12-9-07 Renewal

God of grace, creation and renewal:

We are people who unwittingly take the many miracles of life for granted.

We thank you for you wondrous gifts of clean air,

clean water, wholesome food:

those simple things upon which our lives depend.

We thank you for your wondrous gifts of color, sound, taste, aroma, texture, that delight our senses and add a special beauty to our days.

We thank you for the gift of each other,

and pray that we may truly treat

each other a gifts from you.

Teach us to enjoy the wonder of life, O God.

Receive these gifts we return to you in token of our thanksgiving.

Use them and use us in love for your world.

amen

To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal ...
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance ...
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

The term advent connotes not only an arrival, but also that which is yet to come. The very word itself expresses a strange interpenetration of the present and the future of what now exists and what is yet to come, of possession and expectation. The incarnation of the Word of God took place in the past and still continues in the present . . . and yet is constantly at the point of coming. The expectation of this return and the memorial of [t]his entrance into the word are both celebrated in the advent liturgy.

Karl Rahner

Life is short and we have not too much time
for gladdening the hearts of those
who are traveling the dark way with us.
Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.

Henri-Frederic Amiel – 1885

There are four seasons of the heart. Several seasons can be present simultaneously in the heart, though usually, at any one time, one season is dominant in your life. . . . In the autumn time of your life your experience is harvested. . . . [This]invites you to become aware of the sacred circle that shelters your life. Within the harvest cycle you are able to gather lost moments and experiences, bring them together, and hold them as one.

. . .

In wintertime nature withdraws. A tree looses its leaves and retires inward. When it is wintertime in your life you are going through pain, difficulty or turbulence. At such times it is wise to follow your instinct and withdraw into yourself. . . you need sanctuary in the shelter of your own soul.

. . .

There is a lovely phrase in Gaelic that means there is a quivering life about to break forth. Spring is a youthful season; it comes forth in a rush of life and promise, hope, and possibility. At the heart of the spring there is a great inner longing. It is a time when desire an memory stir toward each other. Springtime in your soul is a wonderful time to undertake some new adventure. . . . then the rythmn, the energy, and the hidden ligt of your own clay works with you.

. . .

Summertime in your soul is a time of balance, a time of light, growth, arrival. You are in the flow of your own nature. You can take as many risks as you like and you will always land on your feet. There is enough shelter and depth of texture around you to compleely ground, balance , and mind you.

John O’Donohue

Many people regularly squander their time. They live under the
assumption that they'll live forever. As a result, they don't value the
present as a precious opportunity that will never come again.
Others continually race against time, trying to cram too many activities
into each hour, and suffering stress in the process.
In our view, we are more effective and most happy when we balance being
and doing. We continually ask ourselves what's most important to get
done. And we're learning to BE -- fully present -- when we do. We also
regularly give ourselves permission to relax.
Make today really matter. It's all you'll ever have.

Deepak Chopra
"Very few of us know how much we can put into life if we use it
properly, wisely, and economically. Let us economize our time --
lifetimes ebb away before we wake up, and that is why we do not realize
the value of the immortal time God has given us."
-- Paramahansa Yogananda

Awaken To a new dawn,
I stretch to Infinity 'n reach Beyond the Stars,
In an instant I return,
filling every tissue, sinew, with Joy,
I feed the nectar of life, into each molecule and cell,
The mind and body embrace Divine love
Through the eye of time I see eternity,
Life in life shine bright,
Shine the torch of majestic light,
Find the path to my universal frame,
So I may bask in the wisdom of pure potential,
Guide my hand to write your words.

the writers prayer - Michael levy

The sons of men are one
and I am one with them.
I seek to love not hate.
I seek to serve and not exact due service.
I seek to heal not hurt.
Let pain bring due reward of light and love.
Let the soul control the outer form
and life and all events,
and bring to light the love which underlies
the happenings of the time.
Let vision come and insight;
let the future stand revealed.
Let inner union demonstrate
and outer cleavages be gone.
Let love prevail.
Let all men love.

mantram of unification - maitreya

The angels dance in your wake
The sun rises for your glory
Stars illume in your light
Magnificent and eternal
My Lord Jesus
My timeless love

justina m. pernetter