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Cultivating beauty

On By dpavinatoIn a life of joy, A life worth living, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, Doing what we love, Every day Catholic, la dolce vita, Lenten journey, Life in the Spirit, mindfulness, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, seeing beauty around me, Seeing things in a new way, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journeyLeave a comment

On March 24, for the Third Week of Lent, I read the following quote by Joan Chittister, in her Reflection Resource, Cry Justice, Cry Hope, and I began implementing the practice of being, or at least attempting, to be more aware of beauty around me, with a strong desire to cultivate it more within me.

The purpose of life is to cultivate the sacred in ourselves so that we can come to know God before we see God. Goethe puts it this way: “A person should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful that God has implanted in the human soul. ” This week, follow Goethe’s advice. Every day this week, list one way that you tried to “cultivate beauty in the human soul. ” In your own life … in your neighborhood … in the world.

––from Cry Justice, Cry Hope by Joan Chittister

I think that is why I love having a garden, keeping fresh flowers on my kitchen counter each week, like the daisies in my blog photo, or creating little vignettes of objects in my home. Looking at something beautiful uplifts and inspires me. It does as Sr. Joan suggests, help me see God in the world around me. After reading Sr. Joan’s quote, I want to raise my awareness of the beauty I see around me in the world. I want to make a conscious effort of cultivating beauty in my life so that I might create more beauty in the world. It’s going to be a work in progress for sure!

This weekend I was blessed to be a participant, virtually, in a retreat being given by my friend, author Judith Valente for the Associates of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky. The presentations by Judith and by Brother Paul Quenon, her friend, co-author of books and a Trappist monk at the Abbey of Gethsemani, were wonderful but perhaps my favorite was Judith’s talk on Saturday evening, “What can we learn from Italians this Lent about living more mindfully”. So many of the practices, la dolce vita (living the sweet life), that Judith discussed are practices I grew up with or still make part of my life. Sunday meals at my Italian grandmother’s home while growing up, the art of sitting and engaging in conversation over coffee, as well as visiting our family cemetery plots to clean up and remember our beloved deceased.

My return to Italy in the Fall of 2023 rekindled a passion for living and savoring the good life. My friend Kelly’s visit to Italy this past week, and pictures she shared of a family dinner gathering, reminded me of the graces of sitting down together for aperitivo, good food, wine and conversation. I tend to rush through dinner, if I even make it, instead of savoring the slowing down of the day before the quiet time of evening.

As a note, you will be able to read more of Judith’s reflections on life in Italy in her new book, The Italian Soul: How to Savor the Full Joys of Life, which will be released on May 5. (Click on the link to preorder it.) Judith’s book will help us learn to look more deeply for beauty in life and experience the grace of the present moment, the life we are living. It is not only an Italian way of life, but a spiritual lifestyle. It is the same awareness that Goethe and Sr. Joan Chittister are encouraging us to have.

So this week, I invite you to look for and instill more beauty in your life, just as Sr. Joan and Judith have excited in me a desire to look for more awe-inspiring moments in the everyday. Look for, and pause to savor, these moments when you encounter them. Create them in your daily living and the way you express yourself in the world, with your family and in your home.

In a previous blog post I mentioned a new practice of keeping an ongoing list of my daily gratitude, tracking the sequential numbers versus jotting down three new entries each day. To this practice I have added an area to reflect on beauty that crossed my path each day. Besides my daily spiritual and creative reflections, I write in my daily Examen journal the consolations or graces and desolations each day. Before those movements of the Spirit, I note my reflections of gratitude and beauty. I have included a sample of today’s page, in this blog post, before writing in it later today. Try it and let me know what you think.

Wishing you abundant peace and this week, la dolce vita! Deena

My daily Examen journal image:

Tilling the soil

On By dpavinatoIn A life worth living, a season of hope, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, discernment, Every day Catholic, Jubilee Year of Hope, Lenten journey, Life in the Spirit, Life of purpose, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Seeing things in a new way, Spiritual Journey, Teachers and Guides on the journeyLeave a comment

It’s March Madness time. I don’t really follow NCAA basketball all season but I love watching during tournament time. Anything can happen. Players rise above challenges they may have been having all year, determination and drive kick in. I’m looking forward to seeing if some of my favorite teams advance in each round. I have a variety of reasons that teams are favorites, not always because of the team or it’s location but rather the character of school and leadership, like Loyola University’s team chaplain Sr. Jean Schmidt. Another favorite has always been Duke University, because of the legendary coaching style of “Coach K”, Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K coached Duke basketball for 42 seasons, having the most winning seasons in college basketball, and was also a six-time gold medalist head coach of the US Olympic Men’s Basketball Team. Coach K is no longer the coach at Duke, but his influence remains.

