Happy Feast!

Today is the Feast of Benedict. (We will observe the celebration here tomorrow evening.)

For me, one of the most beautiful things about Benedictine spirituality is experienced in its appreciation for beauty. And it's not necessarily "big" or "awesome" beauty like standing before a famous artwork or hearing a symphony performed. (Of course it is that, too, though.)

But often it's simple, everyday beauty.

Yesterday I was turning the corner and looked into an office. I couldn't help but smile. Surrounded by technology, the first daffodils of the season.

It was so ordinary, and yet those moments of routine, small joys have kept me going this past year.

The simple beauty of these daffodils signifies so much more: the return of spring, the glory of creation, the awe-inspiring diversity of the natural world.

Benedict calls us to live an ordinary life and make it meaningful. Happy Feast to you all! We wish you could be with us.

As for me, I'll think I'll go for my first bike ride of the season.

Let us walk in the holy presence.

Happy Pi Day!

Praise God for whomever the mathematician/scientist was who loved equally the lab and the kitchen. For this we get to celebrate Pi Day on March 14th each year. 3.14 translating to 3/14...just wonderful!

We took to the kitchen yesterday in preparation. All we be enjoyed at our noon meal today, plus a little freshly whipped cream! Yes, I will be donning my "Pi Day" shirt, given to me by someone who loves numbers just as much as I do.

It took about 3 dozen key limes just to get 1.5 cups of juice...so small as they are!

the amount of graham crackers purchased was the exact amount we needed for the crusts

INCREDIBLY satisfying!

very serious bakers

and some regular crusts, too...6 graham cracker, 6 flour in all

Fascinated by the consistency of the condensed milk...

Let us walk in the presence.

A "Busy," "Normal" Weekend

You know how sometimes you experience moments, and they almost feel "normal." Like a moment that you would have experienced before March 2020. This weekend had a touch of that.

On Saturday we heard an excellent presentation on contemplation and grief. When I say "excellent," I mean, it was the kind of material that one works with for the rest of her life. One of the lines that I wrote down and will contemplate for a while was:

I have to believe that I can never have an experience apart from God.

Today we listened in on Zoom as our sister, Joan, spoke on the theme of beauty to inaugurate a lecture series on Art and Spirituality sponsored by the Pucker Gallery, where much of the pottery collection of Brother Thomas, who was an artist-in-residence in our community, is located.

Today, in the mild, about 50-degree weather, I even gave a haircut to one of my sister's outside!

Last night, in our Lenten vigil reflections, we heard about "sacred encounters" as this weekend's gospel was the Transfiguration. Our sister who reflected reminded us, so simply and wonderfully, that all experiences have the potential to be a sacred encounter with the present moment, with the Divine.

I have to believe that I can never have an experience apart from God, indeed.

This weekend was full of those holy moments. I hope you had a few, too.

Blessings as we continue on this journey.

Let us walk in the holy presence.

Our squirrel friend is usually not so still and centered while on the feeder pole.

He's usually an acrobat! In this moment, a Zen master! Goals.

In-between, yet again

I was indulging in some winter self-care the other morning, a February necessity. Sure, there are thoughts and memories of spring, but not yet any visible signs presenting themselves in nature. We are straddling that space—the in-between of winter and spring, as the feast we celebrated on the first day of this month, Imbolc, reminds us. Imbolc marks winter's midpoint, and it is also the Feast Day of St. Brigid of Kildare, that wonderful woman saint who you'll remember by her miracle where she turned water into beer.

I've made it pretty clear that winter is not my strong suit, but I am trudging through. I haven't been outside yet today, or checked any official measurements, but by simply looking out the window, it seems as though last night's storm wasn't as bad as predicted here in Erie. We pray for those in the south and midwest going through major power outages and conditions very much unseasonable even by winter standards in those areas.

The other day I smiled when I looked at the "divider," as we call it here at the monastery (it divides the dining room and community room), and saw this very visible reminder that we are in-between winter and spring...a poinsettia and a daffodil! Ha! Yes, there is snow outside, but it is no longer completely dark as we leave evening prayer these days.

We are on the way.

Let us walk in the holy presence.

Some Thoughts on The Words of Jesus

During quarantine I have been reading Pema Chodron’s When Things Fall Apart with my friend. We have spent time talking about the relationship between the Buddhist teachings found in the book and the teachings of our Christian faith. After reading a particularly challenging chapter, my friend, summing up what we read, used her own words to quote Jesus:

“Drop everything and follow me.”

Or, as Matthew 19, verse 21 says: “‘If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to poor people, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.’”

Jesus doubles down on what it means to follow the call of Christ. We heard it just last week in the first chapter of Mark (vv. 17-18): “Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me; I will make you fishers of humankind.’ They immediately abandoned their nets and followed Jesus.” And again in chapter 9 of Luke (v. 3): “Jesus told them, ‘Take nothing for the journey, neither walking staff, nor traveling bag, nor bread, nor money. Don’t even take a change of clothes.’”

In other words, “Drop everything and follow me.”

The reason these words left me astounded was in the connection to Pema’s writing. When I think of dropping everything to follow Jesus, I think of dropping my possessions, my agenda, maybe the physical proximity of relationships I treasure.

