Category: Uncategorized

Featured

A whispering threshold

On By dpavinatoIn a school of God's service, a thin veil, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, contemplation, Every day Catholic, grounded in faith, growing in faith, Jubilee Year of Hope, Life in the Spirit, remembering our beloved dead, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Saints as Models & Guides, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journey, Trust the journey, Uncategorized, visionary faithLeave a comment

I visited the cemetery before Vigil Mass for All Souls Day yesterday (Saturday) afternoon to put small votive candles (as seen in today’s blog photo, I gave up on trying to keep real candles lit in the wind) on our family tombstones, a tradition on the evening of All Saints Day to light the path for souls and a symbol of love and remembrance. A few years ago there used to be groups praying as they visited each gravesite and many more candles. I only see a few now.

I love the tradition of Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, altars with the many marigolds, pictures, food items and symbols decorating the ofrendas, altars, set up between October 27th and taken down shortly after All Souls Day. You can find many beautiful and elaborate pictures online if it is not celebrated in your area. At my parish, we have a lovely tradition of remembering our beloved dead with candles, many of us provide pictures to be placed by the candles, which will burn all month surrounding the altar. I love to reflect on the candles as all the souls that worship at the altar each Mass with us, Saints and saints, that join in our praise. I will add a photo of the candles this year, below, to the online version of this blog post.

There have been times during the year, or after the passing of someone dear, that I have experienced the thin veil between heaven and earth, the mist of time, more easily. Perhaps that is why I relish these days of All Hallows Eve, All Saints and All Souls so much. We can pause and reflect that it is literally a breath that binds us in our bodies and a more tangible realm. We take so many breaths each day for granted. If you have been with someone as they have breathed their last breath, you know how fragile and temporary life is.

This week, during my Wednesday Adoration time, Fr. Carlson played an organ piece, from the many he has downloaded and saved, that I hadn’t heard before. It was lovely, then dissonant like someone that might have hit the wrong note but it continued. It was jarring and unpleasant at times but then also hauntingly beautiful. I asked him about it afterwards but missed the name except that it was a Babylon meditation (if I get the full title this week, I will footnote it below). We reflected that it seemed a fitting reflection on the exile of Jews from Jerusalem to Babylonia. I later reflected on this symbolically for life. We are exiled, temporarily, from our true home, in Heaven. Life is full of those discordant moments, unsettling and disagreeable, in the middle of beautiful, soothing and joyful times. The next night I had a dream, full of symbolism about my life’s journey. I paused in the morning, journaled about it, not wanting to forget the details that I can reflect on and how they might be inspiration for areas of my life that need transformation. I viewed it as a thin, whispering insight between my conscious and subconscious being.

One of my favorite books, it is likely that I have written about it in the past, is Braving the Thin Places by Julianne Stanz. Early in the book she asks us to pause and take a deep breath, reminding us that “Our spirit did not generate itself; neither did we create it. It comes from a Divine Being who has breathed life into you and me, into all of us.” Stanz writes about her Irish heritage, Celtic wisdom and the beauty and symbolism of the “thin spaces and places” in Ireland. “Out of sight…does not mean out of soul.” The souls of those we love walk with us each day and remain close to us.

The Church asks us to pray for all those who have died, especially those who have no one to pray for them, this month of November. A lovely practice is to visit a cemetery and just pray the “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord…” Often as I am driving between the tombstones of my grandparents and my parents I recite that prayer over all the tombstones at the cemetery. In the older section there may no longer be family members to pray for them. Whether you are close to the burial places of your loved ones or not, or others you have known in life, take some time during this month of November to remember them and pray in a special way for their souls. They have gone before us with the sign of faith, and have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection (Eucharistic Prayer in the Roman Canon). We shall join them some day.

“…do not let our brothers and sisters be parted from you, but by your glorious power give them light, joy and peace in heaven where you live and reign forever…Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen” (Give Us This Day post for All Souls Day)

Wishing you abundant hope and peace, in the company of all the Saints, this month. Deena

Candles for our beloved dead at Holy Family Parish, Oglesby.

