December 2, 2012

A beautiful morning, sunny, blue, warm, the kind of day people from the frozen North come down here to enjoy.  There isn't a cloud in the sky and the blue is deep and vivid.  I'm starting to worry about drought, even with the gift of this lovely day; we are 10 inches behind in rain and this is our rainiest time of the year, except for the occasional tropical storm.  Which reminds me, hurricane season was over December 1, and while we escaped this year,  Superstorm Sandy created so much havoc that I feel particularly blessed that kind of storm,  essentially a cold hurricane, can not happen here.  I can't imagine dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane in freezing weather, though I know a few people who think dealing with them in the heat is hell, but still . . . the cold for me would be more devastating.

Lots of the roadside weeds are beginning to turn finally.  One weed with oval jagged-edged leaves in pairs along the stem is turning into a fountain of eye-aching yellow!  It stands out against the greener, browner weeds.   The leaves have been falling steadily, one or two at a time every little bit; they catch my eye and I think it's a bird.  Two squirrels have been romping through the trees causing leaves to shower down behind them.  After watching them leap from tree to tree and run up and down the branches, I am wondering if they are doing it because they make the leaves fall, for the flash of color and the sound of it.  They seem to be having a terrific time.

It's Sunday, the day for the blessing.  Does it seem odd we have to set aside a day for remembering our blessings when they shower down on us like those leaves every day?  Still it is nice to take time to realize how blessed we are.

Matins

 I

Somewhere, out at the edges, the night

Is turning and the waves of darkness

Begin to brighten the shore of dawn.

The heavy dark falls back to earth

And the freed air goes wild with light,

The heart fills with fresh, bright breath

And thoughts stir to give birth to colour.

II

I arise today

In the name of Silence

Womb of the Word,

In the name of Stillness

Home of Belonging,

In the name of the Solitude

Of the Soul and the Earth.

I arise today

Blessed by all things,

Wings of breath,

Delight of eyes,

Wonder of whisper,

Intimacy of touch,

Eternity of soul,

Urgency of thought,

Miracle of health,

Embrace of God.

May I live this day

Compassionate of heart,

Gentle in word,

Gracious in awareness,

Courageous in thought,

Generous in love.

John O'Donohue

  

Now there is a prayer that covers it all, yes?  I love the part about "thoughts stir to give birth to color" because there is so much color this morning, and it is certainly "wild with light" out!  The idea that silence is the womb of the word, now that is something I can understand.  If I don't get a little quiet time, I really feel the difference.  Some mornings driving to school, that's what I have silence.  It can be refreshing when you know if you turn on the radio they are going to give you all the ills of the world and very few of the joys.  Even music, which can be deeply affecting, doesn't fill up the places a little silence does.   As much as we don't like to admit it most of the time, we are all in a sense solitary creatures, alone in our minds, which is why love is so important, it gives us a way out, a way to connect to others other than simply rubbing shoulders with them as we go about in the world.  The embrace of God is another way of not feeling alone, of being part of something grander, larger, more perfect than we can achieve, and it works best when we embrace God right back, after all, a one-sided hug is very unsatisfying, it's much better if both side participate.  You can imagine God however you want to, you do anyway, no two ideas of God are the same, and never will be, but it seems to work for me if I imagine someone more loving and more accepting and more hopeful than is possible for a human being to be.  The "may I live this day" part of the poem is certainly a lot to live up to, compassionate, gentle, gracious, courageous and generous in love.  How about that, a perfectly lovely concept of the Divine!