I recently watched an interview of Coach K by Kate Bowler, an author that I have quoted here before, and associate professor at Duke Divinity School. The interview, available on YouTube, was called “Love in Winning, Love in Losing”. Kate began the interview by stating that one of Coach K’s qualities is bringing out the greatness in others, and asked if it is hard, because many of us don’t look inside and see that level of greatness. Coach K responded that, as a coach, the team leaders looked for individuals that were talented with character, talented individuals who were willing to do the work to improve, and not talented characters, who see themselves as better than they are. Throughout the interview, he shared examples of believing in his players, asking them to step up, being honest and building trust within the team, being willing to hear the good things when things are going well, but also to receive honest feedback and work through the tough times. He shared his four A’s of Leadership; Agility, Adaptability, Accountability, and Attitude. They are great characteristics in life as well! He also spoke of his parents and their mentorship in his life. He said “if they didn’t till the ground, till the soil the right way”, his decision to go to West Point, and the influence of others, all as aspects that led him to be who he is, develop his leadership style and allow him to accomplish what he has. It’s an outstanding interview, I would highly recommend watching it.

In today’s Gospel, Luke 13: 1-9, there is a story of a fig tree that isn’t producing fruit. The owner instructs the gardener to cut it down. The gardener responds that he will cultivate and fertilize the soil and requests another year to see if the fruit will produce fruit. This morning I read a reflection by a monk at Conception Abbey that explained the fig tree as an ancient symbol of fruitfulness in the Bible and provided several scripture passages as examples. Br. Michael goes on to say that the Gardener is the Lord who loves each of us, lavishes mercy on us and continues to prune and fertilize our lives so that we can grow in love and continue to make a return to the Lord with our hearts and lives.

Spend some time this week reflecting on the teachers in your life? Who believed in you when you didn’t see your own capability and worthiness? What is the fig tree in your life that is dormant and needs some attention and nourishment? Lent is the perfect time to till the soil so that we bring forth new life at Easter and beyond.

Wishing you abundant peace, Deena

By the way, there is an adorable three minute video of Kate preparing for her interview with Coach K. Check it out here.

Photo: Taken during a prior year early Spring visit to Hornabaker’s Gardens in Princeton, IL.

A revolutionary vision

On By dpavinatoIn a life of joy, a season of hope, Art and new vision, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, contemplation, Daily Prayer, Jubilee Year of Hope, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sacred Heart of Jesus, spiritual healing, sacred listening, sacred seeing, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual freedom, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journeyLeave a comment

Lately the range of emotions I experience each day feel as though I am riding a roller coaster. I might note, I am not a fan of roller coasters! I try to ignore the news and take deep breaths but it can be overwhelming. I stopped watching the news (preferring to read updates by well versed political historians and fact-finders) but still come across posts with quotes by our leaders, elected or not, that are filled with such hate, delusion and self supremacy that I feel like giving up completely. But I know it is not the time to give in or to be silent. I also know that the people and things of this world are not the things that really matter, they are not my ultimate purpose or goal. My stability and sanity come from trying to balance each day with things that bring some relief, some joy, some hope. Thankfully there are an abundance of uplifting and life-giving posts, essays, articles and events that help me counter the negativity and vitriol.

As my thoughts for writing this post jumbled around all week, I thought of sharing an experience I had a couple of weekends ago, attending a fireside poetry reading by Scottish poet Kenneth Steven, hosted by friend Pat Leyko Connelly, also a published poet. He read from his book, Atoms of Delight: Ten Pilgrimages in Nature. I won’t share more details of the event as my friend Judith Valente, does so eloquently this morning, in her blog, along with other thoughtful reflections on finding wonder during these turbulent times. But, a significant moment during the event came for me as Kenneth Steven read a story of one of the significant “atoms of delight” in his life, being the first to gather the freshly fallen chestnuts from a tree in the early dawn. I recalled one of my own “atoms”. I spent some of my grade school years living in a small town in the area of the Catskill Mountains in New York. In a wooded area behind our home there was a huge rock (likely only 5 feet but in my memory it was massive) and giant pine trees. We would venture in the freshly fallen snow, shake the tree branches on each other and play on and around the rock. It was my own personal energy portal. Nature was alive and filled me with joy and wonder, an “atom of delight”.

In a personal post on social media this weekend I shared an article entitled “A Spell Against Stagnation”, a reflection on the writings of John O’Donohue, another poet that lifts my heart and spirit, on a site called The Marginalian (link to website but you can find on Facebook). Founder Maria Popova shares articles with endless links and spirals of creativity and nourishment. Statements from Maria, like “Kneeling to look at a lichen is a devotional act”, remind me to stop and look for those moments of wonder. I appreciate the beauty and sensitivity of her artwork, bird divinations, from An Almanac of Birds: Divinations for Uncertain Days which you can find on her website or Facebook page (and soon available in a card deck as a pre-order on Amazon).

