Earth Tilts
Earth tilts. She leans 23.4 degrees on her axis. In his book, My Story as Told by Water, David James Duncan describes Planet Earth in these words: “…like a long-ago-injured woman who’s learned to walk gracefully with a cane, Earth leans ever so slightly on her axis, inclining now toward the sun, now away from it as she orbits, thereby causing the angle at which sunlight strikes her to change constantly.”
Why does the Earth tilt? Scientists say, during its formation, the Earth suffered ten giant collisions. In one of them, a rock the size of Mars smashed into the Earth resulting not only in the tilt, but also our Moon! We tend to think of collisions and tilts as “bad,” or, at least, “imperfections.” Yet Earth’s “painful” collisions gave us our beautiful Moon. And her tilt blesses us with the four seasons.
In places like northeastern Ohio where I live, it’s impossible to forget Earth’s tilt, for it results in four dramatically different seasons. We go from hot, humid days in summer with temperatures in the 90s to cold, snowy days in winter with temperatures in the teens. Earth’s tilt is thus responsible for the annual cycle of growth, fruition, death, dormancy, and resurrection of new life. Earth’s tilt has also produced a greater variety of animal and plant life than we would have had if the Earth did not tilt.
The tilt also causes the migration of countless species of wildlife. As the change to winter makes their summer homes inhospitable, the animals must discover and trace a path to more life-sustaining environs. Thus, the monarch butterfly flies all the way from Canada to the forests of Mexico each year, while the Arctic tern flies from pole to pole. The wildebeest and caribou trek thousands of miles over vast plains, while the seal and humpback whale swim a lengthy marathon in the ocean. A host of human beings also join this vast migration, as they seek out warmer climes during the winter months.
In one sense, though, the life forms that migrate do not move at all. As Duncan notes, “it is the so-called ‘migratory’ mammals and birds that travel thousands of miles north and south who maintain their true solar place.” It is those of us who stay put all year long who are the real travelers, as each year the Earth whisks us into a new relationship with the Sun.
For me, Fall is the time of year I am most aware that my place in the sun is changing dramatically. As the days shorten, as the Sun moves farther south on the horizon, as frost appears on the pumpkins, and as the leaves turn vivid colors and begin to fall, I sense I am indeed moving. I feel I am being carried away into winter—often against my will. I am being helplessly swept into a place of cold, darkness, and death. This dramatic shift makes me a little sad and melancholic.
Yet, I love fall. Maybe it’s because I believe that the cold and darkness come bearing blessings too. Every season has the power to brings us gifts—if we but take the time to slow down, look, feel, ponder, and pray… Creative God, thank you for our Moon and our tilting Earth—both the result of trauma endured millions of years ago. Thank you for the amazing variety of animal and plant life on Earth—including human beings, and even me. Loving Creator, I believe you are the author of all seasons. Be with me through the many changing seasons of my life. Give me the eyes to see and embrace the blessings each season desires to bestow upon me. Amen.
PS: I ask your prayers for a virtual retreat I am leading on Oct. 2-3. It is entitled “Holding onto Hope” and is sponsored by Mount Saint Joseph Retreat Center in Maple Mount, KY. On Friday there’s an opening conference at 6:30 pm (Central time). Saturday goes from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and includes prayer, my conferences, ample breaks, and sharing. Call 270-229-0206 or email [email protected] for details and registration. Or click the link below. Thank you!
https://ursulinesmsj.org/event/holding-onto-hope/?instance-id=4831
For reflection:
Did any of the words or pictures in is this reflection strike you today? How or why?
Have you ever thought of something as “bad” or as an “imperfection” only to discover it resulted in a blessing for you?
What blessings or gifts do you see in each of the seasons of the year and the seasons of your life?
Our song for today is “All of My Days” by the group called Casting Crowns. It reminds us that God’s love is with us all our days and through all the seasons of our lives.
I invite you to respond below to this reflection, pictures, song, or other readers’ comments! One of the best aspects of this blog are all the reader responses! Don’t hesitate to contribute your thoughts…
The Spirituality of Coming
As you know, I made a major move on September 3. I went from a convent with two other sisters to Notre Dame Education Center where about 171 sisters live. Although I kept the same zip code, just about everything else in my life changed.
In my August 10th post, I wrote about leaving our house on North Street. Today I will share a few thoughts on coming to my new home on Auburn Road. Some of these thoughts are from my journal. They’re a little disjointed, but taken as a whole, I think they give a glimpse into the spirituality of coming.
Coming… When you move to a new place, you don’t come all at once. You come in parts, in pieces. Even when you and all your things are finally here in your new place, you yourself are not completely here. Coming is a process. It takes time.
