Traveling--The Road Not Taken !
Traveling--"The Road Not Taken!"
"Shall I abandon, O King of mysteries, the soft comforts of home?
Shall I turn my back on my native land, and turn my face towards the sea?
Shall I put myself wholly at your mercy, without silver, without a horse, without fame, without honor?
Shall I throw myself wholly upon you, without sword and shield, without food and drink, without a bed to lie on?
Shall I say farewell to my beautiful land, placing myself under your yoke?
Shall I pour out my heart to you, confessing my manifold sins and begging forgiveness, tears streaming down my cheeks?
Shall I leave the prints of my knees on the sandy beach, a record of my final prayer in my native land?
Shall I then suffer every kind of wound that the sea can inflict?
Shall I take my tiny boat across the wide sparkling ocean?
O King of the Glorious Heaven, shall I go of my own choice upon the sea?
O Christ, will you help me on the wild waves?"
(Prayer of St. Brendan)
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Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel to both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and I wanted to wear it; Though as for the passing there Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.
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INSPIRATION
Not soon, as late as the approach of my ninetieth year, I felt a door opening in me and I entered the clarity of early morning.
One after another my former lives were departing, like ships, together with their sorrow.
And the countries, cities, gardens, the bays of seas assigned to my brush came closer, ready now to be described better than they were before.
I was not separated from people, grief and pity joined us. We forget - I kept saying - that we are all children of the King.
For where we come from there is no division into Yes and No, into is, was, and will be.
We were miserable, we used no more than a hundredth part of the gift we received for our long journey.
Moments from yesterday and from centuries ago - a sword blow, the painting of eyelashes before a mirror of polished metal, a lethal musket shot, a caravel staving its hull against a reef - they dwell in us, waiting for a fulfillment.
I knew, always, that I would be a worker in the vineyard, as are all men and women living at the same time, whether they are aware of it or not. — Czeslaw Milosz, “Late Ripeness”
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St. Brendan, a? 10th century, Celtic Monk, one day felt the Spirit calling him to take a voyage; he set off towards the West with this prayer:
"The Lord is our Captain let Him direct us. "
He travels towards the West and had many adventures.?
The cross above, the Cross of St. Brendan, is a symbol of oneness with all of creation, and the dolphins symbolize us growing intelligent as we journey, into that oneness in Christ, and the water is a sign of our baptism. St. Brendan is the patron saint of travelers, and when I travel I wear this cross.
The cross of St. Brendan, during this Lent, personally is a journey of traveling, traveling on pilgrimage, retirement comes only when I enter the Reign of God, into the arms of Jesus.
The photo of the trail is one taken at Reel Foot Lake in Tennessee, where I hung out as a boy. It wanders on for miles, not traveled very much; and it is the road I chose as a twelve-year-old boy hearing the call of Christ.
The cross of St. Brandon points to the way of abandonment; of letting go, to a way of life of complete vulnerability to God's promise of a new life; of authenticity, the connection to the love of God--to a way of wandering and sharing the love of God. A quote of Kwaga, one on my mission statement says it all:
"I am a free lance, a tramp, a vagabond for Christ. I must go until Christ's work is done. I go like the wind."
As I near the 30-year mark of my ministry I have been struggling with a lot of questions, fears, doubts, and fatigue; various people have expressed their suggestions, like retirement, moving to a new location, simply letting go of ministry; there are so many various suggestions, and I tend to try to please and agree;? my anger has often come out towards my friends. And I am suddenly realizing we all have chosen our paths, and I have chosen the "road less traveled" with a different understanding of life.
My call is that of Thersa of the Little Flower,
"But I want to seek out a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short, and totally new."
And I close first of all with an apology to anyone I have hurt, angered or shown disrespect towards, and this poem inspired by Steven Garnaas Holmes, rewritten by my Soul Friend, Jay Swanson:
Child the best way you can be restored, that you can return today, is to stop avoiding God's tender gaze.
Stop ignoring the Beloved calling your name.
Stop declinging the deep healing meant for you,
that mysterious love that flows beneath that self you call you.
Let Jesus heal the ignoring of your self, belittling yourself, acting as if you're not? worth it.
Forgive yourself. Soften your heart, and return.
Let your judgment, your despair go. Surrender to love.
Indulge yourself in sacret restorative time,
simply to marvel at the gift, the miracle that is you.
You are beloved.
Live into your love for your sake, God's sake,
and the sake of others!
Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!
"The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you, may the Lord lift up his countenance, and grant you peace! Amen.
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(Temenos and Fr. River seek to remain accessible to everyone. We do not endorse particular causes, political parties, or candidates, or take part in public controversies, whether religious, political or social--Our pastoral ministry is to everyone!
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Press Release:
"Jesus continues to be crucified in all those who are crucified in history...There are not enough Stations of the Cross to depict all the ways in which the? Lord continues to be persecuted, imprisoned, condemned to death and crucified today!"
-Leonardo Boff
What: Non-Violent Witness in the Tenderloin to commemorate Good Friday!
Tenderloin Stations of the Cross
“A Journey With People on the Street!”
“Our Haunted-ness!”
When:
March 29, 2024
Noon-2:00 p.m.
Meet in Front of Polk Street-Side City Hall
Why:
There are approximately 8, 000 people on the street, without housing, or health care, they suffer from prejudice, anger, and hatred; they are shuffled around as if they are "objects" rather than human beings.
As followers of Jesus, and all who care, living in a war-making and uncaring empire we say loudly and clearly with Jesus: "Love one Another," "Love your enemies", "Be merciful as God is merciful," "Put away the sword," and "Thou shalt not kill."
We witness as people of faith who believe in God's reign of justice, love, peace, and restorative justice!
Sponsored by Temenos Catholic Worker
For more information:
Fr. River Sims, D.Min., D.S.T.
415-305-2124
Day of (No) Silence 2024: Rise Up. Take Action.
History of Day of (No) Silence: Started in the mid 90’s by two college students, Day of Silence has expanded to reach hundreds of thousands of students each year. Every April, students would go through the school day without speaking, ending the day with Breaking the Silence rallies to bring attention to ways their schools and communities can become more inclusive.
2024 Day of (No) Silence: With more than 800 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced last year, we must Rise Up and Take Action. GLSEN’s Day of NO Silence is a nationally recognized student-led demonstration where LGBTQ+ students and allies all around the country—and the world— protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in schools.
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