“Brigid’s feast day is February 1stwhich in the Celtic calendar is also the feast of Imbolc and the very beginning of springtime….She is the first sign of life after the long dark nights of winter. She breathes into the landscape so that it begins to awaken. Snowdrops, the first flowers of spring are one of her symbols.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Sacred Seasons: A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year – A Self-Study Online Retreat
What might you choose as your personal symbol of rebirth and awakening?
The genius of Thomas Merton (1915–1968) is to be found in his passion for God. It dominated the story of his life and enabled him to speak to people all over the world. His several vocations, which inform our perception of the man, must not be allowed, however, to obscure the fact that he brought to his life and work the instincts and the characteristics of a true artist.
— Read on blog.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit/the-paintings-and-prose-of-thomas-merton
With thanksgiving I remember the birth-day of Thomas Merton. In the past five years he has become an incredible mentor and inspiration to me. In the Antiphon from the Friday Dawn Prayer in Merton’s Book of Hours, I read the following from his poem, “The Biography.” It gave me goosebumps to realize I was reading this on his birth-day!
Christ, from my cradle,
I had known You everywhere,
And even thought I sinned,
I walked in You, and knew You were my world:
You were my life and air, yet I would not own You.
As a result I was inspired to write these words:
Christ in me always and everywhere
Christ leading me through the paths of life
Christ my light in darkness
Christ my hope in despair
Christ my joy in sorrow
Christ within and without me
Christ encouraging and guiding me
In the final paper which I wrote in the form of a letter to Merton for the Merton class I took at Columbia Presbyterian Theological Seminary, I wrote the following as a wrap up to my paper. The words are especially relevant today.
Father Louis (his monastic name), thank you for helping me… for walking with me (and continuing to walk with me) as I seek my way on God’s path. I do believe it is my calling to be a part of that which unites all humankind, and to be an advocate for those who have no voice. And thank you for encouraging me to see God’s incredible creation through the lens of my camera.
Grace and Peace, Michael
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been another day of ministry
It has been a day of study and reflection
It has been a day of fellowship and learning
It has been a time to simply Be Still
As I reflect upon the day
As I pause to consider the Spirit’s movement
I pause and give thanks to you, Lord
Thank you for all of the wonders 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…
Our friend Christine Sine (Her Blog – GodSpace Light) took this picture of me and Denise during a short trip into the Rocky Mountain National Park earlier this month. Bundled up against the snow and biting wind we took a short walk before heading back to the warm car!
When I look at this picture I see love. The love of God who brought us together ten years ago… the love of God which was a palpable presence at our wedding nearly seven years ago… the love which surrounds us, comforts us, sustains us…
Love is one of those precious gifts that we are called to cherish and nurture. As the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:13, And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
You cannot have faith or hope without love. Faith finds its root in God’s love for us and for all creation. Hope is found in the love of God made manifest in so many ways. Love is the anchor, the grounding, the foundation of life. As I said in an earlier blog post, you cannot have Social Justice or Peacemaking without love.
Thomas Merton wrote the following in his book New Seeds of Contemplation (which is also a reading in the collection, A Book of Hours):
To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is love. Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my name. If, therefore, I do anything or think anything or say anything or know anything that is not purely for the love of God, it cannot give me peace, or rest, or fulfillment, or joy. To find love I must enter into the sanctuary where it is hidden, which is the mystery of God.
This ties in so well with a portion of a letter that Merton wrote to Dorothy Day. First let me introduce you to Dorothy Day. She was a co-founder of The Catholic Worker Movement in New York City in 1933. In his address to the US Houses of Congress in 2015, Pope Francis lifted her up (along with Merton, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and Abraham Lincoln) as a model of what a true citizen of this nation should be. Pope Francis said of Dorothy Day: “Her social activism, her passion for justice and for the cause of the oppressed, were inspired by the Gospel, her faith, and the example of the saints.”
In his letter to Dorothy Day, Merton offered these words:
“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. That is not our business and, in fact, it is nobody’s business. What we are asked to do is to love, and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy if anything can.”
The challenge for me today in this increasingly polarized nation and world is to love. There is so much hatred based upon ignorance in this country. We demonize the “enemy” so that it is “easier” to hate. Yet if we would only take the time to know others as individuals, as children of God, we can begin the process of dissolving hatred and breaking down barriers.
Warfare of all sorts is a result of the demonization of the other as I said above. If the root of war is fear as Merton said in New Seeds of Contemplation then the only way to peace must be love. Love of God and love of neighbor comes to mind (Mark 12:30-31) as the sort of foundation that must be at the heart of peacemaking.
These are thoughts that continue to inspire and challenge me. I hope that they will do the same for you, dear reader. As Dr. King said: I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. May that be our challenge and our goal each and every day.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Thank you Lord for another day
Thank you for the opportunity to serve
Thank you for the time of reflection
Thank you for our wonderful four-legged neighbors
Thank you for time with my sweetheart
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…
There’s nothing quite like looking back over nearly 33 years of ministry to get me in a reflective mood. Yesterday and today I was working on my “Work Experience” and “Vocational Statement” which are a part of the application process for seminary. I don’t do this very often so it was a good opportunity for me to remember… to reflect… to give thanks for God’s calling upon my life.
Of course this journey of reflection took me back to the beginning. It took me back to the rock sticking out into the Chippewa River on the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire campus where I heard God’s call in October of 1980.
