EVERYDAY GOD

Everyday God  by Bernadette Farrell

Earth’s creator,                       God of laughter…

    Everyday God                       God of sorrow…
Loving Maker                             Home and shelter…
      O Jesus,                                    Strong and patient…
You who shaped us
          O Spirit,                         Way of freedom…

Recreate us.                               Star of morning…

           Come be with us.              Timeless healer…
                                                        Flame eternal…

In your presence…

   We are gathered…                  Word of gladness…

       You have called us…               Word of mercy…

         To restore us…                        Word of friendship…

                                                            Word of challenge…

Life of all lives…

    Love of all loves…                 Gentle Father…
      Hope of all hopes…                 Faithful brother…

        Light of all lights…                  Tender sister…

                                                            Loving mother…

In our resting…

    In our rising…                        Our beginning…
       In our hoping…                       Our unfolding…

        In our waiting…                        Our enduring…

                                                              Journey’s ending…

In our dreaming…

    In our daring…                       Alleluia…

       In our searching…                 Now and always…

          In our sharing…                     Alleluia…

                                                            Through all ages…

 

 

Reading: I am making all things new.  I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem come down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  I heard a loud voice say, “See, the home of God is among you.  God will dwell with you and you will be God’s people.’  Then the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘The Spirit and the bride say “Come” And let everyone who hears say ‘Come.’  Let everyone who is thirsty come and I will give water as a gift from the spring of life.   The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all God’s people.  Amen.  Come Lord Jesus! Amen.     see-Rev.21-22

This marks our first month anniversary of sharing the monastery with the sisters of the Carmel of the Incarnation.  The first heaven, Esopus, has passed away, it is finished.   Here, in this monastery, is a new heaven, a new beginning for all of us.   But in reality, what is finished? what is beginning?  Our life goes on in a circular fashion in Kairos time. We tend to recognize the hand of God in the extraordinary times of our lives but God is truly an Everyday God present in the little everyday events of our life.  That is where abundant redemption is found and shared. 

Our contemplation sees into the heart of the everyday and sees the hand of God creating, supporting, forgiving, guiding, healing and loving us at every turn.   Jesus became incarnate to participate in our everyday lives so as to give us an example of how much God loves us and how we in turn should love one another.  It is in the everyday moments of our lives that we become the hand of God creating, supporting, guiding, forgiving, healing, loving.  It is all the little things we do that when put together expresses the wholeness of our life and we become the Incarnate Body of Christ in today’s world; a radiant witness to God’s love.   

Celeste speaks of this as union/participation.  As Jesus once said to Celeste, “You shall possess my joy by your participation in my love.”  This participation is accomplished when we follow the Wayfarer with open hearts; letting go of the familiar to experience this ‘new heaven’ before us.  So let us joyfully live in constant communion with each other and Christ who is the light of our faith, the strength of our charity and the source of our hope that we may follow with confidence as Viva Memorias of this new heaven and new earth.  

RAINBOW

The Story of the Rainbow   
A Native American Legend 

Once upon a time, all the colors in the world started to quarrel; each claimed that she was the best, the most important, the most useful, the favorite.

Green said, ‘Clearly I am the most important.  I am the sign of life and hope.  I was chosen for grass and all the leaves on the trees – without me all the animals would die.  Look out over the countryside and you will see that I am the majority.’

Blue interrupted, ‘You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea.  It is water that is the basis of all life and is drawn up by the clouds from the blue sea.  The sky gives space and peace and serenity.  Without my peace you would all be nothing but busybodies.’

Yellow chuckled, ‘You are all so serious.  I bring laughter, gaiety and warmth into the world.  The sun is yellow and all the stars that twinkle in the night sky are yellow.  Every time you look at a sunflower the whole world starts to smile.  Without me there would be no fun.

Orange started next to blow her own trumpet, ‘I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce but I am precious for I serve the inner needs of human life.  I carry all the most important vitamins – my bounty is found in  carrots and pumpkins – but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you.’

Red could stand it no longer and shouted, ‘I am the ruler of you all. I am the color of life’s blood. I am fire in the blood, brave am I; willing to fight for a cause.  Without me the earth would be empty as the moon.  I am the color of passion and of love; the red rose, poinsettia and poppy.’

Purple rose up to her full height and said with great pomp, ‘I am the color of royalty and power.  Queens, chiefs and bishops have always chosen me, for I am a sign of authority and wisdom.  People do not question me – they listen and obey.’

Indigo spoke much more quietly than all the other but just as determinedly, ‘Think of me.  I am the color of silence.  You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial.  I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep waters.  You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace.

The colors were fighting when all of a sudden a great light flashed across the sky and thunder rolled in the heavens and rain came down.  The colors all huddled in a circle and were afraid.  The Rain said, ‘Silly colors, why are you fighting?  You are all important. You are all beautiful. The world needs each and every one of you.  You are all equal in the sight of the Great Spirit!’  Then the Rain stopped and the Sun shone and all the colors joined hands and danced with joy!

 

The day we moved in to Carmel there was a rainbow.  We all oohed and    aahed at the sight. It was a sign of blessing; a promise fulfilled.  God had brought us together to share this glorious, peaceful bit of land to be witnesses of God’s infinite loving mercy.

Like the colors of the rainbow each contemplative community, each sister, shines with her own special ‘color’ that gifts the whole.  As we join hands and begin this dance may our swirl of color hope, peace, laughter, strength, love, wisdom, silence radiate redemptive joy giving witness to the Risen Christ to all the world. 

This is the call of us all: to be a rainbow in the sky.