An Inspired Curiosity about Elephants It was my mother who inspired a curiosity about elephants. As a little girl, I marveled at the assorted collection of delicate figurines gently displayed around our house. The larger statuettes spirited long beautiful tusks. The smaller pocket-sized ones playfully boasted their own unique charm and color. According to mom, “Elephants possess wisdom and goodness. If the trunk is facing upward, it is said to bring prosperity and kindness. Moreover, a downward posture points to a long happy life.” Why the ancients believed these towering animals bring good tidings is lost in time. It was not long before I started to collect elephant treasures too. Some are made of wood while others are carved out of marble. Each opens a door to a wonderful memory every time it catches my attention. Over time, I enjoyed learning about the fascinating qualities that set these gentle…
Among the great works of western literature is Milton’s – Paradise Lost This timeless retelling of the book of Genesis is meritoriously placed alongside the brilliant writings of Shakespeare and Joyce. I finally mustered the courage to open the gate into Milton’s accounting of humanity’s fall and the redeeming grace that saves us. After taking in just a few verses, Milton pulled me deep inside with the same force the earth draws every object with mass towards its center. Truth be told, did the poetic prose become daunting at times? Absolutely, but only increasing my desire to dig deeper into the hidden meaning behind the words. Milton never let go of God’s sovereignty over his creation. Beauty, rebellion, tragedy and redemption were all there, cast through Milton’s eyes according to the Book of Genesis. Simply put – Paradise Lost is a masterpiece. Milton…
Acquiring a spirit of prayerful silence is vital to the interior life. It requires a real desire to detach all thought from the outside world to center only on the Divine Presence. For most of us, devoting time to a daily practice of “quiet prayer” is hard given everything always calling for our attention. It can be done. Despite the world’s constant disarray, we can learn how to be still to know that He is God. My pursuit of cultivating time for “quiet prayer” began with Saint Teresa of Avila’s work “The Interior Castle.” A gift from my father, I read the profoundly inspiring book while on an annual family trip to Montauk, Long Island (July 2007). Captured in my journal is the mystic’s description of a “magnificent castle” with multiple dwellings present within the soul. Avila saw this beautiful image in a vision. She elucidates, “The…
One of the earliest teachings my children learned centered on the practice of making good choices. As toddlers, picking out the movie to watch before bedtime or choosing the tastiest snack to pack away for school never required much debate. However, as they grew older, good decision-making became far more complex as the world around them unfolded a menu of different choices to accompany each new scenario. Soon enough, they were setting their own goals, shaping discipline into the art of study habits, making friends, and finding a unique way to bring “good” into the world. Along this journey, I put my heart into teaching them “how” to think and wisely discern without determining the outcome itself. Ultimately, it was their choice to make and abide by. The bigger the decision, the more time we spent thinking through the impact of possible moves like in the game of chess…
The beauty of fall is arriving with full force. What a gift this season is! The lush green of summer is slowly unfolding the splendid colors of orange, red and yellow. Home décor welcomes the lighting up of pumpkin spice scented candles, a fall themed door wreath and a happy gnome sitting alongside tiny magic filled mushrooms. Look around you. The many faces of change (seen and unseen) is present everywhere except in the unchanging ONE who declares “I, the Lord, never change.” God remains the same forever We are the ones who must experience all the faces of change that come in a lifetime. Change brings the grace of visible joy when the heart and mind strive to reach God. Each day, we wake to that inner power that stirs us to become more of the person He created us to be. Ultimately, reaching that potential of being…
Forever Kept in the Vault of My Heart As of this writing, James and I last spoke 8,035 days ago. This anniversary of September 11th 2001 marks the tragic last day that I heard the sound of my brother’s voice. At the time, I truly believed that my heart held all the love that it could possibly hold over my lifetime. But I was wrong. Twenty-two years of missing James has increased the love I have for him beyond measure. Years have shown me what it means to suddenly lose a cherished sibling in the horrific way that 9/11 families did. Losing him forever changed my own place in the world. The bond that siblings hold for each other shapes the life of the whole family. That is what love simply does. When one is lost, all are lost. As brother and sister, James and I…
It is far easier to name obstacles that hinder the craft of writing than it is to make a quick case for getting words down on the page. Writers are persistently challenged by the sheer lack of time, a steady stream of distractions and staying motivated to keep working at the craft like clockwork. Moreover, the inspiration that tanks up the desire to write often dwindles when striving to really spot where the time invested is making a difference. Like salmon rushing upstream against the current, aspiring writers know they face stacked odds at being discovered any time soon. Building even a small readership today is quite difficult when keeping company with 32.7 million other bloggers in the United States alone, not to mention the 600 million blogs already established worldwide. Yes, the world is certainly a big place bent on pressing every nose against the tantalizing scent blazed…
Only Piranesi and the Other Exist. They live in a “House” filled with an infinite number of rooms that sweep into huge halls. The rest of the world no longer exists. The man who describes himself as the “Other” believes that the “knowledge of the ancients” is hidden somewhere. Its power was something that mankind used to possess, but lost at some point in time. Also living in this colossal place is Piranesi He is a good man who takes care of the House. Huge story-like statues populate the rooms, each symbolic of something that Piranesi cherishes. So gentle and kind, he feeds the beautiful birds flying everywhere, and marvels at the creatures filling the sea. All things within the House is meticulously known, and loved with tenderness. A scientist at heart, Piranesi moves through this majestic place with precision. There is no fear, he…