Featured

Waiting patiently

On By dpavinatoIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Waiting patiently is not one of my gifts in life. I don’t wait well. I want instant results, immediate feedback, or swift outcomes. I often journal that I don’t have discipline. That is partially true, but during the course of projects this year, I am trying to have a new outlook on that. I realized I have had the discipline to write my Artist Way Morning Pages each day (The program ended this past week on Day 90 of almost daily writing. I chose to skip Christmas, Easter, and a couple of other days, but I am choosing to continue writing them after the program). I walked through the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, not perfectly, with a spiritual director from August of 2024 and am preparing to conclude them this month, in June 2025. I doubted that I would finish them! I listened to a Lent program on Hallow for the 40 days and Triduum, stopped at Easter and now am on day 50 of another series. The writing each morning, or the journaling about each reflection on the app, became my consequence of the daily action. Seeing the written word was the reward.

But if there isn’t a happy conclusion to the daily endeavor, I succumb to life as it was before the new behavior was added. I give up on diets and exercise programs. I buy something that I said I was going to wait to get (although I am patiently waiting to buy a Nespresso machine later this summer!). I react and get distressed if something doesn’t go the way I was hoping it would. If I caught myself each time I said “why bother?” this week, and rewrote the declaration in my head, I likely would have had a better week! Waiting is just hard!

This week on the Feast of the Ascension, the “real one” on Thursday, I read and shared a post on social media by Jan Richardson (from her book, The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief). I have been clinging to these words ever since:

You cannot know it now,

cannot even imagine

what lies ahead,

but I tell you

the day is coming

when breath will

fill your lungs

as it never has before

and with your own ears

you will hear words

coming to you new

and startling.

You will dream dreams

and you will see the world

ablaze with blessings.

Wait for it.

Still yourself.

Stay.

To me they express hope, not just in times of grief, but in life. Hope for all those times I am not seeing the results I want. When I am not getting the answer, or seeing the possible outcome, a desired mile marker on the journey. Those moments that feel like driving through flat Iowa!

I would like to think that I would be one of the disciples waiting patiently after the Ascension of Jesus until the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. I have successfully prayed hundreds of novenas in my life. The novena prayer traditionally comes from the nine days that the apostles, Mary and other disciples waited for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (That’s why I prefer to honor the Ascension on Thursday versus the Sunday following.) I think with the support of others and the reminders of the promises from the Christ, I would join in prayer and belief in the assurance of the Spirit. At least I hope I would.

So, for all those journeys that haven’t reached the desired destination yet, I pray with you and for you, in hope, that we can wait for the promise of that aspiration. Let us believe that if the desire was planted in our hearts, then we have the means to see it to fulfillment. We need to tune out the other voices and distractions that tell us we should do something else or that we can’t be that which we desire. The Ignatian Spiritual Exercises have taught me that God speaks to us, calls each of us individually, experienced in the holy desires within our hearts. We have to learn to listen to them, respond in faith, and wait in hope.

Wishing you abundant peace and hope this week, Deena

Photo: The Holy Spirit window, as seen through the Baldachin, or canopy, over the altar, both designed by Bernini, in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, taken during my 2023 pilgrimage.

Featured

Clearing the distractions

On By dpavinatoIn Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, contemplation, Daily Prayer, Every day Catholic, Lenten journey, Life in the Spirit, Poverty of Spirit, Sacred Heart of Jesus, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, spiritual freedom, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, UncategorizedLeave a comment

A couple of weeks ago I read the blog by Catherine Smith, in her Hem of the Light email entitled “Sometimes to tell is to transfigure”, in which she said, “Peter came to the mountain with an old story.  It wasn’t a bad story.  It just didn’t quite fit.  It constricted his sight.  He looked at it without being able to look through it.” The Gospel of Luke, that we read this weekend, for the Transfiguration, says that Peter seeing Jesus’ glory wants to build three tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. It then says “But he did not know what he was saying”. Jesus wanted Peter, James and John to get a glimpse of his glory so that they were readied for the difficult times ahead, witnessing his arrest and crucifixion. Peter wanted to move into action versus simply being present to the unity of Jesus and his Father, a glimpse of heaven.

