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Catching Hope
“Fishing is an activity that doesn’t care about social status — everyone is equal in their desire to catch fish. When they come out to fish, the richest and the poorest alike are bonded by their mutual desire. There isn’t much in our world that unites people from different backgrounds these days. But you can walk up to anyone with a pole in their hand and strike up a conversation by asking, ‘Catching anything?’ You might not get a straight answer, but you’ve started the conversation.”
Fishing brings people together.
Michael Berg, The Way
Everything we do in the world — whether it's studying the sacred texts or working to help the poor — must be infused with a yearning for transformation and fulfillment. This is what defines a truly spiritual person, and this is the measure by which his or her actions should be understood.
We must prepare our inner selves — using sharing, study, prayer and other tools . . . so that our physical actions are congruent with the state of our souls.
All we do must be infused with fulfillment
Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Heart of Henri Nouwen
I think that generosity has many levels. We have to think generously, speak generously, and act generously. Thinking well of others and speaking well of others is the basis for generous giving. It means that we relate to others as part of our "gen" or "kin" and treat them as family. Generosity cannot come from guilt or pity. It has to come from hearts that are fearless and free and are willing to share abundantly all that is given to us.
Generosity has many levels
Micropreneurs Reframing Work
In the last five years, according to authors Daniele Logue and Markus Hollerer writing on the conversation.com, the sharing economy or "micropreneurs" have been redefining work in a variety of ways. Think Uber, Lyft, AirBnB, and TaskRabbit. Using their skills, time, or assets (a car, spare room, or driveway), enables students, stay-at-home parents, and retirees a chance to tap into the entrepreneurial treasure-trove.
In the last five years, according to authors Daniele Logue and Markus Hollerer writing on the conversation.com, the sharing economy or "micropreneurs" have been redefining work in a variety of ways. Think Uber, Lyft, AirBnB, and TaskRabbit. Using their skills, time, or assets (a car, spare room, or driveway), enables students, stay-at-home parents, and retirees a chance to tap into the entrepreneurial treasure-trove.
"F" is for Faith
Faith rarely comes to us whole; mostly it comes in pieces, sometimes in tiny fragments, especially when life feels broken. Sometimes faith is lost altogether in the breaking. When children are massacred in their schools, where is faith in such a shattered place as this?
Process theologians believe that we are not alone in the shattering; it is the divine experience, too. For when children are murdered in their school, part of God's own self is shattered in a painful cosmic groan that echoes across the universe. Yes, we process thinkers believe that God is in the shattering, or as Alfred North Whitehead says, God is "the great companion — the fellow sufferer, who understands."
Faith rarely comes to us whole; mostly it comes in pieces, sometimes in tiny fragments, especially when life feels broken. Sometimes faith is lost altogether in the breaking. When children are massacred in their schools, where is faith in such a shattered place as this?
Process theologians believe that we are not alone in the shattering; it is the divine experience, too. For when children are murdered in their school, part of God's own self is shattered in a painful cosmic groan that echoes across the universe. Yes, we process thinkers believe that God is in the shattering, or as Alfred North Whitehead says, God is "the great companion — the fellow sufferer, who understands."
The Journey Never Ends
Sr. Mary Petrosky is a psychiatric social worker and a spiritual director who has served her religious order — the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary — in the United States, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. She does spiritual direction and pastoral work at Holy Name of Jesus Convent in New York City.
Petrosky explains that a spiritual will -- like the ethical wills of Jews – is designed to delineate and then share the values, life story, faith, hopes, and dreams that we hold most dear to us. She celebrates the importance of memory and challenges us to pass on to family and friends what we consider to be the nub of our lives and our deaths.
Petrosky's "Ten Principles to Help Guide You in Writing a Spiritual Will" is a very helpful resource (see excerpt). These suggestions are accompanied by sample wills which reveals the wide range of options in this spiritual practice. She turns to St. Francis whose Testament can be seen as his spiritual will. We really appreciated the author's "Group Use Guide" at the end of the paperback!
A guide to a valuable way of passing on our deepest self to family and friends.
Livelihood
Whether our livelihood is as a homemaker or construction worker or executive, we spend most of our waking hours in some way related to earning a living, so our work is the most extensive opportunity we have for spiritual practice. We can't all formally be in the "helping professions," but every choice we make about how we earn our living has a compelling potential for helping the people around us and our environment itself. We can choose a livelihood that is ethical and does not harm others. We can treat our coworkers, clients, underlings, and bosses with respect and kindness. We can use the money we earn to meet our financial responsibilities and to help others. We can use our chosen career to create a caring community in our own home, in the workplace, and in the world at large.
As I meet my financial needs,
may I mindfully make
my source of livelihood
beneficial to my world community
and to those near me.
Using your chosen career to create caring.
Library Lily
Lily loves reading and so she is very excited when she gets her first library card. Going to this special place is a continual adventure! Lily can't get enough of reading: she starts in the morning and ends at night perusing the book under the blankets. She reads through all the seasons. Her peers are used to seeing her with her head in a book.
One day in the park Lily meets Milly, a little girl who loves to play and can't stand reading. They decide to each introduce the other to what they love best. Milly takes her new friend on jaunts where they explore things. Lily shows her the delights of reading. Soon they are having adventures together and not on their own.
Library Lily is designed for children 4 through 8 years old. Writer Gillian Shields has created an adorable little girl in Lily who is the living example of a truly enthusiastic person. Books are everything to her until she meets Milly and then has a chance to share her book adventures with another person. Best of all, she doesn't have to give up her love of reading just because she has expanded her horizons to include playing and exploring with her friend.
Library Lily is a life-affirming children's book that hurrahs the spiritual practice of enthusiasm with great fanfare. The wonderfully bright illustrations are by Francesca Chessa.
A delightful children's story about a little girl who loves reading books and is a lively practitioner of the spiritual practice of enthusiasm.
Mad at Mommy
Sometimes the relationship between a parent and a child is strained by the everyday pressures of life. A young rabbit sits at the breakfast table and lists a series of complaints and things that are bothering him. Mommy sleeps too late, she never lets him watch cartoons, yells for no reason, is late picking him up at school, and forgets to wash all his clothes. She hears these grievances from her bed and isn't prepared for the last one: "And you say you can't marry me, not even when I get bigger." Then the little rabbit says that he's going to leave and go far, far away. He walks out the door but soon has a change of heart. His mother has something important to say to him upon his swift arrival home.
Japanese writer and illustrator Komako Sakai has designed this realistic children's picture book for those who range from four to eight years of age. Mad at Mommy shows kids that being angry at someone we love is an emotion that evaporates with time. Parents should be able to take criticism and come back with love and forgiveness even when they are exhausted, depressed, or down in the dumps.
A simple story which shows children that anger is an emotion that comes and then goes but parental love lasts a long time and is forgiving.
Always Breathe Christ
Jesus promises to be with us in paradise — not at some future date, not just after we die, but today, at this very moment. Take some time to sit with Jesus in silence, bringing awareness to your breath and letting your thoughts and feelings grow quiet. Can you sense the paradise that he is offering you?
St. Athanasius, one of the early Church Fathers, advised, "Always breathe Christ." Breathe in the loving kindness that Jesus is extending to you right now. Breathe out that loving kindness to every person or concern that comes to mind. Breathe in Christ's loving kindness, letting it stream through every cell of your body. Breathe it out, freely passing it on — there's no need to hoard. With every breath, give away the paradise that is perpetually being given to you.
Entering paradise through your connection to your breath.