There was an old woman in China who had supported a monk for over twenty years. She had built a little hut for him and fed him while he was meditating. Finally she wondered just what progress he had made in all this time.
To find out, she obtained the help of a girl rich in desire. “Go and embrace him,” she told her, “and then ask him suddenly: ‘What now?’”
The girl called upon the monk and without much ado caressed him, asking him what he was going to do about it.
“An old tree grows on a cold rock in winter,” replied the monk somewhat poetically. “Nowhere is there any warmth.”
The girl returned and related what he had said.
“To think I fed that fellow for twenty years!” exclaimed the old woman in anger. “He showed no consideration for your need, no disposition to explain your condition. He need not have responded to passion, but at least he could have evidenced some compassion;”
She at once went to the hut of the monk and burned it down.
I can never get enough of time-lapse videos of the night sky. This one was filmed in San Pedro de Atacama region of Northern Chile and, apart from the music, is absolutely stunning. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Vinita Hampton Wright recently told me that in the Penance Rite that her Episcopal church uses she prays for forgiveness for the wrongs she has done and for the wrong that is done on her behalf. That’s slightly different from the Roman Catholic, “for what I have done and what I have failed to do.”
All too often in Lent, I get into fretting over my direct sins (and, being Irish, have a thoroughly good time while I’m at it!) but this year I’m going to try to concentrate more on what I’ve failed to do and for the evil I’ve allowed to be done in my name.
I think I need a broader appreciation of where I need conversion to the Lord.
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and we’ll begin another Lenten season. If you want to observe Lent with the help of online materials, Loyola Press has a few ideas for you.
Other6 Prays Lent has been a feature for several years, but this year I’m answering some of the daily prompts in blog posts here on Tuesdays. Join me as we broaden our thinking about where God can be found.
At Days of Deepening Friendship, Vinita Hampton Wright will host her annual online Lenten retreat. This year’s theme is Practicing Mercy, inspired by the new book Mercy in the City by Kerry Weber.
+3 Minutes for Lent returns for our Facebook fans, with various people answering the questions posed in the 3-Minute Retreat each day.
Arts & Faith: Lent invites you to enjoy video commentary about a work of art inspired by the Sunday Scriptures, with accompanying Ignatian reflections at our sister blog dotMagis.
The Ignatian Workout for Lent is a new book and an online retreat. In the online version at dotMagis, Tim Muldoon’s audio reflections accompany suggestions for prayer and action each Monday during Lent and Easter week.
I want more Bach. This is his choral prelude: ”Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” (Awake, the voice calls us.) You will most probably recognize it once you hear it. It’s gorgeous.
This is not a wisdom story (although I came across it as I desperately searched the internet for new stories!) but it struck me as worth sharing. It appeared on an Islamic wisdom site.
Five Wisdoms
1. If we are right, then there is no need to get angry.
And if we are wrong then we don’t have any right to get angry.
2. Patience with family is love
Patience with others is respect.
Patience with self is confidence.
3. Never think hard about [the]past, it brings tears.
Don’t think more about [the] future, it brings fears.
Live this moment with a smile, it brings cheers…
4. Every test in our life makes us bitter or better.
Every problem comes to make us or break us.
Choice is ours, whether we become victim or victorious.
5. Search a beautiful heart, not a beautiful face.
Beautiful things are not always good, but good things are always beautiful.
Tim sent me this remarkable video and I’m eager to share it with you.
Episcopal Bishop Tony Palmer got to know Jorge Bergoglio many years ago. Once he was elected as Pope Francis, the bishop thought he’d probably not hear from his old friend again but one day he got a phone call from Francis asking him to come visit him in Rome.
When he got to the Pope’s rooms, he asked him about the agenda but Francis said he had no plan in mind and they simply spent the morning together talking. At some point, Bishop Palmer mentioned to the Pope that he would be going to address the Kenneth Copeland Ministers’ Conference. The Pope asked the bishop if he had his iPhone with him and then suggested they record a video greeting for the Conference.
What was striking for me about this video is how immediate and real Pope Francis appears. I felt almost as if I was sitting in the chair opposite him.
There is a much longer — 46 minute — video which shows Bishop Palmer introducing the Pope’s greeting to the assembled ministers. If you can find the time, it’s worth watching.
To tie in with our Film and Faith series, I was asked to find a movie soundtrack to feature today. My mind immediately went to Babette’s Feast but, to my surprise, I found I didn’t especially like the music. Instead, here’s another favorite whose music is simply glorious.
As the Oscars approach, we are spotlighting how faith and spirituality are captured on the big screen in Film and Faith. You’ll find stories about Pope Francis’ and the Archbishop of Chicago’s favorite flicks, the top five spiritual themes from the Best Picture nominees, and a nun/film critic’s review of this year’s Oscar movies.
There was an old woman in China who had supported a monk for over twenty years. She had built a little hut for him and fed him while he was meditating. Finally she wondered just what progress he had made in all this time.
Vinita Hampton Wright recently told me that in the Penance Rite that her Episcopal church uses she prays for forgiveness for the wrongs she has done and for the wrong that is done on her behalf. That’s slightly different from the Roman Catholic, “for what I have done and what I have failed to do.”
This is not a wisdom story (although I came across it as I desperately searched the internet for new stories!) but it struck me as worth sharing. It appeared on an Islamic wisdom site.
I very much admire the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke and the following is one of which I’m particularly fond:
We’ve been looking at prayer suggestions from 
