prayers I was weary to the core.
Yesterday morning I had energy to do my daily work. God’s hands and my hands were one, and I started the day with a good amount of pep and a light-hearted spirit. During centering prayer I was settled and focused, thankful to the Holy One for the on-going assistance we have received in the midst of a variety of struggles—job and housing questions for our new graduate Rebecca, medical issues for my sister Bobette’s elbow, and a leaky oil well on the Gulf coast which is upsetting the lives of millions of living beings. All of these situations are difficult, and the suffering has been laid out before God who can do all things.
The Holy One is gracious, kind and very much present in these struggles, and I continue to be grateful for the many ways we are being supported; however, by yesterday afternoon we were handed yet again another difficulty in the form of heartbreak, the unexpected death of a well-respected, vibrant leader, the president of Concordia College, sixty-five year old Pamela Jolicoeur.
The world as I knew it tipped with the news of Dr. Jolicoeur’s stroke and turned upside down upon news of her death. So much pain and uncertainty is present in this sudden loss, and the mourning is as deep and wide as the admiration, love and respect Dr. Jolicoeur has inspired throughout the Concordia community and national higher education. Facing such a significant loss, many of us in mourning today are bone, bone tired.
Teresa tells us she, too, has been bone, bone tired, but in those terrible moments she was not alone. While praying in the oratory, she hears a voice which says—“Have no fear, for I AM.” This story echoes across the ages, and we have heard it time and time again: God sees the suffering of the people, and God sends help. Just like Moses heard the voice emanating from the burning bush, the bush which could not be consumed although the fire was fierce, Teresa hears a voice which says “Have no fear, for I AM.” It is a voice that calls to us whenever we are in distress, whenever we are lonely, whenever we are bone, bone tired.
This morning in my deep weariness, I am remembering the voice of comfort and action Teresa heard so long ago and it is helpful to me in this present moment: “Have no fear, my daughter, for I AM, and I will never leave you. Have no fear.” May we listen for that same voice today—the voice Moses heard, the voice Teresa heard—and may we find the strength we need for daily life and God’s work, today and every day.
Today during my prayers I was weary to the core.
Yesterday morning I had energy to do my daily work. God’s hands and my hands were one, and I started the day with a good amount of pep and a light-hearted spirit. During centering prayer I was settled and focused, thankful to the Holy One for the on-going assistance we have received in the midst of a variety of struggles—job and housing questions for our new graduate Rebecca, medical issues for my sister Bobette’s elbow, and a leaky oil well on the Gulf coast which is upsetting the lives of millions of living beings. All of these situations are difficult, and the suffering has been laid out before God who can do all things.
The Holy One is gracious, kind and very much present in these struggles, and I continue to be grateful for the many ways we are being supported; however, by yesterday afternoon we were handed yet again another difficulty in the form of heartbreak, the unexpected death of a well-respected, vibrant leader, the president of Concordia College, sixty-five year old Pamela Jolicoeur.
The world as I knew it tipped with the news of Dr. Jolicoeur’s stroke and turned upside down upon news of her death. So much pain and uncertainty is present in this sudden loss, and the mourning is as deep and wide as the admiration, love and respect Dr. Jolicoeur has inspired throughout the Concordia community and national higher education. Facing such a significant loss, many of us in mourning today are bone, bone tired.
Teresa tells us she, too, has been bone, bone tired, but in those terrible moments she was not alone. While praying in the oratory, she hears a voice which says—“Have no fear, for I AM.” This story echoes across the ages, and we have heard it time and time again: God sees the suffering of the people, and God sends help. Just like Moses heard the voice emanating from the burning bush, the bush which could not be consumed although the fire was fierce, Teresa hears a voice which says “Have no fear, for I AM.” It is a voice that calls to us whenever we are in distress, whenever we are lonely, whenever we are bone, bone tired.