Another simple practice that I implement each day as part of morning and/or evening prayer is a gratitude or wonder list. In a blog or article by writer and retreat facilitator, Mary DeTurris Poust, I was intrigued by a different approach to my daily list. Mary shared that she numbers her three daily posts in an ongoing list, which was now in the thousands. I began mine at the time of the reading and as of this morning have reached 215. This list is part of my daily Examen (a practice of reflecting on the graces, consolations and desolations of each day) journal. It helps me look for those moments of wonder, those small “atoms of delight” in each day.

Today a homily written by Pope Francis, read by Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendoza, challenged artists [poets, writers, visual artists…] to be “witnesses of the revolutionary vision of the Beatitudes”. The Pope said that living the Beatitudes and expressing them in art [and I would add the expression of our lives] was a way to reveal “ truth and goodness …hidden within the folds of history”, and “giving voice to the voiceless”. “‘Artists have the task, the Pope said, of “helping humanity not to lose its way’”. (Vatican News, February 16, 2025)

If you seek solace these days I encourage you to read poetry, listen to music or reflect on art. Visit some of the writers or poets I mention today or find others that inspire you to look at life differently. If you write, continue to do so. If you draw, paint or create mixed media journals, keep going. If you have longed to pick up and learn to play a musical instrument, it’s not too late. Do it for you, not to change the world at large, but to change yours. Find joy and express it. It just might make each day a bit more lovely!

Wishing you abundant peace, Deena

Another note: I mentioned offering a Lent Night of Reflection a couple of weeks ago. I am still working on a webpage and more sophisticated registration process, but that all takes time. I decided to move forward anyway. The mini retreat will be “Make My Heart Like Your Heart: Encounter and Change of Heart” on Thursday, March 20 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Central Time. The suggested donation for the event is $19. I will keep working on a registration process but it might be as simple as a PayPal or Venmo payment for my first event. During the event we will reflect on the things in the world that consume our heart and attention, our need and desire to give and receive forgiveness, and ways that we can pour out our love to God in a personal and sincere way. I am excited to offer this and I hope you will be able to join me. For now, you can email me, private message me or add a comment to this post on my website adding “Retreat” to the beginning of your comment and I won’t approve (or will hide) that comment to be shown on the website.

Photo: A print of Bernini’s “The Ecstacy of St. Teresa of Avila” that hangs in my office.

Freely choose what seems good

On By dpavinatoIn A life worth living, a season of hope, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, contemplation, discernment, Doing what we love, Every day Catholic, Fruit of the Spirit, Jubilee Year of Hope, Life in the Spirit, Life of purpose, mindfulness, spiritual freedom, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, spiritual freedom, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journey2 Comments

Have you ever spent so much time weighing options, an action to take or a decision to make, that you never really take a step or make a move? “What is the better of these two choices? What if I make the wrong choice? What if I don’t have enough information to decide?” We can paralyze ourselves with indecision.

This past week was the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, a saint known for his kind and gentle spiritual direction. St. Francis de Sales is a Doctor of the Catholic Church, The Doctor of Divine Love. The title of Doctor is given to saints who are recognized for having a significant impact on theology or doctrine as a result of their work and writing/teaching. He was the spiritual director to St. Jane de Chantal, another saint I regard highly because of her courage and patience in the face of the challenges she encountered and her desire to help others, especially the poor. St. Francis de Sales reminded St. Jane, when she desired to enter a religious community after the death of her husband, that there was holiness in her daily tasks as a mother and that being faithful to the real life in front of her each day was a way to become holy. Eventually he counseled her to begin a new order of women, The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary or The Visitation Sisters. St. Francis also had a temper and struggled with resentment, but he believed that the spiritual life is made up of mistakes we learn and grow from. For this reason, I also have a special fondness for him and his teaching.

He wrote of making decisions, especially when faced with two good options, “as S. Basil says, freely choose what seems to us good, so as not to weary our spirit, lose time, and put ourselves in danger of disquiet, scruples, and superstition. But I mean always where there is no great disproportion between the two works, and where there is no considerable circumstance on one side more than on the other.” He said that we should pray and ask for clarity from the Holy Spirit, seek the guidance of a spiritual director or one or two spiritual friends and then “devoutly, peacefully, and firmly keep and pursue it.”

We can hold ourselves back by saying that we don’t have this skill or aptitude or that someone else is better equipped with a particular gift. We can focus on the abilities of others and neglect to see the good that we can do with the talents we have been given.

Today and last Sunday, Second and Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, the second reading has been from the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. In this letter, St. Paul is advising the church of Corinth that the Spirit of God gives different gifts and forms of service, different parts of the body that all make up the Body of Christ. We are all given our own unique talent to serve those around us. Each of these is necessary for a healthy and thriving community. All of these gifts are valuable to the whole.

