OPreach
Dominican Preaching through Word and Image
Wednesday of Hope – A Road in the Country
Hope is like a road in the country; there never was a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.
– Lin Yutang
A Spiritual Journey
A Spiritual Journey
And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles,
no matter how long,
but only by a spiritual journey,
a journey of one inch,
very arduous and humbling and joyful,
by which we arrive at the ground at our feet,
and learn to be at home.
– Wendell Berry, Collected Poems
Extending Our Concept of God
The world must have a God, but our concept of God must be extended as the dimensions of our world are extended.
– Teilhard de Chardin
Wednesday of Hope – Letting Go of Anticipation
Before, I always lived in anticipation . . . that it was all a preparation for something else, something “greater,” more “genuine.” But that feeling has dropped away from me completely. I live here and now, this minute, this day, to the full, and the life is worth living.
– Etty Hillesum, Etty: The Letters and Diaries of Etty Hillesum,
May I Be a Lamp
May I become an island for those seeking dry land
A lamp for those needing light,
A place of rest for those who desire one,
And a servant for those needing service.
– Shantideva
You Are Held
A great silent space holds all of nature in its embrace. It also holds you.
– Eckhart Tolle
Wednesday of Hope – Waiting Patienty
Waiting patiently in hope and expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life.
– Simone Weil
Arousing Wonder
My religion is nature. That’s what arouses those feelings of wonder and mysticism and gratitude in me.
– Oliver Sacks
Wakening to Oneness with a Psalm
Unnamable God, I feel you
With me at every moment.
You are my food, my drink,
My sunlight, and the air I breathe
You are the ground I have built on
And the beauty that rejoices my heart.
– Stephen Mitchel, excerpt from “Psalm 16”, A Book of Psalms: Selected and Adapted from the Hebrew, pg. 8
Wednesday of Hope – Which Doesn’t Require Optimism
Since Active Hope doesn’t require our optimism, we can apply it even in areas where we feel hopeless. The guiding impetus is intention; we choose what we aim to bring about, act for, or express. Rather than weighing our chances and proceeding only when we feel hopeful, we focus on our intention and let it be our guide.
– Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone, Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in Without Going Crazy, p. 3.