This morning in my deep weariness, I am remembering the voice of comfort and action Teresa heard so long ago and it is helpful to me in this present moment: “Have no fear, my daughter, for I AM, and I will never leave you. Have no fear.” May we listen for that same voice today—the voice Moses heard, the voice Teresa heard—and may we find the strength we need for daily life and God’s work, today and every day.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 14
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of May 31- June 4:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of May 31- June 4:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
A Thousand Thanks
“May this writing be an offering of praise and glory to my Lord. May it help my spiritual guides to know me better and so to better support my spiritual development. May I find the strength now to give back even a fraction of the great gifts I have received from God.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
The words Teresa writes in The Book of My Life are words that live in my heart, too: “May this writing be an offering of praise and glory to my Lord. May it help my spiritual guides to know me better and so to better support my spiritual development. May I find the strength now to give back even a fraction of the great gifts I have received from God.” Teresa wants to give back to God, and many of us respond in the same fashion. Her words resonate with us—the blessings vibrate across the ages—and we find encouragement through the reading.
While all this writing comes from Teresa’s original work, the translations of Life and The Interior Castle I am using come from Mirabai Starr. Starr has done an excellent job of giving voice to Teresa and writing in such a way that Teresa’s quickly written sixteenth-century Spanish becomes open and spontaneous twenty-first century English. Starr is true to the spirit of Teresa, and as we read Teresa’s words—or, more accurately, Starr’s words of Teresa’s words—we have much for which to be grateful...
A thousand thanks to these dear women and their words!
The words Teresa writes in The Book of My Life are words that live in my heart, too: “May this writing be an offering of praise and glory to my Lord. May it help my spiritual guides to know me better and so to better support my spiritual development. May I find the strength now to give back even a fraction of the great gifts I have received from God.” Teresa wants to give back to God, and many of us respond in the same fashion. Her words resonate with us—the blessings vibrate across the ages—and we find encouragement through the reading.
While all this writing comes from Teresa’s original work, the translations of Life and The Interior Castle I am using come from Mirabai Starr. Starr has done an excellent job of giving voice to Teresa and writing in such a way that Teresa’s quickly written sixteenth-century Spanish becomes open and spontaneous twenty-first century English. Starr is true to the spirit of Teresa, and as we read Teresa’s words—or, more accurately, Starr’s words of Teresa’s words—we have much for which to be grateful...
A thousand thanks to these dear women and their words!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 13
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of May 24-28:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of May 24-28:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Give Yourself Over to God
“And so, if I were asked for my advice, I would say this: if a worthy inspiration arises in you, never hesitate to manifest it. Do not let fear rule your actions. If you give yourself over to God and practice detachment, there is no reason to be afraid that things won’t turn out. God is all-powerful. May he be blessed forever.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
The reason I started The Wisdom Project is because I am participating in the Shalom Program for spiritual direction at the St. Scholastica Monastery in Duluth. The readings, classes and activities have been helpful in supporting and deepening my faith. I have become aware of many blessings that have come to my family and me while I have been part of the Shalom Program, so for my entry today I am going to share a story about one of the sweetest things I’ve appreciated the most.
On Saturday my daughter Rebecca graduated with her MSW from a joint social work program of St. Catherine University and St. Thomas University. She has worked hard for six years (four years of undergraduate schooling followed by two years of graduate school) to make this dream come true, and everyone in the family is very proud of her. Rebecca is now looking for a social work position and living with family friends in New Brighton, Minnesota, during her job hunt; however, earlier this spring we were unsure about what Rebecca would do and where Rebecca would live when it was time to move out of her St. Kate’s apartment.
In late January, students in the Shalom Program read God, Dreams and Revelation by Morton T. Kelsey, a book which examines Christian dream interpretation. After reading it, I decided to record my dreams in a journal and one of those dreams—a very short, telegram-like dream—caught my attention: There was a move going on and I remember a house but that’s all. Maybe Rebecca was moving. It was someone in the family and it was a happy move. That dream gave me a strong sense of contentment and I still can see the house in the dream today. (It looks like the house where Rebecca is staying right now, but to tell that is to get ahead of the story.) During our February class, the Shalom teachers gave us time to work with the dreams we had brought. We had a variety exercises to choose from, and I expanded the telegram dream to gain meaning by asking questions and receiving answers:
Lezlie: Dream, why have you come to me now?