In another profound weekly article by Maria Shriver, she considers how to find peace in the world, peace after the devastation of the LA Fires and peace as we navigate change in our country. She states that the way to build something new is to build from within, “to get quiet, to truly bring our peaceful selves to the table.” “Listening, trying to understand, caring for another, loving another, bestowing grace, forgiveness, kindness, and mercy on another—that’s something each of us can do.” Simple but dramatic ways to have an impact.

I have been considering this for myself, in this new year of 2025. Beginning this Spring, I will be adding a new page to this site (or perhaps a new site), mini-courses and ways to connect with each other as I launch a new venture into the world. True To Self Living will be a journey of being our most authentic self in the world. We will use practices from various disciplines such as faith and spirituality, mindfulness, creativity and wellness to live a life that allows the full expression of who we are, a way to come home to ourselves. I believe, like Maria, that when we do this we also have a positive impact on the world.

What gifts do you have and offer to those around you? In what ways do you, or can you, serve your family and friends, making a positive impact on their day? What ways might you get quiet and bring peace and concern, a gentleness like St. Francis de Sales, to those you encounter? Let’s work together to bring peace to the world in a way that only we can.

Wishing you abundant peace, Deena

Image: a sign I saw on the wall at Tea Room at the Depot in Mackinaw, IL.

A tapestry of connections

On By dpavinatoIn Every day Catholic, Ignatian prayer, mindfulness, spiritual freedom, sacred seeing, Spiritual Journey, Teachers and Guides on the journeyLeave a comment

This week I made plans to take a day off and have lunch with a friend. As we were planning, she said that she mentioned to her parish priest, a former paster at my hometown parish, that we were going to meet. He asked how I was and what I was doing. As I sat down to journal in the morning, I decided to write him a quick letter and send a belated birthday greeting. I summarized all that has gone on the past few months. As I drove Friday to visit with my friend, the letter fresh in my mind, I reflected on his time at my parish. He invited me to be on our parish council and be part of a diocesan committee. I was a lector then as I am now. He held adult religious education classes which I attended. So we got to know each other over his time at our parish. More importantly, I remember that he came to the hospital the Sunday afternoon my mother fell and we were waiting to move her to a larger medical facility due to a spinal injury. I also remember the conversations we would have as I gave him updates after her surgery and my daily drives back and forth, an hour each way, to the hospital each day. He encouraged me to take care of myself too. Of all the homilies he gave and lessons he taught us in class, his compassion is the thing that I remember most about him!

This week I read a poem by Becky Hemsley, titled Patchwork, from her book Talking to the Wild: The bedtime stories we never knew we needed.

Your life is like a quilt

And everybody weaves their share

Some weave huge great tapestries

And some weave tiny squares…

It can feel like all of the moments that we are living in life are ones that we decide upon and take action on. But they are influenced by so many people and events in our lives. Things as simple as a song, a smell, a voice can take us back to a time and place that had an influence on who we are today. Someone’s compassion, or lack of attention, can influence how we respond to new situations as they arise.

But every little thread

That weaves its joy and pain and fun

Has stitched a quilt together

Of the person you’ve become…

As you reflect on your life (I like the practice of doing this each day, using a process called the Examen), give thanks for the people who influenced you in a positive way. If you have the chance, thank them or simply reach out and say hello. As you assess your reactions that are less desirable, consider how and where you might have learned this reaction. Reflect on how you would prefer to respond. Ask for the grace to do better. Consider it all gift!

So I know there are squares that comfort you

And some that you dislike

But without them all you wouldn’t have

This patchwork of your life

To read Becky’s entire poem, visit her Facebook page, Becky Hemsley Poetry. It’s a beautiful poem!

Wishing you abundant peace, Deena

Photo: A quilt that my sister-in-law Stacie made for the grandchildren to play on when visiting. It’s a beautiful symbol of the fabric of their lives together.

Landscapes of our lives

On By dpavinatoIn Catholic faith, Every day Catholic, Life in the Spirit, Life of purpose, sacred seeing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journey1 Comment

Besides living in upstate New York for a few years in the 60’s, I have lived in the Midwest all of my life. Even when I left Illinois to work for Electronic Data Systems on the General Motors account in Michigan, the move was only to a small suburb of Detroit. The seasons were almost exactly the same as Illinois.

The changing seasons have always been part of my life. As much as I am ready for Fall now, because of the excessive heat and humidity of this summer, I wouldn’t trade the seasons for anything. Each change of season becomes a threshold place, marking the “next thing” whether it was returning to school, beginning college, preparing for holidays or making goals for a new year.

