 Like splendid palm branches, we are strewn in the Lord’s path. – Latin Antiphon
Prayer of the Week: Lord our God, holy is your name! Incline our hearts to your commandments, and give us the wisdom of the cross, so that, freed from sin, which imprisons us in our own self-centeredness, we may be open to the gift of your Spirit, and so become living temples of your love. Amen. Theme of the Week: The Way of the Cross is the Way of Trust. Where have you chosen not to place your trust? In each circumstance, does the decision bring freedom? In each circumstance, does your decision bring a burden? What will you do with your freedom? Imagine placing your burden at the foot of the cross. Spiritual Practice: Contemplation of the Cross They who enter the way of life in faith bear the cross patiently. They who advance in hope bear the cross readily. They who are perfected in charity embrace the cross ardently. - St. Bernard of Clairvaux Sayings from the Desert The Cross is the true tree of life. - A Monk The cross tests everything. - Martin Luther The death of Jesus is a mystery wrought in the silence of God. -St. Ignatius of Antioch Now is the hour of the garden and the night, the hour of the silent offering; therefore the hour of hope: God alone. Faceless, unknown, unfelt, yet undeniably God. - Abbe Monchanin Simply waiting for God in silence is prayer. - Ladislaus Boros Alleluia is the song of the desert. - Thomas Merton At midnight I awoke and gazed up to heaven. No star of all the starry host Smiled down upon me at midnight. At midnight my thoughts went out into the bounds Of darkness. No light brought me thoughts of comfort At midnight. At midnight I noted the beating of my heart; I felt a single pang of pain. At midnight. At midnight I fought the battle of human woe; But with all my power I could not decide it. At midnight. At midnight I gave the power into thy hand, Lord, thou keepest watch over life and death, At midnight. - Freidrich Ruckert
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A Meditation for the Fifth Week of Lent  It is worth any sacrifice, however great or costly to see eyes that were listless, light up again to see someone smile who seemed to have forgotten how to smile; to see trust reborn in someone who no longer believed in anything or Anyone Dom Helder Camara [John Moses, The Desert: Anthology for Lent, p. 101] Prayer of the Week: Holy Spirit, giving life to all life, moving all creatures, root of all things, washing them clean, wiping out their mistakes, healing their wounds, you are our true life, luminous, wonderful, awakening the heart from its ancient sleep. Hildegard of Bingen [1098-1179]; trans. Stephen Mitchell Theme of the Week: Where is the oasis in my life and in this community? Like any oasis, refreshment is often not visible until the desert traveler is suddenly beside it. What has refreshed you today? What refreshment have you offered to someone today? Spiritual Practice: Silence Just three minutes a day of silence is a wonderful exercise to reset your ears and to recalibrate so that you can hear the quiet again. If you can't get absolute silence, go for quiet; that's absolutely fine. -Julian Treasure Only by going alone in silence, without baggage, can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness. All other travel is mere dust and hotels and baggage and chatter. -John Muir We need to find God, and God cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls. -Mother Teresa Sayings from the Desert We have put aside the easy burden, which is self-accusation, and weighed ourselves down with the heavy one, self-justification. -John the Dwarf Whenever doubts and the silences of God seem to deepen, will you look to discern the desert flower? -Brother Roger of Taize It is small advantage for eyes to see if the heart is blind. -Abbot Nicholas Recall that a solitary: Seeks not the voice of God, but hears it in cracking ice, blowing reed and friends’ laughter seeks not the gifts of God, but finds them in new bread, the darkness of dawn and friends’ love seeks not the vision of God, but spies God’s Print on a bee’s wing, fishes’ fin and a friend’s heart. -Abbot NIcholas & John the Dwarf [John Moses, The Desert: An Anthology for Lent, p. 110] Prayer from Sunday School: from Rachel Carpenter God's Eyes is a craft that I grew up doing at Bement Camp. (The camp that was run by the Episcopal Diocese of Western MA). I did not realize the significance of this craft until just last week. A God's Eye is a Mexican craft made for protection from the uncertainties of the future. These shields were called God's Eyes because through them a God might keep a watchful eye over the people who made them. To make a God's Eye, all you need is 2 popsicle sticks or 2 sticks from outside and some yarn or string. Instructions can be found at the link below. As you are weaving, recite this prayer: Angel of God, my Guardian dear, To whom God's love commits me here; Ever this day, be at my side To light and guard To rule and guide. |
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