Easter Sunday ~ Lent is Done

From Seasons of Celebration by Thomas Merton:
"Lent has summoned us to change our hearts, to effect in ourselves the Christian metanoia. But at the same time Lent has reminded us perhaps all too clearly of our own powerlessness to change our lives in any way. .... Is there nothing more than this?
.... Easter is the hour of our own deliverance - from what? Precisely from Lent and from its hard Law which accuses and judges our infirmity. ... here is the "grace" of Easter which we fail to lay hands on because we are afraid to understand its full meaning. To understand Easter and live it, we must renounce our dread of newness and of freedom!"

One of the lessons of Practicing Lent is that changing my life ~ giving things up ~ choosing what to give up and what to change ~ is not easy. It also requires me to accept my own weaknesses and shortcomings as well as acknowledge my own power and strength. Practicing Lent this year has been not only a different experience but a change of attitude and vision for me. Lent is about change and awareness ~ and, as Merton says, it's about the Law.

Now. Today. Easter. Resurrection. The grace to move forward bearing the gifts from Practicing Lent. I like the final line from Thomas Merton: "...we must renounce our dread of newness and freedom!" Change is a good thing. As I give up on some things, some habits, some fears, I replace them with more of what is good and holy. I feel a sense of renewal that is moving me toward a greater access of freedom, a fuller awareness of the blessings in my life.

What about you? What practices bring you to that place of newness? renewal? freedom? How will you move forward and onward in the light of this new day?

Authentic Purpose

As March ended and April was about to begin, I drew three cards from the Wisdom of the Hidden Realms deck by Colette Baron-Reid. I focused on a different question for each draw. The final query: What strength/gift do I need as I step forward into April? The card I drew? The Mapmaker of Destiny.... even the name sounds auspicious!

From the guidebook:
"At birth, each human being is given a unique map with myriad paths that intersect with one another. Your Map of Destiny shows all the places you're meant to visit, places where you will be challenged to evolve into the highest aspects of the Self. ... Fate is transformed into Destiny according to how you respond to your circumstances. ... Pay attention as your map unfolds now. And remember that Fate makes the map, but Destiny is determined by the manner in which you engage your journey."

I like the subtle twist on the difference between Fate and Destiny. It grabs my imagination and ignites my intellect. Fate is what is handed to you by life, heritage, environment; Destiny is what you do with it all, how you act, react, interact.

As I've been Practicing Lent, I've paused to reflect on the past year, the past five years, the past twenty years, the past thirty-five years...... in short, on the whole of my adult life. It's hard to reflect on my childhood because there are so few choices I could make simply by virtue of my age. But once I became an adult, able to make my own choices and follow through on them, there was an element I could reflect back upon from the distance of time.

What I found was that no matter when or where or how, every chance I got, my heart, mind and soul always turned toward the Divine Essence. Every time. I found reasons to be grateful. I found reasons to rejoice. I found ways to express the awe that lived within and around me. I continue on that journey, using that glowing map of Destiny ever leading me toward the Ineffable. That connection, alive and vibrant, is what I need as I continue forward on my journey.

What draws you forward in life? Is there an overriding theme to your life? Have you taken the time to look for one? What would that time look like for you?

Raising Lazarus

Sts. Mary & Martha, by Ellen Francis

In the Catholic liturgy, today's Gospel is John 11:1-45, the death and raising of Lazarus of Bethany.
Two of the lines [42-43]:
"I myself knew that you hear me always, but I speak for the sake of all these who are standing around me, so that they may believe it was you who sent me. When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out!'"

Over the years, I have generally heard that Jesus' friends in Bethany were wealthy. Yet the name Bethany itself means "house of misery/poverty." It was also reputed to be one of the places where lepers were sent... perhaps a "poor house." Why is this important? It would better explain two things: first, why Jesus ~ the friend of the poor, downtrodden, outcast ~ would spend significant time there; second, why Martha would be distressed by Mary's choice to sit at Jesus' feet rather than work. Martha knew there were people who needed their help.

Beyond all this basic re-mything information lies the message this has for my life. In practicing Lent this year, I've reflected on what has 'died' in my life, what is being 'reborn' and what is 'resurrecting'. In general, those are different things. Letting go of my past, with its mistakes, fears, missteps, losses, has been one of the most difficult 'deaths' I continue to work through. The process allows me to sift through the dreams of how it was, how I wanted it to be, and how I can revision it. As I go through that, I find pieces that I want to resurrect, to say "Come out!" to so that I can feel more fully and robustly alive. It's a re-formation of those deepest parts of me that I allowed to stay asleep for a time. I'm excited about their return!

