Sunday is the day of Sabbath rest. It’s a day for us to focus on the Lord, to worship our Maker, and to set aside time, as well as an attitude of silence so that we are receptive to the ways that He wants to speak to our hearts. It’s a day to spend time with the people we love, to build community and grow in fellowship with one another. It’s a day of rest and relaxation, a day to take a respite from the daily grind, to seek wisdom in silence and reflection. It’s a day where we can become more aware of the beauty in creation, and joy in even the littlest aspects of life that we treasure.
Observing the Sabbath looks different for all of us, especially in regards to our current state in life. For some it might mean having a big family brunch with our extended family, or going for a family hike. For others it might mean gathering with close church friends and reflecting on God’s word in our life. Or maybe it means connecting with the people we love that are many miles away.
Today has been a Sunday filled with many of the things that bring me the joy of the Lord: a lively Mass filled with jubilant singing and energetic families surrounding me; a brunch of delicious bagel sandwiches made at a local bagel shop and a Starbucks hazelnut latte, over conversations with good friends; talking with my family on the phone, including a conversation with my mom who I am especially grateful for today on this Mother’s Day; sitting outside at coffee shop in a funky urban neighborhood, with the sun shining against a deep blue sky while a soft breeze blows as I read a historical fiction novel; writing (as I am right now), watching the colorful array of city dwellers pass by my way.
Sure, we all manage to keep a spirit of the Sabbath better some Sundays than others. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” But on days like today, I am especially thankful that the Lord has given us this day to become refreshed, to be blessed, and to be united in the joy of His Resurrection, in whatever simple forms that may take. Happy Sunday-ing.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Take my poll!
If you read this blog, please take a moment to take my poll on the right sidebar. I am curious to know which topics you enjoy reading about most. Your answers may or may not affect my future posting topics!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Be Thou my Vision
Vision. We all want to have a glorious vision, a defined framework, and a honorable mission for our lives. We want some exuberant goal on which to set our sights. But we want it to be a clear cut way of life, outlined for us to take on a specific mission with passion. In a certain sense, as Catholics, we believe that a major part of this vision for our lives is our own personal vocation. Are we called to give ourselves fully to the Church, as a religious? Or to another person, our spouse, in marriage? Or to the world in His service as a consecrated lay person? There is a yearning in all of us to identify this vision for our lives, take this specific life-path that we were created for, and live out our vocation wholeheartedly.
Enter 20-something singleness. A state of life filled with yearning for that unique vision, longing to see it's fulfillement. But a time also wracked with soul-searching, confusion, and anxiety, trying to figure out just where it is that He wants me to go, who it is that He wants me to be. And did I mention, when will that moment of discovering my vocation finally come? This is a place I am very much at right now, just wanting to see how my sometimes isolated, work-a-day life right now fits into His greater plan for my joy. As a melancholic idealist, it is that sense of noble vision, deeper purpose, which impels me to drudge through the daily grind and monotonous tasks because I have an understanding that I am working towards a specific greater glory. But what about when I am seemingly visionless, and unsure of where He is leading me, what vocation or lifework He is calling me?
I remember a priest at Ave Maria giving a homily about trust. It really impacted me, because this was about 5 years ago, and I still go back to it continually. I remember him saying how we all want to be able to see the future, to see the big picture ahead of us so we can understand God's purposes and callings. And yet, he said, so often, it is like we are holding a pencil-sized flashlight in front our our feet, the only light to guide our way. This tiny light is all that we can see in front of us. And it is through accepting that we are only able to see that tiny, tiny, spec of light in front of us, that we learn radical faith and trust.
In the midst of my confusion and anxiety about my current state in life and inability to see where in the world God is leading me, He really spoke to my heart through a devotional passage. I have been reading "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, and I came upon this meditation about "God's Purpose or Mine?"
Peter Walks on Water, 1806 by Philipp Otto Runge
Reading this meditation brought me such comfort and conviction to the places in my heart that are heaviest right now. It's so hard not to have a clear vision of where I am headed or where He wants me to go. Not to have the framework of marriage, or religious life where I respond to the demands of love and receive the gifts of love within a particular states-of-life.
His word? For now, my vision must be wholly on Him. Watching Him walk on the water. Watching Him work the miracle of standing on the raging seas. I am called not to follow one specific life's vocation right now, but to set my eyes on Him, that He would "be thou my vision", totally, completely. And while I am looking at Him, He will move in me, and in my life.
As Oswald Chambers continues,
Enter 20-something singleness. A state of life filled with yearning for that unique vision, longing to see it's fulfillement. But a time also wracked with soul-searching, confusion, and anxiety, trying to figure out just where it is that He wants me to go, who it is that He wants me to be. And did I mention, when will that moment of discovering my vocation finally come? This is a place I am very much at right now, just wanting to see how my sometimes isolated, work-a-day life right now fits into His greater plan for my joy. As a melancholic idealist, it is that sense of noble vision, deeper purpose, which impels me to drudge through the daily grind and monotonous tasks because I have an understanding that I am working towards a specific greater glory. But what about when I am seemingly visionless, and unsure of where He is leading me, what vocation or lifework He is calling me?
