It is remarkable to think that we are already one month into 2020. I truly hope your year has started well. My journey this year has started with listening to my grateful lungs. Traveling back home to New Zealand and escaping Sydney's apocalyptic smog for three weeks left my lungs performing internal high fives. While there a friend asked me to describe Sydney air, I paused, glanced off into that magical place where thoughts go to form... my left eye twinged... "Well, it's like we are living in an oven set to fan bake, the casserole is burning and it's possible that the Swedish chef is in charge!" Seriously though, through listening I'm discovering anew that Mother Nature // our God of creation (not the Swedish chef!) is certainly in charge. I'm hearing the alarms bells ring loud and clear that Climate Change is here, I'm finding that I'm attentive to creation in a new way through the bush fires. I'm trying to listen and understand through scripture how I must trust the divine mystery that we live in. A scripture passage from John has helped me to remember that all is gift. I'm hearing that God is the giver of life and that Jesus was saying that true life and true living water already exists - it lives in our hearts...
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39
Laudato Si is also overflowing with revelation for us especially at this time: "The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a "The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face.[159] The ideal is not only to pass from the exterior to the interior to discover the action of God in the soul, but also to discover God in all things. Saint Bonaventure teaches us that “contemplation deepens the more we feel the working of God’s grace within our hearts, and the better we learn to encounter God in creatures outside ourselves”.[160] ~ Laudato Si (233) I’ve seen many social media posts that simply say ‘pray for rain’, and have been imagining how our firefighters would delight in the sweet touch of fresh rain on their faces. I haven't been able to shake the image of our incredible firefighters and of all the wildlife that have lost so much. With this month's image I’ve been praying for rain, but more importantly have been praying for how to be in the waiting, while trusting that our God of hope is on the journey with us. I hope this scripture and this month's illustration may connect you to our God of living water. Moving into February, Ash Wednesday takes place on Feb 26th and Lent begins. I've enjoyed this relevant message from Pope Francis (2017) below, it has reminded me how to prepare for lent with hope. This website exists to listen and connect, so I'm sending out prayers of hope filled listening this Lent and beyond. Much love, Jane. - View this month's News Flash: February #8 - Sign up to receive a monthly email here
