By Student Liza Fox
“Every second belongs to eternity.”
~ St. Therese of Lisieux
Chorus of Silence, Carmelite Center, 2022
Our Student, Novice and Acolyte community just returned from a retreat at the National Shrine of St. Therese in Chicago. We gathered together on sacred ground for four days of prayer and community. Each of us arrived holding a strong intention for healing and we were met with the Presence, loving witness, and all the divine helpers, seen and unseen. Each participant took big growth steps and huge leaps in their surrendered devotion to God.
Many transformational moments and beautiful offerings were made: There were reverent rituals, powerful teachings, forgiveness, song, and milestone vows that I imagine will be integrated over the coming years. And yet, sometimes medicine for the soul is really very subtle. During the culminating Sunday Communion, after Padre opened our circle in prayer, he paused and we fell into collective silence. It was a harmonic silence that gave birth to stillness. In this silence, the doors to the mystery opened and I listened as each person surrendered into the field of Oneness. The clamoring of minds, desires, and fears softened and made space for a profound connection of a cosmic Love. Communion. It felt like the heartbeat of our community.
Thank you, God for the harmony of silence, the breath of peace and stillness, and the opening of our hearts to the silent symphony of the Christ.
I send so many blessings to our ordained community who are gathering this weekend taking their next steps with God. To those who will be professed or newly ordained, we are all holding space for your commitment. And I send blessings to our students who are integrating and healing. I also want to send deep gratitude to the community who were unable to attend these events in person, but held space, prayed, and entered in your unique ways- you were like butterflies in the garden- I felt you and prayed with you.
Rebirth
I woke this morning,
after a lifetime of winter,
and there we were together,
in the garden, free and alive,
with a million colorful ways
to celebrate our reunion.
I picked a calla lily bouquet of you,
sipped you in my verbena tea,
and closed my eyes as you breathed
an inner prayer breath of wisdom.
Thank you, Yeshua,
for re-wilding
the garden of my heart.
Amen.