Simple Beauty and Contemplation

Oiling The Hinges

2012-02-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

"Take the time to pray -

it is the sweet oil that eases

the hinge into the garden

so the doorway can swing open easily. You can always go there."

Called To Love

2012-02-07T13:20:00.000-08:00

Called To Love

“For one human being to love another,

That is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks,

The ultimate, the last test and proof.

The work for which all other work is but preparation”

~Rainer Maria Rilke~

"Jesus, you told a powerful story of a person who stopped on a risky road to care for someone’s wounds. Help me also to stop at the unpleasant places in my life, to be present to those who need a touch of love, especially on those days when my life is moving hurriedly and intensely. Grant me the courage to be less fearful of reaching out and walking with others who need a gesture of kindness and care (Lk. 10:29-37)." ~Joyce Rupp~

Friendly Visit!

2012-02-06T10:17:00.000-08:00

A Time To Talk ~ Robert Frost

When a friend calls to me from the road

And slows his horse to a meaning walk,

I don’t stand still and look around

On all the hills I haven’t hoed,

And shout from where I am, what is it?

No, not as there is a time to talk.

I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,

Blade-ended up and five feet tall,

And plod: I go up the stone wall

For a friendly visit.

Feast on your life!

2012-02-03T10:58:00.000-08:00

Love After Love

Dereck Walcott

The time will come, when with elation,

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror,

and each will smile at the other's welcome

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you.

all your life, whom you have ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

Leaning On The Heart Of God

2012-01-31T13:12:00.000-08:00

~Authored by Joyce Rupp~

“I am leaning on the heart of God. I am resting there is silence. All the turmoil that exhausts me is brought to bear on this great love.

No resistance or complaint is heard as I lean upon God’s welcome. There is gladness for my coming. There is comfort for my pain.

I lean, and lean, and lean upon this heart that hurts with me. Strength lifts the weight of my distress. Courage wraps around my troubles.

No miracle of instant recovery. No taking away life’s burdens. Yet, there is solace for my soul, and refuge for my exiled tears.

It is enough for me to know the heart of God is with me, full of mercy and compassion, tending to the wounds I bear.”

Experience Christ

2012-01-24T09:44:00.000-08:00

"As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;

As tumbled over rim in roundy wells

Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s

Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;

Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:

Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;

Selves—goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,

Crying What I do is me: for that I came.

I say more: the just man justice;

Keeps grace: that keeps all his going graces;

Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is—

Christ—for Christ plays in ten thousand places,

Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his

To the Father through the features of men’s faces."

--Gerard Manley Hopkins

When have you experienced Christ through the presence of another human being?

The Practice of Getting Lost

2012-01-23T11:27:00.000-08:00

Taken from An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor

“However you choose to do it, the practice of getting lost is both valuable and undervalued, at least by the North American culture most of us know best. In this culture, the point is to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, even if that means you miss most of the territory, including the packed dirt under your feet.

Sometimes this is because you are doing at least five other things while you are in transit, including talking on the phone, listening to the radio, drinking a mocha latte, checking your text messages, telling your dog to get in the back seat, and checking out how good you look in your sunglasses by admiring yourself in the rearview mirror.

Once you become lost, everything but the dog and the telephone will become suddenly unimportant – the telephone because it may allow you to call someone who loves you enough to come find you, and the dog to keep you company while you wait. If you are not able to set priorities any other way, then getting lost may be the kick in the pants you have been waiting for.

You had better do it quickly, however since the growing popularity of Global Positioning Systems may soon make getting lost impossible to do. I think I understand the appeal. Following the instructions of a disembodied voice coming from your dashboard takes less time than pulling over to ask for directions or look at a map. Plus, it may be comforting to think that a big eye in the sky can see you no matter where you are, even though this will do nothing to prevent you from missing your turn or running into the car ahead of you…

You will think of other ways to get lost, or to accept that you really have gotten lost through no choice of your own. It can happen anywhere, in all kinds of ways. You can get lost on your way home. You can get lost looking for love. You can get lost between jobs. You can get lost looking for God. However it happens, take heart. Others before you have found a way in the wilderness, where there are as many angels as there are wild beasts, and plenty of other lost people too. All it takes is one of them to find you. All it takes is you to find one of them. However it happens, you could do worse than to kneel down and ask a blessing, remembering how many knees have kissed this altar before you.”

Quit Limiting God

2012-01-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

"When God puts a dream in your heart, when He brings opportunities across your path, do you step out boldly in faith, expecting the best, moving forward with confidence, knowing that you are well able to do what God wants you to do? Or do you shrink back in fear, and say that’s too big for me. I am not qualified. I am not able. I could never do that. God wants to do new things in your life! Start thinking big!

There was little frog that was born at the bottom of a small circular well, similar to those you might see at a typical rural farm. He and his family lived there, and he was content to play in the water, swimming all around that little well. He thought, life doesn’t get any better than this. I have all that I need.

But one day, he looked up and noticed the light at the top of the well. The little frog became curious, wondering what was up there. He slowly climbed up the side of the well. When he got to the top, he cautiously peered out over the edge.

Lo and behold, the first thing he saw was a pond. He couldn’t believe it. It was a thousand times bigger than the well. He ventured farther and discovered a huge lake. He stood there gazing in amazement. Eventually, the little frog hopped a long way and came to the ocean, where everywhere he looked, all he could see was water. He was shocked beyond measure. He began to realize how limited his thinking had been. He thought he had it all back in the well, but all he really had was a drop in the bucket compared to what God wanted him to enjoy.”

~Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen~

X Marks The Spot!

2012-01-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

"No one longs for what he or she already has,

and yet the accumulated insight of those wise about the spiritual life

suggests that the reason so many of us cannot see the red X that marks the

spot is because we are standing on it."

Barbara Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World

Can you find the treasure hidden under your feet? Make a list describing what you have found. Keep it as a handy reference for the next time you feel unsure about where you belong.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

2012-01-16T09:33:00.001-08:00

“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.~

Build Your Wings!

2012-01-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

If we listened to our intellect,

we'd never have a love affair.

We'd never have a friendship.

We'd never go into business,

because we'd be too cynical.

Well, that's nonsense.

You've got to jump off cliffs

all the time

and build your wings

on the way down.

- Annie Dillard

When have you had the experience of “building your wings”?

Lost in the Fog

2012-01-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Sr. Guadalupe Medina, OSF

for presenting the following poem written by Joyce Rupp

during our faith sharing meeting!

"Quiet mystery,

today the earth wears mufflers on her ears.

Heavy wet clouds disguise the silent land.

The city is a giant mound of bleary white

with dense fog permeating everything.

Even the sparrow's song sounds thick.

In the concealing mist of morning,

street lights blur with masked revelation,

and walkers are lost in a veil of obscurity.

Secret one of my soul,

portions of the land within me are dimly lit,

answers to my daily struggles are hazy,

and direction for my future lies hidden.

Often I lose my way as I meander in this inner fog,

struggling to find the path of some deeper peace.

As I reach out in this dim state of my inner domain,

I cry out for you and find you there,

safely leading me amid the mystery.

Quiet me, as fog quiets the external world,

so that I can listen more intently to you.

Draw me further into surrender.

Rest me in your comforting stillness,

and let me be content with what is unclear."

Reflect today on the 'foggy' areas in your life, what aspects need greater clarity and vision? How are you responding to these foggy areas?

Feast of the Epiphany

2012-01-06T11:27:00.000-08:00

Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the three wise men to the Christ Child.

The Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the oldest Christian feasts, though, throughout the centuries, it has celebrated a variety of things. Epiphany comes from a Greek verb meaning "to reveal," and all of the various events celebrated by the Feast of the Epiphany are revelations of Christ to man.

"O God, Who by the guidance of a star didst this day reveal

Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles,

mercifully grant that we, who know Thee now by faith,

may be so led as to behold with our eyes the beauty of Thy majesty.

Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son,

Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost,

God, world without end. Amen."

catholicism.about.com

You Mustn't Quit!

2012-01-05T10:05:00.000-08:00

“You Mustn’t Quit!

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest! If you must – but never quit.

Life is strange, with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won if he’d stuck it out;

Stick to your task, though the pace seems slow –

You may succeed with one more blow.

Success if failure turned inside out –

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt –

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –

It’s when things seem worst that YOU MUSTN’T QUIT!”

~The Book of Virtues~

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours,

No hands but yours,

No feet but yours,

Yours are the eyes through which is to look out

Christ’s compassion to the world

Yours are the feet with which he is to go about

Doing good;

Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now."

~Saint Teresa of Avila~

It is a new year filled with opportunities to make a difference. May you be blessed as you live into that call.

O Dayspring!

2011-12-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

December 21

O Dayspring

Sun of justice, bright eternal light,

one who shows the way,

the one who sets us free

even in darkness and death,

come disperse the gloomy clouds of night.

Antiphons continued!

2011-12-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

December 20

O Key of David

Rod and staff of the house of Israel.

One who opens and no one closes,

the one who closes and no one opens,

come lead prsioners caught in darkness.

O Antiphons

2011-12-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU Sr. Mary Jo Chaves, for sharing these during faith sharing today!

The OAntiphons, one of the oldest liturgical rituals in the Church, are prayed around the world during the final days of Advent. For seven days before Christmas, we recall in these prayers a quality of Christ that must be realized before the presence of Christ can consume the world.

December 19 - O Root Of Jesse, standing as protector of the people; silencing rulers, inspiring the people to make supplication, come do not delay, deliver us.

Work for a cause!

2011-12-14T14:00:00.001-08:00

God is...

2011-12-13T14:11:00.000-08:00

Taken from the Rule of 1221, Chapter XXIII

"God is

without beginning and without end

unchangeable, invisible,

indescribable, ineffable,

incomprehensible, unfathomable,

blessed, worthy of praise,

glorious, exalted on high, sublime,

most high, gentle, lovable,

delectable and totally desirable above all else

forever."

~St. Francis of Assisi~

Pearl Harbor - 70years

2011-12-07T09:54:00.001-08:00

Reported by the Associated Press

"PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - The Dec. 7, 1941, bombing of Pearl Harbor and those who lost their lives that day are being remembered Wednesday on the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack that brought the U.S. into World War II.

About 120 survivors will join Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, military leaders and civilians to observe a moment of silence in Pearl Harbor at 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time — the moment the attack began seven decades ago.

About 3,000 people are expected to attend the event held each year at a site overlooking the sunken USS Arizona and the white memorial that straddles the battleship.

The Pearl Harbor-based guided missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon will render honors to the Arizona and blow its whistle at the start of a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m. — the same time 70 years ago the first Japanese planes began to attack.

F-22 jets flown by the Hawaii National Guard are due to soar overhead in a missing man formation to finish the moment of silence."

St. Nicholas

2011-12-06T12:35:00.001-08:00

Good St Nicholas,

Help us prepare for the miracle of the coming of Jesus.
Help us not to be blind to the gifts of getting ready.
Help us be sincere in the greetings we send and receive, with love and prayer.

Kind St. Nicholas, protect us from shoppers’ fatigue, stress, overspending, yet help us to be kind and generous of heart to all, especially those who are alone, poor and fearful.

May our celebration of your feast lead others to see the true meaning of giving and receiving and to guide all people to the greatest of all gifts: Jesus Christ, prince of peace and child of Mary, Our Lord and only saviour.

– From the St. Nicholas Society

Suffering

2011-11-30T14:32:00.001-08:00

A reflection and prayer by Rabbi Rami Shapiro to help us cope with the pain and suffering of those closest to us and those around the world. In solidarity we pray;

May those whose lives are gripped in the palm of suffering

open

even now

to the wonder of life.

May they let go of the hurt

and meet the true self beyond pain

the uncarved block

that is our joyous unity with the Holiness.

May they discover through pain and torment

the strength to live with the grace and humor.

May they discover through doubt and anguish

the strength to live with dignity and holiness.

May they discover through suffering and fear

the strength to move toward healing.

Are you busy?

2011-11-29T12:57:00.001-08:00

We seem so frightened today of being alone that we never let it happen....We choke the space with continuous music, chatter, and companionship to which we do not even listen. It is simply there to fill the vacuum. When the noise stops there is no inner music to take its place.
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Monasteries, hermitages, and retreat centers have been created to that people who wanted to hear the still, small voice of God could turn down the deafening and disquieting cacophony of sound coming from a busy, bustling world. - John Michael Talbot

Is your world to busy and noisy? Are you looking for that place to find peace and solitude? Have you been to our retreat center? Come in and pay us a visit. We have a labyrinth you can walk for centering or for prayer. There is also a library if you would like to settle into a good book. We are more than happy to vist with you and share our Franciscan vision with someone new...maybe that's you!

Canticle of the Sun

2011-11-28T16:42:00.001-08:00

O most High, almighty, good Lord God, to you belong praise, glory, honor and all blessing!

Praised be my Lord God with all creatures; and especially our brother the sun, which brings us the day and the light; fair is he, and shining with a very great splendor: O Lord, he signifies you to us!

Praised be my Lord for our sister the moon, and for the stars, which God has set clear and lovely in heaven.

Praised be my Lord for our brother the wind, and for air and cloud, calms and all the weather, by which you uphold in life all creatures.

Praised be my Lord for our sister water, which is very serviceable to us, and humble, and precious, and clean.

Praised be my Lord for brother fire, through which you give us light in the darkness; and he is bright, and pleasant, and very mighty, and strong.

Praised be my Lord for our mother the Earth, which sustains us and keeps us, and yields diverse fruits,
and flowers of many colors, and grass.

Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon one another for God’s love’s sake, and who endure weakness and tribulation; blessed are they who peaceably shall endure, for you, O most High, shall give them a crown!

Praised be my Lord for our sister, the body of death, from which no one escapes. Woe to him who died in mortal sin!

Blessed are they who are found walking by your most holy will, for the second death shall have no power to do them harm.

Praise you, and bless you the Lord and give thanks to God, and serve God with great humility.

A Thanksgiving Wish!

2011-11-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is such a uniquely American holiday. While turkey, cornstalks, and the images of pilgrims and their native hosts can trace their origins to the colonization of the United States, one of the most commonly found Thanksgiving symbols is rooted in folklore.

The enduring image of the cornucopia or horn of plenty and its wicker-like basket of overflowing fruits, vegetables, grains and flowers is everywhere this time of year. It is printed on paper plates, paper napkins and is available in an array of 3-D models for Thanksgiving centerpieces.

The horn of plenty symbolizes abundance and was originally a goat’s horn, not the straw creation we see today. According to legend, it was overflowing with fruit and grain but could be filled with whatever its owner desired. It came to represent inexhaustible riches. Perhaps that is why early colonists chose it to symbolize their prosperity (or survivability) in the new world.

Regardless of its heritage, it also has a more practical meaning today. It symbolizes gratitude. Without support from people like you, we would not be here. We are grateful and thankful to you! Just as early pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving together, we are always mindful that all of our successes come from the support of people like you.

The horn of plenty is an interesting symbol. At one end is abundance; fruit, grains and flowers fill a large funnel-like opening that tapers into almost nothingness. The greatness at the end traces its beginnings to very small, very humble origins. That is not unlike the mission and successes of the Church. We, too, can trace our origins to very humble beginnings.

Often people believe their resources may be too small to make a difference; only large gifts and huge talents can propel a mission. However, the horn of plenty does not start large. It starts with only a small point. Each of us can be that small point if we choose to be!

