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Dominican Preaching through Word and Image
Our Small Amount of Knowledge
A Dominican mystic that Sister Patricia Bruno quotes in Stories Seldom Heard is Meister Eckhart. And it would be worthwhile to read her brief telling of the challenges he received from the Church in his day in her reflection.
One last thought: I said earlier that Eckhart loved poetry and images. So I would like to end with one of his charming, imaginative stories. Eckhart places himself in conversation with an ant.
Having lunch in a field one day, I troubled an ant with a question. I asked of him humbly, “’Have you ever been to Paris?’” And he replied, “’no, but I wouldn’t mind going.’” And then the ant asked me if I had ever been to a famous ant city. And I regretted that I hadn’t, and was quick to add, “’I wouldn’t mind, too!’” This led to a conclusion: There is life that we do not know of. How aware are we of all consciousness in this universe? Less than that is our knowledge of God. How then can we ever argue about Him?
The writings of Thomas Aquinas significantly impacted Meister Eckhart – both Dominicans.
God’s Presence in the Clouds
On today’s Feast of the Transfiguration, we read in Psalm 97:
The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about God,
justice and judgment are the foundation of God’s throne.
God’s Radiance in Creation
Hildegard of Bingen tells us:
There is nothing in creation that does not have some radiance – either greenness or seeds or flowers, or beauty – otherwise it would not be part of creation. The Holy Spirit pours out this fresh greenness of life into the hearts of women and men so that they might bear good fruit.
This quote is from the monthly reflection of our Dominican Sister Patricia Bruno which can be found on our website in Stories Seldom Heard. Her reflections for the month of August tell us about some of the Dominican mystics.
The Grateful Person
The grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience.
And that is what makes all the difference.
– Thomas Merton
In 2008, Sister Carla, Father Bob, and I went with a group of Dominican University students on a service trip to Tijuana. We painted Lupita’s house. In the way of possessions, she is poor – in generosity of heart and trust in God, she is rich. Lupita is one who knows God’s goodness by experience, and knowing her and her family has enriched my experience of trusting our Loving God.
Let Us Notice the Miracles that are Present Now
If we could see the miracle of a single flower,
our whole life would change.
– The Buddha
Importance of the Little Things
The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.
– Jon Kabat-Zinn
Beauty Seen
How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place, O God!
Saturday’s Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 84
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
I had rather one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
What a Blessing a Few Days at a Ranch Can Be!
In Saturday’s First Reading from the Prophet Jeremiah we read,
I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart,
who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.
– Jeremiah 3:15
How fortunate I have been to recently spend some time at Rafter 7 Ranch, a working sheep ranch. Besides being a fun and relaxing experience, I had the opportunity to capture many shots of the sheep. Even more wonderful was the opportunity to feed them.
Continuing the Theme of the Prophet Micah
The Persian Sufi Bayazid does not quote the Prophet Micah. Nonetheless, his words reflect the same meaning, and encourage us to live with generosity, compassion, and humility.
The Friend of God has these three qualities:
a generosity like that of the ocean,
a compassion like that of the sun, and
a humility like that of the earth.
– Bayazid
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