Poets & Saints

Theme: Understanding Universal Love

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Reflection: Rumi on the Boundless Nature of Divine Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NRSV

"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Rumi, from his Poems

"Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

"Love is the bridge between you and everything."

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Theme: Surrendering to the Divine Flow

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Reflection: Julian of Norwich on the Grace of Surrender

Proverbs 3:5-6 NRSV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

    and do not rely on your own insight.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

    and he will make straight your paths.

Julian of Norwich, from "Revelations of Divine Love"

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."

"God did not say, 'You shall not be perturbed, you shall not be troubled, you shall not be distressed,' but He said, 'You shall not be overcome.’"

"The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything."

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Theme: The Inner Pilgrimage

Scripture: Luke 2:21-35 (Simeon and Anna)

Reflection: Thomas Merton, from "New Seeds of Contemplation" and "Thoughts In Solitude”

Luke 2:21-35 NRSV

"After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord'), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, 'a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.' Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 'Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.' And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, 'This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.'"

Thomas Merton, from "New Seeds of Contemplation" and "Thoughts In Solitude”

"The journey of the soul in the dark night is the secret journey of the soul to the interior where God alone is the guide.”

"We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.”

"The greatest need of our time is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters our minds."

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Theme: Cultivating Inner Peace

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Reflection: Rabindranath Tagore on Serenity of the Soul

Galatians 5:22-23 NRSV

22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

Rabindranath Tagore, from "Stray Birds" and "Gitanjali"

"The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.”

"Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.”

"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy."

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Theme: The Power of Transformation

Scripture: Romans 12:2

Reflection: Leo Tolstoy on Personal Change and Spiritual Growth

Romans 12:2 NRSV

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Leo Tolstoy

Three Methods Of Reform

"True life is lived when tiny changes occur.”

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

"There is something in the human spirit that will survive and prevail, there is a tiny and brilliant light burning in the heart of man that will not go out no matter how dark the world becomes."

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Theme: Letting Go of the Superfluous

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Reflection: Julian of Norwich on Simplicity and Trust in God

Focus

In this episode, the focus will be on the theme of letting go of the superfluous and finding simplicity and trust in God's presence. The episode draws from the teachings in Philippians 4:6-7, emphasizing the importance of prayer and casting anxieties aside, and Julian of Norwich's perspective on the beauty of simplicity and trust in God. This episode explores the idea of finding peace and simplicity in trust in God's providence, especially during the Advent season.

Philippians 4:6-7 NRSV

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Julian of Norwich

Julian experiences a near-death experience. She receives fifteen “showings,” or revelations. She reports that heaven opens to her, she beholds Christ in his glory, and she sees the meaning and power of his sufferings. In her thirteenth showing, Julian receives a comforting answer to a question that has long troubled her:

“In my folly, before this time I often wondered why, by the great foreseeing wisdom of God, the onset of sin was not prevented: for then, I thought, all should have been well. This impulse [of thought] was much to be avoided, but nevertheless I mourned and sorrowed because of it, without reason and discretion.

“But Jesus, who in this vision informed me of all that is needed by me, answered with these words and said: ‘It was necessary that there should be sin; but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.'

“These words were said most tenderly, showing no manner of blame to me nor to any who shall be saved.”

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Theme: Spiritual Clarity

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 (The Wise Men)

Reflection: St. Teresa of Avila on Clarity

Matthew 2:1-12 NRSV

2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,

for from you shall come a ruler

    who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Clarity Is Freedom

St. Teresa of Avila

I had tea yesterday with a great theologian,

and he asked me, “What is your experience of God’s will?”

I liked that question – for the distillation of thought hones thought in others.

Clarity, I know, is freedom.

What is my experience of God’s will?

Everyone is a traveler. Most all need lodging, food,

and clothes. I let enter my mouth what will enrich me. I wear what

will make my eye content, I sleep where I will wake with the

strength to deeply love all my mind can hold. What is God’s will for a wing?

Every bird knows that. 

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Theme: The Wisdom of Waiting

Scripture: Isaiah 40:31

Reflection: Henri Nouwen on the Value of Waiting

Focus

In this episode, the focus will be on the theme of the wisdom of waiting, especially during the Advent season. The episode draws from the teachings in Isaiah 40:31, emphasizing the significance of waiting on the Lord, and Henri Nouwen's perspective on the value and transformative power of waiting. This episode explores the idea that waiting can be a time of spiritual growth and transformation, as we learn to trust in God's timing and presence during the Advent season.

Isaiah 40:31 NRSV

"But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Romans 8: 24 & 25 TheMessage

…waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.”

Henri Nouwen - Finding My Way Home

Waiting is a period of learning. The longer we wait, the more we hear about Him for whom we are waiting. Waiting is not a static state, it is a time when God is working behind the scenes, and the primary focus of His work is on us.

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Theme: Embracing the Divine Within

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20 (The shepherds)

Reflection: St. Francis of Assisi on Finding God in All Things

Luke 2:8-20

8 Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, 

keeping watch over their flock by night.

Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, 

and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, 

who is the Messiah, the Lord.

This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,

praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Praised be you my Lord, 

with all your creatures, 

especially Sir Brother Sun, 

who is the day through whom you bring us light. …….. 

Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars. ……… 

And praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind, 

through air and cloud, 

through calm and every weather by which you sustain your creatures. …. 

Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water………. 

Praised be you, my Lord through Brother Fire, 

by whom you light up the night………. 

Praised be you my Lord, through our Sister, 

Mother Earth, who sustains us and directs us.

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Theme: Inner Peace and Quietude

Scripture: Psalm 46:10

Reflection: Thomas Merton on the Power of Silence

Focus

In this episode, the focus will be on the theme of inner peace and quietude during the Advent season, drawing from the teachings in Psalm 46:10 and Thomas Merton's perspective on the strength of silence.

Psalms 46:10 NRSV

Be still, and know that I am God!

No Man Is An Island

Thomas Merton

1.The rain ceases, and a bird’s clear song suddenly announces the difference between Heaven and hell.

2. If you go into solitude with a silent tongue, the silence of mute beings will share with you their rest. But if you go into solitude with a silent heart, the silence of creation will speak louder than the tongues of men or angels. 

3. Silence is the strength of our interior life. If we fill our lives with silence, then we live in hope.

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