The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
A wonderful day of ministry and fellowship
There was also time for touching and reflective Advent worship with my Abbey of the Arts family
An evening of enjoying Christmas movies and talking with my beloved on the phone
Lord, it has indeed been a good day
Thank you for the many blessings of this day
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“I am calling for the mother of all uprisings to begin. Many remarkable individuals have called for different kinds of revolution: economic, technological, energy, educational, spiritual, ethical, inner: a revolution of the conscience and of the heart. . . . All are motivated by the need to create a better world. But for me, the Revolution of Compassion is the heart, the bedrock, the original inspiration for all others.”—Tenzin Gyatso, The XIV Dalai Lama
Verse of the day
Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
– Philippians 2:4
Voice of the day
There are opportunities even in the most difficult moments.
– Wangari Maathai, Unbowed (2006)
Prayer of the day Help me to find new and creative ways to serve my neighbors, even in these difficult moments.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It was a good Lord’s day of worship as we gathered around the Lord’s table
It was a good day for Denise in Florence, a lot was accomplished
It was a good day to simply relax and binge-watch Father Brown on BritBox
As I prepared for bed I looked over at Buddy & Pixie’s ashes and collars on my dresser
Even though tears flowed a smile also broke out through the tears
Our two beloved pups are getting all the treats they want as they play together across the rainbow bridge
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“When we talk about nonviolence we have also to speak about the relationship to power. Nonviolent struggle seeks to reinstate more horizontal social relations. People in power should place themselves in the same level as others. . . . The one who has the highest position should be the servant of the most lowly.”—Adolfo Perez Esquivel
On the second Sunday in Advent, we will be lighting the candle of Peace on our Advent wreath at church. Peace is a concept that people hold many different opinions about. In the military, peace often means the cessation of hostilities or some sort of truce. The problem with the definitions of peace that I studied during my military training is that it really isn’t peace. Is there peace on the Korean peninsula? Oh wait, it is a truce which still has both sides armed to the teeth, ready to attack each other. Thomas Merton said, In the presence of war and death, Advent offers PEACE – and yet a peace beyond our understanding, but a peace that is so much more than the absence of conflict, in the awesome peace of Christ. (Seasons of Celebration)
In the Gospel of Luke, God through the voice of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, invites us to consider the way of peace… By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:78-79)
Mother Mary, speak to us of this peace that we can have through your Son Jesus ♥️🌹
“When one breaks the law to resist the probability of nuclear war, one is not just breaking the law . . . one is upholding the one law from which all decent and just law derives: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’”—Philip Berrigan
“Now we can no longer just give answers and explanations, we have to become the answer, and our own transformation is the only credible explanation. It seems we must tame and integrate the demon of violence within ourselves before we have anything to say to anybody else. “—Richard Rohr
“Nonviolent strategy calls those who are now faithful to the good present inside them, to awaken the good inside their adversaries who at that same moment serve violence or injustice. This dynamic is built on confidence in the divine power of the good and its unity.”—Alain J. Richard
Verse of the day
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
– Psalm 46:1-3
Voice of the day
Couldn’t help but make me feel ashamed / To live in a land / Where justice is a game.
– Bob Dylan, “Hurricane”
Prayer of the day On this changing earth, help me to stay focused on your steady justice.
