Monday, September 10, 2012

Put yourself on the path of BLESSING



From early Christian time the first hour of the day has been given over to praise.  A spirit of joy permeates this hour.  All is new and fresh.  Light is beginning to encompass the darkness.  We are summoned from sleep, called to wakefulness, invited to behold the face of the dawning day.  This is the hour of  resurrection. The very act of rising from sleep is our first antiphon.  The lamp of life within us has been restored through the goodness of sleep.  With our lamp lit we go forth to give praise for the new day:

O SOURCE OF MORNING'S BRIGHTNESS,
As new light streams out of the darkness, we open wide our hearts
to the healing light of your Encircling Presence.
Open our eyes to the opportunities this day has to offer.
Surprise us with small joys and pieces of beauty 
scattered through the hours.
O Beautiful Presence, help us this day
to taste the joy of being awake.
May this simple prayer come true in our lives today.
AMEN!

--taken from my book, Seven Sacred Pauses

This lovely image of St Benedict blessing the morning was taken at St. Benedict's Center in Schuyler, Nebraska  the weekend of September 7-8, 2012.  About 95 retreatants were fortunate enough to step into the path of blessing.  It was a weekend in which we considered how to live more mindfully.  As I move away from that sacred space into other sacred spaces I  continue to ponder just how (each day) to put myself on the path of blessing.    I invite you to do the same.  The blessings are always present.  Mindfulness is the key. You are invited to notice that everything is blessing you.  All you do is put yourself on the path:  the trees, the plants and flowers, the great sky above you and the earth below,  the lakes, streams and oceans, your joys and sorrows,  your creativity, your moments of gratitude, your doubts and your deep faith,  the people you love and the people whom you find it difficult to love, your hours of work, your hours of leisure!  All is blessing!   Put yourself on the path--the path of blessing.

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3 comments:

  1. claire bangasserSeptember 11, 2012 at 11:26 AM

    Thank you for this! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownSeptember 13, 2012 at 9:32 PM

    and from me!

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownDecember 29, 2012 at 2:07 AM

    Oh my goodness, what beautiful warmth radiates from your bless'ed bless'ed soul. Your words speak incredible truth and every morning that i find myself walking through a beautiful park to get to work... with tall aged trees and leaves scattered under my feet, old faces, old smiles... i thank god, i'm grateful for that experience and for those smiles i got to see that day, i take a deep breath and fill my heart up with white light, feeling it within my body... Knowing that God and my wonderful angels are with me.

    Thankyou for leading me here, to this place of voice, reason, understanding. Michelle.

    ReplyDelete

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