Dream: Rebecca is soon to be graduating and “moving on” to other things. You and Brad are worried about his, but you need not worry. She has everything she needs to move on. She will be moving and it’s a happy thing. You can be happy for Rebecca and at peace. Do not worry about whether or not she will have good health care coverage or enough money to pay for her medications. Do not worry if she will find a safe place to live and a job that will sustain her. Just be happy for Rebecca that she is graduating and moving on. Just be at peace for Rebecca and give her the peace that comes from parents believing in and trusting in their child. Give Rebecca the gift of highest value--the gift of knowing she can handle her own life, that she can make good decisions and set her own course. Remember the words of Julian of Norwich: “But all shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”
The words that came to me in class that day have been very helpful to Brad and me as we watch Rebecca navigate this life transition. I’ve read the paragraph aloud many times, to Brad, to friends and to myself. I especially like these six words—“Do not worry…Be at peace.” People in my Shalom group asked if I would send them a copy of the dream’s wisdom, and I have frequently drawn upon it in the past months as I’ve watched Rebecca pass her licensing examination, present her graduate research, and walk across the stage to receive her diploma.
Teresa’s words have been helpful to me as well. One night in April when I was doing supper dishes—maybe I was praying, but I wasn’t consciously praying—an idea suddenly popped into my head: “Maybe Rebecca could live with the Martinsons this summer.” It felt like God was whispering in my ear. Sherry and Rollie Martinson are long-time family friends: Sherry made my wedding dress when Brad and I got married; Rollie performed the wedding ceremony and later baptized Rebecca. When I told Rebecca about the idea, she liked it and in no time at all she had talked with Sherry and the idea was a reality. Teresa writes, “[I]f a worthy inspiration arises in you, never hesitate to manifest it.” The unbidden inspiration I had that night washing dishes has become a blessing for Rebecca that fills me with gratitude.
The Shalom Program is teaching me to be a wise friend to others, but what I hope for even more is that I can learn to be a wise mother to my children. There is much left unresolved in Rebecca’s life right now, but I trust that God will bless her in the transition process. The Dream says, “Give Rebecca the gift of highest value—the gift of knowing she can handle her own life, that she can make good decisions and set her own course.” If I can follow this advice, I will be the wise mother my daughter needs.
Teresa’s advice supports these words and deepens them: “Do not let fear rule your actions. If you give yourself over to God and practice detachment, there is no reason to be afraid that things won’t turn out. God is all-powerful. May he be blessed forever.” While my dear grown-up daughter finds her way in the world, while she writes in her journal and talks on the telephone, while she looks for jobs and finds permanent housing, while she babysits children and drinks coffee with her friends, I wish to live without fear, give myself over to God, practice detachment, and bless all things holy.
It will take many years of practice before I become as wise as I hope to be, and it’s possible you might have the same feeling. All we can do is encourage each other. In every day and in every way, we can give ourselves over to God, practice detachment and bless all things holy. And may we always remember to thank God for our sweetest blessings!
The reason I started The Wisdom Project is because I am participating in the Shalom Program for spiritual direction at the St. Scholastica Monastery in Duluth. The readings, classes and activities have been helpful in supporting and deepening my faith. I have become aware of many blessings that have come to my family and me while I have been part of the Shalom Program, so for my entry today I am going to share a story about one of the sweetest things I’ve appreciated the most.
On Saturday my daughter Rebecca graduated with her MSW from a joint social work program of St. Catherine University and St. Thomas University. She has worked hard for six years (four years of undergraduate schooling followed by two years of graduate school) to make this dream come true, and everyone in the family is very proud of her. Rebecca is now looking for a social work position and living with family friends in New Brighton, Minnesota, during her job hunt; however, earlier this spring we were unsure about what Rebecca would do and where Rebecca would live when it was time to move out of her St. Kate’s apartment.
