Category: spirituality

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Before the bloom

On By dpavinatoIn A life worth living, a season of hope, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, Every day Catholic, Fruit of the Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, hope and healing, Jubilee Year of Hope, Life in the Spirit, nurturing growth, Our unique call, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Trust the journey, waiting and reflecting3 Comments

This week I happened upon an article about pruning lantana plants. I have a few plants in pots and didn’t realize to get the most proficient blooms that it is best to prune them when the weather is hot and sunny, then as things begin to cool down you stop pruning. So, I will have to see, with warm days still in the forecast, if I can revive them a bit.

As a result I began reflecting on my Savannah Grass blooms. It’s a lovely grass that my friend Kathy introduced me to three or four years ago. I learned after the first year, one plant in front of the house and one on the patio in back, that they prefer a longer day of sunlight. So the past couple of years, and this, I have had two plants on the patio that has a full day of sun exposure. They produce a lovely, delicate, pink plume that gently sways in the breeze like the one we have this Sunday morning. The cats actually love a piece of the grass each morning, they sit and wait for me, not so patiently, to find the perfect blade for them. As you see in the blog photo for today, one of my plants has produced the anticipated blooms but one has not.

I began reflecting on why one plant produced plumes and the other didn’t. I water them at the same time and the same amount. I feed them on the same days. They are only seven feet apart and get the same amount of sunlight. Then I remembered that after buying the plants, both started from seed at the same nursery, that I repotted one in a larger ceramic pot with new potting soil, and the other I left in the large container from the nursery and just dropped it inside a very tall ceramic pot. The first year I bought that particular pot I filled it with soil (a lot of soil!) which made it difficult to move. The next year I emptied it, filled with bricks so that my Savannah grass can sit nicely on top the bricks inside the pot and cascade over the sides. The difference it seems is the soil that I planted, or did not plant, each of the grasses in.

As I reflected on my plant situation I recalled a recent Gospel reading, Matthew 13: 24-30, regarding the Kingdom of heaven being likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While I don’t have any weeds, like the parable, my plant didn’t produce the desired blooms.

If you aren’t seeing the desired “blooms” in your life, or desired fruit, using another Gospel and garden analogy, I invite you to reflect with me on the following questions. I would like to continue with my garden metaphor and ponder whether I have been seeing the fruits of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, gentleness, patience, etc.

Has your “soil” been properly prepared so that you are seeing these fruits? If not, or if in some way someone or something was detrimental to that growth, what can you do to amend the soil? Are you watering your plants each day with prayerful reflection? Are you nourishing the soil with the support of a faith community? Are you watching for “weeds” or other harmful influences, that might choke growth and inspired living? Are you monitoring your growth or just hoping for the best?

As we enjoy these final weeks of summer, I hope you will use the opportunity to look at your flowers or gardens as an inspiration for your life, supporting and sustaining each day just as we would our precious plants.

Wishing you abundant peace and hope, Deena

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Behold a great light

On By dpavinatoIn a life of joy, A life worth living, a season of hope, An example of faith and hope, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, contemplation, Daily Prayer, discernment, Every day Catholic, hope and healing, Jubilee Year of Hope, Life in the Spirit, Life of purpose, Pope Leo XIV, praying for peace, Rest for the weary, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, spiritual freedom, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journeyLeave a comment

Earlier this week our skies were filled with haze from the Canadian wildfires. On Thursday the air quality index in Chicago (an hour and a half from my home) was 174, the worst of any major city in the world. Even in our area, Alexa reminded me of the poor air quality, and at times, I could smell the smoke. As I was driving later that afternoon I captured the image for today’s blog (I parked of course!). It reminded me of a time, living in Royal Oak Michigan, that I was contemplating the light within each of us, an ever-present flame that burns and is alive, no matter what is going on in life. I will never forget it, one of those special epiphany moments walking, seeing the clouds part within, and sensing a presence of light and joy.

