Tag: elders

Road Food

Yes, some days are hard. When there is little and we want for more, we see only the lack. Can we instead give thanks for what we have, what has been given, like the manna in the wilderness.

Read the reflection.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

Giving One’s Death Away

The mystic John of the Cross said we have three essential struggles in life: to get our lives together, to give our lives away, and to give our deaths away. But what can it mean to give our deaths away? “How we die leaves behind a legacy, a particular spirit, which either nurtures or haunts those left behind,” says Fr. Ron Rolheiser.

Read the reflection.

More about Ron Rolheiser.

A Transformed Heart

The young man wanted to be exceptional, so he piled up accomplishments in every arena of his life.  Then one day he saw a flower. He named it Fran.

Read the reflection.

From Sabbath Moment.

Job’s Emotional Courage

In his anger and distress, the biblical Job wishes he had never been born. He finally feels his feelings. He acts out. “I am convinced that people who do not feel deeply finally do not know deeply either,” says Richard Rohr.  Job’s grief becomes both “whole and holy.”

Read the reflection.  

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

From Me To We: True Love Is A Process Of Humility

A community as a body has more wisdom, strength, and courage than any one of us alone, says Thich Nhat Hanh. “This is called community building. It is the most precious work a monk, nun or layperson can do,” he adds.

Read the reflection.

From Awakin.

Dolphins and Going Deeper

Dolphin lovers know that they are best seen when seas are calm, not choppy. Just so, says Joanna Seibert, when the waters of our lives are stormy, it may be hard to see the path ahead. We must find a sacred place each day where we can rest in calm seas.

Read the reflection.  

From Joanna Seibert.

Healing Takes Place Here

A Vietnam combat veteran worked for years to overcome his insomnia. Then one day he discovered that it was in the midst of suffering and confusion, that healing and transformation could take place, if he stopped trying to escape.

Read the story.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

Making Companionship With God a Priority at All Costs

Thinking about how little rest African American slaves got, this  thought-provoking reflection offers an invitation for us to let go of all the “doing,” be still, and focus our attention on enjoying God.

Read the reflection.

From Renovare.

Religious Coinage

We misunderstand the biblical story about Jesus driving the money-changers out of the temple. It is not justification for losing our tempers and being angry with those who differ from us. It is about everyone’s access to God.

Read the reflection.

From Fr. Ron Rolheiser.

I Double Dare You

the edges of things are always deceptive.
because we are taught to believe
in endings and beginnings.
 
but the truth is:
There Are No Borders.

Read the rest of the poem.

From Daily Good.

Sacred Mess of Nature

A seed grows into a flower through the mud and mess of nature without questioning nature’s plan. In the same way, “We can only meet what is truly here now, deeply and earnestly, and choose to keep opening to what is,” says writer Lucy Grace.

Read the reflection.

From Awakin.

Nutritious Food of Life

A blind man went traveling alone. When people realized that he was blind they invited him to squeeze things as a way of perceiving them. So it is in our lives: we may have to “squeeze” life to find the reality of it.

Read the reflection.

From Terry Hershey’s Sabbath Moment.

When Fear is All Around

Our society seems to be in the grip of fear these days, not unlike the fear the disciples experienced when the storm came up while they were fishing (Matthew 8:23-27). “Our country is more polarized than at any time in recent memory,” says Bro. David Vryhof, and fear is the result.

Read the sermon.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

Sitting in Silence

How must we pray? Sit down. Sit down alone. Sit down alone in silence.

Read the reflection.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

How must we pray? Sit down. Sit down alone. Sit down alone in silence.

Some Advice on Prayer from an Old Master

Fr. Ron Rolheiser recalls a seminary professor of great wisdom who taught that at the least we must pray the Lord’s Prayer every day. It is, says Rolheiser, both a challenge and a consolation.

Read the reflection.

From Ron Rolheiser.