In late January, students in the Shalom Program read God, Dreams and Revelation by Morton T. Kelsey, a book which examines Christian dream interpretation. After reading it, I decided to record my dreams in a journal and one of those dreams—a very short, telegram-like dream—caught my attention: There was a move going on and I remember a house but that’s all. Maybe Rebecca was moving. It was someone in the family and it was a happy move. That dream gave me a strong sense of contentment and I still can see the house in the dream today. (It looks like the house where Rebecca is staying right now, but to tell that is to get ahead of the story.) During our February class, the Shalom teachers gave us time to work with the dreams we had brought. We had a variety exercises to choose from, and I expanded the telegram dream to gain meaning by asking questions and receiving answers:
Lezlie: Dream, why have you come to me now?
Dream: Rebecca is soon to be graduating and “moving on” to other things. You and Brad are worried about his, but you need not worry. She has everything she needs to move on. She will be moving and it’s a happy thing. You can be happy for Rebecca and at peace. Do not worry about whether or not she will have good health care coverage or enough money to pay for her medications. Do not worry if she will find a safe place to live and a job that will sustain her. Just be happy for Rebecca that she is graduating and moving on. Just be at peace for Rebecca and give her the peace that comes from parents believing in and trusting in their child. Give Rebecca the gift of highest value--the gift of knowing she can handle her own life, that she can make good decisions and set her own course. Remember the words of Julian of Norwich: “But all shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”
The words that came to me in class that day have been very helpful to Brad and me as we watch Rebecca navigate this life transition. I’ve read the paragraph aloud many times, to Brad, to friends and to myself. I especially like these six words—“Do not worry…Be at peace.” People in my Shalom group asked if I would send them a copy of the dream’s wisdom, and I have frequently drawn upon it in the past months as I’ve watched Rebecca pass her licensing examination, present her graduate research, and walk across the stage to receive her diploma.
Teresa’s words have been helpful to me as well. One night in April when I was doing supper dishes—maybe I was praying, but I wasn’t consciously praying—an idea suddenly popped into my head: “Maybe Rebecca could live with the Martinsons this summer.” It felt like God was whispering in my ear. Sherry and Rollie Martinson are long-time family friends: Sherry made my wedding dress when Brad and I got married; Rollie performed the wedding ceremony and later baptized Rebecca. When I told Rebecca about the idea, she liked it and in no time at all she had talked with Sherry and the idea was a reality. Teresa writes, “[I]f a worthy inspiration arises in you, never hesitate to manifest it.” The unbidden inspiration I had that night washing dishes has become a blessing for Rebecca that fills me with gratitude.
The Shalom Program is teaching me to be a wise friend to others, but what I hope for even more is that I can learn to be a wise mother to my children. There is much left unresolved in Rebecca’s life right now, but I trust that God will bless her in the transition process. The Dream says, “Give Rebecca the gift of highest value—the gift of knowing she can handle her own life, that she can make good decisions and set her own course.” If I can follow this advice, I will be the wise mother my daughter needs.
Teresa’s advice supports these words and deepens them: “Do not let fear rule your actions. If you give yourself over to God and practice detachment, there is no reason to be afraid that things won’t turn out. God is all-powerful. May he be blessed forever.” While my dear grown-up daughter finds her way in the world, while she writes in her journal and talks on the telephone, while she looks for jobs and finds permanent housing, while she babysits children and drinks coffee with her friends, I wish to live without fear, give myself over to God, practice detachment, and bless all things holy.
It will take many years of practice before I become as wise as I hope to be, and it’s possible you might have the same feeling. All we can do is encourage each other. In every day and in every way, we can give ourselves over to God, practice detachment and bless all things holy. And may we always remember to thank God for our sweetest blessings!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 12
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of May 17-21:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of May 17-21:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Stuck at the Beginning
“May it please his Majesty that I not get stuck at the beginning forever.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
My centering prayer scripture reading for today was John 14:23: “Those who love me will be true to my word, and Abba God will love them; and we will come to them and make our dwelling place with them.” I often chose my sacred word from the text of the day, so today I chose “dwelling place.” I found “dwelling place” helped me move away from my thoughts and into a deeper peace.
