The Hour of Illumination - Peace at Noon

War. Poverty. Illiteracy. Sex-trafficking. Addiction. Depression. Unemployment. Disease. To be true, much of our world is not at peace. And often I find myself overwhelmed by the weight it all. What can I do? Where do I put my energy? How might I lighten the load?

Lately I have been feeling especially overwhelmed.  I've been reading Ashley Judd's memoir, All That is Bitter and Sweet.  Her experiences in working with women caught in the cycle of poverty and forced prostitution and her own stories of childhood neglect and depression split my heart wide open.  My heart then wanders to the orphans in the world and then to my friends who are struggling as single moms and then to my "neighbors" living in Reading, so many dealing with unemployment, poverty, drugs.  Where is the peace?

Then yesterday I stopped at one of my favorite places of tranquility, the Jesuit Center only fifteen minutes from my home, for a Midday prayer.  Macrina Wiederkehr calls the Midday pause the "Hour of Illumination" and notes that its themes are commitment, passion, faithfulness, and peace.  As I wandered through the grove with its tall trees and little statues, I came upon a leafy canopy of green hovering above three benches and a brick patio.  A Crucifix was hanging at the far end of this little hideout, and I sat myself beneath the one who is known as the Prince of Peace.  I opened my prayer book and read this prayer:


"In this the hour of the noonday sun,
we raise our hands to the Peaceful One.
This is the hour to pray for peace,
for kindness and compassion to increase.

So let this be the hour of release.
Let us bow to each other and pray for peace.
Let this be our promise. Let this be our song.
We will be the peace for which we long.

Before we share our noonday meal,
our deepest hungers let us feel.
This is the hour for peace to flower.

Let us be the peace, Let us be the peace."

~Macrina Wiederkehr 

Seven Sacred Pauses, pp. 101-102

Yes, I long to be a part of the Peace.  I am quite aware that each soul can either add or take away good to the world.  How fitting it was that I was sitting beneath the Prince of Peace during this prayer.  I allowed him to be my teacher as I began to meditate on how Jesus lived Peace while walking on earth.  These were my thoughts:

He sought peace (stealing away for inner-peace with his Father).
He taught peace (to those within his influence).
And he walked peace (in dealing with his enemies).
It struck me then; Jesus never forced peace.  For how can peace be forced?

So this is the example I seek to follow.  As much as I or anyone would love to wave a magical wand over all of the heartache in the world, Peace does not behave magically.  It begins as a small seed in the soul and it grows into a fragrant flower for the world.  Perhaps all I can do is continue to seek inner-Peace with the God of Love; I can also try to teach peace within my influence (mostly to my children right now); and I can walk the walk of peace (in my relationships, in my community, and in the world) as best as I am able today.

Sometimes that walk of peace means not acting in frustration when I am feeling frustrated.  Sometimes it is advocating for the poor and oppressed.  Sometimes it is holding an area of the world in my heart with compassion and hope.  Sometimes it is being a peaceful presence amid a friend's storm. And sometimes it is walking the grounds of the Jesuit Center, allowing my own soul to find its way back to Peace again.

What does your walk of Peace look like?  At least for today?

Nine-Eleven... A Glo-burban Perspective

We all remember where we were that fateful day, ten years ago.  I was in a science class at Millersville University when I learned about the attack.  My professor soberly cancelled class.  I then gathered with two students I knew, and we prayed.  I don't remember what we said.  From there I wandered to the cafeteria and watched the news with other students, all of us trying to wrap our minds around what was going on.  Jarred met me there (we were newlyweds as of 6 months and full-time students); we went home, confused, a little frightened, very sad.

This weekend, he and I relived that day by watching various documentaries about 9-11.  Much of the footage I had never seen before.  I heard stories of tragedy and heroism that I hadn't heard before either.  I cried as I listened to these inspiring and tragic stories, reminded of the fragile nature of life.

I also received a couple of forwards in my email inbox last week.  These forwards told me I should put a flag outside my front door to show my patriotism. One forward told me I should hate all of the countries who have not supported the US during this decade long war; it also told me that I should move to another country if I was an environmentalist who didn't want to drill for oil and that I should thank a soldier if I could read the email.  Finally, the email said I should forward this to ten friends in hopes of getting this to every American computer.

These messages assumed that proper patriotism and appropriate remembrance of the tragedy of the falling Trade Centers mandated flag-waving and finger-pointing. But I question if that really is true patriotism.  If that really is the response to ignorant, hateful acts of violence.

I read two blogs posts this morning that helped me put the tension between sorrow and anger into perspective.  In one reflection, Jim Wallis noted how the original response to 9-11 created a sense of vulnerability and dependence and care for one another, pieces of beauty and hope arising from the ashes of evil.  Yet too quickly, it was replaced by a call for revenge which has brought with it more hate, racism, devastation, and the loss of thousands more innocent lives. In a second reflection, Stefan Waligur wonders if the last ten years would have been different had we given ourselves more "soul" time, time to refect on the causes of the terrorist attacks, of peaceful solutions, of bridge-building.