It’s hard, at times, to see that light if one is even a little aware of the news and the great tragedies in the world of war, hunger and suffering, greed and a focus on power above justice and truth. But I have been uplifted by the scenes from Rome and the Jubilee of Youth. An estimated million youth have been attending the Jubilee at Tor Vergata. Even Pope Leo XIV seems invigorated by the crowds of young people. Circus Maximus, an ancient Roman arena was transformed for the youth to make their confessions at 200 confession stations with priests speaking English, Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Polish, German, Hungarian, Slovak, Korean, and Chinese. Thousands of pilgrims were able to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in this place known for chariot races, gladiator fights and wild animal cruelty.

Pope Leo XIV reminded the youth of a truth we all seek, a burning question in each of our hearts, for truth and justice. He asked the pilgrims, and each of us, to reflect on our way of living in order to build a more humane world. In today’s homily, reflecting on the scriptures from Ecclesiastes and Luke’s Gospel, Pope Leo encouraged the youth to listen to Jesus knocking at the window of our souls and look beyond the world and nature that is fleeting and passes away. “‘This is why,” he said, “we continually aspire to something ‘more’ that no created reality can give us; we feel a deep and burning thirst that no drink in this world can satisfy.'” He challenged us to not let our hearts be deceived by the things of this world but rather “fullness has to do with what we joyfully welcome and share.  “Buying, hoarding and consuming are not enough.  We need to lift our eyes, to look upwards, to the ‘things that are above…'”

I remain hopeful, even this week with disappointing encounters or heavy news to try to grapple with. I begin a new week with a desire to focus on the things that really matter and things that I can control. Just this Sunday morning, artist Kreg Yingst of PsalmPrayers (his amazing work in on Facebook, Instagram and Etsy) responded to a comment I made on a new series he will be sharing with us by saying “it’s a drop in the ocean, but it’s my drop. I come to Christ in ‘my anger and powerlessness.'” Each of our individual drops make a difference, we each have the ability to have a positive impact and cast a ripple that might spread love and hope to those around us. Let that be our goal this week!

Isaiah 9: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone.

Wishing you abundant peace and hope, Deena

Image: my photo of the hazy skies this week in Illinois.

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Pulling out all the stops

On By dpavinatoIn a life of joy, A life worth living, a school of God's service, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, Daily Prayer, Every day Catholic, Fruit of the Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Jubilee Year of Hope, Life in the Spirit, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual freedom, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Trust the journeyLeave a comment

Last week I mentioned that I enjoy watching YouTube videos for entertainment, instruction and reflection. I shared that I enjoy watching Paul Fey and his playing the great organs around the world. If you use technology you know that the algorithms see what you watch and then show more of that type of content to your feed in the way of posts or ads. Sometimes it’s helpful and sometimes it is just plain annoying.

The other night I opened YouTube to watch a video and saw an organ short titled “Pulling out all the stops”. I laughed out loud, not realizing the source of that idiom. I watched as the organist pulled out all the knobs on the side of the organ and how the sound of the organ changed and amplified.

My post photo today is our organ at Holy Family Church. You will see the stops on the side, we have about 30 or so stop knobs on our beautiful organ. On the large organ at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, built by Flentrop Orgelbouw, (image from my recent visit to Holy Name pasted at the bottom of this blog) there are 71 stops and 5,558 pipes. The stops are the primary way that an organist controls and shapes the sound that is produced by the organ. They produce the pitch and tone of the sound and allows the air to flow through the pipes on the organ.

The use of the phrase, “pulling out all the stops”, suggests that we are going to do everything in our power to make something happen or to succeed. I paused to think about this with regard to our faith life. What if we pulled out all the stops in our daily prayer and living of the Gospel message? What if I lived “full out” in my belief that I am a beloved daughter of the Father and a disciple and friend of Christ? Am I living my life in a world of “just okay” when God has something greater in store for me and my life? To use the organ analogy, by pulling out all the stops, can I get the loudest, fullest, deepest expression of what I am meant to be in life?

The Gospel message this weekend for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary time encourages us in persistent prayer. Jesus, in Luke’s version, assures us to be confident in our prayer, to be bold and persistent. In our Old Testament reading, Abraham is bold in convincing God to spare Sodom if there are at least 10 faithful individuals who remain in the city destined for destruction. Jesus guides us to approach God, as our loving Father, confident and trusting.

That’s what I want in my faith life! Deep, rich, vibrant spirituality lived with passion and confident trust that God knows all I need and desire to live my best life giving glory to him! Are you living in a world of “just okay” or are you willing to place your trust in God and pull out all the stops in living that faith?

