Peter had been insulted and misunderstood in his life as well as loved.  He had been taken for a plumber and left to sit in the basement when he had been invited for dinner and an evening of conversation.  He had been thrown out of a Knights of Columbus meeting.  One pastor who invited him to speak demanded his money back which he had sent Peter for carfare to his upstate parish because, he said, we had sent him a Bowery bum, and not the speaker he expected.  “This then is perfect joy,” Peter could say, quoting the words of St. Francis to Friar Leo.

He was a man of sincerity and peace, and yet one letter came to us recently, accusing him of having a holier-than-thou attitude.  Yes, Peter pointed out that it was a precept that we should love God with our whole heart and soul and mind and strength, and not just a counsel, and he taught us all what it meant to be children of God, and restored to us our sense of responsibility in a chaotic world.  Yes, he was “holier than thou,” holier than anyone we ever knew.

[Excerpt from:  By Little and By Little.  The Selected Writings of Dorothy Day, Edited, with an Introduction, by Robert Ellsberg, pg. 127, from a letter entitled "Peter Maurin.  A Poor Man", dated June 1949]

From Julia Cameron’s, Blessings.  Prayers and Declarations for a Heartful Life:

I Accept My Blessings As They Unfold Within Me

I am blossoming in Spirit’s time.  Knowing this, I turn to my inner flowering securely. Within the environment of my own heart, I enjoy the sunlight of safety, the warmth of harmony, the strength of right companions. Focused on the reality that Spirit is my constant companion, I remember to be comforted by the continuity of my blessings. Grounded in the safety of divine presence, I am able to breathe deeply, pause in my striving, and notice the unfolding of one gift into another. My life is evolutionary and revolutionary. My attitude of openness, expectation, and observation yields me a sense of abundance.

[Artwork: Mustard Field, Franck Innocent, 1964]

The Gentle Healer, on YouTube.

But I say to you: Blessed is he who exposes himself to an existence never brought under mastery, who does not transcend but, rather, abandons himself to my ever-transcending grace. Blessed are not the enlightened whose every question has been answered and who are delighted with their own sublime light, the mature and ripe ones whose one remaining action is to fall from the tree: blessed, rather, are the chased, the harassed who must daily stand before my enigmas and cannot solve them.

Hans Urs Von Balthasar, Heart of the World, pg. 183

“Your life as a lay person in the world is hard, and the life around you will be grim, even sordid at times.  But God will give you strength.

Everything can be borne between two Masses.”

Servant of God Catherine Doherty, from “Grace in Every Season”, as reprinted in the Madonna House “Restoration” newsletter of October 2008.

“Each time you go into your temple to dwell, go as though it is the first time you have ever really prayed.  When you do something for the first time, you may be excited, but also a little fearful.  Let this be your winter-way of approaching God.  As you enter into that sacred space within, let this become your prayer:

I am the one for whom God waits!
I am awaiting the One who is awaiting me!

Embrace the season of winter with hope.  It is a good teacher.  It will lead you to your inmost depths where God is contemplating you.”  (Macrina Wiederkehr)

Taken from:  “The Circle of Life.  The Heart’s Journey Through the Seasons”, by Joyce Rupp & Macrina Wiederkehr.  This excerpt is from the reflection entitled, Winter, a Season for Deepening, pgs. 254-255 

Divinity is my true nature.  I am a soul among souls.  I intersect those people whom I am meant to meet.  Our paths cross by divine providence, not by chance or misdirection.  We are blessed in our connection.  Knowing this, I encounter all I meet with curiosity and gracious hospitality.  I open my heart to receive them and I open my mind to acknowledge the insights and information which they bear.  In every encounter, I respond and react from a position of curiosity and kinship.  My heart is not closed.  My heart is not defended.  I am an equal among equals, a learner among learners, a friend among friends.  As I seek, I too am sought.  I am drawn to the people who best companion me.  The people I best companion are drawn to me.  My heart is secure in its divine origin.  Resting in that security, I meet all souls with the recognition of their godhead, their divine spark, their dignity.  Extending myself in compassion and companionship, I journey through the world with a tender and a welcoming heart.  I bless this world and it blesses me in return. 

H A P P Y      N E W      Y E A R!

From:  Julia Cameron, “Blessings.  Prayers and Declarations for a Heartful Life”, from the declaration entitled “My Heart Knows Its True Name”, pgs. 63-64

“True creative sympathy does not throw one into the darkness of another’s life. Stand in the light that has been revealed to you by your communion with him who said, “My joy I give unto thee,” and by so doing help to illumine the one in need.”

* * * * * * * * *

“During your times of quiet, those lovely moments, pools of restoration where you drink deep of the waters of spiritual health, learn to discipline yourselves. Not with the fist, for that soon tires; not with the mind, for that is forgetful; but with the heart. Love will keep you there. Love is vigilant, it is quieting, it is your gently strong awareness, it is the oil of joy that supplies the Light.”

[From: Letters of the Scattered Brotherhood, edited by Mary Strong, 1948]

I can’t vouch for everything on this site (you’ll see quotes in the sidebar from everyone from Thomas Merton and St. Teresa of Avila to Cher and Lana Turner!), but it appears to be a place of quiet reflection and encouragement.  Click on the “Create a Garden” link for example and scroll down; I think you’ll find some great ideas. 

Have a wonderful day, and don’t forget the famous words of Lao Tzu:

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”