23 April, 2013

Caught in the Moment of Half Light

LIGHT AND MYSTERY

All the Spiritual Traditions acknowledge the importance of Light . In many it is seen as a symbol of Mystery. In addition Sunrise and sunset are seen as particularly significant times for spiritual awareness and practice.

The following is a beautiful poem by Sister Ishpriya .

CAUGHT IN THE MOMENT OF HALF LIGHT


Sunset over the sea
O Lord
I am caught in that moment of half-light, 
the breathless point of balance between sun and moon.  
As I bid farewell to the cold purification of the night, 
in that same movement, 
I fling wide my arms to be embraced by the warmth and glory of the sun,
knowing that in due time I will bow to the receding light
and open my arms to darkness once again.


Thus, O Lord,
You come into our lives, in the blaze of splendour,
the certainty of Your presence,
in the times of aridity and isolation,
even to the point of despair.
Throughout this continuing journeying,
from the zenith of
midday
to the depths of midnight and back to blinding noontide,
we grow towards You, the true light,
that shines like the sun beyond darkness, forever. 

Sister Ishpriya rscj

The poem above has been set to some beautiful music by  John Boswell in the video below , which we hope you will enjoy



A You tube link to this video and others produced by the same person is shown below:


20 April, 2013

SILENCE & STILLNESS


TIMES OF SILENCE & STILLNESS

God is Sound and Silence
It is the silence that is the end of  the journey
A silence of Joy where pain and suffering are no more
It is through Sound that we go to Silence
The Silence of God
For God is both Sound and Silence


Our relationship with God mirrors our relationship with both others and ourselves. Therefore our relationship with God can benefit from finding times of focused stillness and silence. Such times can provide us with moments of Deep Listening  where we can be still and ‘Listen deeply to  our self and to God’.

On one Thursday of each month a time of Silence and Stillness will be held in:-  

The Lady Chapel
St Andrews Church Shifnal
From 10.55 to 11.30
All are Welcome

Dates for 2013

May 9th
June 6th
July 11th
August No Meeting
September 12th
October 10th
November 7th
December no meeting

www.satsang-companionship.org.uk   Contact Angela Creagh

18 April, 2013

Satsang Meeting 11th May 2013 - Breathing Under Water

Breathing Under Water

Saturday 11th May :- 1.30 - 4.30 p.m.
Friends Meeting House
Summerfield Road
Wolverhampton

Preview

Our next meeting in May has the intriguing  title Breathing Under Water. So this short post sets it in a context:

Sheila Cassidy and Carol Bialock's poem

Many may remember the  tragic events in Chile in the 1970's and 80's and the part Doctor Sheila Cassidy played in bringing it to the attention of the world.

In 1975, Sheila Cassidy was  a Doctor in Chile . During the time of the Pinochet regime. She gave medical care to a political opponent of the Pinochet  and was arrested,severely tortured  and brutally treated . This lead to many in the UK joining the anti-Pinochet movement . Eventually se was released and told her story in  a book Audacity to Believe.

She went on to become a Catholic Nun , then disagreed with Rome and retired to devote her life to the Hospice Movement.  In her book ' Sharing the Darkness'    she reflects on an important poem by the Sacred Heart Sister - Carol Bialock  ( see below )  and records the following :

The sea is  an image of the presence of God - the way  God takes over our lives. When I showed it to a monk friend, however, he saw the slow advance of the sea as the gradual encroachment of the agony of the world upon one's consciousness. It is only now, ten years on, that I begin to understand what he meant when he said that the great mystery is that the two are really the same.

Extract from Sheila Cassidy  ( Sharing the Darkness)





 House by the Sea




From the Poetry of   Carol Bialock rscj


I built my house by the sea.
Not on sand, mind you.
Not on the shifting sand.
And I built it of rock.
A strong house.
By a strong sea.


And we got well-acquainted, the sea and I.
Good neighbours.
Not that we spoke much.
We met in silences.
Respectful, keeping our distance,
but looking our thoughts across the fence of sand.
Always, the fence of sand our barrier;
always the sand between.

And then one day
(I still don't know how it happened),
but the sea came.
Without warning.
Without welcome, even.
Not sudden and swift, but sifting across the sand like wine.
Less like the flow of water than the flow of blood.


Slow, but coming.
Slow, but flowing like an open wound.
And I thought of flight and I thought of drowning
 and I thought of death.
And while I thought the sea crept higher,
till it reached my door.

I knew, then, there was neither flight nor death nor drowning.
That when the sea comes calling you stop
being good neighbours,
Well-acquainted, friendly-from-a-distance neighbours.
And you give your house for a coral castle,
And you learn to breathe under water.


The above poem will set the scene for our next Meeting  with a video clip; from Richard Rohr a Franciscan Priest,   One of his many quotes, which I like is 

“There is nothing to prove and nothing to protect. I am who I am and it's enough.”  Richard Rohr

Hope to see you at our meeting and a review will appear in a future Blog 

Education - Its Power and Liberation

Education is one of the most empowering forces in developing countries. It is a power for good in areas such as women's rights, disease prevention, ignorance, prejudice and many other isms that bedevil our world.

The picture shows young girls from Malawa Yousafzai's school , before entering their classes

The following link takes you to a wonderful slideshow about Education for Women It reflects on the situation in Swat, Pakistan and how  young Pakistani women have to struggle to get an education.   - Please  click on the link ,watch the slideshow and pass it along to your friends.

http://portal.sliderocket.com/BBVXH/Hoshyar-Foundation