Sanctuary

Last October, after grueling weeks of reviews and exams, I set off for a day of rest. Before setting out, I happened to see a book that had been lying around my pile of books for years but that I just hadn't picked up and read. Esther de Waal's "Lost in Wonder" turned out to be the perfect spiritual companion for this perfect sanctuary. Talk about experiencing our God in all things. I was only looking to rest, but ended up being filled to the brim with gratitude and grace in this wonderfully silent, serene space. 

"Listen to the silence,

let it enfold you,

like a piece of music,

like bird-watching."

-E. de Waal

"O God, 

I commend to you this time

and ask you to bless

and to strengthen me

in my heartfelt search

for that silence and stillness

in which I pray

I shall find you

and you shall find me."

-E. de Waal

"You do not have to

Look for anything, just

 Look.

You do not have to 

Listen for specific

Sounds, just

Listen.

You do not have to

Accomplish anything, just

Be,

And in the 

Looking, and the

Listening, and the 

Being, find
Me.

-Ann Lewin

"I desire to be all silence,

all adoration,

to penetrate ever deeper and deeper into God,

and to be so filled with God

that I may in my prayer

give him to those who do not know him."

-Elizabeth of the Trinity

"My Lord and my God!"

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Quiet Space

There is a garden in my heart

Where words stay silent

While colors speak

Where flowers bask in light

While gentle winds blow

Where God tenderly gazes

Then prayer flows

    

   

Prayer at Year End

VESSEL OF YOUR LOVE
A Prayer of Consecration

Love within, oh Love Divine,
Lead me where You will
I am Yours completely
Use me as You please.

My only desire is to be ONE with You
I entrust to You my whole being -
Every single thought that passes through my head
Every word that comes from my mouth
Every action that I do
Every feeling that I feel
Every single cell of my body
Every last drop of my blood…

These I offer up to You.
May they only and always be
According toYour Will
And may everything that I do
Be done with love for You.

I love you Lord, from the very depths of my being!

Prayer Corner

The Joy of Praying for Others...

Requests for prayers are always nice to receive for two reasons: first, because it means that the requester somehow believes in the power of prayer. And second, because it allows us to be a participant in His creative work.

How so? As the Lord listens to the prayer request and decides in His heart what He will do for this person in need, we are like a little assistant allowed to stay beside Him and quietly observe how He will respond with love to the person. Sometimes His answers to the prayers are straightforward and simply in the same form as what was requested. But more often than not, His response is indirect or hidden underneath something else, and then it becomes a real joy to witness the unfolding of graces and their transforming effects!

Praying for others can take on different forms. One type that I find meaningful is when I decide to pray for someone on a particular day of the week and commit to do so on an ongoing basis. This can go on for years, whether or not the person is even aware of it. It's like choosing to be a prayer partner, a silent assistant in the background. We can even offer our pains or sufferings for the intentions of the other. The person shares with us what she or he needs, or we can just intuit based on cues.

Praying for the other is like tugging at the Lord's sleeves and asking Him to please keep His attention focused on this person, and then trusting that He really knows best what is needed for this person.

Whatever form one decides, it is all about walking together and being present with both the person and with the Lord on the journey... It is also about staying close to the Lord and humbly and quietly assisting in His ever-creative work.

Happy praying!