belief

And she will bear a Son,

and you shall call His name Jesus,

for it is He who will save His people

from their sins.

Matthew 1:21

.

The Sacrament of the Present Moment

God is always coming to you in the Sacrament of the Present Moment.

Meet and receive Him there with gratitude in that sacrament.

- Evelyn Underhill

living in the here and now

Forever — is composed of Nows –
‘Tis not a different time –
Except for Infiniteness –
and Latitude of Home –

From this — experienced Here –
Remove the Dates — to These –
Let Months dissolve in  further Months –
And years — exhale in Years –

Without Debate — or Pause –
Or Celebrated Days –
No different Our years would be
From Anno Dimini’s –

~ Emily Dickinson

Advent

Painting by Roger Hutchison
The Episcopal Church of Visual Arts Exhibition

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

silence

Ecclesiastes 3:7
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak . . .

becoming

All of life is a process of becoming . . .

A thankful heart

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue,
but the parent of all other virtues.”

- Cicero

Elemental Grace

God cannot give a little:

[God] must give either everything

or nothing.

[God's] giving is utterly simple and perfect,

undivided,

and not in time

but all in eternity.

~ Meister Eckhart

silence

Discretion calls us to pray

before we speak and act.

When we are called to speak, discretion requires us first to pray, so that we might learn when to share and not to share, and when to sacrifice the love of story for the protection and healing that comes only in silence.

Prayer

Sometimes I do not need words to enter into prayer.