Our old stories can get in the way of what God wants to reveal as possible to us. We say “it’s too late”, “I’m too old”, “I’m not smart enough”, or maybe as we move further in Lent “it’s too hard, what difference does this make anyway (i.e., “this” being the thing I am trying to do more of or have “given up”)? All of these can be temptations by the false spirit to move you further away from experiencing Jesus and growing closer to him in silence and prayer and discovering more about the fullness of life with him. We are tempted to think that the restoration and wholeness we seek during Lent isn’t possible. We might be seduced into believing that we can’t come out the other side of Lent as a different person.

In February, during his reflection on the Transfiguration mystery, on the Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark Mary used an analogy that captured my attention. He said that if you stand in Times Square in New York at night, you only see the lights, you can’t see the dark sky. The lights blind us to the reality of night above all the lights. With this analogy in mind, the lights of the world make it hard to see the beauty and brilliance of Jesus’ glory, unless we step away, reduce the distractions, so that we can see what’s really beautiful and get a glimpse of that which we have been created for. The other morning, as I went outside to watch the lunar eclipse, I was grateful for the clear skies and darkness of the night sky so that I could experience this wonder in the celestial dome. I couldn’t see the eclipse from inside my house, I had to step out and away, I had to look up to experience it.

Jesus wants us to experience wholeness and healing in our hearts and in our lives. If you haven’t started yet, or have been tempted to give up already, what might you let go of during these remaining weeks of Lent to make more room for an encounter with Christ? Are there some distractions that you can clear away to make space to listen more carefully?

This time of Lent has been revealing to me the impact of distractions and noise on my prayer life and, honestly, my stress level. I pray for the grace to continue with the same level of discipline so that I continue to be transformed during these forty days.

Wishing you abundant peace, Deena

Image: Starved Rock State Park on a March day, several years ago, similar to today with fresh snowfall.

Note: It’s not too late to register for my Lent Evening of Reflection, Make My Heart Like Your Heart, this Thursday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. The suggested donation is $19 and all proceeds will be sent to Catholic Relief Services and the Rice Bowl project. I am not a non-profit so please be sure to mark donation to Catholic Relief Services on your check so that you have a record of your donation for your taxes. You can contact me in the comments, or on social media, if you would like to attend and receive a Zoom link for the event, as well as the address to mail the check. It will be a time of prayer and reflection, as well as sharing, on three scripture passages reflecting on ways that we might have a heart more like that of Christ.

Advent 4th Sunday – From darkness to light

On By dpavinatoIn advent, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, contemplation, Daily Prayer, Every day Catholic, Life in the Spirit, Life of purpose, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Saints as Models & Guides, spiritual freedom, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Uncategorized, waiting and reflectingLeave a comment

The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent is the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth (Luke 1: 39-45). It may be my favorite passage in the New Testament, if not, definitely in the top 5. Once we get to Easter, then the encounter of Jesus and Mary Magdalene feels like my favorite. Here is what I know for sure, each of the New Testament scriptures that touch me most deeply are gospels of encounter.

The image I selected today was a postcard given to me by my pastor, Fr. Tony, in the early years of my adult faith formation. I was beginning to seriously consider what I was being called to do and be in life, what following Jesus means and reflecting on my Catholic faith honestly, all the aspects, worthy and true and sadly, not so admirable. I was considering different ministries and religious communities at the time and we talked about the encounter of Mary and Elizabeth and the opportunities of ministering to other women. This postcard depicts an icon titled “Mary visits Elizabeth” (1984) painted by Sr. Joan Tuberty. I love that their skin tones are darker, as women of the Middle East. I love the soulful gaze of each woman, eye to eye, peering deep, seeing a truth, deeper than the eye can see. In a community newsletter, Sr Joan, an accomplished iconographer, said “Icons are scripture visualized and companions for our spiritual journey.” This icon has been a companion on my journey the past 30 years.

As we end our Advent journey, today and tomorrow, rather than write a reflection for you, I invite you to sit with this icon, or another image that speaks to you, of the encounter of Mary and Elizabeth. Elizabeth realizes who she is encountering in Mary. We wait with peace, hope, joy and love in the only One who can transform our lives and give meaning. Yes, the gathering and celebrations are wonderful. I anticipate the excitement of my niece’s children as they open their gifts. But cliche as it is, there is only one ‘reason for the season’. How will you encounter the Christ Child on Christmas Day? Are you aware of and open to the encounter of Jesus in others and in your daily life? As Fr. Mike Schmitz, Ascension Press, has said in his YouTube videos this Advent, what if this Christmas you didn’t wake up, would you be ready to encounter God?