Wishing you abundant peace, trust, and hope this week, Deena

The organ at Holy Name Cathedral from the nave, or main seating area, of the Cathedral.

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Playing your hand

On By dpavinatoIn A life worth living, a school of God's service, a season of hope, Answering the great question, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, contemplation, curious and receptive, Daily Prayer, discernment, Every day Catholic, Jubilee Year of Hope, Life in the Spirit, Life of purpose, Our unique call, Personal call and vocation, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, spiritual freedom, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, surrender, Trust the journey, waiting and reflectingLeave a comment

I love YouTube videos! I can find something to satisfy every mood – videos to learn a crafting technique, Paul Fey visiting and playing organs in various churches and countries around the world, news reports (especially when I stopped streaming TV and wanted to catch up on events) and listening to and reflecting on various spiritual talks and discussions.

Last night, Saturday evening, was one of those nights when I wanted to listen to something inspirational. I had a strong desire to further reflect on my week and some of the things that came up in prayer and journaling, trying to make sense of what action might be next for me. A video by Fr. Gregory Pine, a very popular Dominican priest and conference speaker, popped up in my YouTube feed so I followed the serendipity of the moment and watched his talk at SEEK25. I’ve watched many of his talks in the past so I knew it would be worth the time to listen.

During the conference talk, Fr. Gregory, said that in life we need to play the hand we have been dealt. He said that the journey is to honestly reflect on the cards we have. We can look at others and say yes, there are others who are more talented or more gifted, but how are we going to play our hand? The goal is to “play the game beautifully even if you don’t have the best cards.” As we look at our lives we might not love what we find or where we are, but that’s ok because it is a starting point, the “Lord made you good, and he loves you, and he loves your destiny more than you do, and he is excited about the prospect of conducting you hence, strongly and sweetly.”

If you have been reading this blog over the past (almost) three years, you know well that I am always looking for ways to grow spiritually and improve my life. It has become more clear in the past year that I also want to discern the ways that I can help others do that. The past week or so has been a time of intense questioning of that desire and how that might come to life. I have to be honest and admit that in assessing thoughts about the “how” I have gotten dragged down and was melancholy about when it was going to become clear to me.

A couple of things happened this week that reminded me, as Fr. Gregory did, to slow down and trust the process and divine timing. Wednesday during my weekly two hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, during our parish Adoration time, I read a reflection by Christina Leano (on the staff of the Laudato Si Movement) in my Give Us This Day prayer guide that invited me to lean into curiosity and just show up in prayer, to simply ask “God, how do you want me to be with you right now?” and “rest knowing that the answer is secondary”. It was powerful and while letting go of the answer I might have been looking for, I was gifted with an insightful time of conversation with Christ. I was loved and beheld as simply who I am.

The next day I happened upon a seminar that might be helpful to me as I seek to use my gifts to help others. Then later in the week I listened to podcast that introduced me to some new concepts that are used in spiritual counseling. I was so excited about learning new ways that are being used to combine faith and spirituality in the realm of counseling, psychology, and brain science. I look forward to reading more about it, and my guess is, that in some way, it’s also a preparation and foundation for the healing work that will be experienced during my week long retreat the first week of August.

So Saturday evening, after listening to Fr. Gregory, I smiled in awe and gratitude in the ways that God might be aligning things in my path to pay attention to. I am also reminded today, in Luke’s Gospel for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, in the familiar story of Martha and Mary, that it is important to take the time to listen in prayer. Being busy, always doing, distracts from seeing those hints from God as they show up. It’s essential to be still and to be watchful for the guidance as it appears. But before all of that happens, it’s also important to know what it is I am seeking, to ask for the grace to be guided.

What grace do you seek this week? How might you just “show up” and sit in curiosity, watchful for the signs of God’s grace as they appear? Can you find time in your day to just sit and be held in the loving gaze and presence of God? You don’t need an agenda, or things to discuss, just show up and simply BE.