As regularly as Thanksgiving arrives in November each year, our experience has taught us that there are more than large gifts that sustain our Center. Rather, like the cornucopia, it is the small gifts that combine, emerge and grow together to form the abundance we know today. Thank you for all that you have done, and thank you for all that we can do together!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE FRANCISCAN SPIRITUAL CENTER

*Author unknown

Anne Frank

2011-11-23T11:00:00.001-08:00

~From the diary of Anne Frank~

In spite of everything, I still believe

that people are really good at heart.

I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation

consisting of confusion, misery, and death.

I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness,

I hear the ever-approaching thunder, which will destroy us, too,

I can feel the suffering of millions, and yet,

if I look up into the heavens,

I think that it will all come right,

that this cruelty will end,

and that peace and tranquility will return again.

In the meantime, I must uphold my ideals,

for perhaps the time will come

when I shall be able to carry them out.

As we begin Advent on Sunday and head into the Christmas season, reflect on the foundation that you build your hopes and dreams on. What does that foundation look like? When you look into the heavens, do you feel that all will come out right? The Frank family, and certainly Anne as a teenager, chose to uphold their ideals in the face of persecution.

In this time of Advent waiting, focus on the idea that peace and tranquility will return again!

Incline us O God!

2011-11-22T15:53:00.001-08:00

Incline us O God!
to think humbly of ourselves,
to be saved only in examination of our own conduct,
to consider our fellow-creatures with kindness,
and to judge of all they say and do with the charity
which we would desire from them ourselves.
~Jane Austen

Luke 6:31 says "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

As we approach Thanksgiving, who are you considering with kindness today?

JOY!

2011-11-21T11:18:00.001-08:00

Joy Is Contagious!

~St. Francis~

"If at times temptation or despondency comes along to try me, and I see joy in my companions, then I immediately recover and let go of the temptation or depression. The joy I admire in others restores my own inward and outward joy."

Quietest Moments

2011-11-18T09:48:00.001-08:00

“Stress is a perverted relationship to time. We need to slow down so that we can find our rhythm: stillness, silence, solitude. There is something intrinsically sacred in awakening to your own belonging to the divine.” John O’Donohue.

In your quietest moments, where is your attentiveness leading you? What is it that you long for?

The Lord Give You Peace

2011-11-16T11:50:00.001-08:00

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in hear: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.
~Matthew 5:3-9

Wherever they are, or wherever they go throughout the whole world they should not be quarrelsome, contentious or judgemental towards others. Rather, it should be obvious that they are joyful, good humored, and happy in the Lord as they ought to be, and in greeting others, let them say, "The Lord give you peace."
~St. Francis' Rule

How are you being called to be a peacemaker? Are there people or places in your life that are in need of prayers for peace? List those prayers here and let "The Lord give you peace."

Pleasing God

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

"People think pleasing God is all God cares about.

But any fool in the world can see [God is] always trying to
please us back...always making little surprises and springing
them on us when we least expect them."

-Alice Walker The Color Purple

What little surprises is God springing on you lately?

Veteran's Day!

2011-11-11T10:52:00.001-08:00

In honor of Veteran’s Day

I pledge allegiance to the flag

of the United States of America,

and to the republic for which it stands,

one nation under God,

indivisible,

with liberty,

and justice for all.

Out in the Fields with God

2011-11-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

The little cares that fretted me,
I lost them yesterday
Among the fields above the sea,
Among the winds at play;
Among the lowing of the herds,
The rustling of the trees,
Among the singing of the birds,
The humming of the bees.

The foolish fears of what may happen,
I cast them all away
Among the clover-scented grass,
Among the new-mown hay;
Among the husking of the corn
Where drowsy poppies nod,
Where ill thoughts die and good are born
Out in the fields with God.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Morning Song!

2011-11-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

Morning Song by Wendell Berry

“An Entrance to the Woods.”

“The dawn comes slow and cold. Only occasionally, somewhere along the creek or on the slopes above, a bird sings. I have not slept well, and I waken without much interest in the day. I set the camp to rights, and fix breakfast, and eat. The day is clear, and high up on the points and ridges to the west of my camp I can see the sun shining on the woods. And suddenly I am full of ambition; I want to get up where the sun is; I want to sit still in the sun up there among the high rocks until I can feel its warmth in my bones.”

As winter fast approaches with its cold and dark days, it’s easy to stay curled up in bed and not be interested in our day. There are appointments, meetings, family duties…a barrage of activities that we don’t have the energy to face. But, there is a place somewhere or a loved one in our lives who beckons to us like the sun on the mountain peaks, coaxing us to see what is shiny and warm in the world. Where is that place for you? Who is that place for you? Think about it today as you set your sights on the high places!

Go Outdoors

2011-11-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

Grant me the ability to be alone;
May it be my custom to go outdoors each day
among the trees and grasses,
among all growing things
and there may I be alone,
and enter into prayer
to talk with the one
that I belong to.

Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav

Glory of Creation

2011-11-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

The beauty of the trees,
the softness og the air,
the fragrance of the grass,
speaks to me.

The summit of the mountain,
the thunder of the sky,
the rhythm of the sea,
speaks to me.

The faintness of the stars,
the freshness of the morning,
the dewdrop on the flower,
speaks to me.

The strength of fire,
the taste of salmon,
the trail of the sun,
and the life that never goes away,
they speak to me.

And my heart soars.

Chief Dan George

During this time of transition of seasons is when nature delights us with the beauty of creation. The days a little more brisk. The sun a bit more golden. The trees alive with color. Stepping outside is stepping into the glory of creation. What are you doing this autumn to immerse yourself in such glory? What are your favorite parts of this season?

All Souls Day

2011-11-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

November 2, 2011

All Souls Day: Facts and Misconceptions

Taken from, www.theholidayspot.com/all_souls_day/facts.htm

• All Souls Day is commonly misinterpreted as the Mexican version of Halloween. In fact it is not. Mexicans have celebrated the Day of the Dead since 1800 B.C.

• The celebrations do not include images of ghosts, dead people, witches or the devil. Therefore it is not scary or morbid.

• This ritual has nothing to do with cults. It is a Catholic Christian ritual intermingled with folk culture. Going to mass is an essential aspect of this celebration.

• This celebration is not about honoring Death, but revering and fondly remembering the deceased relatives. It is an opportunity to cast a reflecting glance on the lives of our ancestors, our heritage, and ponder upon the meaning and purpose behind our existence.

• Ofrendas or altars are not for the purpose of worshipping but for offering our love and remembering our departed family members.

• It is not a sad, scary or morbid ritual. It's a day of happiness because the loved ones are being remembered with fondness. Although when in the graveyard, people tend to assume an introspective attitude. It is about Love not Fear.

• It may appear a weird ritual to those alien to the culture, but in fact it is quite similar to visiting a grave and leaving flowers or stuffed animals, and lighting a candle to remember those who have left for their heavenly abode.

• It is not a careless or daring confrontation of death. It is rather a reflective moment to muse upon one's life and the cycle of life and death.

Spiritual Ancestors

2011-11-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Reflection by Joyce Rupp

“I have always been drawn to the Feast of All Saints. It is a time to remember with gratitude all those persons whose goodness has inspired me in my beliefs and given me courage to act on what I believe. It is a day to acknowledge that these holy men and women have helped me find my own potential for goodness.

I think of “saints” as not only those women and men who have been canonized by the church, but all people whose lives reflect the goodness of God. Saints are not perfect people. They have their faults, idiosyncrasies and weaknesses. They have their own struggles and difficulties. Even the canonized ones are noted to have been difficult to live with because of some of their unique mannerisms. Yet, the saints are people of integrity. They have a central focus at the core of their lives: the love of God. They consistently choose to act out of that central reality, no matter how ordinary or extraordinary their lives may be.

As we celebrate this feast on November 1st, we gather to commemorate not just the martyrs or people we might tend to put on spiritual pedestals, but all those people who have drawn us to God because of who they are and how they lived.”

Reflect today on the saints in your life and how you have grown closer to God through them.

This Autumn Day

2011-10-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

O sacred season of Autumn, be my teacher,

for I wish to learn the virtue of contentment.
As I gaze upon hour full-colored beauty,
I sense all about you
An at-homeness with your amber riches.

You are the season of retirement,
Of full barns and harvested fields.
The cycle of growth has ceased,
And the busy work of giving life
Is now completed.
I sense in you no regrets:
You’ve lived a full life.

I live in a society that is ever-restless,
Always eager for more mountains to climb,
Seeking happiness through more and more possessions.
As a child of my culture,
I am seldom truly at peace with what I have.
Teach me to take stock of what I have given and received;
May I know that it’s enough,
That my striving can cease
In the abundance of God’s grace.
May I know the contentment
That allows the totality of my energies
To come full flower.
May I know that like you I am rich beyond measure.

As you, O autumn, take pleasure in your great bounty,
Let me also take delight
In the abundance of the simple things in life
Which are the true source of joy.
With the golden glow of peaceful contentment
May I truly appreciate this autumn day.

~Edward Hays

Questioning?

2011-10-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

“There are some questions that will never be satisfactorily answered this side of Heaven.”

~ Greg Clapper~

What are those questions for you? Is it hard to be patient and trusting when there are no answers? Famous writer Rainer Rilke approaches the subject like this, “…don’t search for the answers which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”

Make an effort today to be patient in all that you do!

Is It Morning?

2011-10-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

It is morning,

really morning,
or is it just
another day?
A new beginning
or just a continuing yesterday?
How I wish for morning:
a light soft
and bleaching a night’s pain.
A new beginning,
a new day.
But I fear morning’s no longer with me.
Beginnings rarely seek me out-
I am too much with middles.

-Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro

How do you view your day? Are you an eternal planner always anticipating the next move? Or, perhaps you have that live in the moment attitude. Which ever description fits you best. The fact is, we all have an opportunity for a new beginning. J.R.R. Tolkien tells us "All we have to decide is what to do with the time given to us."

So, how did you start your day?

We Come Only Armed with Love

2011-10-26T14:23:00.001-07:00

Brought to you by: http://www.franciscansforjustice.org

- This video was produced by Brother Rufino Zaragoza ofm and friends.

Spirit of Assisi - Armed With Love from JPIC/Vocation Animation on Vimeo.

Make Your Needs Known!

2011-10-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

Make Your Needs Known to One Another

“Be confident in making your needs known to one another. For each of you, to the extent that God gives you the grace, should love and nourish one another as a mother loves and nourishes her child.” ~St. Francis of Assisi~

It's hard for many of us to ask for help when we need it; we are often the caregivers of our entire family and the cliché about being the glue that holds everything together is not so far off in our crazy lives. If you are a parent or a caregiver, you understand this concept of nourishing love, the feeling of showering another with compassion, understanding and attendance to their need. On the other hand, you also understand the concept of another human being making their needs known to you, constantly in some situations. St. Francis calls us to be confident in sharing our needs with others too, reflect today on what your needs may be and make a mental list of the people in your life that you can make your needs known to.

Is it noisy?

2011-10-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Francis saw that the world’s noise has a way of deflecting people from the deeper realities of life. It keeps us preoccupied with the superficial at the expense of the meaningful. It deafens our souls and subdues our hearts. For Francis and other saints, monastics, and mystics down through the ages, the desire for solitude isn’t an effort to flee from the world; it’s an attempt to run toward God, to know God better, and to hear God’s voice amid the din.

Excerpt from The Lesson of St. Francis by John Michael Talbot

Do you find yourself running toward the noise? Or, away? I find that when I am not noticing it I seem to be drawn to the noise, to the busyness of life. It takes a conscious and concerted effort to turn away and find the solitude. How does the process work for you?

Present Moment

2011-10-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Our true home is in the present moment.

To live in the present moment is a miracle.
The miracle is not to walk on water.
The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment,
to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.
Peace is all around us-
in the world and in nature-
and within us-
in our bodies and our spirits.
Once we learn to touch this peace,
we will be healed and transformed.
It is not a matter of faith;
it is a matter of practice.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Do you allow yourself to be in the present moment? How is this time spent? For some it is in the delight of silence and solitude. For others it is having heightened awareness of what is happening "now." How can we slow down from the hustle and bustle of life and be more in the present moment?

Angels across the Chasm

2011-10-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Zion National Park

“When I was a youngster I wanted to go out running among the mountain peaks. And when, between two summits, a gap appeared, why not leap across the Chasm? Led by the angel’s hand, all my life long this is what happened, this, exactly.” ~Dom Helder Camara~

We all reach these ‘gaps’ in our lives where we are paralyzed by fear and anxiety because we cannot see a safe way to cross over the Chasm. All we see is a wide open canyon with no bridge or road to pass safely onto the other side. Today, can you trust that there is an angel waiting to lead you by the hand? Reflect on what that feels like to have a sense of security and companionship on your journey. Who are the angels in your life? Have you thought about the fact that YOU may be the angel guiding another across the Chasm of life?

Experience Solitude

2011-10-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

It’s true: Solitude, silence, and stillness help us connect to God. But God doesn’t intend that we take such spiritual riches and keep them to ourselves or hoard them away. Instead, the genius of the Franciscan approach is its balance between quiet meditation and activity in the world. Intimacy with God becomes a prelude to intimacy with and service to others.

I have found that the discipline of solitude brings three important beliefs:
- You know yourself better.
- You know God better.
- You know your purpose better.

Excerpt from The Lesson of St. Francis by John Michael Talbot

If you are ever in seek of such solitude. Consider attending the Franciscan Hermitage Experience. It is a 4 day retreat spent is solitude in the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. A perfect opportunity to know God better, yourself, and your purpose better. Click here for more info.

Persevere with St. Francis

2011-10-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

"Happy will they be who will persevere in the things they have begun."

~St. Francis of Assisi~

Reflect on what this quote means in your life today. Are there relationships you have neglected? Are there projects and crafts laying around your home unfinished? Did you call the dentist back? Is there yard work that needs to be done? Are there prayers you've been meaning to say?

Please take the opportunity today, take one step closer to happiness, and complete a task that may be difficult for you. Ask St. Francis to guide you in your effort!

Life's a Banquet

2011-03-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

By: Laura Engle For the past three years my spiritual directors and pastors have asked me a version of the following question during Lent: From what are you fasting and on what are you feasting? Author, poet and pastor William Arthur Ward offers the following suggestions: Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude. Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism. Fast from discouragements; feast on hope. Paradox is a friend of the spiritual seeker. So often we find, to the surprise of our busy, linear minds that two opposite things can be true at the same time. In the paradox of the fast that is actually a feast we may find that, to quote the character Auntie Mame, “Life’s a banquet.”

As Christians, we are taught that we can find hugely vibrant, potent hope in the smallest things. This has sometimes been called “mustard seed faith” because of Jesus’ words, “if you have the faith the size of a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible to you.” It is a kind of law of inverse proportions.

At a minimum, religious teachers in many traditions tell us that times of fasting make our experiences of our feasts all the better. For as our Proverbs teach: “He who is full loathes honey, but for the hungry every bitter thing is sweet” (Prov. 27A:7). It is a matter of perspective. The feast of Easter is the ultimate experience of this truth for Christians.