For me the changing seasons – Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter remind me of the birth, growth, decline and rest or death in life, relationships, stages of becoming who we are over and over again, like a huge spiral continuing ever deeper.

Saturday morning as I drove past tall fields of corn on the way to the veterinary clinic for medicine and food for the cats, I enjoyed seeing the height of the corn stalks and reflected on how much they have grown since the little sprouts that are my favorite sign of Spring and seasons of planting. The bright blue expansive sky invited me to breathe deep after a busy week and relish the day.

While I was driving I was listening to the latest podcast, Fire and Light, with Tessa Bielecki and David Denny, two “urban hermits” in Tucson, Arizona. This month’s episode is “The Seed and the Space that Changed You.” Tessa and David describe their separate journeys to Sedona, their instant love of the red rock and open skies of the desert, and their eventual work together at the Spiritual Life Institute. Since then they have co-created Sand and Sky, the Desert Foundation exploring the wisdom of the desert in various spiritual traditions. I am more familiar with Tessa from her teaching and writing of St. Teresa of Avila but I love each new blog post and podcast and the conversations between Tessa and David. They have become two spiritual teachers of desert wisdom for me.

As they talked they posed questions about the landscapes that have been a part of our lives. They asked us to consider how the landscape formed us, what impact it had on us and how it might have influenced our relationship with the earth and with God. They also asked us to consider books or teachers that were pivotal in shaping who we are today.

As I listened I thought also of significant places on my journey and how they have formed me – living in Saugerties/Woodstock New York in the late 60’s, the Campus Ministry office at the private Catholic college I attended and the friends made while in college, the Newman Center during graduate school, my first job at a college as a counselor, the natural food shops and bookstores in Royal Oak, Mi., then moving back to Illinois and opening my own business and all my encounters with those who shopped there. Landscapes can be places and people, as much as the topography.

I invite you to spend some time thinking about the landscapes that have formed you, the people that inspired you and the places that have been important in becoming the person you are today.

Wishing you abundant peace, Deena

Photo: Sunsets in the Midwest are amazing! This photo was taken outside my home.

Notice what you are noticing

On By dpavinatoIn discernment, Doing what we love, Every day Catholic, Life of purpose, mindfulness, Spiritual Journey, Teachers and Guides on the journey3 Comments

At times during the week a topic for this blog will evolve and begin to take shape. It might be a book, a quote, a class I took, etc. But a thought emerges and I ruminate on it throughout the week. Some Sunday mornings I wake up and ask for inspiration. Then there are days like today, well, weekends really, that I am bombarded with similar ideas from random places. I could journal for weeks on the things that have captured my attention!

One of the books I ordered to read this weekend is Discovering Your Dream by Gerald Fagin, SJ. It’s a little primer on an Ignatian approach to discernment and decision-making. I didn’t have anything specific in mind regarding discernment, just to continue to learn more about the topic. As I mentioned last week, it’s an ongoing process in life. Fagin says “discernment presupposes that life is a mystery to be lived out, not a problem to be solved.” People use the words spirituality, prayer, meditation and discernment so freely today it can be difficult to find things that will be useful or beneficial to personal and spiritual growth. One of the things I have found helpful is the adage to “notice what you are noticing”. God is at work in the people, encounters, situations and dare I say, even the things we read, around us. God is at work, personally, in my heart and in yours, each and every day.

I couldn’t help think about the mystery and unfolding of God in the events of Maria Shriver’s life as I read her Sunday Paper today. She revealed a meditation she had while in Cambodia, regarding birthing a new version of herself, and then a visit to the hospital with her daughter upon their return. While waiting outside, she helped a nurse deliver a baby in the parking lot! She concludes with a suggestion that every day is a chance to begin again or birth a new version of ourselves. She also mentioned that maybe God is trying to get her attention…notice what you are noticing.

Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation, Evolving Faithfully, today acknowledges that everything is and keeps changing, that God “keeps creating things from the inside out”. He surmises that many people want instant or quick solutions versus a “universal pattern of growth and healing—which always includes loss and renewal. This is the way that life perpetuates itself in ever-new forms: through various changes that can feel like death.” It’s a helpful reflection for me as I look at what is happening in the world, both in the environmental and political landscape, as well as the evolving aspects of my self, the parts that I want to let go of and the parts I want to birth.

As you pay attention to the changing aspects of who you are and who you want to be, pay attention to those who stand in your circle, your “tribe” or supporting cast. In today’s Gospel, Mark 6: 1-6, Jesus is “amazed at the lack of faith” of those around him. He is in his home town and surrounded by people that have watched him heal and work miracles, yet, they question the things he says to them.

