JOURNAL ENTRY
March 28, 2017 – Tuesday
The world of ” the news” is too much with me and for sure “the world’s way” is not my way these days. The intentional chosen silence and stillness of the “Inner Monastery” is my sanity and my saving right now.
Yesterday a book I had ordered arrived in the mail: “Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day” by Benedictine nun, Macrina Wiederkehr. I cannot fully express the delight and joy that has enveloped me as I entered the pages of this exquisite guide to prayers and reflections praying the hours of the day. This book, and “The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul through Monastic Wisdom” by Christine Valters Paintner are, and are to be, the prayer books that guide my life on a daily basis. It is with a deep sense of wonder and joy that these books have found me.
The Hours of the Day are little monastic pauses from Dark to Light to Dark again…a mindfullness of the messages inherent in the turning of the wheel of each day and night, never ceasing. I have always known this, and have lived it out in special ways and also known when I have NOT. This is a marvelous and soothing “coming home” to a path I wandered off of in tending to pressing matters these past couple of years.
This morning of course is the prayer of LAUDS at the waking up, the coming of sunrise. Except these days I often wake up with a sadness that either I cannot name or that has many names. And this morning as I read the new inspiration and prayers in Macrina’s book of reflection, I found myself inspired but also very groggy, wanting nothing more than to settle back into bed and snuggle under the covers listening to the silence before the light.
Macrina waxes poetic over the coming of sunrise and the light. You can tell it is her favorite hour of the day. However, this morning outside it is white and grey, not golden, as we are enveloped in fog and mist and the actually sunrise was and is not discernable. It is of course no longer dark, but light….not bright, casting legnthy and moving shadows, but soft and muted and a little echo-y. I give myself liberty to languish quietly into the comfort of couch and covers with my cup of coffee, in silence, and watching the path and leafless woods outside. This is the best I can do today this morning, aware of the new day to unfold, but feeling very lazy, so staying close to “what is” in the moment, I offer gratefulness and praise for the opportunity in my life right now to BE lazy and indolent in this early morning today.
I have a question about the landscape here however. We have so many trees…but where are the birds? Where is the chirping and trilling and sounds of life among the trees? I am used to the sounds of birds sometimes at 4 am in the wee hours back at my former home, my little cottage. It is now 9:02 am and I hear very faintly in the distance on this property, a soft occasional chirping…but not right here outside my apartment. Why not? Why not here?
I am asking this question of the Angels in charge of the birds.
“Perhaps the birds are also lazy this morning as well. Patience…”
Perhaps all is just as it should be.
Now at last: Good Morning, World!
from Christine, The Greening Spirit
Hi Christine, I am having the same feelings about the birds around our area…….
They simply are not gracing us with their presence, or their song, … not as much this year as last year, anyway.
The cold weather of the past few days/weeks is part of the reason, – they are waiting for Spring, just as we are. Soon, I hope, they will wake us during the very early dawn hours, – so loud that we should rejoice! That’s what I remember from past years… I continue to hope…
Last year there was a Red Tailed Hawk family raising two young-uns in a tree near the back parking lot. True, they prey upon some small birds, but mostly small mammals & snakes. It should be interesting to follow their development… Last year Pam & I watched the 2 fledglings attack a squirrel, – who merely clung flat against the tree while they made useless passes at his/her tail, — it was funny! The story would end differently, no doubt, in a few more weeks…….
Did you know that there is a spot along (well, near) the back pathway where there are 3 Lady Slippers…? I’ll show you, later on, when the green leaves show up. All for now, Cheers……Essjay
Essjay Foulkrod sjgraymare@aol.com
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Thank you for your sharing here Essjay! Yes, show me the lady slipers when they reveal themselves..that would be wonderful (and rare!). I am sensing that our trees are not well…and sickly…and I have been wondering if this is one of the reasons that there seem to be so few birds. We know well, as do the indigenous peoples, what this means. Part of the prayer of Lauds might also be the gratitude and praise whenever we hear morning birdsong as well as the coming of the light..appreciating the now fragile and precious gifts of nature while we still have it…
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The feeling has been very heavy with me today that this world, as it presently is, is most certainly not my “Home”. But always I differentiate “the world” and the Earth, for the former is a construct of ego, while the latter is made of Divinity, pressed lovingly forth into matter. I do not like the world; I love the Earth. ~ Seven Sacred Pauses is one of my favorite books. I have given copies as gifts to friends and to a woman who asked me to be her sponsor for Confirmation. I love Sr. Macrina. Interestingly, as per the last bit of your entry here, another book of hers that is wonderful is called A Tree Full of Angels. ~ I keep reminding myself that what we cannot see is far more vast and full of life and love and hope and beauty than what we can see; especially right now. ~ What a wonderful gift for you to keep the Hours in Sacred Focus at such a time as this. ~ Gentlest Blessings to you Christine. ❤
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Thank you so much for your sharing Cheryl Anne…on this Journey we need to find companions of the ❤ who understand and give feedback so we are not alone. I'm glad we have found each other!
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