Pema says the way to inner freedom is through an embrace of the three truths of our existence: impermanence, suffering, and egolessness. Impermanence in every regard: of our emotions, of the present moment, impermanence even of our suffering. Nothing—not the good, or the bad, the happy or the sad, or the labels we put on any of it—lasts. Because of this, we can practice relaxing with what’s in front of us because it’s going to pass. We can practice embracing and then dropping it all: our emotions, our current realities, and especially our judgments about it all. When we are able to drop the moment, recognizing that its very nature is to come and go, we experience freedom and peace. Simple, right? Needless to say, this has been very important pandemic reading.

Our Christian dharma says that freedom comes from following and living the arc of Jesus’ life with him. Egolessness, suffering, and impermanence, by other words, are the way of humility and resurrection. The way to follow Christ is to let go. But, this isn’t just about dropping my possessions, or letting go of whatever I’m doing. To truly follow Christ I have to drop so much more, and it’s really hard stuff to drop. I have to be willing to drop my grudges, my sense of security, my view of right and wrong, my expectations, and even the things that make me happy and feel good. In that letting go, I will find a very tender openness that readies me to welcome what comes next.

In that emptiness, I have to be able to hold everything ever-so-loosely and let go even of the things I love. Haven’t we learned that over and over again this past year? All we have is the present moment. And we gracefully drop that so the next moment might arise in us unhindered by our expectations and our ego. We let life resurrect, and in turn, we find that we ourselves are doing the same.

Isn’t this the way of Christ—humility and resurrection? Isn’t that the faith we profess to live?

Drop everything and follow Jesus.

Let us walk in the holy presence.

*Bible verses quoted from The Inclusive Bible.

Spot the Difference

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things was page 14 of the Highlights magazine. It was the page that had the photo where you had to find the hidden items within the photo. I LOVED IT! I also enjoyed the side-by-side photos where you had to spot the difference. These were always fun challenges for me! Here's a similar story...I was excited to post some photos that I took in the woods less than a week ago. I love the way the sun looks when it comes through the trees, especially when they're barren.

But, as of yesterday, they don't reflect our current reality. Here's the "side-by-side" that reflects what we're seeing now.

We've had some pretty steady snow since Sunday night, and we are blessed that we don't have to go out in this weather. Everyone seems to be enjoying the landscape with the beauty it provides. A snow storm always makes me think of one of my favorite Mary Oliver poems.

The Winter Wood Arrives

I think
     I could have
          built a little house
               to live in

with the single cord—
     half seasoned, half not—
          trucked into the
               driveway and

tumbled down. But, instead,
     friends came
          and together we stacked it
               for the long, cold days

that are—
     maybe the only sure thing in the world—
          coming soon.
               How to keep warm

is always a problem,
     isn’t it?
          Of course, there’s love.
               And there’s prayer.

I don’t belittle them,
     and they have warmed me,
          but differently,
               from the heart outwards.

Imagine
     what swirls of frost will cling
          to the windows, what white lawns
               I will look out on

as I rise from morning prayers,
     as I remember love, that leaves yet never leaves,
          as I go out into the yard
               and bring the wood in

with struggling steps,
     with struggling thoughts,
          bundle by bundle,
               to be burned.

Hope you're all safe wherever you are—

With prayers for peace and unity—

Let us walk in the holy presence.

(from wikipedia.com)

(from pinterest.com)

Joy is Not Made to be a Crumb

Yes, we are in quarantine here at the monastery, with positive cases. (You can read the statement from our prioress on the front page of our website.)

Many are pitching in to keep things going (and keep stomachs filled). Needless to say, this is a unique time for us. Certainly it is a unique time for someone discerning a commitment to this life and this community. In my lesser moments, I get down and anxious, but in my better moments, I recall the parts of the Rule of Benedict that should underlie our behavior and actions during such a vulnerable time.

Good Zeal (Chapter 72) is essential always, but in a new light, right now.

Just as there is a wicked zeal of bitterness which separates from God and leads to hell, so there is a good zeal which separates from evil and leads to God and everlasting life. This, then, is the good zeal which members must foster with fervent love: "They should each try to be the first to show respect to the other (Romans 12:10)," supporting with the greatest patience one another's weaknesses of body or behavior, and earnestly competing in obedience to one another. No one is to pursue what she judges better for herself, but instead, what she judges better for someone else. Among themselves they show the pure love of sisters; to God, reverent love; to their prioress, unfeigned and humble love. Let them prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and may Christ bring us all together to everlasting life.

For me to try to live with good zeal, I try to focus on joy and gratitude. Spotting a rose in winter helped me this morning as I went for my walk.

And there's always Mary Oliver's poetry. (Titled Don't Hesitate)

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,

don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty

of lives and whole towns destroyed or about

to be. We are not wise, and not very often

kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this

is its way of fighting back, that sometimes

something happens better than all the riches

or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant

when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the

case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid

of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

And this funny meme that my friend sent me, gives me a good laugh—laughter being another "essential" during this time. (Source unknown)

I hope it gives you a smile, too.

Let us walk in the holy presence.