We must be careful, however, that our notions of fasting are not left to the realm of food only, as means of self-punishment, piousness, duty and deprivation, because to do so cuts us off from the “go- spell”, the good news! Returning to that canny theologian Mame, the entire quote is, “Life’s a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!” Whoa. Could it be that when we get caught up in our “to do’s” and, let’s face it, daily struggle to be humans, in certain ways we are starving to death? How do we get in on this banquet? Mame’s prescription was to receive it, celebrate it and enjoy it.

I saw a card in a gift shop recently that had a picture of a Buddhist monk, seated in meditation on a rocky cliff. Behind him the sun blazed in a brilliant blue sky. The inscription in the card read, “Nothing to do. Nowhere to go.” As I let myself drop down momentarily into the imagined experience of nothingness, it felt as if the blueness of the sky, the breezes in the canyon, the radiant stillness of the sun were all suddenly right there for me to enjoy.

Speaking personally, the invitation to simultaneously “fast from and feast on” life reframes the entire practice of fasting. It is the gift that Saint Francis holds before us in his well-loved Canticle of Brother Sun in which the Poverello or the poor one, as he was known, finds in his experience of self-emptying his place on earth in kinship with all created things, even the elements. “Praised be you, My Lord, through Brother Wind and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through which you give sustenance to Your creatures.”

In a simple and yet ultimate way, this way of being, a way that “fasts from (fill in the blank) and “feasts on” brings us home to the planet, ourselves, our community and our Creator.

“And God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Gen: 1:31)

I Have A Dream- Martin Luther King, Jr.

2011-01-17T16:36:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King Jr. -I Have A Dream Speech-
“Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

The Spirit of Giving

2010-12-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

by Lynn McFarland

Monday December 6 was the Feast Day of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was the bishop of Myra, near the Mediterranean Sea, in the 4th Century. He was born into the wealthy merchant class and his family enjoyed many riches along their journey. Nicholas, however, was taught from a young age that being generous to others and giving of oneself was the greatest wealth of all. He would throw bags of gold into the windows of towns’ people who were poor or who had lost their life’s wages when their businesses failed; never did he let them know his identity.

One evening, a businessman who had lost everything waited to see if another bag of gold would fall through his window as it had the year before, when it did, he raced outside to catch this angel, only to recognize him as Nicholas, the wealthy merchant. “Why did you give us this gold?” asked the man. “Because you needed it” answered Nicholas. “But why didn’t you let us know who you were?” asked the man. Nicholas said in reply, “it is good to give and have only God know about it.”
In this season of commercialism, it is hard to have the heart of St. Nicholas. To give away our riches solely because someone else needs them more than we do; it’s a very rare and powerful position to be in when we live the old adage to ‘give from the heart’. It sounds like a cliché, and it is because by the very definition of the word cliché, this old phrase has been overused to the point that it has lost its meaning.

When was the last time you made a monetary donation without expecting a receipt for tax purposes? When was the last time you were given a gift without knowing who it came from? It is lovely to be recognized for our philanthropic endeavors, it makes us feel good that when we have the means to give, we usually do, and other’s perception of us is that we are kind-hearted and generous people, they think we may even believe in something bigger than ourselves; a worthy cause. Our gifts make a difference and everyone knows about them as our names are printed in Annual Reports, on plaques and walls, by invitations to more events etc. Rarely do we give anonymously as St. Nicholas did; we want people to know our identity. This is not to say it’s selfish to be thanked by others, many times we want people to know we have given, not to increase our ego, but so they know where to come if they need help in the future, our gifts are something they can count on and they do make a true difference in the lives of other people.

During this season of Advent, consider giving without reward or recognition. Drop blankets off to the homeless, donate to Goodwill and don’t ask for a receipt, buy your neighbor cookies and leave them on their front porch in secrecy, give teddy bears to a local children’s hospital or school supplies to a school; but do all of these things with the heart of St. Nicholas!

St. Nicholas lives on in our modern day Santa Claus, the idea that people will receive gifts from Santa without seeing him is a widely accepted concept. Of course Santa comes down the chimney, toys are made by elves and reindeer fly all around the world in one night; magical! More importantly, let’s focus on the fact that being Santa for someone else requires that we be invisible. Give without being seen or known, this is the real gift of the Christmas Season.

In the spirit of St. Nicholas, be present to others, give without reward and recognize that when God is the only one who knows you’re giving, you are ‘giving from the heart’!

Are You Passionately Living

2010-11-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

By: Lynn McFarland

Confucius said, “wherever you go, go with all your heart.” It may sound like a catch phrase or redundant message, but it’s not. I was listening to an audio CD that arrived via Success Magazine when I heard an incredible interview with the founders of Invisible Children (A non-profit that works with war affected children in East Africa). In that conversation they relay the following message; “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, do what makes you come alive, because that’s what the world needs.” This speaks to passion and heart! The world needs more people who are passionate about something. How does this tie into Confucius’ advice?

We all fill up our allotted 24 hours each day working, playing, praying and running ourselves ragged. But, what part of our 24 hours is spent being passionate about what we’re doing? Do we live to unload the dishwasher every night? Are we ecstatic about the next load of laundry or traffic jam we need to sit in? Do we express gratitude sitting at our kids’ soccer games in the freezing rain and cold? What about being with someone we love, is that where our passion lies?

I like to think I live my passion every day, but I don’t. I’m not always contemplative and aware of where my heart is going at any given minute. I get lazy, complacent and say to myself; “Someday I will be great! Someday I will get my new business off the ground, lose the weight, spend less money etc.” Then I remind myself of the advice Dad gave me, “Someday is not a day of the week Lynn.” Be concrete, set goals and make things happen.

I know, easier said than done when we are bogged down with life. The quote from Confucius is obviously a metaphor. He’s not speaking about our physical heart; of course we take that with us wherever we go. Rather, he is speaking to what fuels our passion in life. Whatever that passion is for you, feed it with your whole heart. The world needs more people who are willing to replace mediocrity for excellence in whatever they choose to do!

“Time does not change us, it unfolds us.” Mark Frisch

Allow yourself some time to unfold by practicing what you are passionate about.

Let’s start the conversation…what is your passion?

2010-10-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you who follow our blog you can also follow us on Facebook under Franciscan Spiritual Center or on Twitter @francisandclare.

Keep in touch with all the happenings here at the Franciscan Spiritual Center

Autumn

2010-09-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Photo and words by Michelle Kroll

As we see the leaves
begin to turn and sway,
chaning all their colors
like the changing of our days.

Let us be reminded
of the length of day and sun,
that we had a short time ago
when summer has begun.

Let us now reflect
of the days now gone.
Days spent in splendor
of the warm summer sun.

And now that autumn
is finally hear,
the wind so crisp,
and falling leaves appear.

Let us too rejoice,
in the autumn now,
when leaves do fall
it is time to slow down.

Slow down and celebrate
the glory of it all.
The marvelous season,
it is here, it is fall!

The Gift of Professed Women

2010-08-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

By Mary Erickson

This blog can serve several purposes it seems to me. We can use it to impart reflections on our personal spiritual journey or to shed light on something that seems important to say. What I hope to offer here is perhaps a bit of both.

I have been gifted since the early 1970’s with the sporadic influence of professed religious women in my life. Getting to know and appreciate the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary has been a blessing that accompanied me through two academic programs at Marylhurst University. The Benedictine sisters helped me forge my way through a two year spiritual direction program at the Shalom Center. For the last four years I have had the privilege of working with the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia here at the Franciscan Spiritual Center. The experiences have had a profound effect on my life journey and my world view.

Watching with interest over the last year or so, I have seen and read the information related to the Vatican’s decision to investigate the women’s religious orders in the U.S. and find it to be fascinating that in the midst of such a tumultuous time for men religious related to the sex abuse scandal that the hierarchy of the Church finds time to engage in such an undertaking and can only ask why.

My personal study of the last one hundred years here in the US and the work of various religious orders has proven to me that the American Catholic Church owes it strong existence to the consistent hard work, tenacity and overwhelming vision of the sisters. Many of the orders risked all to send their sisters out to start schools and hospitals in areas that unaccompanied women had never ventured to previously. These women collectively built the largest private school and hospital systems in our country and it appears they were single-minded in their commitment to bring the highest quality healthcare and finest education to thousands throughout the US.

I believe that the work and the accomplishments of the sisters have gone largely unrecognized and unappreciated by many within the Church. My experience in working alongside sisters is that in many cases they are selfless, incredibly well-educated and dedicated to their vocation, their Church and their God. It has been my great honor to work with these women and to be invited to share their mission and vision for their ministry.

The motives of the investigation have been thoroughly discussed, debated and challenged by many supporters of the sisters both inside and outside of the Church. I wholeheartedly support these challenges and throw my hat into the ring of rising voices that are calling for Vatican officials to cease this effort and to publicly recognize that the truth wealth of the Catholic Church is not in the Vatican museum in Rome but in the incredible integrity and dedication of these very powerful women. We must all do our part to voice our support and love for the women that have played a monumental role in shaping our faith through their example and efforts. My life has been incredibly enriched by their influence and I remain steadfastly grateful for the gifts of their friendship.

Solitude and Contemplation

2010-07-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

By: Sr. Mary Jo Chaves

We have often heard the phrase that “silence is golden.” That was probably true for our elementary school teachers who treasured those moments when her students were intent upon some project that required a quiet thoughtful process. What about our lives as adults? What place does solitude and silence have in our spiritual journey? Does the TV, radio or IPod, immediately get turned on when we walk into our homes or get into our cars? When are we comfortable with silence or do we fill up the “air waves” when silence is pending?

Here at the Center Marilyn Kirvin and I are coordinating a silent directed retreat from July 13 – 19. Each day each retreatant meets with her spiritual director to walk the retreatant’s spiritual journey together and to discern God’s spirit at work in the retreatant’s life. There are optional contemplative prayer opportunities throughout the day. Except for spiritual direction and prayer together the retreatants keep silence from the evening of July 13th until the morning of July 19th. Though it may take a day or two to settle into the retreat it soon becomes quite a “luxury” to have ample time to rest, pray and contemplate without interruption the mystery of God at work in their lives through spiritual reading, personal reflection, art work, or other creative activities. The silence and solitude deepen as the week progresses. A community of prayer and reflection is formed around the sense of solitude.

St. Francis of Assisi encouraged his followers to make silent retreats periodically in order to get a new lens on one’s life and then to carry the retreat in one’s heart as one went about daily life. How might we respond to such an invitation? Maybe the radio or TV can wait when we have an opportunity for a “mini-retreat” for a few minutes. Our God doesn’t necessarily need much of our time; our God needs our presence and full attention to God’s work in our lives. Solitude, silence and contemplation can empty our minds and hearts so we can hear the still small voice of our God within our inner being.

In these “lazy days of summer” take time to smell the roses, to sit and be silent. Psalm 46 encourages us to “Be still and know that I am God.” May silence and contemplation bring you to a deeper knowing of our abundant God!

Summer, Summer, Where for Art Thou Summer?

2010-06-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

By: Sr. Guadalupe Medina

Here we are in the month of June and today it is summer, at least according to the calendar. Yet, the spring showers or better yet the heavy spring down pours continue to bless us with plenty of water. It appears that spring has spring hasn't really arrived, so how can summer be upon us?

If one looks beyond the unpredictable climate, one realizes spring did arrive in it's full glory. Now, the harvest fields and gardens are thriving with plenty of beauty and bountiful harvest. Despite the grey gloomy rainy days, the mystery of the Creator of all continues to reveal His unsurpassable power. We have seen some small glimpses of sunshine, the magnificence of nature quietly continues to give of itself. Trees have new abundant leaves, flowers have sprung and blossomed, and crops are beginning to flourish and ripen.

What it speaks to me is "The Great Mystery" of the unseen ray of life; to which NO ONE can keep from penetrating this bountiful world we call Mother Earth.

Peaceful Reflections

2010-05-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

By: Michelle Kroll

Below are some reflections from a gathering I did this weekend and co-facilitated. I thought this might be a nice platform to share. The delphinium flower was drawn by me :) Enjoy!

You Are There
I see you,
before that...
I felt you.
I know that you
are always there
watching over me,
to help me
right the wrong.
You are there
to calm my storm.
I am cautious
and carfeul
to be only my best
for you!
If I fall,
you are there
helping me to rise.
I try to see only good,
for you.
For you always
see the good in me.
You are there,
I see you,
helping me, be me.

I had several people in mind when I was writing that. So, I think it goes out to all my family, moral and creative support.

Passion Engaging All Calm on Earth

_______________________________________

And a special haiku for someone near and dear.

Abundant is she,
So good and strong and love filled,
Inspires you and me!

Welcoming the Season of Spring and Easter

2010-04-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

by: Sr. Mary Jo Chaves

The Season of Spring blossoms all around us as we smell its fragrance and enjoy the April showers! Tulips open to the sun; rhododendron buds are ready to burst in myriads of colors and lilacs lure us into their many blossomed stems. I find myself pondering these flowers and their connection to the Easter mysteries.

TULIPS
I like to think of the tulip as a reminder of all the nurturing that it takes beforehand for that flower to bloom – plantings in the fall, resting in the winter, breaking through the soil, growing in the sun and finally blooming! It might be compared to all the nurturing that Jesus did with Mary Magdalene. He healed her and she accompanied him all the way to the cross. Mary Magdalene is the first person to whom the resurrected Christ appears and she recognizes him when he says her name, “Mary.” I ask myself how am I nurtured and how do I nurture others.

RHODODENDRONS
The rhododendrons dance in the sunlight and when in full bloom they burst with beauty and awe. The only appropriate response is WOW! Mary, the Mother of Jesus, stood beneath the cross as well. Though we have no scripture passage about the Risen Christ appearing to Mary, it seems to me that she would be the first one to whom he would appear. She would have been filled at the moment with wonder and awe and she would have had the strength to keep living in the light of the Resurrection. I ask myself how willing I am to dance the dance of my life, letting others see God’s goodness and beauty through me.

LILAC
As I ponder the lilac I am amazed at the mass of blossoms, each one perfect in form, each one bigger than imaginable when with the other blossoms. The disciples must have felt like that when faced with the challenge of establishing the church once Jesus had ascended to the Father. They would have to be bigger than they possibly imagined their lives could be before encountering Jesus. I, too, have the same call to follow in the footprints of Jesus. Will I say yes daily with all my brothers and sisters to living the Gospel message, being bigger than I could possibly imagine?

This season of spring and Easter will soon give way to summer and ordinary time. Don’t miss its message! Celebrate each blossom! Celebrate the Risen Christ!

Letting Go

2010-03-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

by Marilyn Kirvin

Yesterday the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation. The Gospel for that day, “and the Angel said to Mary, do not be afraid….” is one of my favorite readings in Scripture. Over my desk I have a print that I love of the painting “The Annunciation,” by African-American painter Henry Osawa Tanner - unlike in some portrayals of this moment, Mary here looks like a woman in her early teens… and her expression is not one of fear, but of curiosity, wonder… “How can this be?” (to see it, go to http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/104384.html )

Often we think of this story as being associated with Christmas, but listening to the reading yesterday, so close to Holy Week, I thought instead of how , when she said “yes” to the angel’s invitation to bear a son, Mary could not have known that her yes would one day lead to watching her son as he was executed as a political prisoner. Mary, like all of us, could not see into the future… she only had that moment in which to respond, and so she said that yes – trusting somehow in the God who called her, and letting go of knowing and controlling, all the rest.

