“For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love. This is an unalterable law.”—Buddha
Verse of the day
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
– Psalm 139:6
Voice of the day
Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.
– Attributed to Rainer Maria Rilke
Prayer of the day
Lord, teach us to be content with mystery. May we live peaceably with our questions.
“I think the biggest problem is the materialism that has overtaken the world. Today in the modern world people have become more and more materialistic. Human values are seen as secondary to the materialistic values.”—Ela Gandhi
“Our work as spiritual seekers and contemplatives is to see all of creation as woven together in holiness and to live this truth.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD Earth, Our Original Monastery: Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature
How do your contemplative practices help you see all of creation as woven together in holiness?
To register for the self-study companion retreat to the book with extra resources and guidance click here>>
Solitude is the place where God-with-us can be unpacked and where we connect with God-who-is-our-origin, our loving and benevolent Father and Mother, our Savior, our unconditional Lover. And solitude is the place where our own hearts uncover our deep yearning to be loved unconditionally, and to love with our whole beings. Solitude is indeed the place of the great encounter, from which all other encounters derive their meaning. In solitude we meet the One-who-calls-us-beloved. In solitude, we leave behind our many activities, concerns, plans and projects, opinions and convictions to enter into the presence of Love, naked, vulnerable, open, and receptive. Here we encounter a Father/Mother God who is all love, all care, all forgiveness. In solitude we are led to a personal and intimate relationship with Love itself.
“I realized that justice is this step when we decide to give up being the victim of the victimizers and not to be in this prison of hatred and victimhood.”—Ali Abu Awwad, The Third Harmony: Nonviolence and the New Story of Human Nature (film)
“To enter liminality means dwelling on the threshold in a state of unknowing, openness, ambiguity, and indeterminacy. Our identity and state of being is less defined. It is a time of transition where we let go of old understandings and welcome in new ones.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life
How do you enter liminal space and open to new ways of being?
To register for the self-study companion retreat to the book with extra resources and guidance click here>>
“Every proposed solution or political action must be judged on the basis of morality, in terms of justice, fairness, human rights, and respect for human dignity—not just on the basis of realpolitik. It must seek to reduce suffering, avoiding violence as well as oppressive measures.”—Jonathan Kuttab
When we got to Austin on Monday, our first stop was to find some flowers for my mom’s grave. Winter is finally over and hopefully they will last for a little while at least. She always loved having flowers in hanging baskets, pots, and in the flower beds when she and dad lived in the house that I grew up in.
As we stood there, I remembered past visits and listening to the sounds of the birds in the trees. This spot is always so peaceful and there is almost always some sort of activity between the bunnies, squirrels, birds, and even deer come to visit. We are taking dad to his cardiology appointment this morning before heading back home.
As I reflect on this visit and our journey with dad through the valley of the shadows, I happened upon today’s reading from A Year with Thomas Merton: Daily Meditations from His Journals
The first chirps of the waking birds: le point vierge—the virgin point—of the dawn, a moment of awe and inexpressible innocence, when the Father in silence opens their eyes and they speak to Him, wondering if it is time to “be”? And He tells them, “Yes.” Then they one by one wake and begin to sing. First the catbirds and cardinals and some others I do not recognize. Later, song sparrows, wrens, etc. Last of all doves, crows… O paradise of simplicity, self-awareness—and self-forgetfulness—liberty, peace. (June 5, 1960)
O paradise of simplicity, self-awareness, and self-forgetfulness… isn’t that the call of Christ that I seek to follow? Food for thought on this day and this season filled with unknowns.
Verse of the day
But you, O Lord, know me; You see me and test me—my heart is with you.
– Jeremiah 12:3
Voice of the day
What does it do to the human spirit to be invisible? What does it mean to be invisible? What do we lose as a society when we erase a group of people?
– Grace Ji-Sun Kim, “When Church Fosters Both Belonging and Bigotry”
Prayer of the day
Lord, often your church is known by who it erases rather than who it accepts. Transform your people to be ones known by our radical love and inclusion.