Wishing you abundant peace and hope, Deena

Image: Flowers and a bench on my patio

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Still learning

On By dpavinatoIn A life worth living, a school of God's service, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, contemplation, discernment, Every day Catholic, Jubilee Year of Hope, lifelong learning, ongoing catechesis, Our unique call, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual freedom, Spiritual Journey, spiritualityLeave a comment

Did you know that a typical Jewish Torah scroll is 86 feet long? I didn’t! They are handwritten and if a mistake is made during the creation of the scroll it is discarded and process begun again.

This past week I went on a bus trip to three places of worship in Chicago – Holy Name Cathedral, the Chicago Loop Synagogue, and the Baha’i House of Worship in suburban Wilmette. It was a fascinating day and I loved learning new things about other faith traditions, as well as sharing some things about our Catholic faith and tradition at the Cathedral with those on the trip who pulled me aside to ask questions.

While we were at the synagogue I noticed a lamp burning above the Ark, where the Torah scrolls are kept, and asked about it because of the similarity to a sanctuary candle in every Catholic Church by the Tabernacle. The assistant director of the synagogue praised my question and acknowledged that the Ner Tamid, or Eternal Light, always burns above or near the Ark representing God’s eternal presence. In a Catholic Church we have the red sanctuary light burning at all times (except after Holy Thursday Mass until Easter Vigil because Jesus is no longer present in the Tabernacle) by the Tabernacle in the Church indicating the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

I admit to being enthralled with studying and learning new things. When people ask what I am reading they might expect a current bestseller or fiction book but it is almost always a book on spirituality, self-improvement, or a biography of someone I admire. As a matter of fact I could probably stop buying books and still read new books for the next 5 years! I’ll catch up one of these days.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) encourages our study and ongoing learning. In Article 6 regarding Moral Conscience, the CCC tells us that it is the voice that calls us to love, do good and avoid evil. It guides us to behavior that we view as just and right for ourselves and those we encounter. But it goes on to say that our conscience must be informed and enlightened. We can’t expect that we learned everything that we need to act with an informed conscience, or to act in accord with the teachings of the Church, or whatever faith we practice, when we were instructed as young children. Education of our conscience is a lifelong and ongoing task, according to the Catechism.

Many of us, in Catholic and Protestant services, listened to the scripture of the Good Samaritan this weekend. Jesus teaches with this parable to encourage unconditional love and fair treatment to all regardless of our differences. An insightful Benedictine reflection that I read this Sunday morning reminded us that “we aren’t there yet. We need to keep re-tuning our ear and correcting our vision with the lens of charity, humility, and truth.” That is exactly the reason we continue to listen and be transformed by the Living Word of God (and hopefully by homilies and sermons that encourage the kind of behavior that Jesus challenges us to).

This desire for ongoing learning is the reason that I love the Wednesday Papal Audience and Angelus addresses given by our Popes. They are a brief catechesis on current topics of the day, how we should treat each other and live our lives. I want to keep my mind and heart open to seeing things a new way and changing those aspects of my thoughts and behavior that are not aligned with the heart of Christ.

Whether it is your faith life, or an area you desire to grow deeper in understanding and knowledge, keep learning! I offer these reminders for us to consider this week:

“I am still learning.” – Michelangelo (aged 87)

“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” – Albert Einstein

“Therefore we intend to establish a school for God’s service. In drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome…But as we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God’s commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love.” – The Prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict

Wishing you abundant peace and hope this week, Deena

Image: Torah scrolls in the Ark at the Chicago Loop Synagogue

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Pause and rest

On By dpavinatoIn A life worth living, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, contemplation, Daily Prayer, discernment, Every day Catholic, hope and healing, Life in the Spirit, mindfulness, Pause and rest, Pope Leo XIV, Rest for the weary, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual freedom, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Trust the journeyLeave a comment

Some days writing is like turning on the kitchen faucet and the ideas, like water, pour forth easily. Other days it is like watching water boil, but I am ready for the tea right now! None of the ideas I had to share today were developing. I decided not to fight it. I am just tired.

I am weary from the news. As if this week’s National news wasn’t enough, today my heart is breaking for the families who sent their children to Camp Mystic in Texas and now will be planning funerals. I can’t imagine the sorrow and grief they are experiencing. They will be on my heart, and in my prayers, along with all the others experiencing the devastation from the flooding river.

