Fresh Vision

These past few months during the church season of Ordinary Time I have been using the book At the Still Point: A Literary Guide to Prayer in Ordinary Time by Sarah Arthur. You can read more about the book…HERE. The passages of poetry, prayers, fiction, and scripture have been a perfect fit. I have been challenged on the idea of “slow reading,” which is especially necessary when reading poetry. I will be writing more about that soon.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a poem and a prayer from the book that resonated with me this week. These passages from the section titled “Fresh Vision” are encouraging as I continue to embrace this year of “Patient Trust”.

Morning Reflections

Enuma Okoro

What is this unfolding, this slow-

going unraveling of gift held

in hands open

to the wonder and enchantment of it all?

What is this growing, this rare

showing, like blossoming

of purple spotted forests

by roadsides grown weary with winter months?

Seasons affected, routinely disordered

by playful disturbances of divine glee

weaving through limbs with

sharpened shards of mirrored light,

cutting dark spaces, interlacing creation,

commanding life with whimsical delight.

What is this breaking, this hopeful

re-making, shifting stones, addressing dry bones,

dizzying me with blessings,

intercepting my grieving

and raising the dead all around me?

Lord, purge our eyes to see

Lord, purge our eyes to see

Within the seed a tree

Within the glowing egg a bird,

Within the shroud a butterfly:

Till taught by such, we see

Beyond all creatures Thee;

And hearken for Thy tender word,

And hear it, “Fear not: it is I.”

~ Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

Passing Ordinary Time

My previous post below shares a link to my recent reflections on the liturgical season of Ordinary Time. Typically, my blog picks up speed during the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter. But, once Easter passes the number blog posts declines rapidly, at times lying dormant or going into hibernation. Maybe this season of Ordinary Time will be different?? Hmmmm…we’ll see.

I recently purchased the Kindle version of a new book on Ordinary Time, At the Still Point: A Literary Guide to Prayer in Ordinary Time by Sarah Arthur. To read a review of the book, click here. I am loving the book. Already I am finding the passages of poetry, prayers, fiction, and scripture shaping my posture and attentiveness in Ordinary Time.

This morning I enjoyed reading and taking time to sit with the below poem by Enuma Okoro included in the section themed, “In the Stillness.” I thought I would pass it on.

Passing Ordinary Time

Enuma Okoro

It is a hard art to learn,

catching quiet

by palms raised

cupped in 

air shifting location

here and there like

trying to guess the pattern of falling leaves,

and hoping to feel

the soft descent of moments

when silence slips

between sounds.

This ordinary time is

gifted with days,

weeks of mundane grace

routinely following the liturgy

of hours anticipating creation

tuning its prayer and praise to the

rhythms of incarnate love.

I am used to the uproar,

the Holy drama,

the appetite's gnarled discord

of fasting and feasting on borrowed, time,

the knocking of angels,

the blubbering piety of waiting,

appointed seasons for guild and grief, tears of joy and disbelief,

the birth of miracles, the passion of virgins,

the mourning of a love so divine.

This ordinary time is

gifted in its quiet, marked passing

Christ slips about

calling and baptizing,

sending and affirming,

pour his Spirit like water

into broken cisterns,

sealing cracks and filtering our senses,

that we may savor the foolish

simplicity of his grace.

Reflecting on Ordinary Time

My latest reflection on This Ignatian Life blog....
Click Here: "Ordinary Time - The Other Two-Thirds of the Year"