Perhaps I am thinking about Mary a bit more this week because last Saturday my oldest son moved to Corvallis to start school. He is excited, as am I for him, for he has worked hard to make this happen, and I think he’s as prepared as can be at this point. But I can remember holding him when he was a baby, and not being able to imagine that he wouldn’t be with me forever (fortunately, of course, living with a teenager tempers this desire for them never to leave home). And yet, when the time came, I did it, just like every parent does it, as every person does it when it’s time. It’s not that we don’t worry, of course. But we have to let go, and trust in God’s grace and mercy.

As a spiritual director, I suspect that the challenge of letting go and trusting God is a theme that comes up in almost every conversation that I have with the people who see me. It is there for women in their 60’s caring for parents with dementia, and in men whose marriages are ending. It is the challenge for people who are losing employment in this economy, those who are struggling with addiction, and those who grieve the passing of a loved one. It is even what underlies every time we are called – to parenthood, to marriage, to a new ministry or a new town, to retirement - we are also being called to letting go. It is what we hear from Jesus on the cross: Into Your hands I commend my Spirit….

As we enter in Holy Week, then, we will walk with Jesus on his journey of letting go… of his mission, his friends, his sense of closeness to God, and his very life. As we hear these stories, may we find inspiration there for our own journeys of trust, and may we know that we are not alone - that Jesus, his mother, his disciples, all those who have gone before us, and those who pray with us are on the same journey, accompanied by our loving God.

The Experience of Pilgrimage

2010-03-17T14:06:00.001-07:00

During the past two weeks, three of us from the Franciscan Spiritual Center had the opportunity to accompany eleven other people on a pilgrimage trip to Assisi and Rome, Italy. This was the second pilgrimage trip sponsored by our center and appears to have been a successful endeavor to those who participated.
The experience of traveling to holy and historic sites in Europe is a marvelous way to meet others and share meaningful dialogue. Places where St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare routinely lived and wandered were simultaneously very spiritual and impressive. We had the benefit of learning a great deal about both saints through the lens of Sr. Mary Jo Chaves who has spent a lifetime in study and contemplation of Franciscan theology. Through her descriptions we could feel the holy presence of both Francis and Clare which allowed us to more fully understand their continuing impact on people throughout the world. The pilgrimage sites in Assisi continue to draw large crowds of the faithful in spite of the fact that they lived in the twelfth century.
Having been on three pilgrimage trips I know that such a trip changes one’s perspective. It is impossible to go and not feel the challenges that saint’s encounter as they make their spiritual journeys. To see the adverse conditions that Francis willingly chose to endure in his devotion to the Gospel message was indeed remarkable. Through the stories of Francis and Clare I learned about their love of God, love for their fellow religious and loyalty to their church. The strongest message that I returned with is that the tough choices they made were made willingly and with love for their fellow human beings. Francis of Assisi is known for his rather peculiar behavior during his lifetime but there can be no doubting of his devotion to God and the Gospel message. The willingness on both his and St. Clare’s part to challenge authority when necessary to remain faithful to their vocations is a fine lesson to all.
Most of us probably don’t know of any future saints in our midst but we can learn more about remaining faithful to our values and what we believe from those who have gone before us. To me, being a saint is less about performing miracles but is all about following one’s convictions to lead a life of kindness filled with hope and gratitude. Francis and Clare embodied those characteristics and continue to influence thousands of people yearly in the beauty of the Italian countryside. How lucky were we to experience the sanctity of their homeland and to gain a better understanding of why we call them saints.

Write Now

2010-02-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

-Mary Oliver

… a silence in which another voice may speak. To whom does that other voice belong? To what? I know that for me, that other voice is my inner voice. Writing and journaling offers one an opportunity to share, learn, and remember. It is a sort of stirring of the soul, but more than that it is a chance to feel. Journaling, recollection, gives you an opportunity to savor events past and present. Writing gives you that chance to describe to the reader every minute detail. You could either write about how you went for a walk and stopped to smell the roses OR you could say:

I went for a walk this morning, an opportunity that has been lacking all winter. I stepped outside into a freshness that reminds me spring is on the way. There were just enough clouds and enough sun that I left the sweater at home. I so look forward to when these walks can happen more frequently. You can see evidence of spring already. Crocuses and their delicate green leaves are forcing their way through the soil. You can see the starts of the daffodils and tulips too, a sort of floral calendar that unfolds its way to summer. Summer seems so distant when you afternoons are currently occupied with splashing in puddles. But summer offers the chance to take said walk at the Rose Garden. How glorious is it that we have this in our city. What a wondrous gathering of roses with their velvety soft petals and over protective thorns. They always lure us in with that sweet, decadent smell.

Doesn’t that sound much more worthy of reading again than some sort of hand written log of days. Embrace writing! I have recently started to embrace it again. I took a 10 year hiatus. One writing exercise offered me a chance to write about coffee for 10 minutes, or rain, or a memory I have about being on a bicycle. There are so many memories inside, wouldn’t it be nice to get them all out? The good, the bad and the ugly. I know that I am finding it therapeutic. Natalie Goldberg tells us, “You have the right to write it down. Throw it out, rip it up, swallow it down. Build up a capacity to bear up- don’t let fear run your writing life. Hide your notebook in a good place.” The key is to keep writing and get it all out, I am.

Books to try out:
Old Friend From Far Away By: Natalie Goldberg
With Pen in Hand By: Henriette Anne Klauser
Journaling as a Spiritual Practice By: Helen Cepero

Happy New Year and Decade

2010-01-28T14:21:00.001-08:00

By Sr. Mary Jo Chaves

A new year is upon us; in fact a whole new decade is upon us. As I reflect on this, I wonder how I might live more fully and well into this second decade of the twenty-first century. I didn’t make “New Year’s Resolutions” this year. Rather, I decided to take a close look at what was already available to me without adding something “new.”

I am reminded of Paula D’Arcy’s quote: “God comes to us disguised as our life.” What is there in my life that might be a fuller expression of my call to be Christian and Franciscan? A sense of hospitality is the first thing that comes to mind. Every day I meet many people -- from those I see for spiritual direction to the grocery clerk I meet as I buy a forgotten item for dinner that evening. If I am following in the footsteps of Jesus, then the challenge is to be hospitable to all.

That really came home to me the first week of January. My brother-in-law died of a heart attack at age 90. He certainly lived a full and fruitful life. Immediate relatives numbered in the hundreds! As I walked with my sister through his funeral and our letting go of him, hospitality became primary – a hug for this grandchild, an understanding heart for a daughter who needed to talk, a patient listening to all who wanted to be sure everything was just “perfect” for the Mass of Christian Burial, and holding my sister close in my heart as she let go of her husband of 30 years. In each of these people I saw reflected back to me who Christ is and who I am. My hands and my heart were to be the hands and heart of Christ with deep genuine hospitality.

Another way to take a close look at my Christian Franciscan living is to look at my prayer practice. When the bed seems warm and cozy on these chilly winter mornings, it is a choice to get up and sit in quiet with my Beloved. It is a choice to join my community in Morning Prayer. It is a choice to pray with and for my directees. It is a choice to offer a prayer for peace to each person I meet as St. Francis of Assisi did. His greeting was always: “Peace be with you.” Francis did not pray; Francis became his prayer. That is my desire as well.

Finally, in looking at my life, I decided to take a new look at my own self-care. The commandment reads to “love your neighbor as you love yourself. That is a tall order! Getting adequate rest, eating nutritiously and exercising regularly are not things that can wait. Each day is my choice; this body I have is mine to cherish and to love. Having just recovered from a nasty cold, I am certainly in greater appreciation of my good health!

So, I invite you to take a look at this New Year 2010. What does the decade hold out for you? If you were accused of being a Christian come 2020 would there be enough evidence to convict you? Blessings on your journey!

God, Please Show Me the Way

2010-01-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

by: Marilyn Kirvin

People are making choices all the time. Sometimes the choices are major ones, such as “should I marry this person?,” or “should I take this job in Alaska or stay where I am”? Other times our choices are smaller ones, like “do I take this evening class or spend more time with my kids?” or “do I volunteer for this cause that I care about or do something creative that I enjoy?” And then there are the ongoing decisions that we all make every day, about our budgets, our health, our friendships, and so on.

In reflecting on my own record of making choices (it is checkered, at best), and those of the people who’ve seen me for spiritual direction, it seems to me that this whole area is fraught with confusion. Sometimes we don’t even think to bring God into our choice-making processes – the things we’re making choices about seem so small – does God really care about such things? At other times, we just aren’t sure how to “access” God’s guidance – praying, perhaps, for a “sign,” or making lists of pro’s and con’s, and hoping we’ll somehow be shown the next step. All of this brings up questions: Does God have a “will” for me? Is there a right choice (God’s will) and a wrong choice, and if I make the wrong choice, will my life be ruined? And, again, does God even care what I do?

Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, struggled with these questions himself. After his conversion experience, he found himself trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. Some of the stories of his early choice-making are rather comical (he was sure he was being called to minister in the Holy Land, but as soon as he got there, the Franciscans in charge immediately put him back on a boat heading home), but through his experiences he honed a method of listening and choosing that can be supremely useful to individuals, couples and groups in our own time.

The Ignatian practice of Discernment offers practical ways in which to prayerfully consider our choices, and ask God to give us light and guidance. Author Elizabeth Liebert writes, “Discernment is the process of intentionally becoming aware of how God is present, active, and calling us as individuals and communities so that we can respond with increasingly greater faithfulness.”

This method of discernment also can help groups who are making decisions about issues. Often church groups want their choices to be guided by God, but because we don’t know how to make God’s guidance accessible to us, we begin with a prayer for God’s blessing, and then let other things, such as finances or practicality, guide us. Ignatian discernment seeks to bring every part of a decision to the table – including finances and practicality – and then ask God to help our choices to be in line with God’s choices for us and for our communities.

The Franciscan Spiritual Center is offering a series on Ignatian Discernment on five consecutive Wednesday evenings, beginning January 13. In the series we will learn a process for an integrated listening for God’s presence in our life experiences and decisions, prayerfully consider guidelines for discernment taught by St. Ignatius, and experience small group sharing and support. For more information, go to http://www.francisspctr.com/prayful-dicernment.php

Holidays: The best and worst of times

2009-12-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

By Mary Erickson

As we progress in the anticipation of one of the holiest seasons of the liturgical year, we are reminded daily of the joy and angst this time of year brings to all of us. The media constantly bombards us with the realities of broken relationships, depressed people led to violent acts against themselves or others and the knowledge of those people who don’t have enough food to eat or shelter from the winter cold. This year the economic woes throughout the world have brought the stark reality of having to do with less and, in many cases, having to do without completely.

All of this should be enough to deal with but too often we have the struggles that occur within families throughout the year, and the holidays seem to magnify troubled relationships in the context of our expectations. Don’t all of us look back fondly on a Christmas scene from our childhood and wish we could recreate the warmth, happiness and loving spirit that we felt as children? I can remember being four years old and peeking out and watching my father put together a rocking horse for me, wondering why my dad was doing that because Santa was coming that night! Alas, my reverie was soon broken when my older brother, nine years old, told me that Daddy was Santa. That revelation was probably my first and most memorable disappointment in the holiday season.

Five decades have passed and with each passing year it is more apparent that those good old days that seem so precious really were elusive and a projection of all my desires for tightly-knit and happy family. For me, the vision of a Norman Rockwell family scene didn’t exist and all my wishing for it simply didn’t produce the image. What I had was a family of people who loved each other but couldn’t always get along very well and for whom the holidays only seemed to exacerbate our dysfunctional relationships.

Advent is a season of hope that encourages each of us to trust in the goodness of each other and to see that through our humanity we have the potential to bring about positive change if only we try. The good news of the coming of the Christ child symbolizes the opportunity to begin again in spite of the challenges and hardships we face. If there is one thing that I have learned it is that my vision of a perfect and loving family is probably not very realistic. What I know for sure is that I have a family of strong-willed individuals who at this point are blessed with good jobs, good health and each other. For that I am immensely grateful and I pray that our time spent together will be loving and a reflection of caring and kindness towards each other. If it doesn’t pass the Norman Rockwell family scene test, I am fine with it. I will know that we tried and there is always hope for next year. Blessings for a happy and holy holiday season!!

Flu Season Allows Time To Be, To Reflect

2009-12-08T15:17:00.000-08:00

By Sister Guadalupe Medina
I used to think we had only four seasons: fall, winter, spring and summer. But I realize now that we have a new season called the Flu Season, and its exact date for starting has not been established or put on the calendar.

Recently I entered into the Flu season and had unexpected days off. During those days I did not find myself wanting to go shopping, or prepare anything special. I simply just wanted to get better.

Much to my surprise I found myself enjoying the days off more than when I get holiday days off. Perhaps it was because these days were not planned, they just happened. I found myself spending more time in silence and wondering hmmmm . . . did Jesus ever get the flu?

I don’t know how many of you ever wondered that, but I found myself asking over and over again “If we say Jesus was human in every way but sin, does that mean he never got ill? If he did get ill, how did Mary as mother deal with it. Did she make him a nice cup or bowl of soup? Did she take him to the doctor for a check up to make sure it wasn’t anything serious? Did she rely on her mother’s healing remedies? How did Jesus manage to give so many talks and not lose his voice, which is what happened to me?

I realize the questions might seems silly to some people, but seriously, have any of you ever wondered whether Jesus got sick and, if so, how it was dealt with? Let’s face it, in his time period they did not have the advanced medical technology and specialized doctors and medicine advertisements, etc. like we do today. So what do you suppose they did?

As I used the days to enter into the silence of my being, I found myself recalling the home remedies my parents used on us kids when we were growing up and how miraculously it seemed we were healed. My dad was a simple man of deep faith who, I recalled, said that the ideas he received came to him while in prayer. He trusted and followed what he heard, and mother trusted him, and together they administered the remedies to us and we got healed. Each time, I recalled, they said a prayer. A simple prayer which I must admit I say each time I take medication: “En el nombre de Dios” (In the name of God).

As I spent the days recovering, I began to see them in a positive way -- positive in the sense the days allowed me to “just be.” They reminded me of the need for taking care of one’s body and how precious and fragile life is. They reminded me of the need to trust and not lose hope, and how, despite all the medical advanced technology and medicine on the market, the flu season -- like the other seasons -- has a beauty and purpose that perhaps we may not fully ever understand.

Simplifly for a Better Life, Better World

2009-10-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

by Joy Wallace

For the past six weeks, I have been meeting with a class on Voluntary Simplicity and want to share some thoughts based on that experience. We used an excellent publication with the same title from the Northwest Earth Institute, which is full of thought-provoking articles.

Each chapter in Voluntary Simplicity deals with something in our lives where deliberate thoughtfulness and consideration can reduce stress and complexity. The key to all voluntary simplicity is mindfulness . . . actually making a conscious choice to change some behavior. As we read and discussed over the six weeks, we also came up with action plans to implement in our lives.

One area of discussion was to develop more awareness of the effect on our lives of our consumer-oriented culture. We considered how material abundance relates to actual quality of life and happiness. We discussed how many commercials wash over us as we listen to the radio, use the Internet and watch television, and how they influence our lives. We all considered cutting back on our spending, reducing waste, focusing more on personal values and getting rid of “stuff."

