lingering moments

as snow falls
during this deepening of winter
I yet linger
near a manger

with the simple heart of a child
and aging bent knees of surrender
daring
in adoring awe
to gaze upon the face
of God

and
I wonder at this God
who would so risk
entrusting himself
to the care of man

wanting to go and tell
yet unable to move
I am captivated by this heart
beating in a tiny naked chest
and can only burrow deeper
and deeper
into these silent moments
between mystery
and revelation

blessed moment

blessed is she

with children

like olive plants

around her table

lily moment

snow and ice

hold the earth imprisoned

yet

somewhere it seems

a lily is shedding its perfume

how strange

for it is winter

and lilies

do not bloom

in the snow

dwell moment

dwelling in the ground of my soul

where God joins me

to
himself

Friday moment

there is a constant yearning within me
to seek the hidden places of my world
mountains
forests
woods
to find a place where I am really alone with God
where my human horizons are somewhat limited
so my spiritual horizons might grow without distractions

a place where I am there
not for myself
but for others

a place where closing the wings of my intellect
opens the door of my heart

the silence strips me
the Lord of this silence also strips me

I come because I am tired
and desire only to rest on the breast of my Beloved
for to touch God
I must touch humanity
and there has been much human touching this season

the silent stillness comes to greet me
and lead me further into advent
to the expected one
the child in the cave
the child who is God

there is a stillness
holy stillness in these moments
and I
I am cocooned within this cradle of stillness
into which the Word
who came from heaven
comes to rest

the stiller the water
the more perfect the reflection

advent moment

God's astounding
and radical intervention
in our human history
cannot be contained in the tame
and timid
displays of Christmas lights
catchy slogans
or the exchange of gifts

advent confronts us once again
with God’s unparalleled effort
to communicate the message
that all humankind is embraced
and held close
by a God of love

Jesus Christ has come
is present with us
and will come again
in final victory
when all darkness
pain
and evil will be no more

hug moment

offer hugs

to those who look as though they need them

and

perhaps

even more important

listen to their stories

explaining moments

it is in the wondrous
extraordinary
awesome
beautiful
tremulous
silence of God
I come to know who God is
where I learn of God Himself
through God Himself
for me
I must continuously find a place
where I can enter into this silence of God
and meet His Word
Christ
in that silence
where I can wait for that revelation
and not rush
or force
or tear at the hem of His mystery
where I wait for God
to explain
whatever it is
He wants to explain

answer moment

I have been asked what God is doing in heaven.

I answer;

He has been giving his Son birth eternally,

is giving him birth now

and
will go on giving him birth forever.

The Father

being in labor,

as a woman

giving birth to a child,

in every virtuous soul. -

Meister Eckhart

truth moment

the wolf

will live with the lamb

the panther

lie down with the kid

calf

lion

and

fat-stock beast together

with a little boy to lead them

the cow and the bear will graze

their young will lie down together

the lion will eat hay like the ox

the infant will play over the den of the adder

the baby will put his hand into the viper's lair

no hurt

no harm will be done

on all my holy mountain

for the country will be full of knowledge of Yahweh

as the waters cover the sea

Isaiah 11:6-9

faithful moment

a good man is not a perfect man

a good man is an honest man

faithful and unhesitatingly responsive

to the voice of God in his life

John Fisher

Saturday moment

conviction of sin
is the threshold
of an understanding of God

it is through panging pains of repentance
crashing into man's respectable goodness
the door opens into the Kingdom

then
the Holy Spirit
producer of these agonies
begins the formation of the Son of God in the life

dare we pray for the gift of tears

Bethlehem moments

God of December darkness

and Christmas light

deepen my longing

heighten my expectation

make pregnant my hope

I know that within my heart is a Bethlehem

a place where light shines

with tender memories

a place where angelic voices sing

loud and clear

a place of wonder and awe

delight and calm

God of December darkness

and Christmas light

journey with me during these days

so that I may know

and prize

my Bethlehem moments

amen

family moment

yesterday

was spent with my brothers

today

has been spent with my sisters

family is a wonder

being a part

of a whole

there are no words really

just a knowing

of belonging

of loving

and being loved

no competition

simple acceptance

resting

Thursday moment

I went for a walk very early this morning

silence and stillness enveloped all
winter solitude
in a world of one color

only the sound of wind

in my ears

in my heart

I am in love

with this Wind

of the sound

foot washing moment

the basin

filled with the water of His willingness

to suffer

for us

whose feet are dirty

this same water

in the basin

is available for us to use for one another

to offer to another who has been exposed in a weakness

or who has offended us personally

too often we sling mud

rather than humbling ourselves

with the girding of a towel

prayer moment

prayer is not words

ideas

moments of feeling holy

prayer is the moaning of all that is unanswered

and

unfinished in us

prayer is the ache

of the unbreathed breath