Keeping a Rhythm

Artwork by Marcy Hall

I suspect St. Benedict would have been a good dancer, because it’s clear from reading his Rule that he’s really into rhythm — the daily rhythm of prayer, the rhythm of nature’s seasons, and the rhythms of the liturgical year. He prescribes exact times for his monks to meet for prayer every day and indicates that when the prayer bell rings, one must drop whatever is at hand and proceed immediately to the chapel. He changes the times for sleep, meals, and work for summer versus winter. He gives instructions for the number of prayers to be said on Sundays versus ordinary days versus anniversaries of saints, and he gives special attention to spiritual practices during Lent.

Living according to such a rhythm means that we are constantly called to be awake to the presence of God in our lives. Yes, our rhythms occasionally are disrupted, as when a guest unexpectedly appears; however, Benedict sees this as another opportunity to recognize Christ’s presence. Benedict indicates that the guest is to be greeted, invited to join in prayer, and then provided for, because as Jesus said, “I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35).

When we don’t set aside specific times to remember God’s presence each day, our awareness gets lost in the demands of daily life. It’s rare for us to notice a sunrise or sunset unless it’s particularly spectacular, or know the phase of the moon on any given night, or see Christ in encounters with strangers, because we just aren’t paying attention. The rhythm of a regular prayer life in connection with the changing seasons at the very least draws our attention regularly to our Creator and Sustainer so we can join Christ in the dance of humility, gratitude, and hospitality.

The Sacrifice of One Path for Another

Lately I read the novel Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, in which she tells the story of a happily married couple with three daughters. Patchett writes beautifully, and her description of this couple’s mutual affection, steady commitment, and respect gave me a pang of regret that I never found such a partner myself.

Pope John the 23rd said, “Every choice is a sacrifice of one path for another.” It’s human nature, it seems, to wonder how our life would have unfolded if we had chosen a different path — but all we can know for certain is that it would be different, with a different set of blessings and challenges. Looking at past choices can help us affirm what once was and is now important to us and how God has been present to us all along the way. However, to spend too much time ruminating on our regrets can blind us to the sacrament of the present moment.

In a recent essay, Garrison Keillor said, “I resolved to give up regret, which is merely self-pity, and to embrace what is true, namely love and kindness, the vocation of cheerfulness, the dedication to the day, this day, each hour.”

No matter the path we have chosen, it contains opportunities for us to embrace love and kindness and to be aware of God’s presence in each day, each hour, each moment. No matter what path we are on, we can say with civil rights activist Ralph Abernathy, “I don’t know what the future may hold, but I know who holds the future,” and thus we can be assured that all will be well.

 

Unexpected Encounters

This morning, while working in the garden, I received a lesson in attentiveness. I was trimming dead leaves out of a horseradish patch and came face to face with a large black and yellow garden spider. To be fair, it attempted to alert me to its presence with markings on its back of what appeared to be a set of eyes that glared at me fiercely. Fortunately, I saw the spider before I plunged my (ungloved) hand into the foliage that surrounded it.

Lately I’ve been trying to give my mind a bit of a rest by doing more physical work. However, this strategy is doomed to fail if I continue to pay more attention to the thoughts that cross my mind than the actions my body is performing. This mini moment of gardening drama reminded me to be present and focus on what I’m doing in the present moment.

I’m also grateful that I noticed the spider because it really is beautiful (from a distance). Furthermore, it provided a reminder that when I garden I’m part of an ecosystem with different inhabitants, each of which has an important role to play. I need to be respectful of the co-inhabitants of the garden we share.

Sister Imogene Baker, OSB, used to say, “Be where you are and do what you’re doing.” That’s sound advice for anyone who seeks to be open to the Divine Presence that is revealed in all of creation — especially in unexpected encounters.

Word Watching

The other day in the dining room, a sister overheard a bit of conversation from another table and commented, “’I think ‘gosh’ is Janelle’s favorite word.” This got me thinking about what our favorite words say about us.

We all know that toddlers enjoy exerting their fledgling independence by using the word “No!” at every opportunity. As we get older, we often encounter enthusiastic types who repeatedly pronounce things “cool” (or in more modern slang, “sick”), along with skeptics (“hmmm”-ers) and contrarians (“yeah, but”-ers).

The word Jesus is best known for uttering is “love,” which succinctly sums up his reason for being. That’s something we can all strive for, but I’d be satisfied if “wow” was known to be my favorite word. If we really pay attention to the world around us, we could easily say “wow” approximately 10,000 times a day, as in “Wow, these homegrown tomatoes taste good,” “Wow, I didn’t know that some grasshoppers are orange,” or “Wow, that song really spoke to my heart.” Not all of us will be known for wowing the world, but we all can be known for being wowed by the world, which is intricate, marvelous, diverse, and utterly sacred.

As we consider our favorite words, it is worthwhile to note that St. Benedict holds silence in high esteem. He says in his Rule, “…so important is silence that permission to speak should seldom be granted even to mature disciples, no matter how good or holy or constructive their talk.” St. Benedict knew that talking prevents us from listening, which is critical if we are to hear God’s voice and gain wisdom. All the more reason to give thought to our words and use them judiciously. Wow, what a thought!