Another topic was “making a living.” In this chapter our discussions revolved around the long-range effects of working for a living . . . use of time and energy, relationships, and finding our passions. Too many times “we aren’t making a living, we are making a dying” because we expend our energy doing things that do not renew and nurture ourselves and end up with little energy left for relationships and things we value. Because of this, “life outside the workplace has lost vitality and meaning” and leisure time often leads to loneliness and boredom. We agreed that “making money is such hard work that it changes you” and that we want to develop new attitudes about our work lives and find more joy in leisure time.

The third topic was time -– how we use time and how nurtured we feel about the choices we make to “spend” time. One article states, “Be sure you tithe your time to something that genuinely moves you, and say no without guilt to anything that doesn’t. This way it will be easy to remember that you’re giving a gift, not serving a sentence.” Everyone in the group decided to be more deliberate about how time is spent and to increase peace in our lives.

Finally we discussed how to live more lightly on the Earth. Basically, we agreed that each individual must do something to decrease our impact on the earth. That something might be conserving water daily, composting, growing more food, turning off electric switches, recycling more, considering where food comes from and how it’s produced, or to simplify ones needs. Each person doing one thing, as well as increasing the awareness of others so they too will do one thing, can create changes.

We concluded some sessions with the following reading:
From Singing in the Living Tradition by William Henry Channing
To live content with small means;
To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion;
To be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich;
To listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages with an open heart;
To bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry, never.
To let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.

I look forward to future conversations with this group of people to see how we are all doing with our attempts to live more simply. I’m hoping to re-attend the same class at the next session.

God's Extravagant Love

2009-10-07T20:15:00.001-07:00

By Sr. Mary Jo Chaves

I have just recently returned from giving a retreat at San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville, California with Sr. Celeste Clavel, another member of our staff at the Franciscan Spiritual Center. It is a retreat that we have given many times across the country. The official title of the retreat is: God’s Extravagant Love: Reclaiming the Franciscan Theological Tradition.” It is indeed an experience of God’s extravagant love!

When we arrived on Friday October 2 we were greeted warmly by the Franciscan staff at the Center. We spent the afternoon preparing our room for our presentation. Franciscan hospitality surrounded us with abundance. One of our own sisters, Sr. Kathleen Moffatt, from Philadelphia was there to make the retreat and she immediately jumped in to help us set up.

It was quite an honor to have Kathleen with us since she is the general coordinator of this particular retreat. At the invitation of Sr. Kathleen eighteen Sisters from our own community as well as from our heritage communities gathered in Philadelphia in 2004 to create this experience. After three years of study and meetings we launched the program, expecting it to end after 12 presentations. Much to our delight it was enthusiastically received by Franciscan participants all around the world. Sr. Celeste and I found ourselves in Danville to share once more the treasure that this retreat is.

It is an introduction to three major themes from the Franciscan Theological Tradition:
• The Primacy of Christ and the Mystery of Love
• Creation
• Dignity of the Human Person

In Danville, 30 participants listened, reflected and shared their own experiences of what it means to be loved extravagantly by our God. Their faces were filled with light at the conclusion of the retreat. They packed their bags to return home with a “new lens” on their lives, one that enabled them to see with new eyes their own value and worth as well as the value and worth of all of creation.

Sr. Celeste and I intend to give this retreat at the Center here in Milwaukie in the spring. You might want to consider it for yourself. We can promise you that you will leave the retreat feeling very Franciscan and even more convinced that the Franciscan movement has a very significant role to play in redeeming and healing our 21st century world through living and sharing the abundance of God’s extravagant love.

Poets, Prophets and Mystics in an Era of Crisis

2009-10-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

By Sr. Mary Lonergan

We live our lives between moonlight and sunlight, midnight and noon, darkness and light, ignorance and knowledge, loneliness and love, oppression and freedom. Christian mystics down through the centuries have used the term “bright darkness” to describe their inner experience with God in their hunger to meet him in quiet prayer.

The poet T.S. Eliot, looking down the dark tunnel of Europe’s postwar pessimism, prophesied that the mystic, the contemplative was “our only hope, or else despair.” In our equally critical era we need prophets to awaken us to the ills of our society, contemplatives to ground our actions for justice, and writers who can wean us away from war, letting us see again the power of the pen over the bomb and the bullet.

Thomas Merton, modern mystic and prophet, continually reminded us that proclamation of Gospel values and social activism has to be grounded in faith and contemplative prayer to be authentic and effective. That to appropriate and live the vision of Christ we must regularly leave behind “business as usual” and flee routinely to the “reality of the desert” -- to meet God and find grace, to be transformed for service.

Our lives are forever blest if we encounter someone who has been changed by this personal experience of God’s abiding grace. Recently, I have been grieving and celebrating one who would not have dreamed of calling himself a mystic. He was -- in its true and faithful meaning.

Some weeks ago, Ron Rolheiser headlined his column in the Catholic Sentinel: ON A ROAD IN GUATEMALA THIS SPRING, THE CHURCH LOST A PROPHET. Rolheiser tells the story of Larry (Lorenzo) Rosebaugh, an American priest, assassinated while driving with Oblate companions from Guatemala City to a meeting in Playa Grande where the missionary had worked with civil war survivors in the rain forests of the northern El Quiché. Lorenzo was no ordinary man and no ordinary priest. He was a special gift to the world. He was a special grace in my world.

A prophet, a mystic activist, he walked always in the muddy footsteps of Francis and the dusty desert footprints of Jesus. For some brief memorable years he was a companion and guide, inspiring and illuminating my own feeble footsteps, brightening the grim darkness of war-weary and downtrodden poorest of the poor. He lived daily in the hope of miracles for his people. In truth, he was the miracle.

Lorenzo’s life, rooted in faith, powered by prayer, was a kaleidoscope of loving service., an adventure in compassion culminating in the extreme sacrifice- martyrdom in the cause of justice, advocating and agitating for those on the margins. A gentle, unassuming, non-violent man, Lorenzo lived the paradoxical life of Priest, Peacemaker and Prophet. He went to prison as a Vietnam protestor, hitchhiked to Brazil and lived on the streets of Recife, homeless and celebrating Eucharist with those whose food generally came from garbage cans. He fasted at Fort Benning, volunteered at the Catholic Worker in New York and ministered to military and freedom fighters in El Salvador.

He was caregiver for his elderly mother and protector of children surviving in the garbage dumps of Guatemala’s capital city. He lived simply, loved mightily, walked humbly, disturbed corrupt politicians and annoyed more than a few prelates. He lived the title of his brief memoir: Journey of Compassion, Resistence and Hope.

Lorenzo made a vow of love, a vow that took him over some pretty rough roads, mostly alone, often on foot. For him the Gate of Heaven was everywhere. He lived in hope. He died with hope. Because of him I think I know better what a poet, prophet and mystic can do.

Classes Offer Opportunity to Explore Ignatian Spirituality

2009-08-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

By Marilyn Kirvin

Over the course of my adult life I have been moved and “formed” by the experiences of two different Catholic spiritual paths: as a student at a Franciscan college, a volunteer at a Franciscan friary, and a member of two Franciscan parishes; and then a student at a Jesuit theology school, a campus minister at a Jesuit university, director of two Jesuit spirituality ministries and member of a Jesuit parish.

I think of these spiritualities as, in a sense, two different keys in which the music of the Gospel can be played . . . each has its own particular emphasis, and yet at the center of each is Christ, calling people to radical trust, to give all, to embrace the Cross, to obedience to the call of God as it comes to each person. Both of these spiritualities are very accessible for lay men and women in the midst of their everyday lives, both speak to, and at times critique, our culture. And both spiritualities appeal to people from a variety of faith traditions who have found their messages to be widely applicable.

Francis of Assisi, in the 12th century, fell ill in battle and was taken home for a long recuperation, which led him to notice a restlessness in his heart that became the opening for God’s presence and call. Ignatius of Loyola, in the 16th century, was injured in battle and spent many months recuperating, during which his reading of spiritual texts led him to realize that his own deepest desires could only be met by God. Each of their journeys started with great enthusiasm, both made some false turns as they became more knowledgeable about the way the Spirit’s voice was guiding them, and each found their ways to lives of service, poverty, and obedience. There are many similarities in their storie . . . as well as differences that remind us that God comes to each of us as the people we are, with great respect for our individual personalities, cultures, strengths and weaknesses . . . calling us each to our own particular way of service in the world.

On September 15 the Franciscan Spiritual Center will begin a four-week series designed to introduce participants to Ignatian spirituality – the spirituality that says that God may be found in all things, all places, all relationships, if we learn how to see. Each session explores different Ignatian prayer forms, and gives participants an opportunity to share their faith journeys with others.

Then, on the five Monday evenings in November, we will also offer a series entitled, Prayerful Discernment for Life Choices, in which participants will gather with a small group to learn and practice a prayerful process of listening for God’s presence in making life decisions, large and small. Using the guidelines for discernment from the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, this will be an experiential process, with time for quiet and prayer, to learn by bringing this method to our real questions and decisions.

The life stories of both Francis and Ignatius remind us that we have a God who desires to be part of our lives and our daily choices, and who speaks to each one of us in our prayer and service. They offer all of us the opportunity to come to know more deeply some of the many facets of our loving God.

Preserving Spirituality

2009-08-18T13:28:00.001-07:00

By Michelle Dority Kroll

You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them. Genesis 6:21

Time for more of crafting as a spiritual practice. This time we will explore the craft of food preservation. Food preservation is another practice that has been passed down through the generations. I most definitely got the knack of it from my mother. She and I would often seek out the berries of the season and make them into jam. For most people, picking berries is worse than having to pick the seeds out of your teeth! For us, picking berries is meditative. (We had an opportunity to experience this together again recently.) We can and have picked berries for hours until our fingers were stained that bluey-purple-ish red that can only be achieved by berry picking. The most recent time it ended up with about 2.5 pounds of blueberries. Blueberries are small folks, that was a lot of picking! There is only one thing to do with that many berries…JAM! These in particular were made into a Spiced Blueberry Jam and Blue Blue Strawberry Jam (2 parts blueberry and one part strawberry). Both superbly delicious!

Since then, this wonderfully meditative preserving has turned into six batches of jam and a large batch of pickled goodies (beans, cukes and garlic). One of the best things about the items being preserved is that they are wonderful treasures to share with family and friends.

To me, each jar is like a handmade gem. I loved to mix and match flavors. To create something new and exciting, that you won’t find on the grocery store shelf. I love the process of stirring and seeing it transform into its own gem. Some “gems” are purple, some are pinkish-red, some are orangey-red. To me it is the equivalent to having jars of amethyst and rubies in my pantry. Better still because I made them. Each made them with the wonderful fruits of the season. And what a blessing that we can live in an area so abundant with this goodness!

Some years ago now, I signed up for the Master Food Preserving program. Should any of you have questions about canning, feel free to leave a comment, I’ll do my best to answer them. Happy canning!

New Program Offers Creative Inspiration for Artists, Writers

2009-08-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

Artists throughout the centuries have spoken of ‘inspiration,’ confiding that God spoke to them or angels did. In our age, such notions of art as a spiritual experience are seldom mentioned. And yet, the central experience of creativity is mystical. Opening our souls to what must be made, we meet our Maker. Julia Cameron, from The Artist’s Way

When I was growing up, I aspired to be an artist. I took classes in oil painting and drawing, tried pottery and sculpture… I even became quite a maker of macramé wall hangings (yes, this was the ‘70’s). I also took guitar and recorder classes, and spent three years playing (badly) a French horn in our high school band. I wrote poems and essays and dreamed of being a writer. But, by the time I got to college, none of these were a part of my life.

In the past ten years I have returned to writing in a sense, in the talks I’ve done for retreats and liturgies, yet I still feel that same desire to create that drew me to try all those different avenues when I was young. I know I’m not alone in this; over the years, in spiritual direction sessions, groups and retreats I’ve heard many others voice a similar yearning. All of us, I believe, have an inborn ability and desire for creativity. Creation is the activity of God, and each of us shares in that creative energy that is God’s energy.

In September one of the offerings here at the Center will be an Artist’s Way Cluster Group. The book The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron, has been a tool of transformation for many, many people over the 17 years since it was first published. It offers a 12-week process designed to help people recover their creativity, and in doing so, to open themselves up to the Divine in a new and deeper way. The process is for artists, writers, musicians… but also for people who, like me, are struggling to find the time and the form for their creative desires. Each week there are exercises to complete, and free-form writing is to be done every day. The author has developed an explicitly spiritual process; among her basic principals are such things as, “Creativity is God’s gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God,” and “Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity.”

The Artist’s Way can certainly be done individually, but for some people, having a group gives them both support and a sense of accountability, which is why Julia Cameron developed some guidelines for what she calls “cluster groups.” Participants are asked to make a commitment to attend all 8 weeks and to doing the exercises, which will take 30 – 60 minutes per day. Conversation in the group meetings will be around those experiences.

I look forward to being a companion on this journey with others who are interested. The group will meet Wednesday mornings, beginning September 9. I invite you to consider registering by contacting the Center or through the web page: http://www.francisspctr.com/artists-way.php. I don’t expect that my particular gift for macramé will reappear again, but I do believe Cameron’s words: As we open our creative channel to the creator, many gentle but powerful changes are to be expected.

Understanding Your Dreams Can Bring Healing, Connection to God

2009-08-07T20:54:00.000-07:00

by Marilyn Kirvin

All dreams come in the service of health and wholeness.
Jeremy Taylor, Dream Work

“I never dream at night.” “My dreams are so strange… I would never talk about them to other people!” “Dreams are just the leftovers from all the things that happened today – why would anyone try to pay attention to them?”

All of these are common misconceptions, I believe, about night-time dreams and their meaning and importance. We know that everyone has probably five to seven dreams per night. Most of our dreams seem “strange,” because they are so creative -- they use a language of symbol and image with which we’re unfamiliar; but when we start to share our dreams with others, we find out everyone’s dreams are that way. And, while one of the purposes of dreaming is probably to sift through a day’s experiences, those who work with their own dreams find that they are also a rich source of guidance, healing, and connection with God.

A number of people throughout history, including authors, musicians, and scientists, have found inspiration or even answers to questions in their dreams. Even Albert Einstein told a journalist that his first inkling of the idea of the theory of relativity came from a dream he had of riding a sled that was approaching the speed of light. In the Jewish and Christian scriptures (as well as those of many faith traditions) there are many stories of divine wisdom coming to people in their dreams.

This summer I had the real pleasure of facilitating a dream work group of five women who met weekly for six weeks, two hours at a time. We each made a commitment to record our dreams, and during our gatherings each of us shared a dream, and then helped each other to explore the meaning of the dream for the dreamer. We also read articles and listened to cd’s to broaden our knowledge about dream work from various perspectives. There was a lot of laughter, and more than a few “a-ha” moments as we brought together our personal dreams with all that we were learning from those who have gone before us.

At the end of the six weeks, when we reflected back on the experience, we all agreed that we had received some major insights into issues in our lives, and into the way in which God seemed to be calling us to grow. We were amazed to reflect on the common threads in all our dreams, and we appreciated the way in which we had been able to share a bit of each of our lives, and make a supportive connection with each other.

This fall, the Franciscan Spiritual Center will be offering several opportunities for people interested in exploring their dreams. We will have two 8-week dream groups beginning, one on Wednesday nights starting September 16, and one on Friday afternoons. In addition, Jesuit Fr. Paul Fitterer will spend a morning with us on Monday, October 12, for a workshop entitled, “Praying With Our Dreams, Part II,” a follow-up to a workshop that he did last year about how to bring our dreams into our daytime prayer (information on all of these is on our website). Anyone interested in finding “health and wholeness” through paying attention to this rich source is welcome to attend.