I didn’t realize how changes around me, some personal and some broader, were impacting me until I made an effort this week to breathe a little deeper and slow down. I felt the weight of those changes and decided to honor them instead of ignoring them.

This morning I saw a quote by Etty Hillesum, Dutch Jewish author and modern mystic who was murdered at Auschwitz in December of 1943, which said “Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer for five short minutes.”

I sighed and thought “Yes, just rest today. You don’t have to write or do anything else.” I was going to simply write and suggest we all rest and pause today.

But, I was also reminded of Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intentions for July on discernment and the prayer he wrote. Part of the prayer says: “I ask you for the grace to learn how to pause, to become aware of the way I act, of the feelings that dwell within me, and of the thoughts that overwhelm me which, so often, I fail to notice.”

Like Pope Leo (as stated further in the prayer), I long for the choices that bring joy and bring me closer in my relationship to God.

So, today I pause and rest. I will make some tea, slowly, not rushing the water as it boils. I will enjoy the flowers that seem to be as relieved as I am from the intense sun and heat and are just radiant under the cloudy skies. Perhaps you will be able to take some time to rest today too.

As I researched the quote shared above by Etty Hillesum, to make sure I was sharing her words accurately, I saw another. I offer it to you today too.

“Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it toward others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world.”

Wishing you abundant peace and rest today, Deena

Photo: Butters will be my muse for rest today. He is an expert!

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An ever-present call

On By dpavinatoIn a season of hope, An example of faith and hope, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, discernment, Doing what we love, Every day Catholic, Ignatian prayer, Jubilee Year of Hope, Life in the Spirit, Life of purpose, Our unique call, Personal call and vocation, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Trust the journeyLeave a comment

I laughed out loud this morning when I read Kate Bowler’s Blessing for today on social media (“A Blessing and a Curse for your best life now”). “I am a project with a thousand open tabs. A walking checklist, forever waiting for the satisfying ding of completion. And this much is true: I am incomplete. But no one ever promised we’d get to feel whole.”

I LOVE THAT!

I often have this sense (and maybe you do too) of some magical finish line to cross. We think we will finally get all the insights, knowledge, tasks complete, big picture finally clear, etc. Then everything will be fine.

Nope! It doesn’t happen that way. It’s an ongoing, ever-evolving journey. (That’s exactly why I titled my weekly blog “Journeys”!)

We have to listen to the calls and invitations in life but then shape it to our own way of being in the world. One of my favorite craft makers and designers constantly reminds us, “You do you!” It doesn’t work to copy someone else or expect our “projects in life” to come out the same as their version. As a matter of fact, that would likely be pretty boring. Yes, I certainly look to others to inspire me but then have to do it my way, go “rogue” and make it my version of being.

Just the other day I was sharing a new project idea with a friend and thought it might be a great idea for her too. My project looked one way and the idea I had for her was something that would be unique to her and what she shares with the world. We both love to teach and help people grow in self-awareness and being their best selves, but we have two unique ways of sharing it. And that is just perfect! Neither of us could, or would want to, present our ideas the way the other one does. We support and encourage each other in our unique ways of being.

I’ve shared in previous blogs that this uniqueness of call is one of the things I love most about Ignatian Spirituality. Discernment, whether to our vocation in life, or the every day decisions we have to make, advise us to look at our desires, our unique gifts and aspirations, the needs of those around us and in the world, and most importantly, our dialogue with God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God wants to use the things we love to do, and that we have been given the ability to do, to do God’s work in the world.

I love the quote by Blaise Pascal, “The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of… We know the truth not only by the reason, but by the heart.” We have to listen to the desires of our heart, in union with our intellect and the Spirit, as we respond to the “call” in front of us each day.

June 29 is the Solemnity of the Saints Peter and Paul, a great Feast Day in the church. Peter, despite his lack of education and constant faults, and even betrayal, was entrusted with the initial guidance of the Church. Paul, a persecutor and enemy of the early followers of Jesus, became the most distinguished and esteemed writer of the scriptures that serve as a roadmap for Christian living and offer instruction and guidance to the Church. Both died as martyrs for the faith.