I appreciated Diana Butler Bass’ reflection today, Sunday Musings, regarding their unbelief. She suggests that unbelief isn’t an idea about God but a “disposition of the heart”. She says that Jesus was amazed at the lack of trust they had or their inability to have faith, he was alone and perhaps, Diana says, a little heart-broken. But the highlight of the post was: “The truth is that we need others to rise to our fullest abilities; there are certain things that can only be done with the love and trust of those committed to being there with and for us…Faith and trust are necessary for wisdom, to heal what is wounded, to cast out injustice, and to care for all those in need. Ideology will only divide us more deeply. Those idea-tribes are killing us, separating us.”

As we listen to and become more aware of the desires of the heart that emerge in prayer and reflection, we must also acknowledge the parts that are ready to fall away. We look also for the places and people that stand with us and encourage us rather than hold us back. We may not receive support from everyone, but life’s too short for less than this.

Lastly, consider reading my friend, and author, Judith Valente’s blog post today on a “well-lived life”. As all of these thoughts tumble around in my head this week I will continue to ponder the essence of Judith’s theme to keep focusing on things that bring meaning and passion while considering what a well-lived life might actually mean for me. It’s an excellent read, I hope you take the time to consider Judith’s musings and consider what a “life well-lived” might mean for you as well.

Then this week, notice what you are noticing…Deena

Image: The “Devotion” or Giboshi (refers to the finial used on the bridge and posts) Bridge at Anderson Japanese Gardens was recently reopened after a multi-year restoration process of curing and air-drying the Alaskan Yellow Cedar and then constructing the bridge. Our docent advised us that as we crossed the bridge we were invited to leave the dust of the world behind us, inviting us to a time of peace and serenity during our stay in the Gardens.

A journey with wild geese

On By dpavinatoIn Doing what we love, mindfulness, spiritual freedom, sacred seeing, Spiritual Journey, Teachers and Guides on the journey, visual creative journaling2 Comments

Two of my favorite signs of Spring and a new season of growth are the little baby corn sprouts as they begin to emerge in the fields and the two geese and their goslings that appear every year by the retention pond and grass near a local grocery store. Both just make my heart sing; winter is over and Spring is on the way!

In April, our assignment for the monthly visual journal class I am taking, was to determine an animal we wished to draw and research symbolism for the animal. Geese quickly came to mind because I had been checking the pond with each trip to the grocery store, anxiously awaiting the arrival of this year’s family. I researched symbolism for geese and found it quite interesting. Geese represent family, teamwork, loyalty. They are resilient, adaptable, and are determined to weather life’s changes with grace. As a totem they might represent that it may be time to take flight and begin a new journey. Birds in general represent messengers, in Native American and many spiritualities, or that there is a message to pay attention to or watch for. In Christian spirituality they represent Spirit. I learned this week, in a blog I will mention in a bit, that in Celtic Spirituality the goose, rather than a dove, represents the Holy Spirit. In this form, the goose is loud and demands our attention.

Part of my decision was also influenced by one of my favorite poems by Mary Oliver, Wild Geese. especially with the lines as the poem ends, “the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting – over and over announcing your place in the family of things.” (Written and published in 1986 in her book Dream Work). So with the decision made I found an image to model and prepared for our workshop. The intention for the class was to practice drawing images and then in the “journal” page let our hearts, and creative tools like pens or watercolors, express what the animal is saying to us. I have included, below in this post, the image I selected on Facebook, from a Mary Oliver poetry group, to model and my initial pencil drawings. The journal page is a work in progress.

In May some additional things happened that remind me that the wild geese are still calling for my attention. Last week, on Pentecost Sunday, I attended a virtual retreat by my friend Judith Valente titled “The Spirituality of the Poetry of Mary Oliver”. It was my second time attending this presentation by Judy but there were new insights and treasures as I expected. It was a delight to listen to Mary Oliver read her poem, Wild Geese, in one of the video clips Judy shared. In Oliver’s poetry, Judith reminded us there is a similarity to monastic practice and a consistent theme to be reverently being aware, to pay attention and to be astonished. In all her work, Judith said, there is a wake up call to reflect on who or what is calling us to live joyfully.

Then this week I received the monthly email from Mary DeTurris Poust, with the blog title “Welcoming the Wild Goose”. Mary shared a recent experience giving a retreat in Maryland in which she felt like she was living inside the Mary Oliver poem I mentioned above, “in which the ‘world calls to you like the wild geese — harsh and exciting.'” The honking and distraction of the geese during the entire retreat offered, to Mary, an analogy of Spirit in our lives. She said we often wait for the quiet whisper of Spirit and don’t want the incessant, unrelenting and loud voice of the Holy Spirit calling us to something new. Reflecting on Pentecost, Mary DeTurris Poust asked: “How often do we do just that, push away the loud and insistent call of the Holy Spirit because we don’t like the message or the delivery?” Can we be open to Spirit no matter how we are called? Can we listen and respond even if the message might be asking us to consider something new in our lives? Both Judith’s retreat and Mary’s blog provide additional considerations for my journal page. I begin this journey of bringing May to a close with great questions to ponder regarding how the Spirit might be calling me this summer and beyond.