If we assume that mankind has a right to survive then we must find an alternative to war and destruction. Don't ever let anyone pull you so low as to hate them. We must use the weapon of love. We must have the compassion and understanding for those who hate us. We must realize so many people are taught to hate us that they are not totally responsible for their hate. But we stand in life at midnight; we are always on the threshold of a new dawn. 

Martin Luther King Jr.  in his  speech, "Pilgrimage of Non-Violence" (1958)

Perhaps true patriotism is not following your nation's flag blindly; perhaps it means questioning it, even challenging it at times.  Perhaps true patriotism means looking beyond any flag for peace in the world.  What does true patriotism mean to you?

The Blessing Hour - Mid-morning

"Sacred is the pause that draws us into stillness. Nourishing are the moments when we step away from busyness. Teach us the wisdom of pausing. Reveal to us the goodness of stopping to breathe."  


Last week I wrote a post about a little book which has helped to teach me the importance of pausing throughout the day. After the awakening hour, my second most favorite "hour" or pause, when I am home and able to honor it, is the Mid-morning Blessing Hour. It is the time of the day when I am encouraged to step away from the kitchen or my computer and reflect on the sacredness of the day's work. Or better put in Macrina Wiederkehr's words:

"When I have the wisdom to step away from work momentarily, I am able to see it as a gift for the entire world. A short, refreshing pause can enhance my growing awareness that all work has the potential of becoming love made visible--a blessing."


I love this perspective of work, "love made visible." How often do we look at work as drudgery, whether it be preparing a meal, doing laundry, teaching, throwing hammers, treating patients, cleaning up messes, or working at the office? I know I've often been guilty of resenting work, rushing through it or simply enduring it, in anticipation of getting to the things I really want to do. But I am learning that work can be sacred when seen as an act of love.

"Bring to our memory the truth that we are the temple out of which you pour your gifts into the world. We are the temple from which you sing your songs. We are the temple out of which you bless."


And so chopping vegetables and mashing potatoes is no longer just "meal prep," but a loving gesture of feeding my family nutritious, delicious food. And doing laundry is a time to be grateful for modern technology that helps me keep my children clean and smelling good. Teaching not only means checklists and counting days until the next holiday; it is a sacred act of seeking the potential for growth in students. Throwing hammers builds and fixes safe, secure shelter for people. Treating patients is a sacred act of giving health and hope. Cleaning messes is serving those who may not be able to take care of themselves. And doing one's best at the office helps to serve a larger community.

"Bless the work that awaits us. Anoint our hands, hearts, and minds as we joyfully enter into the heart of this day. Make our spirits lucid, attentive, and open to all that can be."


Finally, I love the reminder that work is not only something we do with our hands. There are days where my hands are busy with sacred work.  But there are times when my mind and heart need to be at work, which may mean putting aside some of the "hand work." May we not underestimate this sort of work, which may mean reading or journaling in order to expand our limited thinking or taking the time to embrace our spouse or children for a longer moment as the heart works to communicate love or listening deeply to a friend who needs a shoulder to lean on. I even think that writing this blog can be sacred work, as my mind, heart, and hands unite in an effort to inspire.

And so perhaps we all, no matter where our place of work or what our work entails, today can offer this prayer:

"Lovingly behold the work that my hands, heart, and mind have achieved thus far. Receive it as part of my morning prayer."


Note: All quotations are taken from Seven Sacred Pauses by Macrina Wiederkehr.

Fair Trade Friday - Bead for Life!

What do you get when you mix old magazines, Ugandan women, and style?  Well, you get beads, of course!  And not just any old beads... bright, colorful, handmade beads made from recycled paper.  And the best part about these beads?  They are fair-traded!  

I was first introduced to these beads two years ago through a friend's sister.  They were just too cool to pass up. My friend Jenny and I decided to host a Bead for Life party.  So we booked a party in late fall, perfectly planned for Christmas-shoppers, set up shop in my home, and boy, did those beads sell!  We invited our suburban girl friends, and they helped us raise over $1000.00 for Ugandan women artisans by buying jewelry for their moms, their sisters, their friends, and their kids' teachers! 

It was the coolest home-party I had ever attended (or hosted).  Instead of listening to a speech in the living room about the product, we let the jewelry and the women's printed-out stories do the selling while we gabbed and grabbed at snacks.  And 100% of the proceeds went back to the non-profit Bead for Life!

Bead for Life not only offers fair-pay, job training, and good working conditions to women in Uganda, a country where poverty and violence has left many women with little opportunities for survival, but the women are usually self-dependent entrepreneurs after only working with Bead for Life for 18 months.  Moreover, the revenue created by selling the jewelry at a fair-price to global customers, not only goes into the hands of these hard-working women, but into development programs that benefit their entire communities, such as vocational training, housing programs, school fees, and health initiatives.  

 So if you're feeling itchy to update your wardrobe (men, don't despair!  There are now even some products for you!), or if you are looking for an excuse to hang out with some friends, or if you just want to help make our world a little more fair for all to live in, consider hosting a Bead for Life party or shopping on their online store.  (FYI, I just learned now that Bead for Life has opened up a new market for Shea Butter soap and lip balms!)

I'd love to know if any of you have heard about Bead for Life or purchased any of their products.  Tell us about it!