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The image draws me into something so real, so propound, so beyond words.!
I find myself engaging in the “I AM” spontaneously alternating with the welcome prayer. I was drawn into the image on first glance centered in joy. In 1976-7 on a sabbatical:Biblical Exegise and Social Justice, we began with Exodus chapters 1-19. This Sunday reminded me of a foundational experience of Moses on Holy Ground before the burning bush which set me off on the slow recognition my “I AM”; ‘ You are my prized possession (Segullah), whose value to me is beyond all expectation (19:3). Intuitively “become fire”, a silent invitation that I am only beginning to be aware of glancing at this week’s image, a bouquet. Praying the I AM meditation this week is more akin to is “i am”. Many years of lived experience and suffering, the “still small voice” of I AM WHO I AM leads me to this week, this image as PRESENCE and “me” “presence”; no words; just JOY.
What have I learned about what I am clinging to? In the past year I have often said: “We can’t lose any one” Flashback to when my mother broke her hip. I arrive at the hospital. My mother says: “Are they all behind you? I glance backward as she begins her litany of ammends. I hold all of this for my siblings and myself. Further flashback. I am maybe three and a half . My mother has to go and get the neighbors cows out of the yard. She puts baby, Jean on the bed and tells me not to let 9 months sister Jean roll of the bed. My sister Rosemarie who is 2 1/2 watches with glee mom’s efforts to get the cows out of the years. She so gleefully reports all she is seeing, begging me to come and see. I finally do so and baby Jean rolls of the bed, fortunately unhurt.” December 27 I can be like the girl in the image, going for it! free from “We can’t lose anyone”.
The phrase “The incarnation continues in us, as us.” came alive in subtle new awarenesses as I gazed on the image proposed this week. It’s especially at night when for no reason other that I am awake praying through the various segments of my life prompted by the gentleman making the offering of sandals without looking at the women, the women caught up in the intensities her life, not seeing the offering of the sandals, as incarnation happening in us as us. Spontaneous like a bubbling kettle the Welcome Prayer is finding an incarnational pathway.
Mid morning, as I sit here with deep gratitude for all you my c0-WoW- companions as togther we we plunge into the Advent mystery, so apply lived/noted by Thomas Merton as ” the begining and end of all in us that is not yet Christ.”Our church services keep the focus on Jesus, that child whose birth is imminent. Today we celebrate the feast day of John of the Cross. I am also deeply grateful for John of the Cross for as a bosum friend of many years accompanied me through all the years of ups and downs of this Advent mystery that is “the begining and the end of all, that is not yet Christ.” I have been fortunate that for several years I could avoid things like the singing of Christmas hymns during Advent, so I could be open to the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day SURPRISE, one one more step into all that is not yet Christ in me. The reflection we had a couple of weeks back on “endings” is a great gift on my Advent 2024 unfolding. “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work me/us. will continue to complete is until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Visio with the image, my movement into consenting…..
During our Wednesday gathering this past week, the phrase ” The carnation continues in us, as us” , intermingling with the image took me to that very real and wordless place, at first myself, then all of us. Today I pause and wonder, does the depth of this awareness and reality end with my/our last breath or does plumbing these depths continue in our forever home as a personal experience? a collective experience, no longer them and us? or ??????. This afternoon I simply rest as I am, as we are, open, consenting to morphing into … the Christ….
Thank you, Linda, your experience words touch me deeply. DEEPLY is becoming the path of trust and blessing.
As the false self diminishes…. the separate self lingers on, as now I step into the 2025 Jubilee year of HOPE:
Friday, I went for my regular eye examination. My two eyes don’t always function as one image. This time the specialist decided to issue me a prescription to align as one image. I open WoW and am totally stunned!!!two lenses totally different!!! Kathleen your use of the word “align, a secret blessing. So, entering into this week’s C.P. times+ ++++, I consent to sink deeply into this SECRET EMBRACE. If my computer could do this there would be a series of orange colored downward facing arrows…….. down, down, down,…….
The readings, reflections and images provided, these last six weeks have plunged me deeper and deeper into the layers of my inner abyss “of giving my all”. When is enough enough no longer haunts me. This weeks image was especially insightful. Giving my all as a roped turner , allowing others to be all they can be, enjoying their joy of skipping!!! This morning, I enter fully into the joy of being a rope skipper!!! and blessing the rope turners!!!
I am in God, God is in you, you are in God, we are in each other.
This sentence speaks volumes into my deep self:” In the warm certainty of God within, we chill out and are simply there in God’s Presence.” Today my chill out time was preceded by a telephone conversation where someone I care about was deeply upset about an aspect of our current situation. Chilling out , over powering at first, leading to a generosity of spirit in accepting this is her way of moving through a time of upheavel. My chilling out during centering prayer, makes possible our chilling out together Wednesday.
As I listen to the video for this week, great joy settles in my heart.In the last 20 days I consciouly lived this simultaneous up/down cycle, Keating talking about. Though my body response is now one of fatigue, muscle pain, stiffness, Sunday’s Gospel Bartimaeus’ throwing off his cloak resonated profoundly with my/our “now moment-response”. “our”- is the nine of us, “allowing” the Spirit to take us where we need to grow. For me I reach into the depth of despair opening me to experience a depth of joy, formerly unknown. For me the word: verve is a way of naming my experience. So grateful for all of you, WoW community!, including those of you who write the reflection. (I see a huge pod of dancing hearts).
Our dearest loving God,
This week you really sent us, your little sunbeams of light, (upper left corner on image)
Down, down, down, we tumbled into, “when is enough enough?”
Long ago we said: “Yes, we can drink your cup.”
So inocently genuine.
Yes, we passed the test many, may times.
But this week, it wasn’t a test, we tumbled into, (lower right corner of image)
It was into the depths of our very beings.
into this passage way of recognition.
Your love the glue of our love.
And so we bow together, this little group of us,
GRATEFUL and BLESSED!
The sharing during our Wednesday gathering this week was powerful!!! This phrase from lectio/visio part most revealling: “The false self is deeply entrenched. You can change your name and address, religion, country and clothes. But as long as you don’t ask it to change, the false self simply adjusts to the new environment.” The Welcome Prayer is leading me to a confrontation with a couple of aspects that are absolutes for my ego/ my shadow self. Already a “face to face” is relieving the pressure. I continue to be profoundly grateful to you my “WoW” community, a huge “wow”!!!