How do you hear Spirit calling out to you and inviting you to something more?

It doesn’t take long for the corn in the fields around me to establish itself and emerge as long lanky stalks or the goslings to lose their baby cuteness and look more like their “mom and dad”. My spirit loses a bit joy of watching the transition of both as Spring dwindles and Summer begins. While I found the symbolism of the wild geese interesting, I also found it quite telling for this phase I seem to be going through with an intense calling to be seeking something more and find my place in the world. Rather than lose the internal fire for new growth, when life seems to be stagnant or difficult, I can try to be more aware and look for reminders to live life more joyfully.

So, this Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, I am grateful to Judith Valente, Mary DeTurris Poust, Mary Oliver and the Wild Geese reminders in my life, to let myself “love what it loves” and continue to look for my place in the “family of things”.

Blog Photo: The geese and their gosling family a couple of years ago

Additional photos below from my Visual Journal pages:

A call to pause

On By dpavinatoIn Benedictine Oblate, Daily Prayer, Life in the Spirit, mindfulness, sacred listening, Spiritual Journey, Teachers and Guides on the journey2 Comments

As I prepared to write this, reviewing my notes and ideas, the bells rang calling those attending 10 a.m. Mass to hurry along and, then again, to mark the top of the hour. I hear the bells every day, from my parish church at the end of the block that I live on, but especially now with more windows open and time spent outside attending to my plants. They remind me of the bells at the monastery. They remind me of a call to pause and say a prayer. They remind me of some words of Sr. Joan Chittister in her book, The Monastic Heart, that were also used as part of a reflection a couple of weeks ago in our weekly email update from Sr. Joan.

Joan said, “The purpose of Benedictine bells is not to spell out the hour of the day at all; that task is left to horologists. Our bells, on the other hand, are there to wrench our attention back to what is really important in life: the memory of God in our midst. The memory of the purpose of life. The memory that time is moving on and so must we. The recognition that life today is different than yesterday, and we must not try to hold life back. The bells jog the memory that there are actually more important, more meaningful, more demanding dimensions of life than anything ordinary we can possibly be doing as they ring. The bells stop us in midflight to prod us to ask ourselves again if what we are doing is what we are really meant to be doing.”

It’s true that the bells also call us to remember the great concerns of life, such as caring for the poor and people in need, or comforting the sick or grieving. We must ask whether we aware of the concerns of our brothers and sisters in areas of the world ravaged by war, weather or persecution? But they also cause me to pause and look at what I am doing in the moment, is it important? Does it matter? Am I living my vocation in life?

This week I had several opportunities to pause and slow down, to look at my self-care, nurturing or self-compassion. My friend Kate Brown taught a workshop, “Nurture and Grow: Cultivating Self-Compassion in a Turbulent World.” We considered ways to be more compassionate to ourselves and that in doing so we build a reservoir to compassion to give to others. We discussed being more mindful vs mind full and the importance of finding a community of like-minded individuals that will support and encourage us and then we in turn for each other. We also discussed embracing our imperfections and the importance of accepting ourselves, where and who we are at this moment.

Speaking of imperfections, yesterday was my monthly creative journaling workshop and our topic was “Resistance, Joy and Self-Compassion.” Resistance and judgement in our creative endeavors is definitely the thief of joy! We experimented with drawing ovals, faces and a drawing ourselves from a selfie taken during class. Lisa encouraged us to break resistance by doing a little bit of creative art or journaling every day, to make little promises to ourselves to commit to our creativity. But it can be so hard to find and set aside the time for our own self-nurturing. Am I willing to commit to doing so?

Church, convent and monastery bells have provided this reminder to pause to countless men and women throughout the centuries. For some reason, the bells were a soothing reminder this morning of all of the women who have guided me throughout my life. When I remember my mother on this Mother’s Day, I remember a woman who worked harder than anyone I have ever met. I don’t know what she thought about self-nurturing or self-compassion, we never talked about it, at least not in those words. But I do know while she always gave of herself to others, she also knew how to relax and enjoy herself when the work was done, whether it was Saturday night dinners out with my father, their annual fishing trips to Minnesota or backyard gatherings with friends. I remember my “Noni” (Italian grandmother) and times spent with her, usually in the kitchen or the garden. I recall my aunt, a Franciscan sister, who encouraged me in ways that I didn’t realize fully at the time. The Benedictine sisters who invited me to learn more about the monastic life and community remain important witnesses to me of a life of purpose.

