Posts

A Heart to Know You

Great Blue Heron, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Olympia, WA USA

Contemplative prayer is “to find the place in you where you are here and now being created by God.” ~ Thomas Merton

Still Waters

Greater Yellow Legs, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Olympia, WA USA

“God does not rely only on our talents, but also on our redeemed weakness… The Lord does not take away all our weaknesses, but helps us to walk on with our weaknesses, taking us by the hand. He takes our weaknesses by the hand and places himself by our side.” ~ Pope Francis

Twists and Turns

Western Red Cedar growing from a nurse tree stump, Burfoot Park, Boston Harbor, WA USA

Persevere, for the Lord God who humbled himself; to be born in a manger, live as a laborer and die on a cross, knows about the twists and turns of life and will be with you always (see Matthew 28:20).

Brotherhood

Forever New

Great Egret and Chick, High Island, TX USA

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17

Happy New Year!

Glory to God

Bluffs of Pueblo West, Colorado USA with mosaic from Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, Lourdes, France

“He was created of a mother whom he created.

He was carried by hands that he formed.

He cried in the manger in wordless infancy. He, the Word, without who all human eloquence is mute.”

St. Augustine, 354 AD – 430 AD

Prepare for the Light

American Robin, Pueblo West, Colorado USA

Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ~ John 8:12

Light

Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ~ John 8:12

Happy Thanksgiving

Autumn Trees, Eagle Lake on Chehalis Western Trail, Olympia, WA

In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. ~ Thessalonians 5:18

As We Are

Great Blue Heron, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Olympia, WA

God is the witness of the inmost self and the sure observer of the heart - Wisdom 1: 6

Small and Ordinary become Great and Powerful

A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” ~ Mark 12: 42-44

The Leaves Radiate His Grace

Oh how I wish to imitate the leaves,

to take in the abundance of God’s grace

and give it back to God and neighbor

in radiant splendor.

Give Him Thanks with Great Humility

Canyon, Pueblo West, CO USA

Few people have more closely followed the teachings of Christ than St. Francis of Assisi. Francis’s love of Jesus was demonstrated by his actions; and to those that knew Francis, his love for his savior was also felt through his serenity and peace. Francis saw the world through the eyes of Jesus. In his famous poem, The Canticle of the Sun, all of creation reflects the Glory of God. Francis praises, loves and adores God for everything, even bodily death. Francis added the stanza on Sister Death as he was about to die.

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord, Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessings.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong, and no man is worthy to mention Your name.
Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures; especially Brother Sun, who is the day, and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor, and bears a likeness to You, Most High One.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom You light the night; and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth, who sustains us and governs us and who produces varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love, and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin. Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give Him thanks, and serve Him with great humility. Amen.

Work

He became predominately deaf from a childhood illness, lost his father at age five, was forced to leave school and become a full-time worker in sixth grade, and left home and lived on his own at age 13. He held two to three jobs for most of his life and died at the age of 41 from brain cancer. I am blessed to have called him my father. Reflecting on workers over the past Labor Day holiday I could not help but think of dad.

Dad was a model for the working person. Why you might ask?

Dad worked hard, very, very hard. In order to meet the needs of our family, after working his normal day job, dad took up jobs painting houses, putting in sprinkler systems and landscaping. Often my brother and I would join dad. We worked long, hard hours and dad was a stickler for perfection. Although working hard and doing a job well are very admirable qualities, calling dad the hardest or best worker I have ever met, would not properly reflect who dad was as a worker.

Dad was our baseball coach and football manager. Despite the long tiring days of work, each week mom and dad dedicated an evening to go square dancing. Dad also took the time to develop a unique bond with my sister using their shared love of nature and dogs. If that was not enough, whenever we had a spare moment dad immersed us all in the love of nature by taking us camping, hiking, hunting and fishing.

Dad understood the need for love to be shared. Grandparents, aunts and uncles and family friends all were all invited to join us in large celebrations for the holidays and birthdays.

What motivated dad to work so hard, to give so much, to accomplish the impossible? Love. Dad simply wanted mom and us kids to experience something that he missed as a kid. Love. Dad knew that properly oriented work had only one purpose, one goal, and that was to love.

“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.” (Jesus from the Sermon on the Plain, Luke 6:38)

Dad loved and was loved, by family and friends. What better life can you have than that?