I would venture to say that when Jesus said to Simon, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church”, or when St. Paul was knocked off his horse, blinded by light and led to the home of an early Christian that he would have been known for persecuting, that neither of them had a clear vision and goal, the perfect five-year plan, and knew what lied ahead for them. They only knew to respond “yes” to the call. God used who they were, and what they were in life, to call them to something more.

So, this week I propose we give ourselves a little grace to having it all figured out. Most certainly, I want to stop comparing and expecting to have all the answers that I perceive others to have. I hope to have a little bit more trust this week than last in the guidance I receive in prayer. I desire to be a better version of “just being me” this week than I was last. That seems like it would be wonderful progress to make!

Wishing you abundant hope and peace this week, Deena

Photo for this week: The San Damiano Cross, taken during my pilgrimage to Italy, in the Basilica of St. Clare in Assisi. It is said St. Francis was praying before this cross when the received the commission to the Lord to “go rebuild the Church”.

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Clearing the weeds

On By dpavinatoIn a season of hope, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, contemplation, Daily Prayer, discernment, Doing what we love, Every day Catholic, hope and healing, Jubilee Year of Hope, Life in the Spirit, Life of purpose, mindfulness, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual freedom, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journey, Trust the journey, waiting and reflectingLeave a comment

I purchased two new plants to add to my flower beds, so yesterday, in spite of the intense heat, I grabbed the plants, and some garden soil to supplement the area, and dug new holes for the plants. Despite the abundance of plants and cared for beds, there are always some weeds to pull. It’s not too bad if you stay on top of it, but if an area is ignored for a while, it can take some time to remove the unwanted growth. I cleared the spaces, dug holes, then added the gaura and poppy plants. I also decided to move my “Silly String” hosta (shown in my blog image this week) to a place with better light and replenished the soil for it, and around a heuchera, that has been slow to grow. I’m hoping the extra nourishment of the garden dirt will give it the support it needs.

Caring for these plants yesterday was a perfect analogy for my week. I reflected that we have to get rid of the weeds to give space for the desired plants to grow. The garden can be disturbed or strangled by the degradation of pesky plant growth. Sometimes it just needs some attention and nourishment.

By Wednesday night of this week I realized that my own Garden was in a state of disrepair and rupture. But uprooting false ideas, and tending to wounds, can be a tender undertaking. It is, however, a necessary exercise if we want to move beyond a place we are in and approach a desired state of peace and wholeness. To use another analogy, one proposed by my friend Kate Brown in a program this week, we need to “clear the static” to tune in and be in a place of alignment.

After hours of crying and praying Wednesday evening into Thursday early morning, I turned to an anchor (a focal point) to help myself feel grounded and safe. I began to breathe more slowly, calm my mind and gently fall to sleep, trusting in the love and support of God. It was a difficult time, for sure, accentuated by some pain from a serious fall in the morning and, then later in the day, feeling dismissed, and undervalued, by someone. Without noticing and attending to the wounds when they occur, just like the weeds in my flower beds, they can overwhelm and choke the joy and life force from us.

On Saturday morning I found myself recalling the time I taught classes at the local community college, in some of which I shared the importance of relaxation and mindfulness techniques to reduce stress and anxiety. I then opened an email to a podcast on mindfulness and learned a new technique that I was not aware of. Author and mindfulness teacher, Julie Potiker, shared her concept and use of the SNAP technique she developed. SNAP is an acronym, and has a somatic component, like the snap of our fingers, which can help us manage difficult emotions and move through situations with more ease and peace. The S in SNAP stands for Soothing Touch. It might be placing your hand on your heart to get in touch with your emotions in the moment. N stands for Name the emotion. To stop and consider what we are feeling in the moment, not judge or dismiss it, can be powerful. As Julie said, “you name it to tame it”. A stands for Act, we choose whatever we have in our mindfulness toolbox to help us move beyond the place we are in and “change the channel”. It might be deep breathing, listening to soothing music or a teacher that inspires us, talking with a friend, going for a walk or simply picking up an item of meaning or significance to us. Lastly, P stands for Praise. She suggests that here we move into a state of gratitude for “yourself, your practice, the universe, or the deity of your choice.” As I moved through my own difficult emotions this week, I stopped to thank God for the healing work that is beginning, that the fog is lifting, so that I could see more clearly what lies ahead.