For more information on these dream workshops, check out the following site: http://www.francisspctr.com/dream-exploration.php

For the love of new life

2009-08-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

by Mary Erickson

It has been twenty-five years since my youngest daughter, Emily, was born and nine years since my little Scottie, Lily, came to live with us. Needless to say, I have seriously gotten out of the habit of caring for, loving and dealing with the challenges of new life. We now have the great blessing of little Gracie in our midst, a nine week old Scottish terrier puppy.

Her presence in one short week has turned our home upside down with activity, tasks to complete, messes to clean and amazing energy that I had somehow forgotten about. It is almost comical how our lives have changed. Getting ready for work in the morning has taken on a whole new level of challenge not to mention the every two hour bathroom calls in the middle of the night. I have learned that nothing stops Gracie from what she wants and needs and the existence of two adult humans in her house only adds to the interest she has in everything she encounters.

Our decision to add Gracie to our family came after great thought and consideration since our Lily is fighting liver disease and we have hoped that having a new puppy would energize Lily into prolonged life. Naturally, we knew that there would be some relationship issues but weren’t prepared for Lily’s reluctance to have an interloper in her midst. Gracie won’t give up in her quest to become Lily’s new best friend so the coming months will continue to bring challenges for all of us as Lily fights loving her baby sister at every turn.

The gifts that Gracie bestows on us are many. New life is always an open invitation to observe the miracles that God provides. Her sweet face and charming puppy breath literally take my breath away when I hold her. I am constantly made aware of how little she is yet how daring and uninhibited she is as she explores her new environment. Taking tumbles, being snapped at by Lily, being underfoot with an occasional stepping on of her feet…nothing stops her inquisitiveness to challenge this new world she has been introduced to. At this point, the great sadness in Gracie’s life is when she is corralled in a fenced environment which inhibits her racing through our home unencumbered!!

We also experience levels of frustration with Gracie but know that nature will take its course and eventually we will see a puppy that can be housebroken, can stop screeching when put in her pen and will learn the dangers of an open stairway that could result in injury. We are so incredibly blessed with Gracie’s presence that once again it gives me cause to reflect on the goodness and mystery of God in our lives. Puppies don’t come along often because they represent great challenges to their owners, but when they do, they compel us to witness the presence of God in our midst and to be grateful for new life.

Restoration of Beauty Begins at Home

2009-07-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

by Sr. Guadalupe Medina

St. Bonaventure wrote once “Justice is the restoration of beauty to all that is broken.”
If that is true, then there is a lot of restoration that needs to be done. We are living in a society very much in need of restoration.

Every day we hear in the news about the violence taking place within our local neighborhoods. Our own places of worship -- which perhaps we felt safe in -- are also themselves becoming places of violence. Unfortunately the violence being done is not necessarily by strangers, but by people known by the victim for the most part.

When one person gets killed, or injured seriously etc., it affects us all. We are one with all humanity; whether we knew the victim personally or not, a part of us is taken.
We need not fear so much outside terrorists, because the biggest terrorist is within us. Neither borders nor security can keep it out, except perhaps ourselves if we have a change of heart.

Our values as a society are collapsing at a great rate. Therefore, if we truly love this world of ours which we call “HOME,” we need to not be afraid to speak for those who have no voice.

Families throughout our neighborhoods are hurting physically, mentality, spiritually and emotionally. The values which once held families together are constantly being torn down.

I believe it is important to take time to examine our own lives and ask ourselves: “how am I contributing to the restoration of beauty to all that is broken in society, starting with my family? Do I take time to be with my own family and be present to them, or am I so busy that I don’t even know what my children or spouse are doing or how they are feeling?”

You see, justice begins at home. When we treat our own family members with justice, justice will flow out into society. When we do not, that too, unfortunately, flows out into society.

The family reflects society. What reflection do you want society to see and experience? What reflection do you want your family to reflect back into society, one of destruction or of peace and authentic harmony?

It is never too late to start restoring beauty to all that is broken. Sometimes it is just a matter of stepping out of our comfort zone and doing it.

Take time this week and do something as a family. Enjoy the few weeks of summer that are still left to bring justice to your family.

Gifts from Three Lives

2009-07-10T18:42:00.001-07:00

By Joy Wallace

I went camping over the July 4th weekend, spending four days relaxing, reading, reflecting, hiking through the woods, playing in a creek to keep cool, exploring, and sitting by a campfire. Overall, the days were full of peace and quiet.

When I returned home and checked my e-mail, I learned that three friends had died while I was gone. They each added to my life and their gifts will remain with me.

Lou Boston: Lou was an active member of the St. Andrew Parish community. He was passionate about social justice, especially issues related to race! He was very influential at St. Andrew in keeping the dialog about race relations open, vibrant and meaningful. I remember having a conversation one day with him over coffee, about relationships between African-American and white people, and typical ways of communicating with one another. His words had a profound effect on me, and I’ve never been the same. Lou’s wisdom encouraged me to be more vigilant about my interactions with people of color, and opened the door to many unusual, unlikely encounters because he inspired me with courage and openness. Lou died of cancer.

Sr. Mary Medved, SNJM: I met Sr. Mary at a National meeting of Jesuit Volunteer Corps staff members, when she was the director of JVC International, and I was the Development Coordinator for the Northwest. Mary was so grounded that her groundedness spilled out onto others. She too was passionate about making a difference in the world for the underserved, and was very deliberate about her work. Sr. Mary was also an example of compassion. She too was a victim of cancer … a very painful experience for her. However, even at her most painful times, she always wanted to hear about you; how were you; what was happening for you. She inspired me with how she could be so present, grounded and focus on whomever she was communicating with.

Bonnie Tinker: Bonnie was an extraordinary activist. When she saw something that needed to be done, she got it organized in order to fix it. She worked for years to increase equality and respect for the gay community. She founded “Love Makes a Family” as a vehicle for her extraordinary activism to support gay families, children and relationships. Bonnie died in a bicycle accident when a truck ran into her while she was attending a faith-based conference in Virginia. Her unexpected death at 61 was a shock and the community lost one of its strongest advocates. Bonnie inspired me with her commitment and constant willingness to work ceaselessly for her causes.

Lou, Sr. Mary and Bonnie … I miss them. Portland will miss them. They added so much to our world. From each I received the gift of friendship, the gift of attention, and the gift of listening. They each modeled a commitment to increasing social justice through active service. My life is enriched by having known them and I will forever carry the gifts they left with me.

Creation Is in Your Own Hands

2009-07-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

by Michelle Dority Kroll

“It is our very nature to create.” –Matthew Fox

It is definitely in my very nature to create. When I see an object, I wonder, “how was that made?”

That is how our society has matured. It is the nature of humans to create. As a society we are constantly looking for ways to make things faster, better, stronger. While there are those who are looking to expedite life, there are those of us who work in reverse -- the crafters and creators of the world.

When I am in that creative state, I want life to slow down. I want to start from scratch. If I want instant gratification, I can go buy a basket or a sweater. But, isn’t it much more gratifying to use your own hands? Making it yourself you can produce it to your own specifications. What material will you use? A basket, made of reed? Wood? Pine needles? What yarn do you favor? Are you allergic to wool, but like the pattern? Create the item to your liking. The key is simply to create.

I hear some of you saying that you aren’t artistic or creative. Hafiz tells us that “all the talents of God are within you.” Maybe you can’t knit in a straight line, or weave with reed or wool. But maybe you are the best baker on the block. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. says “If you are called to be a street sweeper, sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry.”

So what I say to you is find your street sweeper. Find your art, your craft, find that passion that keeps you going. For me, it is creating all things. I always have to have my hands in the pot of creation. Currently it is still knitting. But, my loom has been calling to me for some time now. So, perhaps it is time for more cloth. Whatever it will be, I know it will be made by me!

“Only creating can make us happy. For in creating we tap into the deepest powers of self and universe and the Divine Self.” –Matthew Fox

Coax the Pilgrim Soul Out of You

2009-07-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

By Sr. Mary Jo Chaves

As many of you are aware, Joy Wallace and I will be leading a Pilgrimage March 4 – 15, 2010 to Rome and Assisi. You are most welcome to join us! It promises to be an experience that leads you to the center of your soul and spiritual journey.

You may be wondering what it means to go on a pilgrimage rather than a tour. There is quite a difference according to Doris Donnelly in her article: “Pilgrims and Tourists: Conflicting Metaphors for the Christian Journey to God” (Spirituality Today 44 (1992):22). Pilgrims perceive an internal dimension to pilgrimage while tourists are concerned with the external journey only. Pilgrims invest themselves; tourists avoid personal commitment. Both the journey and the arrival are important to the pilgrim. Only the arrival matters to the tourist. The focus for the pilgrim will be affected by the pilgrimage. Tourists seek to remain untouched on a deep level by their experience.

The difference between a pilgrimage and tour might be best illustrated through this Zen story. A river boat captain often took people across a large river to visit a holy shrine. The people on the boat could not wait to get to the shrine. After visiting the shrine, they would board the boat again and tell the captain how beautiful the shrine was. One day one of the visitors asked the captain if he had ever visited the shrine. He replied: “No, I am not finished seeing what the river have to offer yet.”

What is it that we might miss seeing as we go about the pilgrimage of our daily life? In these beautiful summer days that we are enjoying here in Portland, have we stopped to notice the beauty of creation all around us both during the day and during the night? I love to watch children in the summer. They run through sprinklers with absolute delight; they attempt to catch butterflies; they giggle as they notice the antics of a puppy or kitten playing in the sunshine or rolling in the grass and they sleep soundly after a day spent in the beauty of creation.

I invite you to become like a child and just notice. Be a pilgrim. Coax the pilgrim soul out of you!

Spirituality, Imagination and the Healing Power of Art

2009-06-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

By Sr. Mary Lonergan

“Yours to drive a new furrow
Nor sow any longer among the briars.” -- Jer. 4:3

We can define spirituality in many ways: in terms of integration, of self-transcendence, of growth in our relationship with God, of the activity of the Spirit within us.

Brian O’Leary, Spirituality Professor and an outstanding spiritual director at National University of Ireland’s Milltown Institute, says that no matter which definition is preferred, we are always dealing with a process – a process facilitated by our capacity to understand, to feel, to act, but mostly by our capacity to imagine. It is through imagination that we reach understanding, have our feelings engaged and are energized into action.

Imagination, Brian says, mediates reality to us and allows us to discover meaning, to weave together the strands of our reality that we name as past, present, future. It affects the way we experience these strands, interpret them and find meaning in them. More importantly, it can give us the power to change them.

Imagination allows us to re-imagine and heal old hurts and wounds. It allows us to be creative with our future, to play with multiple possibilities, to dream great dreams, release our creative energies and, ultimately, give focus to our hopes. It helps us see clearly that present is not separate from past and future. Healthy imagination enhances our lives and helps make us well integrated and whole.

And what does all this have to do with suffering and healing? M. Scott Peck begins The Road Less Traveled with the stark sentence: “Life is difficult.” We know that suffering, universal suffering, is an enormous challenge to the faith and belief in a loving, capable God. Extreme suffering diminishes the self, destroys the ability to communicate, paralyzes the deepest and innermost strivings and hinders the achievement of human wholeness. Unrelieved suffering brings Winter to the soul. It becomes hard to believe in a God who cares. In fact, it is hard to believe in God.

There is no easy answer to suffering, no easy path to wellness, mental, physical or spiritual. Ultimately, we want to believe that healing comes from God in and through the recuperative power of body, mind and spirit. (Our faith-filled grandmothers might say, “God heals those who try to heal themselves.”)

Not having my grandmother’s wisdom, and, like Julian of Norwich, being somewhat “unskilled” in art and medicine, I nevertheless truly believe that art, in all its forms -- music and movement, painting and poetry, dream and dance, sculpture and song and story -- can aid us in discovering the meaning and the mystery of God in our lived experience. I believe art can arrest life and make it available for contemplation, capturing the eternal in the everyday. Artistic images, whether we are creating or contemplating, can embody feelings, thoughts, desires, hopes, despairs. Art can unlock the doors of sorrow never opened, never expressed; can unearth hope turned to stone; can conquer grief never owned.

Carl Jung would have us believe that each person has a vast soulscape waiting to be explored, and that the creative arts can become the channels into the imaginative world, confirming the presence of a healing power within us, ready to be set free. In the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas we read, “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you.”

I believe that when artist and mystic unite, art becomes prayer made visible, and we can expect nothing less than a radical transformation of how we view and relate to our world. We can transcend suffering and plough a new furrow toward a better horizon – no longer lost “among the briars.”

An Introduction to Spring Forest Qigong

2009-06-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

By Sr. Emma Holdener, OSF LMT

Dear Friends, Namaste’ Peace, Joy and Hope to fill your Being

During my last blog, I promised to share all about Spring Forest Qigong with you. It was in April of 2007 that I first learned about Spring Forest Qigong and Master Chunyi Lin’s gift to us and to the whole world: this easy-to-follow program for Health and Healing. What is Spring Forest Qigong (pronounced chee gong)? It is a simple, efficient, and effective method for

helping you experience your optimal health, wellness, and happiness;

helping you heal physical and emotional pain; and

enhancing the quality of your life and the lives of others.

SFQ is comprised of four parts that work together:

Breathing

Gentle movements

Mental focus

Sound

At this point I’d like to introduce you to the SFQ web site: www.springforestqigong.com.

On the HOME page you will meet Chunyi Lin and see his book, Born A Healer. He also shares two active exercises that you can experience: the Breathing of the Universe and Moving of Yin and Yang.
Check the side bar and there you will find a 15 minute meditation called Open Your Heart, Change Your World — a gift from Chunyi to you. Also at the side bar you can go to Master Lin’s FACEBOOK to see his messages and those of his friends.
You may find the most helpful information in the drop-down section of YOUR HEALING POWER:
Understanding SFQ
How SFQ Works
Getting Started (check all the states where SFQ Level One is taught)
Learning to Heal
Transforming Your Energy
and much more……
Do check on the four shaded words: balance energy movement empowerment to get a short explanation of each as they relate to Spring Forest Qigong.
The FAQ drop down under ABOUT US answers the questions most folks have about SFQ. I especially appreciated Chunyi’s answer to the question, ”Is there religion involved?”

Here at our Center we just enjoyed our final Active Exercises and Meditation session for the summer. We will meet again on the first and third Thursdays of each month beginning with Sept. 17 through December.

It is my prayer that you will come to love SFQ and find much benefit for your own health and healing as well as those of your loved ones and even of your pets! Until next time, NAMASTE’ Peace, Joy, Love -- Sr. Emma

What, In This Moment, Is Lacking?

2009-06-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

By Marilyn Kirvin

Insecurity and fear are all part of the human condition -- perhaps heightened by the current economic downturn, but in truth they have always been with us. Though we are created with a basic core of Goodness, our True Selves, which are not separate from God, in our day to day experience we often don’t feel an ongoing sense of being in union with the Divine. Rather, we feel separate and alone, and we struggle to trust that God is with us.