Practicing Light in the Darkness as We Age

Sometimes, getting older feels like the “dark night of the soul” that St. John of the Cross wrote about. Most significantly, says Alice Fryling, “the dark night is not a sign of failure or weakness but a means of growth—growth that happens through surrendering.”

Read the reflection.

From the De Pree Center at Fuller Seminary.

The Way of a Pilgrim

The Apostle Paul calls us to “Pray without ceasing”  in his first letter to the Thessalonians (5:17). But how exactly do we do that when there are so many worldly demands on our time?

Read the reflection.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

Permission to be Sad

“Today neither our culture nor our churches give us sufficient permission to be sad,” asserts Fr. Ron Rolheiser. But sometimes our soul is telling us to be sad, and we best pay attention.

Read the reflection.

From the blog of Fr. Ron Rolheiser.

Fox-Walking

Fox tracks are almost always in a single straight line. That is because the gait of a fox is such that their back paws land exactly in the print of their front paws. “It speaks to me of purpose and direction,” says  Deacon Joanna Seibert. “So, what stride, direction, and pace do I strive to follow?” she asks.

Read the reflection.

From the blog of Joanna Seibert.

Longing for a Palliative World

It was sitting around a picnic table where Courtney Martin found neighbors who practiced palliative care with her demented father, just by being kind and caring.

Read the story.

From The Examined Family.

Synchronicity

Have you ever been feeling blue and lonely when suddenly your best friend calls? Carl Jung called it synchronicity.  We call it “a God thing.”

Read the short reflection.

From Joanna Seibert.

Mastering the Art of Forgiveness

We’ve been told over and over that the person most being harmed when we refuse to forgive is us. But, says Dr. Robert Leichtman, forgiveness is more than demonstrating our good manners in words and gestures of kindness.

Read the essay.

From Insight Timer.

Life-changing Witness: The Feast of St Alban

The story says that St. Alban was converted to Christianity by watching and listening to a priest at prayer. Perhaps the Christianity that we show by our lives will bring others into God’s kingdom in ways we may never know.

Read the reflection.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

Knowing Our Neighbors

Do we more easily care for our neighbors whom we know than for total strangers? Do we not recognize the dignity of every person in each of them? Can we at least not look away?

Read the meditation. 

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

When Birds Nest in the Doorway, Go Out the Window

What would you do if mama birds were sitting on nests above both of the doors into your house? This family grabbed a ladder and went in and out the kitchen window.

Read the story.

Found in Daily Good.

Love Is Stronger than Hope

One of our problems is that we tie hope to outcomes, says Brian McLaren. “When our prime motive is love, a different logic comes into play. We find courage and confidence, not in the likelihood of a good outcome, but in our commitment to love.”

Read the reflection.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

A Jeweler’s Eye

Suleika Jaouad writes that he would not reverse his diagnosis of cancer if he could. It has given him a “jeweler’s eye” – the ability to focus on the reality of what is right before you. “Rather than fighting your circumstance, rather than wallowing in sorrow and anger, you can begin to see it as an invitation. You can begin to interrogate it, to watch new and unexpected things emerge.”

Read the reflection.

From Awakin.

Honoring Grief and Taking Action

Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve on a U.S. Cabinet, appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as Secretary of Labor in 1933. Among her practices was taking a personal retreat once a month. “Who better to advocate for the needs of the everyday worker than one who knows her own need for refreshment?” writes Ann Benton Fraser.

Read the reflection.

From Grow Christians.

Faith Seeking Understanding

The story of Thomas is one of the most moving in the gospels, writes Br. Geoffrey Tristram. It is a story of love, not proof.  “The story of Thomas is rather the story of a man who comes to believe not because he has enough proof, but because he has actually touched the mystery of divine, self-sacrificial love.”

Read or listen to the sermon.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

The Rise in Multigenerational Households

An old trend has become a new trend – three or four generations living together. It’s mostly about cost of living, says this article. It’s also good for both older and younger families.

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Found in Marketplace.