Day #2: I feel as if I’m peeling off a bandage… a BIG one… and, in a few places, it’s affixed with superglue…
My new community… My new community (my “neighborhood”) consists of 62 sisters. They are by far the best part of my move. I already know most of them, some quite well. They couldn’t be more warm or welcoming. As I glance around the dining room, I think: Each of us has done the hard work of “letting go” of some place, or something—often a very active life, a fulfilling ministry, good health, total independence. Some here have served as teachers, principals, nurses, secretaries, dieticians, finance personnel, pastoral ministers, musicians, spiritual directors, formation ministers, hospice chaplains, writers, board members, congregational or diocesan leaders, and more. Some are still in part-time ministry. I feel privileged to be in this good company.
Unpacking, sorting, deciding… The first few days, all I was doing was unpacking, rearranging the furniture in my bedroom and my office, and deciding where things should go. Making decisions is not only time consuming, it is energy consuming. No wonder I was exhausted. One day, I couldn’t find my purse. I knew I put it in a safe place—safe (evidently) even from myself! After looking in just about every cupboard and drawer in my bedroom, I finally found it!
Arranging life or living life…After a few days I wrote in my journal: “Should I spend more time sorting my life, or living my life… arranging my life, or living my life… cleaning my life, or living my life… reflecting on my life, or living my life?”
Signs… charts… forms… The more people living together, the more signs there are. I guess it has to be. There are signs in the shower room, the laundry, the elevator, and (of course) the bulletin board. There are charts too where you can sign up to use the laundry, to help serve the beverages at meals, or to join a Wii golf or bowling team. Forms abound too. Whether to request food for guests, a hair appointment, or help hanging your pictures, the procedure is the same: there’s a form for that.
Challenges and delights… Some challenges are: Cellphone reception is not always good in some parts of this building, I don’t care for the coffee, there’s a lot of togetherness, and there are (most challenging of all) serious restrictions due to Covid-19. I will have to find creative ways to get the solitude I crave and need. The delights are many and include: nice hot water in the shower, a good variety of food, two serving times for lunch and supper, lots of activities to choose from, a helpful and pleasant staff, and the frequent sound of laughter.
Anxiety… I find myself anxious… about many things… some known and named… others still inexpressible… I take my anxiety to prayer.
Pronouns… I still find myself saying things like, “Where do YOU get tissue?… Where do YOU empty trash?… How do YOU mail something?” Those pronouns reveal I am still a visitor here. But every now and then I use the pronoun WE: “We certainly have a friendly staff here… WE have a lovely view from OUR dining room, don’t WE?… I love all the fresh fruit they serve US here.”
Miscellaneous thoughts: Throughout my move, friends kept checking up on me to see how I was doing. I felt cared for, remembered, tended to… Too much fear in life negates living… A friend called and said, “It must be nice not to have to go grocery shopping or cook your meals.” She assumed this was a plus for me. But for now, it’s more of a minus… Liking my new home in no way diminishes my love for my former home… Patience… patience… patience.
Did anything stand out for your in today’s reflection? If so, what and why?
Did anything here resonate with your experience–or contradict your experience?
Do you ever experience the longing to “go home” even when you are already at home? If so, what do you do with this longing?
Scripture tells us we are all on a journey, a journey that takes us home… Our video today is from Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony #9 also entitled “From the New World.” He wrote this after arriving in America in 1893. It is the second movement that took on a life of its own. Critics say its haunting melody reflects his own Czech background as well as the new music he encountered in the U.S. namely, Negro spirituals and Native American music. After his death, one of his students, William Arms Fisher, put words to this movement which he called “Goin’ Home.” It has been recorded by many singers. Here it is sung by Libera, a boys’ choir in England. (Postscript: As many of you know, I am of Czech heritage. One of my ancestors [I believe a great-grandmother] was a Dvorak. I like to think that Antonin may be my 4th cousin twice removed… or something like that.)
May this song bring you peace…
I welcome you to respond to this reflection, video, or one another.
Is It Time for a Little Levity?
Like you, I am aware of the many serious situations and issues confronting us right now. While not minimizing them in any way, I feel we must regularly take a break from all the seriousness and exercise our human capacity for levity. I hope a few of these will bring a smile to your face.
Let’s start off with a few T-shirt slogans:
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
That’s it! I’m calling Grandma! (seen on an 8-year-old)
Procrastinate now!
Frankly Scallop, I don’t give a clam! (seen in Cape Cod)
My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn’t.
Let’s try some philosophical thoughts:
The sole purpose of a child’s middle name is so he can tell when he’s really in trouble.
Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
On the other hand… you have different fingers.
I intend to live forever—so far so good.
Noah was a brave man. He sailed in a wooden ship with two termites.
We cannot change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
Happiness comes through doors you didn’t even know you left open.