Throughout the twenty-minute sit, whenever my mind would wander away from my sacred word, I would bring myself gently back to “dwelling place.” All my worries, all my distractions became part of “dwelling place,” where I am with God, where God is with me. Everything is “dwelling place,” and I can rest there for a long, long time during prayer and afterwards as I go about my daily tasks.
Teresa says, “May it please his Majesty that I not get stuck at the beginning forever.” Her prayer is the prayer of many pilgrims, myself included. Today a tiny bit of progress came my way and I am glad to report it. If we stick with our prayer habits, we will become more aware of God’s presence in our lives, that “dwelling place” we share minute by minute. Thanks be to God.
My centering prayer scripture reading for today was John 14:23: “Those who love me will be true to my word, and Abba God will love them; and we will come to them and make our dwelling place with them.” I often chose my sacred word from the text of the day, so today I chose “dwelling place.” I found “dwelling place” helped me move away from my thoughts and into a deeper peace.
Throughout the twenty-minute sit, whenever my mind would wander away from my sacred word, I would bring myself gently back to “dwelling place.” All my worries, all my distractions became part of “dwelling place,” where I am with God, where God is with me. Everything is “dwelling place,” and I can rest there for a long, long time during prayer and afterwards as I go about my daily tasks.
Teresa says, “May it please his Majesty that I not get stuck at the beginning forever.” Her prayer is the prayer of many pilgrims, myself included. Today a tiny bit of progress came my way and I am glad to report it. If we stick with our prayer habits, we will become more aware of God’s presence in our lives, that “dwelling place” we share minute by minute. Thanks be to God.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Friday Prayer Report 11
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of May 10-14:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 0
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of May 10-14:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 0
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Keep Striving
“Be confident! Don’t hold back your heart’s desires. Believe in the power of God. With his help, we will gradually reach the station that the saints attained. We just need to keep striving.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Maybe you have noticed that when I write my entries, I call St. Teresa either “Teresa of Avila” or just plain “Teresa.” Do you ever wonder why I don’t use her title?
During her lifetime, St. Teresa was striving to become God’s hands in the world in the same way many of us are striving today. After her death she was given the title of “St. Teresa,” but the title is not the most important thing. What we need to remember is that for much of her life, her hands were God’s hands in the world. Whether or not anyone else ever recognized it, the power of the Holy One worked through St. Teresa in her lifetime. And while she was doing that work, she was called Teresa.
My mother is called Eleanor, my husband is called Brad, my best friend is called Charlotte, and I am called Lezlie. At any moment we might be God’s hands in the world and the power of the Holy One might be working through us. God’s kingdom comes through the hands of the living saints who do not have titles and who often are not recognized; it comes through the hands of those who steadfastly do the work God asks them to do. For the living saints and for others who deeply desire to become God’s hands in the world, Teresa’s words are encouraging: “Be confident! Don’t hold back your heart’s desires. Believe in the power of God. With his help, we will gradually reach the station that the saints attained. We just need to keep striving.”
Maybe you have noticed that when I write my entries, I call St. Teresa either “Teresa of Avila” or just plain “Teresa.” Do you ever wonder why I don’t use her title?
During her lifetime, St. Teresa was striving to become God’s hands in the world in the same way many of us are striving today. After her death she was given the title of “St. Teresa,” but the title is not the most important thing. What we need to remember is that for much of her life, her hands were God’s hands in the world. Whether or not anyone else ever recognized it, the power of the Holy One worked through St. Teresa in her lifetime. And while she was doing that work, she was called Teresa.
My mother is called Eleanor, my husband is called Brad, my best friend is called Charlotte, and I am called Lezlie. At any moment we might be God’s hands in the world and the power of the Holy One might be working through us. God’s kingdom comes through the hands of the living saints who do not have titles and who often are not recognized; it comes through the hands of those who steadfastly do the work God asks them to do. For the living saints and for others who deeply desire to become God’s hands in the world, Teresa’s words are encouraging: “Be confident! Don’t hold back your heart’s desires. Believe in the power of God. With his help, we will gradually reach the station that the saints attained. We just need to keep striving.”
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