Reflective ective Moments Moments Refl By Sister Marietta Wethington, OSU
August 2007
The purpose of Reflective Moments is to offer you a way to incorporate the spirit of Saint Angela into your own lives. We hope that it enriches you spiritually.
Remember the words in a song, Summertime and the livin’ is easy? I feel sure that was true at one time in our culture. But what about today – how many of us can really say that? It seems that today’s norm is overwork and constant activity. Thomas Merton called that a form of violence that we inflict on ourselves. So many of us seem to be addicted to work and to busyness. Our identity seems to be tied to our work. Is that God’s design for us? Scripture tells us that on the seventh day God rested. So it seems to be a Godlike thing to take time for rest and play. In the psalms we read: My soul finds rest in God alone. Psalm 62:1 Be at rest once more, my soul, for God has been good to you. Psalm 116:7 Exodus 20:18 tells us, Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. That seems to direct us to take time for rest and play at least one day a week. God gave us time to rest – even modeled resting for us. It would seem that when we allow our compulsions to production and work to run our life, we are allowing them to invade the God given time we have for rest. What do you want to do about that if you are one of those compulsive over achievers? Perhaps all of us can: Go with Angela to the feet of Jesus and... • Reflect on how we can attend to our body and spirit. • Design a day of rest and recreation that would be perfect for our body and spirit and schedule it on our calendars. • Set aside some weekly time to play and be faithful to it. Angela told us to visit each other often: • Who would enjoy a visit from you? • With whom would you enjoy visiting?
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Pray the following:
A Summer Prayer May the openness that summer brings be a gift to us – to open the windows of our lives to other people, to open our homes, to share the hospitality of time and table. Open our minds, gracious God, to revel in the beauties of nature – the smell of newly mown grass, the morning dew on the rosebud, the scent of honeysuckle on the evening air, the open spaces offering relaxation and a change of pace. Open our hearts to your love and may your Spirit rest with each one of us. Long warm days… The pace of life slows… A time for picnics and rest in the shade… Lord, help me to rest awhile in the cooling shade of your presence. Slow down my restless heart and fill me with gentle compassion for all your people. Amen.
An Intentional Minute... We invite you to join together in daily prayer for the needs of our world.
Let us spend a minute reflecting on FRIENDS... FRIENDS who share a laugh with us FRIENDS who bring a shoulder to cry on FRIENDS who lift us when we’re down FRIENDS who challenge us when we need a push FRIENDS who are silent when all we need is someone to listen FRIENDS who are there when we need them FRIENDS who show us how God loves us in ways large and small Join us as we pray for one another! Send your prayer requests for friends and loved ones to the E-Mail Prayer Network. Write the Ursuline Partnerships office, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount KY 42356. Call 270-229-2006 • E-mail associates@maplemount.org