The Advent season has been a time of preparing – to remember the infant Jesus born to Mary and Joseph over 2000 years ago, the coming of the Christ at the end of time, and the encounter with God we each will experience when our lives have ended. As we have turned the corner on the shortest day of the year and begin to experience increasing light each day, my hope is that your days will be filled with the Light and the incomprehensible Love of Christ for each of us.

Wishing you abundant peace, joy and love, Deena

Note: For those of you who may not be Christian and read this, I apologize for not being familiar with the tradition and rituals you are keeping at this time of year. I wish you the joy of being uplifted by your celebrations as well.

Photo Credit: A Postcard of the icon by Sr. Joan Tuberty, Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, MN., mentioned in this blog.

Seeds that will sprout

On By dpavinatoIn Daily Prayer, Every day Catholic, Life in the Spirit, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Uncategorized2 Comments

I’ve been thinking about the spiritual practice a lot this week. When I think of my own practice, I notice the places that need some change and some nurturing. It’s normal to adjust and change as individuals as our spiritual lives deepen and grow. It’s healthy to notice where we need to tend to them a bit more.

The spiritual practice and what it leads to, a richer inner life and ever growing closeness to God, isn’t just a certain set of actions or habits. It is how it changes and transforms us interiorly. I think it is easy to focus on the external behaviors like going to church, saying a rosary or other prayers given to us by others, to sit in prayerful meditation, kneel in reverence or take a walk in nature. But if a quiet and receptive mind and heart aren’t there, then I would guess that the interior life is stagnant or perhaps even chaotic. We might not think that it is “getting us anywhere”.

Perhaps we can imagine the spiritual practice like planting seeds. We get the seeds or tiny plant, find the right environment for it to grow with the proper sunlight and we water it. We care for it. But the growth of the plant is outside of our control, we have to wait, continue to care for it and protect it. Ultimately it is a gift. Or even better, a grace that comes from the result of all the actions we have taken.

When we bake, we gather all of our ingredients, we mix them in the appropriate proportions and place those ingredients in the proper environment, an oven at the right temperature, and hope the result is the cake, muffins or cookies we desire. For those of us that bake, we know that sometimes outside factors can influence the end result, too much humidity, old flour, etc. But, the more we use that recipe, and make sure the ingredients are the best we have to use, the more often we are successful.

It isn’t just the ingredients of the cake, or the seeds and soil, that produce the desired outcome. Oh sure, sometimes you can toss a seed and get lucky. But gardening and baking both take practice, a repetition of the right process, over and over again, of doing the work and patient waiting.

The more I use Ignatian Contemplation, or imaginative prayer, the more I see the positive impact it has on my spiritual practice. Ignatian Contemplation, very simply, is placing ourselves in the scripture or story, listening and watching what is unfolding and then imagining our role in the story, what the scripture is saying to us personally. But just like baking and planting, it takes a bit of practice, as well as an open and receptive heart, to allow the scripture to speak to us personally. We listen to what Jesus might be saying to us, in our life, right now, in response to the needs, or graces, we have presented in prayer. Sometimes it is watching and learning from what we are seeing.

This week I imagined myself in the boat with Jesus and the apostles (Mark 4: 35-41) as the storm came upon the boat suddenly, I heard Jesus say “Quiet, Be Still!” to the storm, which caused the wind to cease and the waves to calm down. I knew instantly that my practice was lacking some calm, Jesus was inviting me to quiet my mind more, less talking, more being, in silence, present to the calming presence of Jesus.

If your inner life is feeling a dull or stagnant, maybe a bit unsettled, or in need of a little shift, a simple answer is to spend more time in prayer and reflection. This week sit with the scripture from Mark’s gospel of the blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10: 46-52). Jesus responds to his calls for help, those around Bartimaeus say “Take courage, get up, he is calling you.” He goes to Jesus and Jesus says to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus replies, “Master, I want to see.”