Pause for a few minutes today and consider the women who have influenced you in your life, whether mothers, grandmothers or nurturing women and role-models. Did they offer (or perhaps they are still alive and continue to offer) examples of self-care and compassion? Who does offer that reminder to you? Would you be willing, if you don’t regularly, to take a few minutes each day to find ways to embrace who you are and what you feel you need to live a life that supports your purpose and vision in life? Why not start now!

Wishing you abundant peace and compassion, Deena

Picture: of the bell tower at St. Mary Monastery in Rock Island, Illinois. I am an Oblate of this monastery.

Springing to life

On By dpavinatoIn Every day Catholic, Life in the Spirit, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journeyLeave a comment

It’s been a glorious week in Illinois, even with the times of rain, wind and storm. It is feeling like Spring, maybe even late Spring with the warm 70-80 temperatures during the day this week. Everything is growing and lush around my home. The lilacs are close to full bloom, I actually prefer the deep purple they are now. My hostas and perennials are gorgeous. It’s time to start thinking and planning the annuals I will put in pots by the doors and on the patio. I purchased my favorite plant of each year, Ruellia brittoniana (Purple showers or Mexican petunias) which I hope to get in pots today. The fresh air and beautiful blossoming that is springing to life around me reminded me of special days and women that I reflected on this past week.

Last Monday was the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena, Italian mystic, lay Dominican and Doctor of the Church (one of four women Doctors of the Catholic Church). The image I included for this week is a sculpture in Siena that I saw while on pilgrimage. I love it and another statue of St. Catherine we saw because they show her passion and fierce spirit. Most paintings depict Catherine as pale and sickly. It is true she practiced excessive “holy fasting” with a diet that consisted of only water and vegetables and was considered anorexic (anorexic mirabilis or holy anorexic). But Catherine had a strong and bold spirit, bringing about unity of the papacy and convincing the pope to return to Rome after almost a century in France. My favorite quote of St. Catherine, that reflects her passion for following what she believed in is “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” Catherine did this and lived her life with her eyes on God and with Heaven as the goal of her life.

Wednesday was May 1st, May Day or Beltane, one of the cross-quarter days of the Celtic Year. May Day symbolizes Spring to me, regardless of the weather. The sweet images of children bringing May Day baskets of flowers to neighbors symbolizes, to me, our coming outdoors from winter and sharing that joy with our neighbors and friends. May Day also reminds me of St. Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard, another Doctor of the Church, was a medieval mystic, visionary, writer, herbalist, composer and artist. Hildegard was well-aware of the images of Beltane, the Green Man and used similar language when speaking of God and Earth images as a source of wisdom and power. Hildegard criticized the church, emphasizing that the criticism came from Spirit and not from her own perceptions. But after reviewing her writings and visions, Hildegard was encouraged to write her visions down by church leaders such as the Pope and St. Bernard of Clairvaux. She spoke of the goodness of the earth and God’s “greening power” or Viriditas, verdant “greenness”, and the creative power of life. Hildegard was another woman with deep faith, listening to God’s voice but, not afraid to move outside the constraints of her time on women. She was willing to speak boldly of her belief in the truth God was revealing to her. Similar to St. Catherine, Hildegard challenges us to “Dare to declare who you are. It is not far from the shores of silence to the boundaries of speech…you must be prepared to leap.”

In both of these women I also see their desire and commitment to, as Jesus speaks in the gospel for this Sixth Sunday of Easter, “remain in my love”. Both women, in their own way, remained true to the teachings of the Church but in sharing their wisdom, helped us see the truth of our relationship with God in an expanded way.

So I wondered what “remain in my love” means and how do I live that more fully in my life. Certainly it includes time of prayer and contemplation, listening and surrendering to the Word in the way God is calling me to live it and share my life in God with others. But it isn’t a passive love, it involves going forth, bearing fruit, and loving others. Those become the signs of remaining in God’s love.

I found a new website this morning, CatholicWomenPreach.org with a reflection on the gospel message. Meghan Larsen-Reidy shared that “love stems from a commitment.” She speaks of the commandment to form relationships and challenges us to look at whether we prioritize “the Divine and people over material possessions and appearances.” This commitment, she suggests, changes our actions, how we spend our time, money, how we care for others and for the planet.

Saints Catherine and Hildegard embody that commitment to God, to love, and to changing the world around us by the way we live the gospel invitation to remain in the love of the Divine.

My wish for all of us this week as we relish these days of Spring and new life around us are expressed in St. Hildegard’s poem, Viriditas.. I found this modern translation (fccucc.org) of Hildegard’s words, that keep to the meaning of her words but in a way easier for us to relate to.

Good people, Most royal greening verdancy,

Rooted in the sun,

You shine with radiant light, in this circle of earthly existence.

You shine so finely, it surpasses understanding.

God hugs you. You are encircled by the arms of the mystery of God.

With a grateful heart, Deena