I recently read something that has helped me to understand this phenomenon better from the perspective of brain science. Life Coach Martha Beck, in her book Steering By Starlight, writes that research shows that there is a neural structure that is wrapped around the cortex of our brains that evolved from the earliest vertebrates -- she calls it “Lizard Brain.” The purpose of this structure is to send signals to us about our survival fears. Martha writes, “The entire purpose of your reptile brain is to continually broadcast survival fears -- alarm reactions that keep animals alive in the wild. These fears fall into two different categories: lack, and attack. On one hand, our reptile brains are convinced that we lack everything we need: we don’t have enough time, money, everything. On the other hand, something terrible is about to happen.”

She goes on to say that while this mechanism is very helpful out in the wild, it is not so great for we humans who can lie in bed at night and conjure up fears of things that may never happen that can feel far worse than the actual crisis itself. That lizard voice is the one that can shake our foundations by telling us, “No one will ever love me,” or “I’m going to die homeless on the streets,” or “Can I really believe God cares about me?”

Once, after I had recited a litany of my own favorite lizard fears, my spiritual director said to me, “You are living out in the future, and God is not in the future. God is only here, right now, with you in this moment . . . so reel it back in.” His encouragement to me to live in the present was like the message of the Zen teacher Suzuki Roshi, who would ask his students, “What, in this moment, is lacking?” It is what Jesus meant when he said, in Matthew 6, “Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life?” And we see it in the commitment St. Francis made to a life of evangelical poverty – of not storing up riches, but trusting that what was needed for each day would be given.

We can cultivate our “present moment awareness” with spiritual practices that will help us to still our anxiety, and tap into the deep interior wisdom that shows us the next step to take, the next loving thing to do. These include Centering Prayer; meditation; breathwork; Bioenergetic Focusing; as well as The Presence Process, by Michael Brown. And, we can go to the many places in the Scriptures that remind us of God’s presence and care for us, such as Psalm 23: O God, you are my shepherd, there is nothing I lack…. Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage.

Finding hope during tough economic times

2009-05-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

By Mary Erickson

The last year or so has been very challenging for virtually all of us as we have seen the very foundation of our collective financial well-being deeply shaken. In many cases, we have learned too late that the experts we had relied on with our life savings, retirements and comfortable expectations for the future weren’t working for us but, in many cases, working against us to satisfy their own personal greed for increased wealth. What had appeared to be tangible is no longer so.

The obvious questions are how could this have happened to us and what can we do about it. I think the second question is much more important to seek answers to because what has happened is in the past but we need to search for ways to cope with the uncertainty of the future. For those of us nearing retirement the uncertainty looms large with questions about whether retirement is even an option anymore. In spite of my own personal disappointment and tangible loss, the reality for me is that I always should have at least suspected that this was a possibility. Well, I didn’t think that way and was greatly shocked and the sense of betrayal that I have felt has been palpable.

I have no solution but do find hope in the prospect of being challenged to look at my life with less certitude and with more of a sense of not knowing what the future will bring. This reality requires that I trust in the idea that things will work out for the best in spite of truly no longer knowing how or when my retirement may occur. “Taking one day at a time” makes a lot of sense now and a stronger reliance that I am not alone in this. I am not alone because there are millions of others in the same situation but more importantly, I am not alone because I know that the Divine is accompanying me on this journey. My dictionary tells me that faith is defined by not demanding proof…..I have faith that I am not alone on this journey into the future.

There are ways that I feel we can cope with a new reality that has shaken our perception of future stability. Usually when I begin to feel anxious it is clearly a physical response to fear of the unknown. I feel the fear in my body, so it my body that I focus on to diminish the fear. I find that a good, long walk will begin to alleviate some of the anxiety and helps put me back into the presence of God and nature. This and regular breathing practice has done a great deal to help me calm myself and to remember what is really important in my life: my family and friends.

May Brings Time to Remember Those Who Have Kept Us One Free Nation Under God

2009-05-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

By Sr. Guadalupe Medina

Hi! Here we are almost at the end of the fifth month of the year 2009, and what a month it is.

We start out the month of May honoring Mary the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, queen of heaven and earth, by crowning her statue at a special Mass with a crown of flowers, praying the rosary, and honoring her throughout the month. Remember those days?

Then there is May Day -- those celebrations in school when we elected a May Day Queen, and practiced doing the dance around the Maypole, and made baskets of flowers to distribute to our neighbors. Ah yes, what memories!

But, there is more, there is Mothers day. Oh, how can we not stop and honor the woman who gave us birth. We are bombarded with advertisements from a variety of angles. From the florist reminding us to send flowers, to department stores telling us all the things our mother would love. Have you ever wondered just what exactly mothers really want? Is it the jewelry, the dresses, the flowers, or could it be what they want is simply to be told they are loved, treasured, valued, and respected?

Ah, and as the month comes to a close we are provided with a day not only to celebrate, but to stop and reflect on the lives of all men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Yes, “Memorial Day.” A day established back in 1868, to honor the Union and Confederate soldiers who died during our Civil War. But thanks to our Congress in 1971 they passed a law which now ensures us all of a three day weekend. Yippee!!

However, there is a song by Joyce Johnson Rouse called “Standing on the Shoulders” which to me speaks about the importance of remembering that what we have today is due to those who have gone before us. Here is a bit of this song’s lyrics.

“I am standing on the shoulders of the ones who came before me, I am stronger for their courage…I am grateful for their vision...I am honored by their passion for our liberty…I imagine our world if they hadn’t tried.”

These phrases, though not written about our fallen men and women, speak to me of the fact that if these soldiers had not responded to the call, where would we be as a nation? Would we be free? Free to enjoy all the freedom that unfortunately gets taken for granted. I believe this Memorial Day is a good time to stop, go visit a cemetery, say a little prayer of thanks to all those men and women who today lie there, because they believed in the importance of maintaining our freedom. We need not wait until November 11th when we honor our Veterans both alive and deceased. Take time this Memorial Day and as a family go visit a cemetery, say a prayer of thanks, then celebrate the gift they gave us: “freedom.”

May we never forget the reason for Memorial Day or the upcoming Veterans Day in November.

Photos from Gettysburg National Military Park.

The Spirituality of Dirt

2009-05-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

By Joy Wallace

Dirt . . .I love it. I can’t think of a better way to spend a warm, sunny afternoon than sitting in my garden pulling weeds. I call these precious moments, “dirt therapy”.

Sitting on the grass before flowers, or on dirt preparing it for vegetable seeds, is a spiritual experience. I hear the birds. I laugh at the neighborhood crow that comes to see what I’m doing, and to look for tidbits to eat. I hear the wind drifting through the trees, and feel the warm air on my face. I hear the little children who live on my block, playing outside with one another. Somewhere down the block, I hear a lawnmower and am surrounded by the delicious smell of fresh cut grass. Along with grass, I smell the mixed fragrance of multiple kinds of spring flowers. (Spring in Oregon smells SO good. When I lived in Vermont, the smell of Oregon spring was one thing I really missed.)

Dirt therapy reminds me to slow down and to be present in the moment. Without this pause, I can miss so many of the little blessings that surround me.

Dirt therapy reminds me to be patient. From the very early moments of spring when the first green plants push through the soil to autumn when all the leaves die, there is a constant progression of change. New plants appear and grow. New flowers bloom to fullness. Trees fill with blossoms, and then become laden with fruit. Berry bushes add growth, bloom and burst forth with berries that are offered to humans and birds. This call to patience reminds me that the cycle of resurrection is never-ending. We are constantly offered a cycle of endings and new beginnings … in my garden and in my life.

Dirt therapy keeps me connected to the earth. Gardening affords me the opportunity to care for a tiny piece of the earth. Together, the earth and I work to bring food to the table, the beauty of flowers for the enjoyment of all and an environment for animals and insects.

Gaze, Consider, Contemplate, Imitate

2009-05-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

These are the words that St. Clare of Assisi writes in one of her letters to Agnes of Prague who was opening a monastery in the thirteenth century.

St. Clare is referring to the San Damiano crucifix (pictured above). This is the crucifix that Franciscans all over the world use today in their contemplation of the crucified Christ. It is the one that spoke to St. Francis of Assisi, inviting him to rebuild the church of his day.

St. Clare contemplated this crucifix for 42 years of her life, finding therein the source of her strength in her relationship with the crucified Christ. She urges us to do the same.

In gazing upon the cross we are invited to use our senses to experience the love of the crucified Christ, for it is out of love that Christ endures the cross for us.

Clare urges us to consider the cross by using our minds to contemplate the life of Christ and all the ways that we might experience his life in relationship to our own life.

In contemplating the crucifix, our hearts are engaged as we listen with our inner senses to the meaning of this event in Christ’s life.

Finally, we are urged by St. Clare to imitate the Christ. Our lives are meant to be imitations of the life of Christ. Are we willing to walk in the footprints of Jesus through the Gospel as did St. Clare and St. Francis? That is a tall order but one that each of us who calls ourselves Christian must take into consideration.

G. K. Chesterton tells us: “If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” A challenging question for sure and one that St. Francis and St. Clare could enthusiastically respond with a yes!

How about you and I? Are we willing to gaze, consider, contemplate and imitate the Christ? In your moments of contemplation, I urge you to sit with Clare and Francis in front of the crucifix and ask for the grace to live the Gospel in all the events of your life for, as Paula D’Arcy tells us, “God comes to us disguised as our life.”

by Sr. Mary Jo Chaves

A New Spin on Creation Spirituality

2009-04-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

by Michelle Kroll

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col 2:1-3

These Hands

These hands are the hands of those before me
The hands of generations past
Ones who taught me about needles, yarn and thread
Skills of old that are built to last.

What do they make for me?
What do they make for you?
Is this my spirituality?
Will it help me to find You?

How can it be that You are my thread?
Weaving together the times of my life?
How will You help me,
Through happiness, sadness, strife?

Embroider, knit or even crochet,
These crafts get me through my day.
They bring about a sort of calm,
Soothing to me, like a psalm.

Something inspires these hands to work,
They always need something to do.
Ever searching on their quest,
To find the everlasting You.
-- by Michelle Kroll

As long as I can remember, someone in my family has been doing needlework. It has changed from generation to generation. My great-grandmother (aka Granny) was an accomplished embroiderer. Many of her works are still floating around the family. But, she was a woman-of-all-trades. She also did latch-hook rugs and crocheting too! My grandma has done mostly crochet work over the years. My mom taught me to cross-stitch, crochet and knit. While it took a few attempts -- I was learning this as a teenager -- the love for it remains! Over the course of my life so far I have dabbled in all of the aforementioned crafts. I think I am like my Granny in that way. I always need to be crafting, creating works with my own hands. I feel that being a creative spirit and crafter is what defines me and therefore defines my spirituality.

For most projects there is a rhythm. It is that rhythm that creates the comfort and calmness that for some is provided by prayer. I believe that each project could be considered a prayer for the person receiving it. That is definitely the case when the object is created with specific intention for that person, making the exchange all that more delightful!

I invite you to consider what your form of prayer is. Prayer can be found in many non-traditional activities. As we learned from Mary Erickson’s entry it could be walking, mine is crafting and needlework. What is yours?

Francis, Our World and You

2009-04-26T11:28:00.001-07:00

By Joy Wallace

If St. Francis were alive today, he would be an active leader of the environmental movement and he would be celebrating Earth Day … maybe every day. He is a wonderful example of someone who loved all of creation and mindfully cared for his environment. He chose to live simply and to use only the resources necessary for his austere lifestyle.
The Franciscan Spiritual Center is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia who believe that Jesus Christ came as brother to all created reality and acknowledge the oneness of the universe. They call themselves to proclaim in a viable and tangible manner their belief in the Cosmic Christ. Therefore, they commit themselves:
• To reverence all that exists
• To preserve the integrity of the land entrusted to our care
• To dialogue and explore with others the implications of eco-spirituality
• To promote positive environmental behaviors
• To celebrate our oneness with the universe

On April 25, the Franciscan Spiritual Center co-sponsored “Cool Congregations: Climate Change and the Common Good” at St. Anthony’s Parish Hall. This event afforded teams from parishes the opportunity to gather to learn strategies to address the issue of climate change. The goal of the event was to encourage individuals and parishes to change behaviors in order to better care for the environment.

It is important that we all look at ways to increase simplicity in our lives … to live more sustainable lives. It is only by analyzing how we live and how we can change behaviors to preserve our environment that we can become one with the universe. I challenge you to consider:
• Ways to reduce solid waste, both garbage and recycling;
• Ways to reduce the use of water;
• Ways to reduce the use of hot water;
• Ways to reduce furnace and air conditioning use;
• Ways to decrease car driving; and
• Ways to reduce the use of electricity.

As a first step, select one of the items above and come up with a plan to change a behavior for one week or one month. For instance, in order to reduce solid waste, one might only buy food items that can be purchased in bulk, or that have packaging that can be recycled. Or, one might decrease the number of showers taken in a week or decrease the time one takes in the shower in order to reduce the use of water.

Each small step you take is important. Each small step taken by a faith community is important. The earth is counting on us. God is counting on us. Please do your part.

Celtic Spirituality -- God’s Presence and Protection

2009-04-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

by Sr. Mary Lonergan

We meet today in the Presence of the Trinity. I greet you in the words of an ancient Celtic rune:

“In the name of the Father, Chief of Chieftans, who loved us into being. In the name of Mary’s son, the Christ, who longs to bring us peace and the fullness of life. In the name of the Spirit, the Holy One, the Breath of wind that enfolds us and fills us with life. Reveal to us, O God, the truth of your PRESENCE, Father, Son and Spirit, Unity in Trinity.”

Celtic Christians truly believed in an all pervading PRESENCE of a benign and merciful Creator God -- a God immediate, accessible, loving, tangible, approachable and visible in the work of creation. Their vision was not perfect but their faith and desire to see God in all things was profound and inspiring.

During the last four years I have been privileged to meet many good Celts (and not a few great non-Celts!) through our Celtic Spirituality programs and outreach activities. And indeed, quite a few of us -- whether Scots, Irish, Welsh, Manx, Cornish, Bretons or Cape Bretons, with roots anyplace from Gallicia in Spain to Galatia in Turkey -- carry Gaelic or Brythonic DNA in our genes. Even President Obama’s great-great-great (ever so many greats!) grandmother is reputed to hail from a townsland in my native county!

Different Christian communities throughout history have each made their distinctive and enduring contributions to the ongoing life of the universal church. From its Judeo-Christian beginnings, the early church has given us a rich treasury of scripture, doctrine and ritual. Desert fathers and mothers enriched us with an abiding aescetical and mystical tradition. Medieval Catholicism embedded principles of Canon Law and philosophical theology. The reformation churches re-ignited scriptural emphasis along with accentuating faith experience. Methodist hymns of enthusiasm and a gospel of interconnectedness, social awareness and service outreach speak especially to our time.

But the legacy of our Celtic forebears is much simpler and more direct and very, very personal. Celtic Spirituality, the Celtic Way of being Christian, asks us today, as it asked our Celtic ancestors, to look into our hearts, and the hearts of all created beings, to find God’s abiding and enduring presence. For the Celtic Christian, the awareness of God’s PRESENCE, PROTECTION and PROMISE was like breathing in and breathing out -- filling and receiving, emptying and giving. It reminds us that to get to Heaven we have to keep our feet firmly planted on the ground. Our God, while transcendent, must also be an “Everyday God.”