This is a portion of what I wrote in my “Vocational Statement” — To look back at the young fellow who was ordained in 1987, there has been so much growth through life experiences and lifelong learning. Over the past few years I have experienced significant growth both personally and professionally. Thanks in great part to the experiences in Columbia Seminary Lifelong Learning’s Certificate in Christian Spiritual Formation program the depth of my own inner spirituality has grown tremendously. Influences such as Thomas Merton, St Ignatius, and Celtic Spirituality have invited me to slow down and be more introspective. Even amid the busyness of life and ministry, the call to be still and know helps to center me. Spiritual practices such as Contemplative Photography (Visio Divina), Daily Prayer, and intentional reading have helped to deepen my awareness of God’s presence and call to go out. In the words of the Northumbria Community’s Celtic Benediction, “May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you.” From this introspection has come a confidence and boldness in proclaiming the Gospel and being the voice of a prophet in challenging and troubling times. My passion for Social Justice and Matthew 25 inclusion comes from a deep place of discernment and growth.
When I attended a Presbyterian Church (USA) CREDO Retreat for late-career pastors I had a similar opportunity to look back. Late-career pastors we participants decided, was a nice euphemism for those of us who have more career behind us than ahead of us! So it’s a bit funny that just over a year later, I was doing a similar sort of looking back.
One of the things that I realized from a very early stage in my ministry (especially in the Air Force Chaplain Corps) was that there were different ways of looking at ministry and the chaplaincy. I remember being a part of a group of potential candidates meeting with the Presbyterian Council for Chaplains in 1988 in Atlanta. We were being interviewed as a part of the selection process to become a Reserve Chaplain. Sitting at the table with three other candidates I was amazed by one of the ministers. He had his whole career plotted out. His plan was to progress until he was the head of staff of a large tall-steeple church. I was a country preacher in rural West Central Minnesota and my only plan was to eventually become an Active Duty Chaplain in the Air Force. It was a case of Career versus Vocation/Calling.
Years later I would encounter this in the upper ranks of the AF Chaplain Corps. Once again it was Careerism versus Calling/Vocation. I loved the way one of my Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) colleagues who Franciscan Priest and AF Chaplain said it when asked about his plans/career–“I want to bloom wherever God plants me.” That was what I wanted to do as well. He put eloquently into words what I was feeling. I am forever grateful for that lesson as a young Chaplain.
In his book Thoughts in Solitude, Thomas Merton said the following about vocation. I took the liberty of updating Merton’s language to make it inclusive as I believe he would agree to do today— {An individual} knows when {they have} found {their} vocation when {they stop} thinking about how to live and begins to live.
Some may wonder why at my age I am applying for graduate school when I have more ministry behind me than ahead of me. To be honest, there is a major reason why I am doing this. I feel called to go back to Seminary and pursue this degree because I have a strong sense of God’s calling to work for Peace and Social Justice in this country as a pastor.
Meeting other peacemakers, activists, and advocates for Social and Environmental Justice (like my sister and colleague in ministry abby mohaupt) at the 223rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 2018 has inspired me and they have been instruments in this new avenue of my vocational calling which began long ago on the banks of the Chippewa River.
Merton’s words come back again to me… Adapting them to my situation: I know when I have found my vocation when I stop thinking about how to live and begin to live.
I am being called to go back to school and learn as I respond to God’s call. Even in this ministry I have been a part of for almost 33 years, God continues to call me in new and amazing ways. For that gift, I am humbly grateful.
I would be remiss if I didn’t offer my profound thanks and gratitude for the support and encouragement of my wife and partner in ministry, Denise! Thank you, sweetheart ❤️❤️
As a part of an online mini-retreat through Abbey of the Arts we were asked to reflect on the upcoming Feast of Saint Brigid (Feb 1st) which is also known as Imbolc in the Celtic Tradition or Candlemas. We are beginning to see the shift from Winter to Spring. This piece was inspired by the retreat.
Water is frozen
Yet life appears
Snow falls
Yet new life waits in the soil
The sky is overcast and grey
Yet the sun will peek out and the days will grow longer
In this midwinter we burrow down under the blankets
Dreaming of the Spring and Summer to come
Yet in the midst of midwinter life is all around
Opportunities to Be Still
Opportunities to read and reflect
Opportunities to simply Be
Yes, even in the midst of midwinter
The signs of new life are around
If we but pause and simply Be Still in the midst of it all
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
What a wonderful day, Lord
Time spent in meetings and at work
Time spent in reflection
Time spent simply Being Still
Time spent writing and pondering
Time spent walking and enjoying the outdoors with my sweetheart
For all of this I thank you, Lord
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…
Today has been a day of prayer, reflection, contemplation, and restoration. If we continue to walk with a burden that is not ours… if we continue to allow a person or situation to live “rent-free” in our head… our soul quickly becomes a captive. Our spirit suffers as we wander in the darkness.
As I reflected upon life this afternoon, I came across this prayer from Thomas Merton’s A Book of Hours: I give myself to Your love and mean to keep on giving myself to Your love—rejecting neither the hard things nor the pleasant things You have arranged for me. It is enough for me that You have glory. Everything You have planned is good. It is all love. (Originally from Merton’s book, The Sign of Jonas)
In today’s world where so often “love” is a commodity to be bought and sold, or earned; it is refreshing to read these words from Merton. With this in mind I spent several hours preparing the necessary documents for my application for Doctoral studies.
In a large part, Merton and his writings have brought me to this point, along with the inspiration of my dear wife and partner in life and ministry. At the core of peacemaking there must be love… at the core of Social Justice there must be love… my prayer is that I will continue to make that the core of my ministry and my very living.
