Sister Joan Chittister “Lent is the opportunity to change what we ought to change but have not…Lent is about becoming, doing and changing whatever it is that is blocking the fullness of life in us right now…Lent is a summons to live anew…Lent is the time to let life in again, to rebuild the worlds we’ve allowed to go sterile, to ‘fast and weep and mourn’ for the goods we’ve foregone.”… kazestories.wordpress.com/2019/03/08/lent-change/
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been another day of ups and downs
We walk with our friend and brother
Lord, give Michael an extra measure of your grace and strength
We walk with so many, Lord
What an honor and privilege
With that comes a heavy burden
Not as much a burden for me
But a heavy journey for those I love
As we walk together, Lord
Guide us along the pathway
The pathway you have given us
Let your light shine and guide us
As we seek to follow and to serve
In your mercy, hear this humble prayer
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
Amen, Shirley ❤️
“For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it. We will just skim our lives instead of actually living them.”
― John Ortberg, The Life You’ve Always Wanted”
Ash Wednesday, March 6, is the beginning of the time of the year we refer to as Lent. Part of what I like about the season of Lent is that it gives us pause to reflect upon the direction that we are going in our personal lives. Our world views and habits are challenged. We ask questions of ourselves. When we are honest, we ask the hard questions of faith and responsibility, of discipleship and faithfulness.
Questions like:
How is it with my soul, really?
Am I growing in love for God and for…
View original post 171 more words
A beautiful Ash Wednesday reflection, Joy 💙
As I considered how to start this season of Lent, what struck me forcibly was the symbolism of Ash Wednesday, which is where we begin. Even though my home church doesn’t participate in Lenten practices, I see the value in them. A smudge of Palm Sunday’s ash pressed on the forehead is a visible and powerful reminder of why Jesus came to earth.
I’m truly grateful to have my sin largely concealed on the inside. It’s not always evident to those who know me or strangers who might come across me. Although much is revealed in our behaviour. Because our actions and words often speak for themselves. We can become adept at concealing our inner darkness, of course, butit’s a relief that the worst of us is known only to God. 😏
Safely tucked inside
What if God asked us to dare to wear
our sin, not like…
View original post 308 more words
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
A long and intense day, Lord
Walking with people through the Valley of the Shadows
Listening to stories and simply being
As Lent begins
Guide us on this sacred journey
Let the first step and every step be with you
In your mercy, hear this humble prayer
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“Imagine as you breathe in and out that your breath is connected in rhythm to the breath of the people you love who are also breathing in and out at this very moment. Then expand your awareness to imagine the rise and fall of breath of all creatures across the planet. Finally, expand your vision to include trees and plant life who offer us a mutual exchange of breath. Allow this prayer to connect you to the vast matrix of pulsing life within which we live.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD The Self-Study Online Retreat ~ Water, Wind, Earth and Fire: Praying with the Elements
And so Lent begins
Is it about giving things up?
Is it about self-mortification?
Is it about penance?
What is it really about?
Lent is a journey, not a destination
A journey of the heart
A journey of the spirit
A journey of discovery
As we take this forty day journey
May the words of the prophet guide us
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly… (Isaiah 58:6-8)
May the journey transform us
May the journey bring us to our heart’s home
“If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.”
Isaiah 58:9b–10 (NRSV)
In Isaiah 58 we learn what kind of fast, what kind of worship is pleasing to God.
— Read on www.pcusa.org/news/2019/3/6/stated-clerk-remembers-migrants-who-died-coming-us/
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
A full day of ministry today, Lord
For our dear brothers in hospital
We ask for your blessed and healing presence
For the family and friends of a brother who died
We ask for your comfort and presence
For the opportunity to love and to serve you
We give you thanks, O Lord
In your mercy, hear this humble prayer
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“Poetry is language carved down to its essence, heightened by rhythm and music, offering a doorway into a new way of seeing, dance between rhythm and image, music and meaning.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD Dreaming of Stones: Poems