#anaturewalkwithGod #Worka4LetterWord

Making the Impossible, Possible

Lesser Scaup, Inks Lake State Park, Texas, USA

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink – Matthew 14:29-30

Peter took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. If we are to live and love like Jesus we must never take our eyes off him. But in today’s world we have so many distractions, the waves are all around us. How do we keep our eyes on Jesus? I have a few suggestions.

- Get to know Jesus intimately. Read an excerpt from one of the Gospels each day. Imagine walking by Jesus’s side.

- Start and end each day with prayer. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a practice, no matter how busy the day, to spend at least an hour in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

- See Jesus in the many challenges you face. God is in all things. Jesus is there. Listen to him. Let his peace surround you.

But never forget the rest of the story that Jesus is always there for us if we reach out for his aid.

He (Peter) cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. – Matthew 14: 30-32

#anaturewalkwithGod #WalkonWater

He sees all

Crescent Bay as viewed from Stripped Mountain, Salt Creek Recreation Area, WA USA

Lord Jesus,

Standing on this distant shore I know you are watching me from above,

Sometimes the waves of sickness, sorrow and fear crash over me,

One after another they come,

Sometimes I can’t see the purpose in my suffering,

Sometimes I feel all alone,

It is at these times I thank you all the more,

For I know you are with me and looking out for me,

I know that you see all things and are “in all things”(1),

I know that “all things work for good for those that love God”(2),

And I certainly love you,

Although I may not understand or know all your ways until I see you in heaven(3),

You remain my hope and my love,

Please give me the grace to live my life in a way worthy of being called a Christian(4).

_____________________

(1) See Ephesians 4:6 and ACTS 17:28

(2) See Romans 8:28

(3) See 1 Corinthians 13:12

(4) See Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, Philippians 1:27, Philippians 4:8-9, Ephesians 4: 1-6

#anaturewalkwithGod #HeSeesAll

Brother Sun

Sunset over Strait of Juan de Fuca, Tongue Point, WA USA

“God loves you!”, the most ancient of phrases.

A phrase that comes from the overflowing, extravagant embrace of the one triune God.

A love so extravagant that it overflowed from the infinite, to form the finite.

A Holy Love that was like a mighty wind pouring over the waters.

A Holy Love that echoed like the sound of a big bang, and the universe was born.

The universe was born with the words, “God loves you!”.

#anaturewalkwithGod #BrotherSun #GodLovesYou

Room for Jesus

I look around. It is the Sabbath but this is no ordinary Sabbath. A commotion is in the air, despite little being said. The great healer, the carpenter turned rabbi, is in town and will soon be in the synagogue. He will be teaching. It is said when he teaches he talks directly to a person’s soul. Some have said that he seems to know their hearts and minds better than they themselves do. I look over, the leaders are jockeying for position, taking all the seats of honor, leaving no room for the carpenter. Others in the synagogue do not want the carpenter to sit by them so they bury themselves in the crowd. Perhaps they are afraid of him, or perhaps more accurately, they are afraid of what he might compel them to do – to look inside themselves and change. But I am hopeful. I sit on my empty bench in anticipation of the carpenter’s arrival. I hope that he will sit with me. I hope that I might leave the synagogue, this day, closer to God.

My son took this photo of a fox sitting on a bench. It was as if the fox was anxiously waiting for someone to join him and I thought of this possible synagogue scene from Jesus’s three years of public ministry.

In the bible, Jesus is mentioned as sitting down numerous times and in just about every instance he is sitting down with people to teach them the ways of the Kingdom of God, or to heal them from their infirmities, or to forgive them for their sins. Jesus is with us today. Jesus wants to heal us, and teach us, and forgive us. Jesus is anxiously waiting to sit and be with each of us. In our hearts and minds. Teaching us his ways. We just need to learn from this fox and leave some room for him to “sit” with us.

#anaturewalkwithGod #RoomForJesus

Freedom

Washington State Capital as seen through flowers of Plum tree, Olympia, WA USA

Who was the most-free human being eighty years ago in July of 1941? In July of 1941 Hitler was at his zenith of power. The Nazi’s had concurred most all of Western Europe and now had their sites on Great Britain. No one seemed to be able to stop Hitler and his military machine. With the world’s eyes on the blitzkrieg marching its way across Europe, a very dirty sideshow of Nazi aggression was also underway. Millions of Jews, along with other people that were on the wrong side of Nazi imperialism, were being sent to concentration camps where they would meet their death or be forced to survive years of hard labor. It was in these camps that demonstrations of tremendous freedom took place.

