Dear Friends,
Included in this article are four musings for the month of August. Blessings as we continue to enjoy the summer season.
Paul
1) A Seasonal Mindfulness Practice: Eating fresh blackberries
I often walk down a gravel road near our house. On one side of the road there is a big blackberry patch. I have been watching the blackberries blossom and bear fruit all summer. Now that the blackberries are ripe I have been stopping to eat a dozen or so every time I walk by. Savoring the taste of ripe juicy blackberries is a mindfulness moment; a sweet sacrament of Divine Abundance. I hope you can enjoy eating some wild blackberries this month. “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” —Psalm 34:8
2) My New Free Video Series on Vimeo: “Insights for the Spiritual Journey”
I am excited to announce that I have started recording a series of videos and posting them on Vimeo. These short 3-5 minutes videos offer basic teachings on contemplative prayer and contemplative living. The first one is “Having a Beginner’s Mind.” You can find it at https://vimeo.com/581355012. And please pass this link on to anyone you think might be interested. Thanks!
3) A holy day to celebrate in early August: The Transfiguration of Jesus
August 6 marks the Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Consider spending some extra prayer time with Jesus this day. Perhaps go for a walk up a hill or even a hike up a mountain. Imagine that you are there with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. How does the Transfiguration speak to you at this time in your life? How is your life being transfigured by the presence of Christ?
4) A poem that always touches my heart: “Love after Love”
Below is a favorite poem by Derek Walcott. Walcott was born in the West Indies and lived from 1930 to 2017. He received the Noble Prize for Literature in 1992. This moving poem speaks of the spiritual journey of returning home to our true selves. It is telling that Richard Rohr chose to conclude his book, The Universal Christ, with this poem. May the graceful words of this poem welcome you home.
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 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.