Grateful Wonder

I have been looking with wonder and gratitude at all the gifts we are given and often take for granted. I have two things to share. The first I think may be known to you:

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is mystery.

Today is a gift.

That is why we call it the present.

The other is connected to wonder and radical amazement and it is from Patricia Schneider's " The Patience of Ordinary Things"

"It is a kind of love, is it not?

How the cup holds the tea,

How the chair stands sturdy and foursquare,

How the floor receives the bottoms of shoes or toes.

How soles of feet know where they are supposed to be,

I've been thinking about the patience of ordinary things,

How clothes wait respectfully in closets

And soap dries quietly in the dish,

And towels drink the wet from the skin of the back.

And the lovely repetition of stairs,

And what is more generous than a window?"

I think this poem lends itself to keep adding something not only about the patience of ordinary things, but about the amazement shown by children when they first discover ordinary things! May we not lose our sense of wonder!

God is full of Surprises

Pope Francis often mentions that we should let ourselves be surprised by God. 

I think God loves to surprise us and often is waiting for us to jump with joy when something surprising happens in our lives. Sometimes it is something small, but we did not expect it and it is a surprise from God. If we start looking for these small surprises, we will be amazed at how many come from God and give us joy.
Has God surprised you today?

The Prayer of the Heart

Here is another favorite quote from "The Prayer of the Heart in Christian & Sufi Mysticism":

"The prayer of the heart always returns us to the center of our soul and teaches us the truth of oneness."

"As the lover becomes more and more immersed in the Beloved, the greater become the experiences of oneness, of merging with God."

Let us pray for one another as we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to this oneness with our Beloved.

If Only...

The General Chapter is almost over and we will soon have our delegates home and perhaps several will visit with us. At least we will have our own community director, Sister Clare Pratt, to give us a clear and accurate account of these weeks. Our website has just teased us in wanting to know more, but we have had pictures posted and daily updates. I understand that one needs to wait until all is decided before sharing some of the discussions, but I am interested in hearing all that I can about the Chapter.
In the meantime, as I am scheduling my blog ahead and hoping that what I find interesting is also of interest to my readers.

This is from Pam's musings but I think it would be good to reflect on it today.

  "If only you had been here, my brother would not have died."

                  If Only..
                 _______

When we are let down, disappointed,

saddened because we couldn't prevent

a loss, a death - we want God

to know, to DO something!

Where were you when we needed you?

"I am with you always."is the word

that echoes in the still air.

Do I believe that in times of loss,

of disappointment, of sorrow?

I do not want finality, I want

a miracle!      "Do you believe?"

I believe, help my unbelief.

You were there all the time!

Radical Amazement and Hope

On the last day of retreat the focus was on Radical Amazement and Hope. Without hope, we cannot move forward. I love the song we used that day so will copy the words here:

Hold on to hope; you got to hold on to hope, 'cause Hope will change the world, you know hope will see us through.

When this world is getting you down and you feel you're losing hope, just dig deep inside, wake up your soul and hope is a good place to start.

Hold on to hope; you got to hold on to hope...

I returned from Davis, California, in time to join the party that was celebrating Sister Madeleine Desloge's 100th birthday. My nephew picked me up at 11:00 AM and we arrived after 1:30 as the traffic was heavy almost all the way. I often wonder where all these cars are going. I did have a lovely visit and now am home at Oakwood rejoicing in the new Central Council that our new Mother General named this morning. One from Europe, one from India, one from Africa, and one from Mexico.

A Mystic Heart

The focus for the fifth day was on "A Mystic Heart" and I loved the song which is "Love Me Deeply" by Briege O'Hare, OSC but inspired by one of my favorite mystics, Mechtild of Magdeburg.

"Come, Lord, love me deeply.

Love me often and love me long.

Come, Lord, love me deeply

Sing to me your lover's song.

For the more often you love me

The purer I become,

And the more deeply you love me

The more beautiful I am,

And the longer you love me,

The holier I'll be.

Yes, I'll love you deeply,

I'll love you often, I'll love you long;

I will love you deeply

As I sing my lover's song;

O yes, I'll love you deeply

For this is my desire,

Yes, I'll love you often,

I can be no other way;

And I'll love you, love you, love

For I am the Eternal One.

The Gift of Transformation

The focus for the fourth day of retreat was on "The Gift of Transformation" and I was immediately drawn to what our formation booklet says about it. I quote from it here:

"The strategies of change come from our own initiative, while transformation is always the fruit of an Encounter. It happens when we venture with our whole being into a deep, sincere encounter with God and let ourselves be encountered by God, just as we are, with nothing in our lives remaining outside of this encounter."

I think I mostly prayed over this and God's transforming love in my own life.

The song used was "When I Pray" by Daniel Nahmod.

"When I pray, I feel my heart go deeper,

my heart go deeper into my God.

Right here, right now, right where I am, I pray.