Now for some Definitions from a Catholic Dictionary: Amen: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows. Jesuits: An order of priests known for their ability to found colleges with good basketball teams. Justice: When kids have kids of their own. Magi: The most famous trio ever to attend a baby shower. Processional: The ceremonial formation at the beginning of Mass consisting of servers, the celebrant, and late parishioners looking for seats. Recessional: The ceremonial procession at the end of Mass, led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot.
Now for a few miscellaneous observations:
Sign seen on an office door: “I can please only one person a day… Today is not your day… Tomorrow doesn’t look good either.”
An actual headline: “Two Sisters Reunited after 18 Years in Checkout Line.”
Woman about date: “He was a regular Don Yawn.”
Some minds are like concrete: Thoroughly mixed and permanently set.
A racehorse can take several thousand people for a ride at the same time.
Nostalgia: the longing you feel when you find the present tense and the past perfect.
First woman: “She thinks no man is good enough for her.” Second woman: “She may be right.” First woman: “She may be left.”
An egotistical actor boasted: “You know, at my last performance, I had the audience glued to their seats.” His latest costar replied, “Really? How very clever of you to think of that.”
I have noticed that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them.
Now let’s look at a few bumper stickers:
I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
Caution: I drive like you do.
Always remember, you’re unique—just like everyone else.
Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live.
Sometimes I feel I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
I’ve gotta be me! Everyone else was already taken.
And finally:
Writer: “I’m writing the definitive self-help book based on my personal philosophy.”
Friend: “What philosophy?”
Writer: “The three ups. Shut up, Grow up, and Lighten up.”
Did you like any of these? Do you have any others to share with us?
PS: Reminder: I’m giving a virtual retreat on hope Oct. 2-3 sponsored by Mount St. Joseph Retreat Center in Maple Mount, KY. There’s one conference Friday 6:30-7:30 pm (central time). Saturday goes from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and includes conferences, ample breaks, some sharing. For details and registration, go to www.ursulinesmsj.org or call 270-229-0200. I hope to see some of you there!
Our song is a rendition of “Amazing Grace” sung by people from 50 countries affected by Covid-19. It’s a beautiful reminder of the oneness of our human family.
I invite you to respond below to anything in this blog–or to one another. I love hearing from you!
It's about Time
I’ve been thinking about time lately. So today I’d like to share with you some random thoughts about time—if you’ve got time!
Time is difficult to define. Here’s one definition: Time is the indefinite continued progress of existence and events that occur in an apparent succession from the past, through the present, to the future.” Got that?
From early on, humans have devised ways to measure time. The earliest known calendar, discovered in Scotland, dates back 10,000 years. It is a lunar calendar as many early calendars were. It was Julius Caesar who put the Roman Empire on a solar calendar. He added two months to an already existing ten month calendar: July named after him and August named after his successor. (That’s why SEPTember is not the seventh month, OCT is not the eighth month, NOVember is not the ninth month, and DECember is not the tenth month.) Pope Gregory XIII tweaked that calendar and over the centuries the Gregorian calendar was adopted by numerous nations. Today that calendar is the most commonly used calendar in the world.
Here are some interesting facts (at least I think they are!) about time:
Time passes slower the closer you are to the center of the earth. On top of Mt. Everest, a year is 15 microseconds longer than at sea level.
A day is not 24 hours. It’s 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.2 seconds. Hence, our need for a leap year (an extra day) every four years.
When dinosaurs roamed the earth, there were 370 days in a year. The earth’s spin is slowing down, so the days are shorter—by 1.7 milliseconds per century.
Humans have been creative at measuring time: sundials, water clocks, hour glasses, mechanical clocks (first invented by the Chinese). In 1522 Ferdinand Magellan had 18 hour glasses on each ship for his circumnavigation of the world.
The first alarm clock dates back to 250 BC in Greece. It was a water clock that set off a whistle.
Until the 19th Century, towns had their own time. For example, Bristol was 11 minutes behind London. It was the railroad companies that pushed for a standard time so people wouldn’t miss their trains.
In 1930, Joseph Stalin abolished the weekend in Russia in order to increase productivity. The week had only five days. (He was not keen on family togetherness or religious worship either.) The next year, the week had six days, one day of rest staggered throughout the community. But in 1940, the project was axed and Russia returned to the seven day week.
Let’s conclude today’s reflection with some quotations about time: The greatest possession you have is the 24 hours directly in front of you… How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. (Annie Dillard) The key is not spending time, but investing it. (Stephen Covey)
There is only one thing more precious than our time and that’s who we spend it on. (Leo Christopher)… Time spent with cats is never wasted. (Colette)… Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments. (Rose Kennedy)
Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time (Marthe Troly-Curtin)… Yesterday is a cancelled check: Forget it. Tomorrow is a promissory note: Don’t count on it. Today is ready cash: Use it! (Edwin Bliss)…
Perhaps our mantra for today could be: God of all time, thank you for this moment…
For reflection:
Do you wear a watch? Why or why not? How many clocks do you have in your house? Why?
