Let There Be Light

I read a blog called 'Spiritual Travels.' It combines several things that I'm interested in: spirituality, travel and history. This week Lori, the blog's author, published a post on light using a poem by Hafiz to beautifully illustrate her subject. Light resonated in me as during the past week, I traveled to Provence and experienced light in various ways. Most notably, here in the Abbaye Notre Dame de Senanque monastery where light was used to not only illuminate the monks' living quarters, but also to cast a spiritual light on elements of worship within the ancient church itself. Narrow on the outside, these many windows lining the walls on both sides of the monks' dormitory are splayed outward on the  inside to catch and diffuse as much light as possible. Hear what Hafiz says about light...

GOD POURS LIGHT

God
pours light
into every cup,
quenching darkness.

The proudly pious
stuff their cups with parchment
and critique the taste of ink

while God pours light

and the trees lift their limbs
without worry of redemption,
every blossom a chalice.

Hafiz, seduce those withered souls
with words that wet their parched lips

as light
pours like rain
into every empty cup
set adrift on the Infinite Ocean.

~ Hafiz ~

(Interpretive version of Ghazal 11 by Jose Orez

 Lori's post and Hafiz's poem remind me to open and let God pour His light into me. Even small cracks and narrow openings will flood my soul and bathe me in God's lovely light.

For more photos and information about this Cistercian monastery, click here to go to Melanged Magic.

An Ignatian Prayer Adventure

Even though I'm an Episcopalian, I often use Catholic online resources to help me deepen my spirituality and keep me in touch with a worshiping community when I'm far from my own church. I find Ignatian spirituality especially rich. How the Jesuits view God resonates with my own simple faith. This Lenten season I'm using the Ignation prayer adventure as an online retreat for my daily discipline. Using the Examen prayer as taught by St.Ignatius of Loyola, it will help me recognize God's gifts and His presence in my life and help me discern His purpose. My goal is to become what Ignatius calls 'spiritually free.' Free of any worldly attachments that keep me separated from my Creator.

A Lenten Journey

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Yesterday Laury asked me if I was giving up anything  for Lent. My reply is certainly not conventional; I don't give things up for Lent. To me, the Lenten season is about discipline, not necessarily about deprivation. I have many bad habits that I could give up, but what I need more are good habits to replace them. Afterall, if the bad habits go away...desserts, excess salt, too much solitaire on the computer...there will be a void. What will fill it? I know that it's supposed to be God who fills those places you empty out, but that doesn't always happen.

So, I choose instead to add a discipline to my daily life, a discipline that reminds me of God's presence and of the journey we're on right now. I choose to use this time to deepen my faith and to connect more fully with God's spirit. I choose to find those things that will grow me from a tightly clenched bud to an open-handed, spiritually filled, spiritually free woman. Like the spring flowers here, I'm on a journey of growth and blossoming. And like these same spring flowers, there will be death and re-birth at the end of the journey...Jesus' death and resurrection, the revitalization of my faith and hopefully, a positive discipline to my life. Blogging regularly here is the first of my Lenten disciplines.

"Opus Verbi viriditas"

My favorite 12th century Christian mystic, philosopher, and abbess, Hildegard of Bingen, coined the word 'viriditas' to describe her belief that God's Living Water, the Word, greens the soul making it moist, fecund, and saturated with His love. This greening of the soul connects it deeply with its sacred source.  Greening the earth with His holy rain, God brings us to awareness of His presence in all things. "Opus Verbi viriditas" the work of the Word is greenness.

The beautiful song "Water, River, Spirit, Grace"  sung by Trish Bruxvoort Colligan and used by gracious permission from River's Voice. Please check out their website...Richard and Trish are talented songwriters and musicians.

Hour By Hour

Connecting spiritually in France hasn't been a problem; connecting to my spiritual practice, however, has taken me awhile. Just getting used to being in a new place with a new routine disrupted my practice of morning devotions. I wasn't able to pack my Bible due to its size and weight. I've coped by finding my Forward Day-by-Day devotions online and have used an online Bible site to read the verses indicated for each day. Before I left Des Moines, my friend, Karen, gave me her prayer book, 'Hour By Hour'. The small, slender volume fit perfectly in my carry-on bag. This little book helps me 'pray the hours' in the morning, at noon, in the evening, and at compline. It's been the tool that's been the most helpful in getting me back into a spiritual routine. While I don't think I can make weekly worship happen, praying both 'hour by hour' and when I hear the village church bells chime will keep me connected and grounded in God.Thank you, Karen, for being God's instrument in my life!

Dona Nobis Pacem

For the past several years I've been on a spiritual search. I won't use the word 'journey' because it's a word that has been so over-used recently that it truly turns me off. I see myself as more of a seeker anyway....someone who is seeking meaning in what seems like a very meaningless world. Today I had an epiphany. It suddenly struck me that chronicling my discoveries and thoughts would be a good way of making sense of it all, and voila, this blog was born. Dona Nobis Pacem translates to 'give us peace.' It's also a piece of music that our church choir sang as a round one Advent season. I love the 16th century music as well as the message it conveys. Check back often...I'll be sharing thoughts, questions, poetry and images about things that push my spiritual buttons.