Mary Magdalene Courage

Mary Magdalene Courage

Courage

“The other disciples left, but Mary stood weeping outside the tomb.” This is where we see Mary Magdalene’s courage. Not the courage to take up a sword, but the courage to stand, to remain in her grief, loss, and fear. This is a common, unheroic kind of courage – the vulnerable courage of waiting and trusting when hope seems gone, when we have no other hope than that God will provide. —Br. Lain Wilson, SSJE

We recently celebrated the Feast Day of Mary Magdalene on July 22. Mary Magdalene weeping at Jesus’ tomb is our icon for a very different kind of courage. It is the courage to stand by, wait, not run away, and stay still. It is the courage we see in people who are grieving and choose to stay with the grief, rather than anesthetize it with alcohol or drugs, work, shopping, or any other coping mechanism that allows them to escape instead of feel and work through the deep pain. 

This is also the courage that comes to those who sit and wait with a grieving friend, not trying to say words that bring no comfort. It is the courage of the person who can cry with their friend. This is the courage we have when our friends are in trouble, and we stand by them even when the world mocks them. We don’t condone their actions, but we stand by them. Often, this courage comes to those who have made mistakes themselves and remember what it was like to have friends who stood by them. I see this in families whose teenagers have gotten into trouble.

I will never forget the image of Dr. Joycelyn Elders standing and walking beside her son, who was in trouble, when she was Surgeon General. I also see this with adults who have made a mistake, whose friends are not afraid to walk with them. This is the courage of the women at the cross and of those who go to the tomb on Easter Sunday. They put themselves at risk of ridicule and danger to support someone the world judges. This is courage that does not shout or make a scene. Biblically and traditionally, this has been a characteristic of women's courage, but we are increasingly seeing it in men. This is courage that has said its prayers and then stands or sits beside the person in need. This is courage that changes the world through its healing presence.

Joanna  joannaseibert.com

Karen DuBert: Soul Feeding

Soul Feeding

Guest Writer: Karen DuBert

Sometimes on life’s pilgrimage

I don’t know what my soul craves,

but I feel the craving.

It’s obvious when my body craves--

Whether its comfort food

or something healthy—

and I am well aware when I need

a long cool drink of

refreshing, thirst-quenching water.

So as I reflect on food for my soul,

I need to ask myself what I’m craving:

my Living Water—

my Cup of Salvation—

my Bread of Life.

The metaphors are so intrinsic to my life

they don’t even feel metaphorical.

they feel strangely exotic

and pretty comfortable.

My soul yearns in anticipation—

the dishes, the beverages, the fellowship:

Foods simple, spicy, salty, and sweet.

All the nourishment my soul craves.

But what does it truly crave?

And does it crave what is good?

I need to discern when I gorge on

junk food of the soul.

Designed to be nourished

by Truth, Beauty, and Goodness,

it is too easy to be sated by

scrolling, bingeing, pursuing trivia,

numbing the deep longings

and quieting the uneasiness and questions.

I know myself well enough to know

that when I am hungry—

I might settle for something less, some distraction

something tasty but without nourishment.

Hyper-palatable: tastes so good I cannot stop,

with neither health or nutrition—

to help me be my best self.

I, at times, have settled for less.

No doubt I will do it again.

But I still seek the wisdom

to nurture the health of my soul

(unburdened by shame or false guilt)

but with gentleness and grace.

Karen DuBert

Joanna joannaseibert.com

Visio Divina: Using images to help in prayer

Visio Divina

"The experience of praying with icons and other images is quite different from praying with words."—Christine Valters Paintner, Illuminating Mystery: Creativity as a Spiritual Practice, Reflections in Word and Image (Abbey of the Arts Press, 2009).

God speaks to us in many ways—through relationships, our experiences, sacred texts such as the Bible, and other avenues. Visio divina, Latin for "divine seeing," is a form of prayer that involves meditating on images to listen to God's words. It is similar to Lectio divina, Latin for "divine reading," in which we pray with sacred texts such as Holy Scripture. There are four steps we can follow to practice Visio divina:

1. Sit quietly, close your eyes, and be aware of your breathing. Practice a body scan. Open your eyes and look at the artwork slowly, taking in the colors, people, places, and things. Stay with the image for one to two minutes. You may want to jot down a few words about the image.

2. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Open your eyes. Take another, deeper look. Is there movement? Are there relationships? Use your imagination. What is the story? Can you place yourself in the story and the image? Do you see deeper meanings beyond the surface?

3.  Respond to the image with prayer. Does the image evoke an experience or remind you of a person or issue for which you want to offer thanksgiving or intercession? If so, offer that prayer to God.

4. Find your quiet heart center. Stay connected to your body. Breathe deeply. Relax your shoulders, arms, and legs. Rest in this quiet. Imagine God praying within you. God prays beyond words.

Nouwen has written about his profound experience praying and meditating on Rembrandt's painting, "The Return of the Prodigal Son." This image is an excellent starting point. Then, read Henri Nouwen’s The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming.

—From Kathryn Shirey, "How to Pray with 'Eyes of the Heart' Using Visio Divina" at www.KathrynShirey.com.

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/