Yesterday after I was done with the planting and care for my plants, I was able to see the flower beds and know that I had helped provide an environment for growth for them. I also checked in on my own state of being and knew that I had begun the work of cultivating the soil for restoration and peace. It affirmed my decision (that I have been second guessing since registering last month) to attend to week long retreat on healing. It provided insight to the reasons I have been researching joy and what I hoped I would find there. I gained clarity on the work I want to do and ways that I might share it with others.

Our growth never ends, at least as long as we are on the journey in this life, and I am thankful for that. I hope that you feel the same and know that you are never alone on the journey!

Wishing you abundant hope and peace, Deena

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Spirit that reveals

On By dpavinatoIn a season of hope, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, contemplation, Daily Prayer, discernment, Every day Catholic, Gifts of the Spirit, Holy Trinity, Jubilee Year of Hope, Life in the Spirit, Our Lady of the Way, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual freedom, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journeyLeave a comment

On June 11 of this month, Sojourners Magazine reflected on the life and teachings of American Christian scholar and theologian, Walter Brueggemann. Brueggemann, who passed away on June 5, was a great teacher, and an influential interpreter, of the Bible and especially, the Old Testament and biblical prophets. His most influential work, The Prophetic Imagination, challenged us to see the world as God sees it and overcome the limitations of our present reality. In 1985, he wrote, for Sojourner, “The Spirit works through us, among us, and even against us. The Spirit in these days would indeed work against our hopelessness to let us hope.” A poignant message for us given the state of the world.

This Sunday, June 15, is the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. We often try to give images and roles to the Trinity in an attempt to understand the inexplicable relationship of God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Brueggemann once wrote that the purpose of doxology, an expression of praise or liturgical praise, is to defy reasoning that tries to explain what God in the Trinity is. We can’t, so perhaps it’s better to just sing!

This week I have been praying with an 8-Day Retreat on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, presented by Our Lady of the Way Retreat Ministry. Day 6 focused on the Gift of Understanding. The prelude to the prayer states: “Understanding is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that enables believers to comprehend the truths of faith through both reason and divine revelation….With the gift of understanding, we can grasp divine mysteries of faith that surpass human reasoning.” That was a helpful reminder as I approached Trinity Sunday.

I can’t possibly grasp the concept of Trinity with my feeble human intellect. I can read, pray and contemplate the relationship between the “persons” of the Trinity but at some point I have to accept it on faith. I can also, reflecting on Bruegggemann’s statement above, hope to grow in understanding and allow the impact of the Trinity to reveal, guide and be at work in my life.

Give Us This Day published a reflection entitled “Sustained Attentiveness” by Brueggemann on Friday of this week, certainly planned far in advance of his passing. In it he wrote, talking about Jesus’ “radical interpretation” of the Torah, “finally he will say at the end of the chapter, “Be Perfect” – be whole – have integrity – be about one thing in your life. Be in sync with God. But such being in sync requires, as serious Jews have always known, swimming upstream against ordinary social practices.” Brueggemann went on to suggest we see the church as a body of coworkers who walk a different path in the world and that we live together “for the sake of the world that God loves!” He said we cannot “be the church by accident, but only with obedient intentionality.” In that Sojourner article, mentioned above, they quoted Brueggemann saying “the practice of prophetic imagination … requires energy, courage, and freedom, and the sense of being otherwise. And I have no doubt that we are now arriving at a moment when there is no more middle ground.”

As I pray for peace in our fractioned and turbulent world, and integrity within our policies and caring for the good of all those in society, I ask for the gift of understanding. I pray, also, to be transformed by the gifts of knowledge, fortitude, counsel and wisdom so that I may live in sync with God, radical in justice and mercy. Then, as St. Ignatius teaches, I will desire and choose only that which helps me attain the end for which I have been created.

Wishing you abundant gifts of the Spirit this week, Deena

Image: my favorite icon of the Trinity, created in the 15th century by Russian iconographer, Andrei Rublev.