As you quiet yourself and hear Jesus say, “What do you want me to do for you?”, listen to the words that well up within you regarding your spiritual practice and relationship to Jesus. What do you say to Jesus? What does Jesus say in reply? That just might be the beginning of your next steps, the guidance you are seeking to a more fulfilling spiritual life, which will result in an inner peace that comes from growing closer to God.

Two thoughts that might help come from a great teacher of the interior life, St. Frances de Sales:

One rarely does well what one rarely does.

There is no soil so barren wherein diligent tenderness cannot produce fruit.

I wish you great peace and inner calm this week.

Deena

Image from my PicMonkey account

Advent 2023 – Comfort not comparison

On By dpavinatoIn Catholic faith, Daily Prayer, Every day Catholic, sacred waiting, Spiritual Journey, Uncategorized1 Comment

The first reading from Isaiah for the Second Sunday of Advent begins with the word “Comfort”. I was not feeling comfort yesterday. I having been feeling well this week, and lost my voice. Well, not entirely but I didn’t have as much voice as I needed to proclaim the readings this week as lector for Vigil Mass. I spent Saturday resting and picking up some items to soothe my throat and buy some groceries. I wasn’t shopping or preparing for the holidays as I felt I should have been.

Last night I listened to the Saturday reflection for the Hallow app’s Advent series. The presenter for the series indicated that on Saturdays they would play music to contemplate and rest in. This week’s song was “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” by the Benedictine of Mary, Advent at Ephesus. I instantly felt myself calming down. Advent at Ephesus has been my favorite Advent reflection music since Fr. Gary Blake introduced it to us before Mass or during Holy Hours years ago.

As I calmed down I asked myself whether it was just my disappointment in my voice or something else stirring within. I realized quickly how comparison was weighing me down. Others have shopping done, I haven’t started except for the ideas in my mind. I am receiving Christmas cards and mine aren’t written yet. How did I have time to make cards while working full time and now, working part-time, I have to resort to buying them. Speaking of working, I compare my previous income to my current and I can go in a tailspin of worry. I look at my beautiful decorations and then see posts of bigger trees, prettier lights, cheery mantles and festive table settings. I read Advent reflections, online and in books, and think other writers are more intelligent and profound in their Advent pondering.

St. Peter asks the most important question in the second reading for this week, “Since everything is to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion….” I don’t think the reading suggests that we give up our holiday celebrations and gift-giving but it does ask us to put things in perspective.

If we aren’t careful we can get lost in the rush during this season, meant to be one of waiting and contemplating. Find time to slow down this week and reflect on the true reason for our joy and celebration. Prioritize your quiet reflection time amidst the other activities. Ignatian Solidarity Network has a lovely online Advent calendar and asked yesterday, “What opportunities exist for you to practice simplicity this week?”

Be grateful for the things you have and the talents you have been given. We are each created as unique and special beings, find comfort in that instead of comparing yourself to someone else. I will try to do the same.

Peace, Deena

Photos:

Cover Image – my reminder “ornament” to find find calm in the midst of chaos

Our Advent wreath at Holy Family Church

When it is revealed

On By dpavinatoIn Catholic faith, Doing what we love, Every day Catholic, Life in the Spirit, sacred listening, sacred waiting, Spiritual Journey, Uncategorized2 Comments

On three different occasions this week I was involved in a conversation with someone who said “I could never…” or basically, “I don’t see myself having the talent to”…. I have to admit that in one of those conversations, I was the one saying it.

I picked up my copy of The Word Among Us this morning and saw the November title and theme of “Already and Not Yet.” The editor and president quoted the letter of St. John saying “We are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). I understand that Jeff Smith is talking about the heavenly kingdom, the promises of Baptism and our citizenship in heaven, but it made me pause a moment and think about those conversations this week.

In meetings this week, for Ignatian Ministries, and our continued discernment about the ways we accompany others in their lives of faith, we reflected on where we were at this time last year and how things have been unfolding in a very exciting way. There are days that we are surprised and in awe. There are days we question what lies ahead. The discernment process we engaged in, and our openness to the promptings of the Spirit, allowed us to move forward in faith and trust in what God was revealing to us. I believe we can do that as individuals as well. But we have to be willing to state the grace we are seeking, listen in prayer for the voice of God to respond to us, or fill us with a sense of joy and consolation so that we know we are on the right track, then begin to take action as the opportunities unfold before us.

