The work of our hands...

..."We should strive to see that our work is a gift. Adam was living in Paradise, yet he worked! God gave Adam work so that he might sense his harmony in the divine design."
Fr. Ed Hays, "Secular Sanctity"

Ok, after yesterday, I have 99 more Mondays until I can retire.  I know, it's a crazy thing that I've counted down Mondays, but I really struggle with Mondays and, embarrassingly, began counting them down from 500!  One time Number One Daughter said, 'Your clients deserve someone who isn't counting Mondays." So true, that.  But, it's interesting that, as I count down Mondays, I am also seeking and finding more of God in my work--not the work of counting, but the work of working.  In Fr. Ed Hays' book, "Secular Sanctity," he writes about our work being a gift from God to us.  He talks about doing it prayerfully, with focus and appreciation for what it teaches us.  If we can't find it nourishing and pleasurable, we should find other work!  I'm sinking my teeth in this today, Friends, and am realizing that God certainly has gifted me with the work I do.  Mind you, I'm usually very happy with my job Tuesday through Friday!  It's just those Mondays that are tough.  So, today being Tuesday, I say "Yee Haw!" Let's get in there and appreciate the work we do as a gift from God, who just wants us to do it with love...Love, heidi

The food that lasts forever!

"Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal."

John 6:27

 

It seems odd to some that I choose to spend time at Silent Retreats, at the Hermitage in silence, or in my Silent Sundays.  For one thing, it is a bit of a change from my earlier days of being much more of a social butterfly and, certainly, rarely, if ever, silent!  But, I have found through having these times of silence, that I desperately need them! Just as I need to go to the grocery store each week for the food that perishes, I need to consistently have times of silence to be nourished by the food that never perishes.  Pray-As-You-Go asked, this morning, what "food" in our lives perishes?  I would think the success, accolades, awards, recognition, even financial rewards certainly are fleeting, aren't they?  They seem so nice while they happen, but the glow wears off after a time.  The trophy gets dusty on the shelf and you begin to wonder why it was ever important.  But, the people we know, the activities we share with them, the nourishment of spiritual truths and the time spent just with God are all examples of the "food" that lasts forever.  Today may be a good time to sit and ponder what is the "food" that perishes in our lives and what nourishment lasts so much longer...Love, heidi

The Christ in us...

"We gave you strict orders not to teach about that name, yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching..."
Acts 5:28

Fortunately for us, we won't likely be martyred for our Christianity, but could we be? Do our actions and reactions give us away as Christians? What does this look like in our lives? I was thinking about it and I realize that my reactions to others who get under my skin sure aren't Christian-ish. Fr. Richard Rohr would probably say it is my false self, or small self that gets irritated and short-tempered with others. By letting the Christ-within-me shine forth, I can treat others with more of the love God desires that I spread around. We all have them in our lives--people who just push our buttons and we react out of our very small selves.  If that happens today, let's stop, take a deep breath of grace and open our eyes to seeing them as God sees them--with love.  The Christ in us can certainly love the Christ in them--if we just get out of the way.  Love, heidi

Quest into Homecoming...

"For it is love that calls you on this journey. It is love that makes the Quest a homecoming, and it is love that is your source of energy to continue on the Quest."
Fr. Edward Hays, "St. George and the Dragon and the Quest for the Holy Grail"

Much of what I've learned about the Quest I learned from Fr. Ed Hays' books, the first one I read being "St. George and the Dragon." Storyteller, artist, hobo, pilgrim; Fr. Ed Hays was all on his Quest, and now his Quest has reached his Homecoming.  He has found all he was "questing" for...While I'm sad that he is gone from this planet, I'm so grateful that I got to meet him (above here with Mary Rau at the Sisters of Charity 150 year Jubilee, 2008). More importantly, that I was able to learn at his knee and catch a glimpse of the Cosmos through his eyes. His vision opened my eyes to a much wider view and I'm so grateful!  Love, heidi

The stage is set...

"Then the angel departed from her."

Luke 1:38

 

After I read Fr. James Martin's book "Jesus-A Pilgrimage," this is the line from the Annunciation story that leaps off the page for me. Mary had this wonderful, yet daunting, encounter with the angel who foretold that she would conceive and bear a son, Jesus. Mary asks how this can happen, and so forth. And just after she agrees and says "Yes," the angel leaves her.  The angel leaves her with her faith in God, her family and friends to deal with it all.  Just because the angel leaves, though, doesn't mean God left Mary. Not at all! God had created a supportive environment for Mary--God was working through the people who surrounded her, just as God does for us. Mary had her family, her cousin Elizabeth, and dear Joseph, who, himself, had an encounter with the angel. Mary's Yes was the starting point that set the plan in motion, but God had set the stage and placed the players already. Mary, a fourteen year old young woman, said, "Let it be done to me according to your word" and started the plan--the salvation of the world. Wow! Only the God of surprises could have come up with that!  Let's celebrate the Annunciation by saying  our own "Yes!" to God today! God has set the stage in our lives, too, to give us the people and resources we need to love and serve the people of God. Yes, God! I will welcome you working through me to help the world today!  Love, heidi

Miracles in the shadows

"Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them."
Acts 5:15

Doesn't this seem like just amazing faith? We've gone from the woman with the hemorrhage touching the hem of Jesus' robe and being healed to people wanting Peter's shadow to pass over their sick loved ones. Tremendous faith, this! What about us? Can we look for miracles in the shadows? Sr. Melannie Svoboda in "Give Us This Day" says that we tend to tell God exactly what miracles we want and how they should play out in our lives.  We want this to happen, then this...and so forth.  We want the miracles on our terms without really trusting that God may have a better idea. When, actually, miracles may be happening in the shadows of our lives and are going unnoticed. Once we free God up to work in God's own way in our lives we will notice more and more miracles happening all the time! Let's pray like Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy will be done." Or like Mary, who just identified her concern to Jesus, "They have no wine." Let's let God take our prayers and concerns and do what God does best--make miracles--even in the shadows.  Love, heidi