If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen the video where I share my special editions of the whimsical classic “Alice in Wonderland.” The idea that a world with magical characters could be at my finger tips through a rabbit hole brings the splendor of an encountered imagination. I certainly felt a warm kinship with Alice when she said “When I get home I shall write a book about this place.” Thankfully, that book was gifted through the wonderful creativity of Lewis Carroll. Recently, I came across this beautiful life-size statue of Alice Through the Looking Glass constructed by Jeanne Argent, and displayed on the Guildford Castle grounds located in Surry, UK. The figure was sculpted as a memorial to Carroll who lived nearby in the Chestnuts until he died in 1898. The statue beautifully captures Alice leaving one world and entering another. She is feeling…
The desert Fathers knew the spiritual power given in the arrow prayer. They committed to memory, the poetic words the Psalmist prayed to draw God down into their human situation and bless them right where they were. With one breath, the day began with the prayer, “Lord, be with us.” Chanting the words “Thank you Father for the beauty of all you created,” they praised the Almighty for the light given by the sun, shimmer of the moon and sustaining food from the earth. In sickness, their supplications lamented “Have mercy on me Lord, fill me with a length of days” or “Incline thy ear to hear my plea with mercy. For I am without help, make haste and deliver me.” When in doubt, the words “Lord, help me in my unbelief” stand ready. Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta also spoke arrow prayers into her work without end. She said…
Author and theologian Frederick Buechner described the way he saw God as a Shepherd this way… Recalling a memory of a man taking care of sheep, he states, “Some of them he gave names to, and some of them he didn’t, but he knew them equally well either way. If one of them got lost, he didn’t have a moment’s peace till he found it again. If one of them got sick or hurt, he would move heaven and earth to get it well again.” The metaphor helps us to understand why Christ gives Himself the title “Good Shepherd.” He is the One who searches for the lost and calls each by name. Those who hear his voice turn to Him, moving away from those places of worldly overwhelm, fear and lack. For He tells us, “I am the Good Shepherd; I know…
The Wisdom of George Eliot The journey through George Eliot’s life changing novel MiddleMarch – A Study of Provincial Life begins with a look back into the young life of Saint Theresa of Avila. As a child, little Theresa and her younger brother set out from Avila to find martyrdom as a means to restore peace in the suffering country of the Moors. Eliot then quickly takes us into the hidden life of the innumerable quiet souls struggling with hard times not unlike the mystical saint. Thus, the magnificent nineteenth century writer points to the existence of the “many Theresas in our world who found for themselves no epic life; perhaps only a life of mistakes; or a tragic failure with no sacred poet and sank un-wept into oblivion.” Through the lives of the characters living in Middlemarch, Eliot shows us that “it is never too late to be…
The stories we live and those shared by loved ones shape the person we ultimately become. Epic narratives chronicling the life changing events of our forerunners emerge like a spiritual watchtower to see God’s fingerprint on our lives. As a young girl, my grandmother’s re-telling of the story of how her beloved sister (Lucimelia) tragically lost her life showed me what it means to carry a torch of love that stays lit till forever. I could not know at the time how those unforgettable remnants from long ago would help me through the immeasurable loss of my own brother James on September 11, 2001. My grandmother lived in South America and traveled to the United States whenever possible. Hence, the time we had together was limited. I was only too happy to share my room whenever she visited, usually taking place during the hottest summer months. She…
Looking back, packing for work travel always meant taking only what was absolutely necessary. I was always determined to snuggle my carry-on bag into the plane’s overhead compartment easy-peasy. Hence, clothes were packed into tiny squares nice and flat with miniscule travel size bottles used to hold almost anything else. As colleagues headed to stand-by the luggage pick-up area after reaching our destination, I was already on line to catch a cab with my nose in a book. Just like that old saying goes, “I have my nose stuck in a book just about as often as I breathe (Guillemets, Raiding Bookshelves).” That’s me – right there. Taking my books on the journey was the only exception to the one bag rule. Leaving Jane Eyre, Fyodor Dostoevsky, George Eliot and so many others behind was simply not an option. No matter where I was headed…
So many wonderful things happen in June. Nature is working its magic in visible and invisible ways. It is the time of year for taking walks in the woods; delighting in scampering red breasted robins and watching the sea bobble its waves. In June, the summer solstice quietly shifts the sunrise and sunset southward again. The sun has now taken its highest position in the sky and a harvesting “strawberry” moon holds its own place on earth. And little by little, daylight starts to decrease. At dusk, whisking fireflies arrive to illumine the darkening blanket of night. We wonder how it is that this sixth month emerged so quickly, now surrounding us with its beauty on all sides. Splendor present for just awhile. Oh happy June – is there no way that you can stay with us just a bit longer? After all, the first pitcher of lemonade has just been…
Christ tells us that “It is the Spirit who gives life. The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life” (Jam 6:63). God spoke the first words, electing to use them to make himself known to us. And by the Word of Scripture, the beloved can envision all that can be known about God. God also uses his creation as the means to reveal Himself. Every blooming flower and soaring bird speaks to the nature of God’s beauty. Poetry, works of art and the giving of one’s love to another reflect his love, holiness and wonder. The Word of God is like an expectant garden waiting for searching hands to dig into its soil. The gardener sifts for the best place to plant seeds. They are left hidden beneath the soil, watered and given back to God. The expectant garden soon…
It is to the young Virgin Mary that the Holy Trinity comes first. In the Annunciation, she consents to partake in the salvific mission of the sent Son of God. The angel’s message is presented to Mary not as a command, but an invitational call to become the vessel of redemption. Hence, the following explicates how Mary’s holy state of life conforms to the life of her Son. The freedom divinely given to all humanity was exercised by Mary’s fiat “May it be done to me according to thy word.” Upon understanding what the angel reveals, her words of offered obedience perfectly image those of her Son to the Father “Your will be done” (Lk 22:42). Thus, Mary takes her stand as the first paradigmatic Christian conformed to the life of Christ, and through Him, enters into the life of the Blessed Trinity. Never…