Before continuing the story, one must take a brief look at Adolph Hitler. I think he was perhaps the least free person in the world in July of 1941. “What?” you might say, “He was free to do whatever he wanted!” He was free by most external standards. He was free: to become what he dreamed; to do whatever he wanted throughout most of Europe; to use his massive power and wealth on acquisition of just about anything. Hitler is an extreme example how if a person’s will is not oriented toward service of God and service of neighbor, a person can become slave to his or her improperly oriented passions. For Hitler his passion must have been power. Hitler was a slave to his quest for power which lead to a pitiful and lonely life, a pitiful and lonely death, and death, pain and misery for millions.

In contrast, in the death camps of Nazi Germany extraordinary acts of freedom were taking place. By freedom, I don’t mean freedom in the modern context where freedom is measured by an accounting of the human rights given to a person by society. Although I totally embrace human rights, by freedom I mean the historic Christian perspective where a person is only as free as he aligns his free will to do what is good and just in serving God and man. I know there were many unaccounted acts of the use of free will in the service of goodness and justice taking place in these camps in July of 1941, but I will share with you the one I am most familiar…..

The cry “My wife! My children!” echoed across the prison grounds. Franciszek Gajownicze had been selected as one of ten prisoners to be starved to death. A prisoner had recently escaped the death camp at Auschwitz. The evil routine practiced at the camp was if any one escaped the camp, ten would then be starved to death as a consequence. Gajownicze, a sergeant in the polish army had been captured after the sacking of Poland by the Germans and now had been selected to the cruel death of starvation.

Suddenly a skinny, weathered man stepped forward. His name was Father Maximilian Kolbe. Prior to entering the prison it is estimated that Kolbe and his community helped hide 3,000 Polish refuges of which about 1,500 were Jews. Kolbe also produced a widely read periodical which sharply criticized the Nazi’s. These activities lead to Kolbe’s imprisonment. Kolbe had been beaten and tortured while at the camp by a particularly vicious guard that the prisoners called “Bloody Krott”. Recently Krott had forced Kolbe to carry the heaviest of planks until he collapsed and then beat Kolbe until near death. Despite the beating Kolbe always remained calm and dignified and his eyes always shinned bright, nearly penetrating.

Everyone in the compound stopped and looked at the Kolbe. The Nazi commander spoke up saying, “What does this Polish pig want?” Kolbe looked at the commander with his piercing eyes. “I am a Catholic priest from Poland,” Kolbe said and then pointing at Gajowniczek he added, “I would like to take his place because he has a wife and children.” Gajowniczek was released.

Fr Maximilian Kolbe and the nine other prisoners were put into an underground bunker. Prisoners at the camp were familiar with the cruelty of being starved to death, the pleadings and crying of people as they slowly wasted away was a familiar sound. This time; however, it was different. Rather than hearing crying and pleading the sound of prayers and music and even laughter was heard from the bunker. As the men began fading, the prayers and music became whispers, but in the center of the bunker Kolbe was always kneeling and praying, always encouraging his fellow prisoners, always smiling at the guards that looked down at him.

Maximilian Kolbe was directing all of his free will toward serving first Gajowniczek, then his fellow prisoners in the bunker and, in some remote way, even the guards that looked onto the scene. Kolbe despite being held in a bunker being starved to death, through the exercise of his free-will, was perhaps one of the most-free people in the camp and perhaps the world.

After two weeks without food and water all the prisoners except Kolbe had died. The Germans wanted the scene to be over and put Fr. Maximilian Kolbe to death by deadly injection on August 14, 1941.

Franciszek Gajowniczek was freed by the Allies after spending 5 years, 5 months and 9 days in concentration camps. Gajowniczek died at the age of 93 on March 13, 1995.

During this week when we celebrate our country’s freedom, let us ask perhaps the most important question regarding freedom…..”What things do I serve?”

#anaturewalkwithGod #Freedom

Know where you are headed

Let us journey through the often bumpy and twisting path of life toward heaven, loving God and loving neighbor, while always keeping our eyes on Jesus.

Canyon, Pueblo West, CO

#anaturewalkwithGod #ImperishableInheritance