Dear Ones-
Time has a way of slipping away so very quickly! There are so many seemingly contradictory religious feasts and secular holidays and observances going on these first two weeks of September. Yet in my mind, they represent the continuum of life as we experience the various seasons of work and prayer, life and death, sorrow and hope in the Resurrection. Monday was Labor Day when we as Americans celebrated a day of relaxation and a final wrap-up to the more relaxed pace of summer. My family was blessed enough to be able to go to a remote lagoon/beach near Puerto Penasco, Mexico. We found the respite from being "plugged in" to be quite refreshing and to give us a chance to just be together as a family and enjoy the beauty of God's creation. For me, it reiterated what we already know as Carmelites - that we are called to just 'be' and that there is a need for silence to be carved our amidst the craziness of daily life to hear the Beloved's voice.
Of course, we were quite aware of the fact that there are so many who are without jobs, underemployed, and really hurting with the current economic realities, natural disasters, and other crises. There are so very many to pray for. It truly is a time to take stock of our blessings, both spiritual and temporal, and to fix our eyes upon what is truly important. The simplicity and silence of the beach and the ebb and flow of the tides were a good reminder that Our Lord speaks to us so often in the pure simplicity of everyday life, if and when we are open to listening. In the hardships and often times resulting simplification of life we are reminded that, 'Where your treasure lies, there also will your heart be.'
Yesterday was the beautiful Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady. How special to be able to honor the ark of the new covenant, who brought Our Savior into the world, through her humble fiat. As the new 'Eve', Blessed Mother was able to reverse the reality of death due to original sin by means of her perfect union with the Divine Will of Our Triune God. Her Immaculate Conception and birth paved the way for our salvation to later be born into the world. Like all mothers, our Lady wants us to celebrate as a family to honor the gift of her life, and the lives of all of her children. This is indeed a great occasion for joy.
In contrast, on this coming Sunday we celebrate the 10th anniversary of 9/11, a day forever etched on the memory of all Americans. The sorrow and sense of united purpose and fellowship our nation felt for one another following the attacks was notable. As St. Paul reminds us, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal 3:28) Despite our differences, we were focused on our brotherhood and bond as fellow human beings. As we pray for the souls lost on that tragic day, along with their family, friends, and survivors we can remember as Carmelites that love conquers all and the truth sets us free. We are to pray for peace in hearts, homes, and between nations, as well as the conversion of all souls, just as St. Teresa of Avila implored us to do nearly 5 centuries ago.
Perhaps fittingly, just three days following our commemoration of this sorrow, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14th and the Feast of the Sorrows of Our Lady on September 15th. How many tears Our Lord and Our Lady shed both then and now for the hatred so rampant in hearts. Yet, amidst the pain and tears is triumph and resurrection through Our Lord Jesus. This feast is also known as the Triumph of the Cross. In this lifetime, there is no victory without the cross. Our Lord's arms were stretched out in the form of a "v" while hanging on those two wooden beams suspended between heaven and earth. Good Friday was in fact our "V" day for the entire human family.
And so it is today. Life is full of the ups and downs, victories and defeats. We go from celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, to mourning the loss of a loved one, battling illness, losing a job, and a myriad of other challenges. We go from the mountaintop of prayer to the seeming abyss of emptiness and spiritual purification. It is the rhythm of life. It is our story told in so many unique ways and forms. It is a sign that Our Lord loves us and intends for us to share in the Resurrection that followed His own sorrowful death. It is where justice and peace kiss.
In a spirit of hope, we move forward, knowing in faith that all will be well. That each heartache within our own lives, that of family and friends, that of our nation, and of the greater world is a dynamic movement towards realizing new life, for He promises us this by reassuring us, "Behold, I am making all things new.” (Rev 21 :5) We need only say yes to the Holy Spirit's movement and opening of our hearts, for a metanoia to take place that leads to an expansion of love within.
In closing, I leave you with this beautiful passage that encompasses the various seasons of life. May you be forever blessed.
Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.