What traits or important pieces of you have you buried? or allowed to be asleep or buried? Do you want them to return? What do you imagine will happen if you tell them to "Come out!"?

More Things to Give Up

Full disclosure of the obvious type: I did not make up this list (the URL is at the top of the picture).

I like this list. I've returned to it again and again because I get caught up in doing some of these things and freezing myself in time and space.

The ones appearing most recently in my life are #3 Being indecisive about what you want, #4 Procrastinating on the goals that matter to you, and # 8 Making excuses rather than decisions. These are my personal free-roaming 'Gang of Three.' They feed each other. My excuses allow for my indecisiveness which fuels my procrastination. One version of it goes something like this: "There's too much going on and I really only have time to do one of the things on my list. But I don't know which one to do." *fret-fret-fret* "Now it's getting/gotten too late to do any of it....." *whine-whine*

When I catch myself doing that routine, I stop mid-fret, mid-whine, mid-thought and DO something that moves me off that particular track. Most of the time, I do one of the 'things' on my list. It lifts my mood ~ and I actually accomplish something. It doesn't have to be a lot or the entirety of my list or even the task. Whatever it is, it something rather than more non-movement.

Which of the "10 Things" gets in your way most often? Or is there another way you sabotage yourself and your forward movement? What do you do to shift your direction?

What am I Giving Up?

After reading some of my recent blogs that reference Lent, a friend said, "I thought Lent was about giving up something." That made me think about what I was giving up.... and whether that's what Lent is really about.

What am I giving up? As I was growing up, it was usually food of some sort: chocolate, sweets, soda, potato chips. I tried giving up spinach one time, but Mom wouldn't let me. Notice the pattern? Giving up something that's not necessarily good for you anyway. This year I've determined to give up excuses for not writing in my blog. Or not writing period. It's easy to say (or whine) about being busy or tired or not having anything important to say or.... need I continue? I've managed to miss only one day since Ash Wednesday. The excuses are wearing thin.

Lent provides a venue for me to reflect on where I'm stuck and what I need to leverage for things to flow freely again. That's true whether I give up food of any sort or an attitude I may have or excuses keeping me from doing what is in my best interest and for my highest good.

What Lent is about is reflection and awareness, looking for new growth and greening. It's about preparing ~ for whatever comes next.

What new growth are you seeing in your life? What else would you like to see? What hampers your flow? What could you give up to improve the flow?

Sacred Vision

Colette Baron-Reid: Wisdom of the Hidden Realms 

After pulling yesterday's card, my question shifted to "On what do I need to focus for the coming week?" The Altar Priestess showed up.

From the Guidebook: "(T)he Altar Priestess brings the ritual of reverent interaction with the mundane world. You're being required now to see everything as sacred..."

My personal practice of Lent has been to re-connect and re-member that everything around me is holy, that everyone is a blessing to the world. That's not always easy. There are a variety of incidents in the world that often do not appear to me as holy ~ as a matter of fact, they feel downright horrible: war in Syria, mudslide in Northern Washington, train derailment at O'Hare Airport, 'disappearing' Malaysian flight. What of these situations is holy? What about those injured, killed or left behind? It's easy to see the holy in an opening rose, the smile of a baby, a fresh cup of coffee. It's not as easy when we know that pain is involved. I don't know how to see it any differently than it is. I continue through this week praying for the gift of sacred vision to be able to see the holy moment.

What do you see in those most difficult and challenging situations? In those moments, how do you find the holy? Is sacred vision important or relevant to you?

Connections

Colette Baron-Reid: Wisdom of the Hidden Realms

As I've continued with Practicing Lent, I find myself often feeling solitary. My immediate family, friends and close associates are either not Catholic/Christian or are not observant of the season of Lent.  I jumped at the chance to share the ins and outs of the practice, yet even that remains a fairly singular experience. I'm noticing the deep and amazing sense of solitude in this practice.

Imagine, then, my surprise upon drawing the Web Weaver card this morning when my question was: What will serve me  this day? From the guidebook:
"Just when you need to make a connection, like magic, synchronicity occurs. Music reverberates through the web and plays in harmony with your  own. This is the sign to trust in the connectivity between all events. magic is afoot for you!"

Throughout my life, I've believed in synchronicity, in the coming together of the Fates to produce magic and teaching that is beyond compare. As "Hannibal" Smith of the A-Team repeats, "I love it when a plan comes together!" For anyone who hasn't seen the A-Team [especially the TV series version], usually the plan he references has gone wildly wrong ~ and somehow still works. My life occasionally works that way too.

How does the plan of your life come together? How does synchronicity play a part? What is the flow in your life between connection and solitude?

T.G.I.F.

