OPreach
Dominican Preaching through Word and Image
On the Feast of All Saints
Whenever I think of the saints, especially that large number of unnamed women and men who have gone before us, and on whose shoulders we stand, I always remember this passage from the 12th chapter of the Book of Hebrews.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the the sin that so easily besets us, running with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
Happy All Hallows Eve
What truths can we take from Halloween? First of all all faiths and all cultures honor their ancestors – those who have gone before them. So while the ghosts and the goblins (along with whatever is in fashion this year) take a moment to honor and be grateful for the customs and the lessons that your forebears gave to you. On this Eve of All Saints Day, this All Hallows Eve, we hallow the memory of all the saints, including Grandma and Grandpa and the legacy they left behind. It is good to also remember the struggles they overcame (and those they didn’t) so we can learn from their lessons and mistakes. Remember their goodness, their love, and their words.
Halloween is a time for us to reflect on the gifts our loved ones have left us. May we never forget them. And as we remember, we celebrate life.
Mystery
It began in mystery and it will end in mystery, but what a rare and beautiful country lies in between.
– Diane Ackerman
Seek Goodness
Seek goodness everywhere, and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding place and let it be free and unashamed.
– William Saroyan
Wisdom from Sylvia Boorstein
I know what Gam su l’tova (This is also for the good) means, I said. It doesn’t mean, “this painful situation is going to end up gratifying.” Sometimes things get better. Sometimes they get worse. Gam zu l’tova means that creation is good and the divine orderliness of creation is good and everything is good. Not for the good, just good.
– Sylvia Boorstein
Art Makes Life Bearable
Art makes life bearable. It isn’t a luxury. Like our capacity for understanding, and our experience of love, it is a vitally important part of life.
– Gillian Pederson Krag
Why Are We Here?
We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.
– Thich Nhat Hanh
Where Does Beauty Take You?
When we come upon beautiful things . . . they act like small tears in the surface of the world that pull us through to some vaster space.
– Elaine Scarry, On Beauty and Being Just
We Pray for Peace
Today on United Nations Day we pray for peace.
The prayer is adapted from Education for Justice.
Hold On!
Hold on to what is good, even if it is a handful of earth. Hold on to what you believe, even if it is a tree which stands by itself. Hold on to what you must do, even if it is a long way from here. Hold on to life, even when it is easier letting go. Hold on to my hand, even when I have gone away from you.
– Pueblo Blessing
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