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A spirit of renewal

On By dpavinatoIn a season of hope, An example of faith and hope, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Every day Catholic, Fruit of the Spirit, Jubilee Year of Hope, Life in the Spirit, Life of purpose, Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, season of change, spiritual freedom, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, synodalityLeave a comment

Later this summer, God willing, I will celebrate another birthday. I was reflecting early this morning on the ways I have changed this year. Yet in all the little, or even big changes, this past year I remain the same person with the same guiding values and principles in life. I dream new dreams, set goals and aspire to new things but remain the same in essence – a woman, daughter, sister, aunt, who is compassionate, values integrity and authenticity, seeks peace, desires to serve God in the best way that I can given the gifts I have. Those fundamental characteristics of who I am do not change regardless of the other evolutionary shifts on my journey through life.

Pentecost, celebrated in the Church today on June 8, fifty days after Easter, is recognized as the birth of the Church. The Spirit descended on Mary, the Apostles and other disciples and ignites them with a desire and passion to carry on the mission of Jesus, witnessing the love of the Christ to all those they encounter and spreading that message of peace. The power of the Spirit descended on them but it continues in the world, throughout time, since that first Pentecost and even today! Yet, even contemplating all of the changes in the Church in the past 2000+ years, the guiding principles of Jesus and the fundamental Christian truths, remain the same, despite culture, age, or specific social or ecclesial situation.

As I reflected upon this past year in my life, I also pondered the changes this past year in the Church. Most recently, of course, for Catholics was the passing of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV. There were also numerous meetings of the Synod on Synodality in 2024, with the Second Session ending in October 2024 marking the end of the discernment phase. Beginning in 2021, Pope Francis asked the Church, laity, religious and ordained ministers of the Church, to reflect on themes of communion, participation and mission. The preparatory documents said that the purpose of the Synod was not to “produce documents, but to plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another and create a bright resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm hearts, give strength to our hands.”

Earlier this week I listened to a Liturgical Press webinar with Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, member of the Dominican Community at Blackfriars, Oxford, on “Synodal Hope, The Vision of Pope Francis and the Future with Pope Leo.” He is a strong advocate for the Synod process and has been involved in the Synod by offering spiritual reflections at various meetings and retreats for those involved in the Synod gatherings. He offered hope (a theme discussed in his new book, Surprised by Hope; Further Meditations on Synodality published by Liturgical Press) in the process, regardless of how we feel about our place in the Church, acknowledging that many feel they are on the margins or whose full dignity in role and mission has not been recognized.

Cardinal Radcliffe said the Synod isn’t about subverting authority or hierarchy, that it isn’t about decisions, but rather, quoting Pope Benedict XVI, saying that it is about “encounter”. Being Catholic is about opening our being to everything and everyone, reaching out with stretched open arms. He said that it is about daring to get together to share hopes and dreams, “Being Church, being Christian, being alive in God”, and dropping barriers.

Pope Leo XIV, at the Pentecost Vigil and this Sunday morning, at the Mass of Pentecost, said that the Holy Spirit comes to “breaks down our hardness of heart, our narrowness of mind, our selfishness, the fears that enchain us and the narcissism that makes us think only of ourselves.” The Holy Spirit challenges us to open borders, first within our hearts and then in our relationships with others. Pentecost he said, “renews the Church, renews the world”.

During the Pentecost Vigil, Pope Leo said that synodality is rooted in the Trinity and where the Spirit is, “there is movement, a journey to be made.” He offered encouragement to say that, in this Jubilee Spirit, we walk together in unity, no longer for ourselves but walking alongside each other. Synodality demands that we recognize the poverty and richness in everyone, that we realize we are part of a greater whole.

I was inspired as Pope Leo said that this great mission of the work of God is something we all participate in, we take part in our parishes and our communities, using the charisms we have been given, working as one, the future then becomes less dark, discernment less complicated.

On this great Solemnity of the Church, I have hope. I have hope that we trust the Spirit to guide us on our individual paths and in the ways we can make a difference in the world. I have hope that the Church will seek to draw people together, to listen and encounter versus separate. I have hope, that the Jubilee message of Hope, as it now continues to be shared by Pope Leo, will have a far reaching impact to create peace in the world, to break down barriers and open hearts.

Come Holy Spirit, Come!

Wishing you abundant peace and Hope this week, Deena

Image: Our Pentecost window at Holy Family Church.