Today on the Ascension App I offer the daily reflection from the reading from Acts of the Apostles. The daily reflections are only available on the app. Thank you to one of the Dominican Sisters my Sweetie works with for the recommendation. Welcome to all who are dropping by for a visit.
Lent was very Lenty and Easter is Eastering.
There’s an opener. On this desk, next to my computer is an icon of the Holy Trinity. It is an image worth pondering, a deep mystery, a sacred reality. How does one even begin to explain this God who loves us so much that the second person of the Trinity, Jesus, came to live our life with us, to bring us into new life, to re-create us through the waters of Baptism, from death to life. When reading the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ Baptism by John I always thought, and this is truth, that Jesus was showing us what to do. It’s only recently that a deeper truth, a deeper understanding of Jesus’ action was affirmed as I’m in a Scripture Study at the parish – Jesus is Baptized. Jesus is God. Jesus in his Full and Complete being God, sanctifies the waters of the earth. God, in the Second Person of the Trinity, enters – reenters – the waters of creation. God who has never left us, who has never broken covenant with us, who loves us so intimately, who comes to re-Covenant with us enters the water of the earth and begins Creation again. Awe doesn’t even begin to capture the depths of this. John 3:16 does, and yet even that is so exquisitely beautiful that words fail.
I am reminded of Genesis the two different ways the creation of the earth is presented to us. Creation and stewardship and beauty and complementarity and work and other human beings. And the spirit of God hovering over the chaotic waters and bringing order and life, life and order. Oh how delightful, sublime, beautiful. Words do fail, and yet in the gift of humanity I use them to Praise the Creator.
I mentioned that Lent was lenty and Easter is Eastering. This Lent was spent in the desert or to put it another way in desolation. I knew two things about this 1) I needed to remain there until it was over and I’m still pondering this experience; 2) that making decisions is not highly recommended, actually it’s highly discouraged. The knowing I needed to remain there until the desolation was over, came from both the Ignatian Exercises and a formation experience on Liminal Space. The making decisions actually happened anyway. One decision was coming; one was giving over to being annoyed. Part of the exit involved taking action on several things I really didn’t want to do. I also understood that with one of those places that the potential consequences have effects in other areas of my life. In the interim appropriate counsel was sought, conscious examined and realizing that if the consequences come, I am okay with that. If this was just about me I’d let it go, however there are other people.
After doing the things that needed doing, something shifted in such a way that in a conversation with my own spiritual director I realized that the desolation is complete. That I am grateful for not rushing it, that sitting with it while painful bore sweet fruit. The Holy Spirit was in the middle of all that, prompting and guiding. I am grateful.
I am grateful that Lent – lented and Easter is Eastering.
God bless you!
Teri
A Quilter's Heart 