What a glorious day! It's the Friday after the Spring Equinox. Daylight is extending itself more and more into the night ~ until it reaches the Summer Solstice. Green is springing up and out all over. Flowers are blooming. What a beautiful time!

It is also the beginning of Spring Break. The day is overflowing with celebration of both Spring and Spring Break. Travel plans begin for many. Others are doing Spring cleaning or gardening or simply relaxing. Most plan to s-t-r-e-t-c-h their winter-weary limbs in the outdoors.

More about the Practice of Lent ~~ the only season in the Christian traditions (for me, specifically Catholic tradition) based entirely on a seasonal quarter. Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. So Lent is 40 days before that. Everything guided by the Lady Moon and Spring. I've always loved this season best. Even before I knew how it was determined. I liked that it changed, that it wasn't the same date year after year. But something about the rhythm of when it arrived felt natural and real. Which of course, it is.

How much of your life is based on natural rhythms? How much on artificial ones? How do you celebrate the coming of Spring? and Friday?

Whale & The World

from Animal Wisdom Tarot

In my practice for Lent 2014, I've been exploring a variety of spiritual expressions ~ many that I've used over the years, some that are new to me. The Practice for me is connecting d-a-i-l-y. It isn't always simple ~ yet it is always good.

Drawing from the Animal Wisdom Tarot, the question in my mind and heart was: What strength do I need for the day? The card I drew was Whale, the All-Encompassing.
"Whale dreams large, an expansive awareness that enables travel to other worlds and dimensions. ... Diving deep, leaping high, Whale inspires us to experience all of life - and enjoy." Its message is "Welcome home."

I certainly wasn't expecting anything suggesting completion or achieving a goal. The message surprised me. As I thought about it, I recognized that it was not necessarily saying I reached completion. Rather that this was the strength I needed. I'm willing to let it float through my day. Do I need to complete something? Or do I need to recognize that I have completed something? Or perhaps that I am complete, not broken or damaged or needy? As the day progresses, I will watch for the deeper meaning to surface for breath and bring its dreams and awareness with it.

What would this card be saying to you? What does the message of "welcome home" mean to you? How does that show up in your life today?

St. Joseph's Day

When I was growing up, it seems like St. Patrick's Day and St. Joseph's Day were feasts in competition with each other. Not sure it was ever clear as to why. What I recall is the feeling.

St. Joseph ~ the human father-figure in the life of Jesus ~ is so incredibly much of an unknown figure. What I like about this particular picture is that he's not an old man. I think he was pictured so often as an old man so the Catholics could continue to believe in the virginity of Mary. Why would she ever want to be intimate with that old codger? Hmmmm. I'm guessing they didn't think about the attraction of a young, nubile woman for some old men.

But I blaspheme..... Picturing him as an old man gave me pause in thinking about him as a carpenter, particularly one who could make a living at such a physical trade. Everything done by hand, using a variety of tools, with a variety of woods. As a child, I dreamt of Joseph teaching the young Jesus to work with wood... hand over hand, showing him how to be firm and gentle with the wood, how to coax form from it. I believe that helped form his steadfastness in his ministry.

As I continue on my path of Practicing Lent, I focus on who this man Joseph was ~ who raised a son as his own when he knew he wasn't; who remained by the side of a woman whose reputation he questioned at one point; who believed in and followed the advice given in dreams; who was quiet and strong; and about whom we know so very, very little. May I be that strong, giving and humble.

Who are the saints in your life? What have they taught you? How is your life different for their presence in it?

More Things to Give Up

Full disclosure of the obvious type: I did not make up this list (the URL is at the top of the picture).

I like this list. I've returned to it again and again because I get caught up in doing some of these things and freezing myself in time and space.

The ones appearing most recently in my life are #3 Being indecisive about what you want, #4 Procrastinating on the goals that matter to you, and # 8 Making excuses rather than decisions. These are my personal free-roaming 'Gang of Three.' They feed each other. My excuses allow for my indecisiveness which fuels my procrastination. One version of it goes something like this: "There's too much going on and I really only have time to do one of the things on my list. But I don't know which one to do." *fret-fret-fret* "Now it's getting/gotten too late to do any of it....." *whine-whine*

When I catch myself doing that routine, I stop mid-fret, mid-whine, mid-thought and DO something that moves me off that particular track. Most of the time, I do one of the 'things' on my list. It lifts my mood ~ and I actually accomplish something. It doesn't have to be a lot or the entirety of my list or even the task. Whatever it is, it something rather than more non-movement.

Which of the "10 Things" gets in your way most often? Or is there another way you sabotage yourself and your forward movement? What do you do to shift your direction?