The Celts saw God through everything and turned to God for everything. God accompanied them through the shadow times of sickness, the thin times of death and mourning, the moon times of love and romance. The whole self was inserted into the rhythm of prayer, the cycles of days, years, seasons, tides. Prayer was inseparable from work, song, music, dance, hymn, blessing, story -- even curses! There was no separation of work and worship. They walked with God. They were, in the words of an early writer “intoxicated with the Spirit.”

Perhaps for a world that has sometimes (often?) forgotten the Presence of Francis Thompson’s “many splendored” God, and created a God to fit our narrow spiritual vision, Celtic Prayer and sense of God’s awesome presence in a world full of sacredness, can help us hear again “the echo of God’s longing in our souls.”

Solidarity With Those Suffering Brings Good Friday Grace

2009-04-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

by Marilyn Kirvin

Good Friday arrived a week early for me this year – through no effort on my part, which is usually the way grace works. Last Friday, three of my colleagues and I attended the “Personal Poverty Retreat” at The Downtown Chapel in Portland. This was a day to work with the marginalized in Old Town Portland, to learn more about the agencies that serve the poor there, and to reflect on the experiences of that day and of our own inner poverty.

On Good Friday, we are asked to be with Jesus at the cross… to simply be with, pray with, stand in solidarity with the One who suffered not only severe physical pain, but all of the other pains -- misunderstanding, humiliation, betrayal, and abandonment -- that were heaped upon him that day. Good Friday is a day when we can’t do anything; we can’t undo or make up for what was done. All we can do is be: be faithful, be compassionate, be powerless, be trusting in the God who went all the way to be love for us.

At the retreat last Friday, my “work with the marginalized” (handing out toiletries, socks and blankets to people who were homeless) was so meager. In truth, it was simply an opportunity for me to be with people who also suffer physical pain, misunderstanding, humiliation, abandonment every day of their lives. I sat with a young man who told me that although he’s grateful for the new apartment to which he’d just moved, he preferred to live in prison because he was safe there from the evil on the streets. I laughed with an older Hispanic man as he finally resorted to showing me the elastic band of his boxer shorts because I was just not getting the Spanish word for “underwear.” That morning I felt sad, and powerless, and silly (where did my seven years of studying Spanish disappear to?), and yet also connected to other people at the level of our shared humanity.

Feeling the need to “do something,” to alleviate the suffering of others (as if I could), has always been a temptation for me – in my work as a spiritual director, as a mother, as a friend. Sometimes the feeling of being overwhelmed by the immensity of the world’s problems that I can’t fix has kept me away from opportunities to be with or work on behalf of those suffering in the wider world. And yet, last Friday I was given the grace to simply be there and be with -- as a witness, as a companion, as a human being who shares the same loving God, the same Spirit within us.

That was Good Friday grace: the grace not only to be at the cross with Jesus in his suffering, but also to be with those who are the Crucified Christ to us today; to be at the places of human suffering in our world. And it is Easter grace as well, for we already know that God’s love is more powerful than any force of death in our world, and that, ultimately, this is all God’s work. We are simply called to stay awake, to stand with, and to give the gifts that we are prompted to give by the Spirit at work in us.

And so, on behalf of our staff, we wish you every blessing of this Holy Season.

(For information on the Downtown Chapel, and the Personal Poverty Retreat, go to http://www.downtownchapel.org/ )

Integrating Body and Soul is Valuable

2009-04-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

by Sr. Emma Holdener

I greet you, dear friends, with Namaste’ -- I honor the Divine within you and honor the Divine within me -- and we are One. Alternatively, I could say, as we greeted one another in my early convent days: Laudetur Jesus Christus, Praised be Jesus Christ. For today, it is Namaste’ to keep reminding myself and all whom I meet of the wonder of our being: Eternal Sparks of the Divine in human form.

I’m writing this blog to share with you my ministry of Bodywork here at FSC. You may ask, “What and why is a nun doing Bodywork?” Well, what do you think is the most prevalent cause of disease in all aspects of life? Did I hear you say, “STRESS!” Yes, and how does one get rid of it? Again, you could probably give me hundreds of ways of reducing or even eliminating stress. Would any of these be on your list?

• being conscious of the breath
• calming one’s mind
• centering in the heart
• becoming aware of body tensions
• receiving bodywork: Massage, Reflexology, Reiki
• practicing Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong
• going to the gym---calmly!
• getting sufficient rest
• eating healthily
• taking TIME for activities that nurture your soul
• enjoying and being grateful for the simple events of the day

To assist folks with relaxation, help them become more aware of their bodies and the connection with their spirits, and because of my deep interest in healing, I do bodywork. My ministry consists of offering full body massage, chair massage, Reflexology, and sharing Spring Forest Qigong which consists of eight simple movements followed by a guided meditation. I view bodywork as the gift of compassionate, caring, sacred touch offered with deep respect and reverence for the body, the home of the Spirit. Truly, massage can be a blessing. When was the last time you gifted yourself with such a blessing?

Next time I’ll share more about Spring Forest Qigong with you. Peace and Joy!

Consider Taking a Walk with God

2009-03-27T10:41:00.001-07:00

by Mary Erickson

Daily walking became a spiritual practice for me 24 years ago as I began dealing with the realities of a broken marriage and two very small daughters to care for while working more than a full-time job. My walking habit started with an early morning escape into the dark and has continued to sustain me throughout the ups and downs of my life.

Doctors and the media tout the physical benefits of walking but seldom talk about what it does for your mind and your soul. I have found that I can literally walk wherever I am and almost immediately immerse myself in a more contemplative state. Often I find myself feeling like I am meditating in the midst of an urban setting all the while enjoying the fresh air and sounds of life all around me. The simple cadence of solitary walking allows one to transcend the moment and become one with the natural environment.

Being outside throughout the year (yes, even in the rain and snow) gives one a unique perspective on the seasons and the cycle of life. Without my morning walk, I wouldn’t have the chance to really notice the flight of the geese overhead or the rustle of an opossum as I startle it during one of its forages in a wooded area near my home. The four seasons encourage daily recognition of our oneness with all forms of nature while bombarding our senses with the wonderful feel of rain on our cheeks or the warmth of sun on our backs.

If I didn’t walk, I would miss all the subtle shades of green that are presented in grass, leaves and flower stems. The crocus and daffodils remind me that, in spite of a very cold and snowy winter, there is always hope for a warmer, sunnier spring; and that it is just around the corner! As fall marches on I delight in the rustling of leaves and enjoy the gift of watching my beloved Scottish terrier, Lily, jump and romp as though she has discovered a new, magical toy.

Walking is much more than mere exercise; it is an experience that encourages clarity of mind, body and spirit. As a dear friend who walks about ten miles daily likes to remind me, “Walking is good for your head!” I find that I can leave the house feeling stressed, rushed and worried and, within about ten minutes, those worries and tensions have drifted away and a sense of deeper relaxation has come over me. I find the shift in my mental attitude helps me recognize that I am a better person because of my daily walk.

So why not give it a try? It takes about three weeks of daily walking to get hooked in spite of initially some sore feet and shin splints. It is well worth the investment of time and a good pair of walking shoes.

Simple Beauty of the Seasons

2009-03-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

by Sister Guadalupe Medina, OSF

Simple beauty and contemplation is the name of our blog and how appropriate for the seasons of the year we encounter. St. Francis was very much aware of the simple beauty that surrounded him in creation, and he took time to contemplate and praise the creator. Sister Ilia Delio, OSF, writes in her book “Franciscan Prayer” “Contemplation for Francis and Clare is a penetrating gaze that gets to the heart of reality. It is looking into the depths of things and seeing them in their true relation to God.”

Each season brings its own simple beauty which invites us to enter into contemplation. This year March 20 is the beginning of spring. Ah yes, spring is actually upon us. Take some time this weekend to stop, look and enjoy the surprises of this beautiful season of spring. Notice the buds on the trees, the birds, the flowers that are starting to bloom, the clouds, and the people around you. It’s as though the world is waking up from a nice little snooze. The days are getting brighter and a sense of new energy seems to be flowing thoughout all of humanity and creation. It is a wonderful time to just stop, look and contemplate on the simple yet majestic beauty that surrounds us daily.

Contemplation does not require you to have a deep theological background in order to do it. It requires only that you take time to BE.

Remember when you were a child how the simple things in life captured your attention and how much time you would spend just observing and enjoying them. Perhaps it was noticing a bee going from flower to flower, a spider spinning a web, the clouds as you lay in the grass, or the waves at the beach. Perhaps you have just stood observing your mother, father or that special person in your life. That’s contemplation at its best, because you stopped, looked, and were able to see with the eyes of your heart and experience God’s overflowing love and presence in a way you never imaged.

I invite you to spend some time this weekend and just contemplate the simple beauty that surrounds you.

Lent Offers Opportunities to Explore New Prayer Forms

2009-03-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

By Marilyn Kirvin

The Season of Lent calls us to clear out space to listen more deeply to the Spirit’s voice in our hearts and lives – thus we are encouraged to pray during this time. One of my favorite descriptions of prayer comes from Sr. Wendy Beckett, who wrote, “The essential act of prayer is to stand unprotected before God.” She goes on to say that if we do that, God will take possession of us, which is the whole purpose of life.

Most of us, however, feel the need to do something while we’re standing unprotected before God – hence the development of prayer practices. Recently I facilitated several evenings of exploration of prayer for a small group titled, “Discover Your Style of Prayer.” During each class I explained several prayer practices. These included Lectio Divina (praying with scripture); the Ignatian practices of contemplation (imaginative prayer) and the Examen of Consciousness (looking back at the day to remember God’s presence and call); walking the labyrinth; conversational prayer, and others. Participants would then try each practice, followed by discussion about our experiences and insights.

In those sessions, and in spiritual direction sessions over a number of years, I have heard many of the same freeing insights when people open themselves to prayer. I share three here:

1. With prayer, pay attention to what you want to do rather than what you think you should do. Sr. Wendy, when asked what people should do during prayer, says, “stand before God unprotected and you will know what to do.” It is important to pay attention to how we feel drawn to pray. There are many different prayer forms, and none are “better” than others – but some are a better fit for a particular person’s temperament, life experience, or where they are at a given time of life. One Lenten suggestion is to try a new kind of prayer. A spiritual director, or book or workshop could introduce you to something you haven’t tried before. Or, go back to a practice from the past that you want to try again, and see if you still find life there.

2. Trust yourself. Often someone will say to me, “I don’t really pray,” but when we talk more we discover that he or she does, in fact pray, but may not have been calling it that. Or, we may think we don’t pray well enough, and assume others are praying better than we are. As a spiritual director, I can tell you this is a very widely-held belief. We all pray, we’re made to pray, and if we pay attention to what we desire, we’ll figure this out. In this regard, one fruitful way of praying can be to listen to our bodies to feel how our joy, pain, tiredness, stress, etc. are telling us what we need, and pray from there.

3. Be honest in your prayer. However we pray, God simply asks us to do our best to bring our whole selves there. Often people say they feel they can only bring certain feelings or thoughts to their prayer -- the “holy ones.” They believe their feelings or thoughts of anger, frustration, doubt, sexual feelings, and so on are not acceptable,. Our God is able to hold all our feelings, and nothing that we feel is going to anger God or turn God away from us. God wants to possess us – every part of us - to love us and accept us completely and help us to become our truest selves, the people we were created to be.

Lent: a Season for Fasting and Feasting, Praying and Almsgiving

2009-03-05T08:14:00.001-08:00

By Sr. Mary Jo Chaves, OSF

As this time of Lent brings us to quiet reflection, we are drawn to what it is that needs our attention in our spiritual lives. Do we need to slow down? What do we need to fast from and feast on? Do we need to allow the Divine to create a clean heart in us? Do we need to give the alms of our time, energy and resources to those less fortunate than ourselves? If the Lenten season is meant to match the spring season of new life and growth, then our questions revolve around letting Lent be the spring time of our souls, through our fasting, praying and almsgiving. In that way, perhaps the seeds of new life in the core of our beings will sprout forth with new Easter life.

Let’s consider fasting and feasting. I believe that fasting as an end in itself has little meaning. I would propose that our fasting might be coupled with our feasting. If we fast from less nutritious food, then we feast on more nutritious food. If we fast from criticizing others then we feast on reaching out to others to understand their actions or thoughts. If we fast from working too much, then we feast on gifting ourselves with “slow down” time for reflection and good self-care. Fasting and feasting go hand in hand.

In considering Lenten prayer, I find it to be a wonderful season to go within and “pray in secret” as the scriptures for Ash Wednesday suggest. There are rich Lenten resources that assist us in this daily prayer practice. The scriptures for each day lead us through the season and bring us to Easter Sunday. These readings are invitations to enter the stories and find meaning in our own lives. Authors like Edward Hays, Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen and others give us daily reflections. It is only for us to open our hearts and say “yes” to God at work in and through our prayer. Prayer is a relationship and that relationship grows as we invest our time and energy in it. I think our God is absolutely delighted when we stop to prayerfully listen to the still small voice within!

The third traditional Lenten practice is almsgiving. In these tight economic times many of us have no monetary resources to spare. Perhaps, the greatest “alms” we have to give is our time. It might be to gift those with whom we live with our presence and time to just be together. It might be to volunteer our services at an agency that serves those who are poor. It might be giving our best attention to our co-workers, our grocery clerks, our mail persons, those who serve us daily.

Paula D’Arcy, a noted speaker of our times, often says: “God comes to us disguised as our lives.” This is the message at the heart of Lent. It is in the fabric of our lives that we find the soil to plant the soul-springtime seeds that carry the potential to burst into new Easter life. Will we take up the Lenten invitation? It is our choice to fast, to feast, to prayer and to give alms. Let us do so generously and well.

Welcome

2009-02-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our Blog

This new blog site was established in an effort to help those seeking a deeper spirituality find the tools and support to grow in their relationship with the Creator. By regularly sharing their prayerful thoughts and ideas, the staff of the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Milwaukie, Oregon, hopes to help you in your journey to God and to a fuller, more joyful life. And if we can pique your interest in the many wonderful programs and opportunities offered at the Center, so much the better. Please check our website: www.francisspctr.com, for ongoing offerings.

A little bit about the Franciscan Spiritual Center: The staff of the Center strives to create and share a place of simple beauty and hospitality that will support and deepen the contemplative spirit for all faith traditions. It was established by and is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, a congregation of women religious whose values include conversion -- allowing God to shape our lives in His own image; contemplation -- opening ourselves completely to God and thereby following in His footsteps; poverty -- a poorness that acknowledges we are incomplete without God and that seeks to be generous and gentle of heart; and humility -- consciously seeking a simple way of life that can put us more deeply in touch with God and all of creation and serves as a call to justice, good stewardship and peace to the rest of the world.

St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th Century Mystic who founded the Franciscan movement, is recognized by Christians and non-Christians alike as a simple, prayerful man who honored God and all of creation. He is often depicted surrounded by birds and animals. One of his most famous prayers, The Canticle of the Creatures, praises and thanks God for Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Mother Earth, Brother Wind and Sister Water. It is such understanding, appreciation and love for all of God's creation that calls us to care for these gifts God has bestowed upon us so generously.

As we prepare to enter the Lenten season, we hope these weekly reflections will deepen your prayer life, open your heart, and guide you to a closer union with our Creator.

Please note: Comments on this blog are the opinions of the author. Unless otherwise noted, all materials contained on this site are the property of the Franciscan Spiritual Center and may not be used without permission.