I think back to last year, as I prepared to begin this blog in Advent, for the beginning of the liturgical year in the Church. I would never have imagined being at the point of publishing 50 posts! I am quite confident I said something to the effect – “what could I possibly have to write about?” Yet each week, an idea or nudging from the Spirit has guided me to a topic to reflect on.

Where might you be limiting yourself by saying words like “I could never…” “I don’t have the talent to…” or “I would love to but…”?

The first step might be as simple as exploring what it might be that you would love to do. I find journaling a helpful way to explore those thoughts and ideas. But I have to make myself actually sit down, consistently, so that the ideas get to the paper! One of the journals I use is a 5 year memory book. I have noticed lately it is filled with statements, for the previous year, regarding the weather that day, appointments I had or friends I visited with. Those are great memories to look back on, but I am going to challenge myself to make more soul statements – what’s on my mind, what would I like more of in my life, what are the important decisions I am faced with? Then as I reflect back next year I will be able to look back at the things that were “already and not yet” moments to see if they have become more tangible in my life experiences.

Join me, in whatever way feels comfortable for you, and let’s see how the year unfolds!

Prayerful and abundant blessings, Deena

Image: A picture from my Italy trip of a mosaic at the Vatican of Jesus calling Peter and Andrew to follow Him.

Pax et bonum

On By dpavinatoIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Every day I would look at pictures trying to decide which to post for your virtual Visio Divina but the choices are endless. The frescoes, canvases, churches and architecture are more beautiful in each city.

So today enjoy a bit of Assisi.

In this turbulent time, let us pray for peace.

Pax et bonum, peace and goodness.

Peace, Deena

Time slips away

On By dpavinatoIn Doing what we love, Life in the Spirit, Spiritual Journey, UncategorizedLeave a comment

This week the gospel is Matthew’s writing of the landowner and the workers (Mt 20:1-16a). You have probably heard, like I have this weekend or in years past, about God’s mercy freely given and open to all or on envy and how it holds us back from viewing heaven as we should. Today I find myself thinking about a different aspect of the gospel. What were the workers doing until they showed up at the location to be hired? If they were there earlier in the day, surely they would have been hired. Were they at other locations trying to find work? Or were they busy with other things and delaying getting there? Were they putting off the work to be done?

I can put off things for a later date or time like nobody’s business! I get things done on time if there is a deadline or it’s a goal for the day, so I don’t mean procrastination. I mean putting off things I want or need to do because maybe later will be a ‘better time’. I’ll be in a better space to pray or meditate later, only to get too busy and spend less time even though I would feel greater peace. I need more time to sit and journal (draw or write) all the thoughts in my head and then later it’s too late, I’m not in the mood anymore, something else demands my attention. I want to move more or change my diet to healthier options but work, errands and household tasks haven taken the time and expendable energy I have. Now planning for my trip to Italy, I find myself worrying about everything – what to take, the flight, the cats while I am gone…. I try to remind myself it will all fall in place. Worrying doesn’t change the amount of time left or get the things I want to get done accomplished any faster.

I was having a hard time focusing on writing this today. Time has been cut short, time in this life for her family and friends, for a colleague and friend. She died on Friday due to an illness and I have been shocked and heartbroken. I learned so much working for Terri, she was top notch! Terri and I did a virtual painting session one day while she was still in the Chicago area. Each working on our own painting, we just chatted about life and our love for attempting to express our creativity. We had said to each other that we should do it again. Last year I mentioned Terri in a post, regarding her new marriage and how happy she looked in each photo. She was simply radiant with joy! I also shared a quote by Paulo Coelho, “One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” (Is 40 days long enough...)

In that post I talked about embracing the present moment more. I find myself thinking about that again. I need the reminder, maybe you do too. How many times do we say there will be time, later, to meet with friends, visit with family or spend time growing closer to God? We don’t know the day or the hour, let’s embrace the life and connections that we have. Let’s spend time doing the things that make us better people, in relation to God and to each other.

