A Blessing

Traditional Irish Blessing:

"May there always be work for your hands to do. May your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine upon your window pane. May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near to you and May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you."

Enjoy this blessing! If you'd like to read more, go here.

hope - so what?

last easter, i asked a serious question that still lingers with me...

the question is on hope: how then shall we live? how do we live differently, due to the fact that we have hope after life after death? and what is the hope of life after death? it's not just eternal life in heaven after our mortal beings give way, but life after death is morning after night, it's the rainbow after the pour, it's the relieving stillness after mourning. and how then do we live differently, believing that we do have this hope?

this is what it is for me, but it may be different for you. for me, the fact that we have life after death means that we live more courageously today. we have the courage to make the bold and difficult moves. we have the courage to make tomorrow like nothing it is today. we have the courage to face change (god knows we rarely like change). this is the courage i live by.

what the fuck are you looking for?

the brilliant, yet so simple, question confronted me today. what is it you want? what the fuck are you looking for? i've been on a path pursuing so many important passions for so long. now that they are coming to completion, what am i looking for?

i've hesitated to answer the question too fast. i hear myself say, "wait for just a few minutes... take some time just to be... don't pursue things just to be busy... just be. be at peace for awhile."

but then in the quietness of this, i ask myself, what is it that would be perfect in my life right now? what is it that i want? the response: i don't have a fucking clue. so i'll just keep being. and contemplating. and then i realize, even this moment plants something in my soul. this is a good moment.

"Every moment and every event of each person's life on earth plants something in their soul." Thomas Merton

to be or not to be?

is the abbey to be or not to be? that is the question.

it looks like we are packing up on saturday. 'twill be a sad day. i really wanted to save it, but $5200 in startup costs came as a bit of a surprise. damn.

what is the abbey? it's been our place to be this year. our place for sunday gatherings, and for saturday art shows. our place for mimosas and wine and beer. :-) our place for laughing, crying, living, dying. today is a sad day.

there is a time. a time for beginnings and completions. this is a season of completions...

The Most Human and Most Divine Gesture

The two disciples whom Jesus joined on the road to Emmaus recognised him in the breaking of the bread. What is a more common, ordinary gesture than breaking bread? It may be the most human of all human gestures: a gesture of hospitality, friendship, care, and the desire to be together. Taking a loaf of bread, blessing it, breaking it, and giving it to those seated around the table signifies unity, community, and peace. When Jesus does this he does the most ordinary as well as the most extraordinary. It is the most human as well as the most divine gesture.The great mystery is that this daily and most human gesture is the way we recognise the presence of Christ among us. God becomes most present when we are most human." Henri Nouwen

To go to the Henri Nouwen Society website, click here.