A Reminder of What Matters Most
"People of all faiths call her Mother. In moments of deeply personal sorrow, we turn to her for consolation. In our bewilderment, we turn to her for insight. When the world seems to be losing its balance and spiraling into a vortex of violence and greed, we turn to Mary for a reminder of what matters most, what endures when all else seems to be lost, what grace may yet be available when we meet fear with love."
— Mother of God Similar to Fire
Mother of Suffering
"Mother of suffering,
you carry the grief of the whole world
in your boundless, shattered heart.
Please, carry mine.
I know that the broken-open container
of your Mother's Heart
has room for us all."
— Mother of God Similar to Fire
River of Light
"Sweet Mother,
River of Light,
draw me into your tender embrace.
I weep for the pain of the world:
the suffering of innocent animals
at the cruel hands of humans;
the anguish of mothers
whose sons and daughters are ordered into battle
by imperious leaders in remote offices;
the ruination of the atmosphere
and the disappearance of vast stretches of wilderness.
I know that you weep with me,
that when I reach for you, Blessed Mother,
you receive me
and mingle your tears with mine.
Together we can hold the broken heart of the world
and keep it safe."
— Mother of God Similar to Fire
In Disguise
"The Holy One has a tendency to hide behind preposterous disguises: he is the homeless man lumbering through the park talking to himself in a loud voice, a pint of Cuervo Gold tucked into the back pocket of his jeans; she is the teenager texting her boyfriend and applying mascara at the stoplight after it has turned green; he is the young father gambling away his children's dinner at the Indian casino on his way home from another day at the sewage treatment plant; she is the elderly woman slowly counting out change at the convenience store when you are late for a job interview; and he is the Very Busy Man who does not give you the job.
"You understand that this is why all the sacred teachings remind us to be vigilant: God could pop up anywhere, anytime, and drop his mask. When he does, we must be sure we have treated him like God, no matter how he was behaving."
— God of Love
Hidden Blessing
"I draw deep comfort from these words, 'I have the power to make all things well,' and I know that our Beloved has many great blessings in store for us. There is something else that the blessed Trinity will do on the last day. I don't know what it is or how it will be done. No creature lower than Christ will know about it until it happens. The loving goodness of our Lord God wishes for us to be aware that it will be done, yet his power and wisdom, which stem from that same love, choose to hide from us exactly what it will be and how it will be done.
"The reason he wants us to know about it at all is that he wishes our souls to rest in ease and our hearts to abide in peaceful love, avoiding the temptation to pay attention to anything that could hinder our true joy in him. Yet it must, for now, remain a secret. It is enough to know that our Beloved intends to bestow a great blessing on us, which he has kept hidden and treasured in his holy breast since before time began. This is the deed, known only to him, that will make all things well. Just as the blessed Trinity created all things from nothing, so the blessed Trinity will make all things well that are not well."
— The Showings of Julian of Norwich
No Demand of Sole Allegiance
"It is through his friends – both living and long dead – that I have come to know and love Christ. Lucky for me, the Prince of Peace has never demanded that I swear sole allegiance to him. He seems to venerate my interspiritual heart and bless my bridge-building hands. This makes me love him all the more."
— Caravan of No Despair
Acquainted with Desolation
"I simply sat with my loss and allowed myself to become acquainted with my desolation. 'It's just unbearable anguish' became my mantra, which I uttered silently and with an ironic smile whenever the pain came at me like a freight train. Then I lay down in its tracks and investigated what it felt like to be run over.
"As I learned to abide in the wreckage, a realization began to grow in me. You are shattered, yes, said my inner voice. Do not be in a rush to put the pieces back together. Go ahead and be nobody for as long as you can.
"And so I did."
— Caravan of No Despair
