I returned from a retreat in Pensacola a few days before Christmas and opened my e-mail to find the gift of a poem sent by our Sister Margaret Byrne. The poem is “Messenger,”* by Mary Oliver. “My work,” she begins, “is loving the world”: Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me [...]
Category Archive for 'Christmas'
When I was a child, I liked singing “The First Noel”: The first Noel the angel did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; In fields where they lay keeping their sheep, On a cold winter’s night that was so deep. But at that age I understood “to certain” as an [...]
Epiphany
Posted in Christmas, Immersed in God, Presence, Wonder on Feb 26th, 2005
A number of years ago I had the pleasure of spending time with a 3-year-old Spaniard. His mother worked for the family I was living with in Paris. Although Juanito spoke no English and little French, and my Spanish was minimal, we enjoyed each other’s company. A favorite activity was looking at mail-order catalogs. Even [...]
“Standing on the Promises” is not exactly a Christmas song, but it has been running through my head lately and when I think about it, it does seem appropriate to the season. The refrain goes like this: Standing, standing, Standing on the promises of God my Savior; Standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of [...]
In the pew ahead of us on Sunday was a little boy about 6 or 7 years old. Oblivious to what was going on at the altar, and oppressed by the injunction to behave, he paused in mid-wiggle to proclaim, “Santa’s real, Mama!” Mother shook her head and said nothing. The little boy persevered: “Yes, [...]