I remember a priest at Ave Maria giving a homily about trust. It really impacted me, because this was about 5 years ago, and I still go back to it continually. I remember him saying how we all want to be able to see the future, to see the big picture ahead of us so we can understand God's purposes and callings. And yet, he said, so often, it is like we are holding a pencil-sized flashlight in front our our feet, the only light to guide our way. This tiny light is all that we can see in front of us. And it is through accepting that we are only able to see that tiny, tiny, spec of light in front of us, that we learn radical faith and trust.
In the midst of my confusion and anxiety about my current state in life and inability to see where in the world God is leading me, He really spoke to my heart through a devotional passage. I have been reading "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, and I came upon this meditation about "God's Purpose or Mine?"
"What is my vision of God's purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me."
"What He desires for me is that I see "Him walking on the sea" with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is alright because I see Him "walking on the sea (6:49)"
Peter Walks on Water, 1806 by Philipp Otto RungeReading this meditation brought me such comfort and conviction to the places in my heart that are heaviest right now. It's so hard not to have a clear vision of where I am headed or where He wants me to go. Not to have the framework of marriage, or religious life where I respond to the demands of love and receive the gifts of love within a particular states-of-life.
His word? For now, my vision must be wholly on Him. Watching Him walk on the water. Watching Him work the miracle of standing on the raging seas. I am called not to follow one specific life's vocation right now, but to set my eyes on Him, that He would "be thou my vision", totally, completely. And while I am looking at Him, He will move in me, and in my life.
As Oswald Chambers continues,
"God's training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it...God's purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now... If we realize that moment by moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious."
Librarian's Pick of the Month: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
In conjunction with my previous posts about making lists of new books to read, I wanted to recommend an excellent book that I recently read. (Who knows, maybe this reader's advisory type blog entry could be a feature each month on CIC). This book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows. A friend had recommended this book, and looking for some entertaining commuting fiction, I got a copy for myself. What a delightful book!
This story is woven together through a collection of letters, many of them written by the main character, Juliet Ashton. Set in 1946, it follows the correspondence of Juliet, a single, 30-something year old author, looking for a new writing project. When Dawsey Adams, a Guernsey farmer, (Guernsey is a one of the Channel Islands) finds Juliet's name and address in a used book, he sends her a letter to tell her how much he is enjoying her old book. Fascinated by the stranger's letter, Juliet writes Dawsey back, and as their correspondence continues, Juliet learns about the charming island of Guernsey and the stories it's residents during the German occupation. Juliet is especially curious to learn about the "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society", a literary group of Guernsey residents started by accident, which becomes a great source of community and culture for the Guernsey people during World War II. Deciding that this unique society would make an excellent story for a new novel, Juliet begins to correspond with other Guernsey folk about their experiences during the war. The themes of hope, heroism, and hardship that the Guernsey people share with Juliet are inspirational and heartwarming.
While this book does not have a central plot, the authors have created such vivid, entertaining characters that the reader feels as if he really gets to know them; their idiosyncratic personalities make them all the more lovable, and Juliet's wit in particular kept me turning the pages. It really is a delightful book filled with captivating vignettes, and charming characters who are sure to make you smile. I would say, it's a must-read!
This story is woven together through a collection of letters, many of them written by the main character, Juliet Ashton. Set in 1946, it follows the correspondence of Juliet, a single, 30-something year old author, looking for a new writing project. When Dawsey Adams, a Guernsey farmer, (Guernsey is a one of the Channel Islands) finds Juliet's name and address in a used book, he sends her a letter to tell her how much he is enjoying her old book. Fascinated by the stranger's letter, Juliet writes Dawsey back, and as their correspondence continues, Juliet learns about the charming island of Guernsey and the stories it's residents during the German occupation. Juliet is especially curious to learn about the "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society", a literary group of Guernsey residents started by accident, which becomes a great source of community and culture for the Guernsey people during World War II. Deciding that this unique society would make an excellent story for a new novel, Juliet begins to correspond with other Guernsey folk about their experiences during the war. The themes of hope, heroism, and hardship that the Guernsey people share with Juliet are inspirational and heartwarming.
While this book does not have a central plot, the authors have created such vivid, entertaining characters that the reader feels as if he really gets to know them; their idiosyncratic personalities make them all the more lovable, and Juliet's wit in particular kept me turning the pages. It really is a delightful book filled with captivating vignettes, and charming characters who are sure to make you smile. I would say, it's a must-read!
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