Effortless

Before ever there was time, already
Love was flowing among the Three.
Now one in flesh in Nazareth
Love flows clear and calm
Enticing us just to dip a toe
And off we go
In the large and lovely
Wild and wonderful
River of Love.
Love, Who love us, thank You.

Being Saved

Being saved means moving toward an ever deepening capacity to love and be loved.  Salvation involves letting ourselves be drawn into Love That already is flowing and letting Love carry us out  to care for others and for our world. 

To God as Drifting Mist

We must not portray you in king's robes,
you drifting mist that brought forth the morning.

Once again from the old paintboxes
we take the same gold for scepter and crown
that has disguised you through the ages.

Piously we produce our images of you
till they stand around you like a thousand walls.
And when our hearts would simply open,
our fervent hands hide you.

(from Rainer Maria Rilke's Book of Hours)

Swans This Morning

Our Lady of Guadaloupe

In a month when roses do not bloom Juan Diego gathered them in his tilma (sort of a poncho) and carried them to the bishop to prove that Our Lady had really appeared to him.  When he dropped his tilma in front of the bishop, as the roses poured out, the bishop saw on the tilma of Juan Diego the image of Our Lady of Guadaloupe.  Sometimes called the brown virgin, she looks like a Mexican. 
Splendid God, bless the people of Mexico and protect the dignity of all immigrants.

Immaculate Conception

St. Ann with her young daughter Mary.

This is the irrational season 

When love blooms bright and wild.

If Mary had been full of reason 

There'd have been no room for the child.

                          --Madeline L'Engle

St. Nicholas

Today is the feast of perhaps the most popular saint of all.  He is the patron saint of Russia, Greece, Sicily, Loraine, and Apulia in Italy.  He is also the patron saint of children,bankers, pawnbrokers, sailors, perfumers, brides, prostitutes, travelers, fishermen, dock workers, brewers, poets, and prisoners.
What we know for certain about him is that in the 4th century he was bishop of Myra (in present day Turkey.)   Curiously, Dutch Protestants living in New Amsterdam gave him the features of a Scandinavian elf.  The Dutch for "St. Nicholas" is "Sinter Claus."
We might ask him to pray for us that we might be as generous as his reputation.

Watch

With this First Sunday of Advent we begin reading from the Gospel According to Mark, but we jump way ahead to the end of chapter 13.  This chapter is followed immediately by Mark's account of the Passion.  In verses 33-39 Jesus tells us to be on the watch for the coming of the Son of Man.  Three times in five verses he uses the word "watch."  We must watch also and be ready when Jesus comes to us in our own death.