Create joy! Deena

Image from my PicMonkey account

The art of the soul

On By dpavinatoIn Daily Prayer, Doing what we love, Life in the Spirit, Spiritual Journey, UncategorizedLeave a comment

This morning I posted an excerpt from a book, Beauty, The Invisible Embrace by John O’Donohue on my Facebook page. I read it yesterday and it has continued to capture my thoughts and imagination since reading it. In the quote, John states: “All through your life, the most precious experiences seem to vanish. Transience turns everything to air. You look behind and see no sign even of a yesterday that was so intense. Yet in truth, nothing ever disappears, nothing is lost. Everything that happens to us in the world passes into us. It all becomes part of the inner temple of the soul and it can never be lost. This is the art of the soul: to harvest your deeper life from all the seasons of your experience.”

I have found that one of the richest ways of “harvesting” the deeper life is through the use of ritual.

Rituals are those practices, ceremonies or actions done in a customary way (Vocabulary.com). They are ways of behaving or a series of actions carried out in a particular situation (Collins Dictionary). They can be prescribed or established rites (Dictionary.com). They can be personal, such as pizza dinners on Friday nights or rites of passage such as a quinceanara for a Latino girl turning 15 or a bar mitzvah for a Jewish boy at the age of 13. Funeral rites for the dead or incensing the altar at a feast day Mass or High Mass are examples of religious rituals or sacramentals. There are endless examples of prayer rituals and practices in religions or religious communities, whether Jewish, monastic or buddhist. They are ways of setting our intention and bringing the invisible in a more tangible way in to our visible world. Setting a rose on the tombstone of my parents on their birthdays or anniversary dates is a special way that I ritualize my love and remembrance of them.

Part of the reason that the quote has captivated my soul for the past 24 hours is that I have been contemplating offering a workshop/retreat on ritual for the past few months. I know the value that ritual has had in my life, personally and spiritually, but I have allowed many of the daily practices I use to give my time and attention to go dormant. So, of course, the natural reaction is to question and chastise myself saying “who are you to offer meaningful advice on ritual when you aren’t committed to it yourself!” I try to remind myself of the advice I received from one of my spiritual teachers, Gurudarshan Singh Khalsa, when I moved back “home” from Michigan. He wanted me to teach yoga so that I would maintain my own practice, he advised we teach what we want to learn and what we want to practice. I did that for awhile when I taught personal development classes, as part of the continuing education program, at the local community college. As I returned to corporate work, I stopped teaching and my time was more personal, such as daily morning prayer and scripture reading, journaling, and time spent in creative activities, such as art journaling.

So today, I am reflecting on the reasons that some of the little daily rituals or practices, that were important to me in the past, have taken a back seat each day. I have allowed work, daily responsibilities and worry to take their place. I “fit in” things like morning prayer and daily Mass or evening prayer, applying my essential oils, instead of setting aside the time to be still and connect, to linger a bit in those moments, allowing peace to enter in. That is not to say that the tasks we have to complete each day aren’t important, but the things that nurture us and sustain us need their place too. I believe we need to create space for the “more subtle brightness that sustains us” (John O’Donohue, Beauty, The Invisible Embrace). In the sacrament of Reconciliation Friday evening, I was reminded that worry, even the despair I recently experienced, are attempts to block my connection to, and relationship with, God. A return to some of the daily prayer practices will be a healing balm and will help build up the “sureness” of that relationship.

Simple actions such as lighting a candle, setting a special place or time or journaling are ways of creating a daily ritual around silence, meditation or prayer time. Going for a walk each morning, or evening, or writing a daily poem, might be a good time for daily reflection. Selecting dates and times that are meaningful when engaging in a new activity can be part of naming and setting a clear intention for the pursuit.

So this week, I invite you to look at the rituals that are part of your life, acknowledge the good they bring, and consider ways you might be interested in creating new rituals. What would be your goal or intention in creating the ritual? I will join you in doing the same and devote some time and attention to what I might offer in November, in the form of a short workshop or retreat, as a way to invite more ritual in to our lives. I leave for Italy in a month, so I will have my eyes and heart open to the many ways that our pilgrimage is a renewal experience of many of the rituals and sacred sites of my Catholic faith.

Until then, I wish you peace.

Create Joy, Deena