For most events, are you ordinarily early, right on time, or late? Why do you think you are this way?
What kind of things do you “waste” your time on that you consider are NOT a waste of time?
Anything else in this reflection that you’d like to respond to?
PS: As you may have noticed, we had a problem with last week’s blog. But later in the week, Mike, one of our IT people, got it up and running again. Sorry for the inconvenience!
PS #2: I am typing this from my new office in the Notre Dame Educational Center. I am sitting amid a sea of banker boxes. Many are already empty. Others are awaiting decisive action. The Sisters here have been VERY welcoming! I thank them and I thank you for the support of your prayers during this big move in my life.
Our song is an “oldie but goodie.” It’s “In His Time” sung by the Maranatha Singers. I chose this version because of all the beautiful images. I hope you enjoy it!
Please feel free to respond below to this reflection, the questions, the video, or other responses!
Three Poems…
There was a problem with my blog this week, so many of you were not able to open it. But our IT people fixed the problem, so here’s this week’s blog. Thank you for your patience!
Today I’d like to share three of my poems with you. The first is unpublished. The other two are from two of my poetry books.
#1 “A Tree Wrapped in Fog”
I pray facing the window, with the book on my lap.
As the morning light comes, I glance up and see
the ancient maple in my backyard. It is wrapped in fog.
“Wow!” I say breathlessly as I gaze upon it.
Then, recalling my purpose,
I direct my eyes back to the printed page.
But my rebellious eyes refuse to stay with the words.
They want to stay only with that tree.
I try to reason with them: “No, it’s time to pray.”
But they won’t listen. So, finally, giving in, I say, “Okay. You win.”
And together we lovingly contemplate the beauty set before us.
Sorry, Book. Sorry, Holy Words.
This morning a tree wrapped in fog wins my full attention
and becomes my morning prayer. Amen.
#2: “This Is Your Task in Life” (from my book When the Blue Heron Flies)
This is your task in life:
First, befriend yourself.
Learn to enjoy being with you.
This is task number two:
Find good companions
who share your deepest longings
and are both cheerleader
and goad for you.
And your third task?
Find people in need
and pour upon them
the contents of your heart.
#3 “Strive Less, Be More” (from my book Picking Strawberries)
Strive less, be more.
Do less, enjoy more.
Search less, wait more.
Buy less, have more.
Analyze less, notice more.
Conclude less, wonder more.
Fix less, accept more.
Judge less, ponder more.
Rush less, linger more.
Plod less, dance more.
Gripe less, thank more.
Control less, surrender more.
Condemn less, bless more.
Fear less, trust more.
For reflection:
Do any of these poems speak to you today? If so, which one(s) and why?
Do any of the words or phrases stand out for you today?
For poem #1: what is this poem saying about prayer?
For poem #2: would you add any other task in life?
For poem #3: which line(s) do you find the most challenging?
PS: Reminder: I’m giving a virtual retreat Oct. 3-4, sponsored by Mount St. Joseph Retreat Center in Maple Mount, KY. The opening conference is Friday at 6:30 pm (Central time). Saturday’s schedule is 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and includes conferences, handouts, breaks, and sharing. The cost is $60. Check the website for details: ursulinesmsj.org/retreat center. I hope to see some of you there!
Today’s video is the beautiful song “Memories Bring You Back” sung by the American Children’s Choir in Utah, founded by Masa Fukuda in 2001. (Thanks to Sister Sandy for directing me to this video!) Today is my deceased sister’s birthday, so I dedicate this song to her and to all of your deceased loved ones as well.
There are no lyrics with the video, so I’ve typed some of them here:
Here’s to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you’re not
‘Cause the dreams bring back all the memories
Of everything we’ve been through.
Close to the ones here today
Close to the ones we lost on the way
‘Cause the dreams bring back all the memories
and the memories bring back, memories bring back you.
There’s a time I remember, when I did not know pain
When I believed in forever, and everything would stay the same.
Now my heart feels like December when somebody says your name (ay, ay)
‘Cause I can’t reach out to call you, but I know I will one day, yeah…
Everybody hurts sometimes, everybody hurts someday, yeah
But everything’s gonna be all right,
Go and raise your voice and say, ay…
There’s a time I remember when I never felt so lost
When I felt all the hatred was too powerful to stop (ooh, yeah)
Now my heart feels like an ember and it’s lighting up the dark
I’ll carry these torches for ya that you know I’ll never drop, yeah…
I invite you to respond below to anything in this blog. As you know, we love hearing from our readers!