Right here, right now, right where I am I pray.

We also considered pray from the "butterfly effect" - it was a good day to consider how God is at work transforming us and our world.

I am grateful for the abundance in my life!

I took this picture of the goats who came to our reunion before retreat. They are very friendly!

The focus for the third day of the contemplative retreat was all on gratitude. The heading was "I am Grateful for the Abundance in My Life." I just went back over the abundance of graces I have received in my life and felt my heart overflow with gratitude. So many friends to be grateful for as well as wonderful relatives, the best parents anyone could have, classmates that are still my friends, and then all my sisters in the Society of the Sacred Heart. Then, I thought of all the experiences I am grateful for and how Jesus and Mary have been leading me. It was a day of gratitude and made me think that I should return to keeping a gratitude journal or at least thank for one thing each day in my new journal that I am just ready to begin. I started the other in Advent and it is now full with all sorts of entries, quotes, experiences, and joys that I do not want to forget.

Still some sharing on 2nd Day of Retreat

The picture is of the East side of Villa Maria del Mar showing my third floor window near the roof, the tree and ocean in the distance and the top of part of the dining room which has wonderful windows overlooking the ocean. I love the third floor as the overhang keeps the sun from hitting the windows  during most of the day. My corner room has another window looking out at the ocean.

On the 2nd Day of the retreat we had this message given to us: "Because you believed in me, I believed in me."  Here are some Scripture passages that came to me:
I have chosen you to bear fruit...
I can do all things in Him who strengthens me...
I have called you by name. You are precious in my eyes. I love you.
Remain in my love.
Come to me...
Take courage; it is I.

We had a song by Josh Groban called "You Raise Me Up"

When I am down and , oh, my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains,
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to be more than I can be.

I Believe In You

Picture taken from Villa Maria del Mar where I could sit in the shade and contemplate the ocean.


Second Day of Retreat and the focus was on God's believing in me, loving me just as I am. We were to hear God saying throughout the day, "Helen, I believe in you."
Then it was suggested that we think of others who have believed in us. I had a whole list, a long list and spent much time thanking for so many who have believed in me, who have seen possibilities in me, who have loved me and pushed me to be more than I could have been without their believing in me, loving me, encouraging me.
Then we were to think of some of the people I have believed in and the gifts I gave them.
Many of the people who believed in me and gave me incredible gifts of love are now with God, but some are very much alive and I did write a letter to one person who believed in me as that was another suggestion. Actually, I sent an e-mail from my I-pad.


Yesterday, we heard that our Provincial had been chosen to be our new Mother General for the next eight years. It was great news, but also means we now need to find a Provincial and, if we nominate one of the present Team, then we need a new Provincial Team member. However, I am thrilled about Barb Dawson's election and know she will be a great leader for the Society. I feel for her though as it is not an easy position to hold as we are all over the world and some Provinces are getting smaller and some are asking for changes in our way of governing. We are now being grouped in regions; Europe has been working at this for several years, but Asia only began and now the United States/Canada Province is one region with the Antilles and Mexico and South America. I have great faith in Barb leading us into the future. We celebrated here and took a picture to show her how happy we are.
I will be away for a few days visiting a dear friend, but my blog will appear each day. I think I will soon be writing  blog 3,000!

A Sacred Pause

Tree overlooking the ocean that is one of the beautiful gifts of Villa Maria del Mar, a real God tree!

The first day of retreat was just to have us appreciate "A Sacred Pause" and the song was "You Bid Me Come" by Kathy Sherman.

"You bid me come, simply to be in your loving presence

No need for words, just as I am; nothing to do but rest in you."

We were invited to pause, to quiet our soul.

I want to share the two last lines of a quote from Thomas Merton that I love:

"I am completely addicted to the realization that just being is enough." That is a good kind of addiction to cultivate as least now that I am retired! And here is a Spanish proverb to reflect on:

"How beautiful it is to do nothing and then to rest afterward."

I went back to Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Back Blogging - Sharing retreat

Taken on the beach at the retreat house, Villa Maria del Mar

Thanks for all the prayers for my retreat; it was really a heavenly week. I was in the corner room on the east side of the third floor, the best room in the entire house! That was a gift and then the weather was almost perfect. We did have a few foggy mornings, but then the sun appeared. I actually spent a great deal of time in my room. This contemplative retreat had us meet for prayer at 10:00 each morning and we were given a focus for the day with some quotes to help us. I loved having one focus for each day and it was quite easy to pray all day in perfect silence. I also loved listening to the surf! I will be sharing the focus of each day with you. Unfortunately I cannot share the songs that began each session or the night prayer and sharing of the graces of each day, but I think you will find plenty to reflect upon. I am going to schedule ahead as I did say I was taking two weeks of vacation.

We always ended prayer with a sung " Be still, be still and know that I am God. Be still, be still and know that I am God."