{"id":468,"date":"2009-04-25T04:27:50","date_gmt":"2009-04-25T04:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/?p=468"},"modified":"2012-05-30T09:37:30","modified_gmt":"2012-05-30T09:37:30","slug":"maecenas-lorem-integer-scelerisque","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/maecenas-lorem-integer-scelerisque\/","title":{"rendered":"free"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Spring Voices<\/span><\/h1>\r\n \r\n

Take a moment from your busy lives and relax.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Notice the sounds around you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Do not strain after the sounds but let them come to you<\/span><\/p>\r\n

and then let them gently fade away.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Enjoy the textures and colours of the sounds.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Listen to them as if they were music.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Enjoy the space between the sounds.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Relax into them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

After a few minutes – very slowly read the following<\/span><\/p>\r\n

and stop where you feel drawn<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

How quietly the earth breathes forth new life.\r\nHow eagerly the sun bleeds forth the spring,<\/p>\r\n

I am listening.<\/em><\/strong>\r\nI am listening to seeds breaking open,\r\nto roots growing strong beneath the ground,\r\nto green shoots rising up from winter wombs.\r\nI am listening to thorns blossoming,\r\nto barren branches laughing out new growth,\r\nto wildflowers dancing through the meadows,<\/p>\r\n

I am listening.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

I am listening to the forest filling up with song.\r\nI am listening to the earth filling up with life.\r\nI am listening to the trees filling up with leaves.<\/p>\r\n

I am listening.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

I am listening to the sky with its many changing moods,\r\nto flashes of lightning, peals of thunder,\r\nto opening buds and greening grass.\r\nI am listening to the breaking forth of light\r\nin the vestibule of dawn.\r\nI am listening to the freshness of the morning.<\/p>\r\n

I am listening.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

I am listening to the rain drops\r\ngiving hope to thirsty gardens.\r\nI am listening to the orchards\r\npregnant with new life.\r\nI am listening to the flowers\r\nbursting forth in rainbow colors.\r\n\r\nI am listening.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n

I am listening to the brook,\r\nto the song of happy waters.\r\nI am listening to music\r\nrising up from all the earth.\r\nI am listening to spring\r\nsoaring in on wings of life.\r\nI am listening to the sounds of spring.<\/p>\r\n

I am listening.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

I am listening to prayers\r\npouring forth from feathered throats.\r\nI am listening to prayers\r\nrising up from misty waters.\r\nI am listening to prayers\r\nof a meadow crowned with dawn.<\/p>\r\n

I am listening.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

I am listening to the growing\r\nin the garden of my heart.\r\nI am listening to my heart\r\nsinging songs of resurrection.\r\nI am listening to the colors of life.<\/p>\r\n

I am listening.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

I am listening to winter\r\nhanding over spring.\r\nI am listening to the poetry of spring.<\/p>\r\n

I am listening.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Macrina Wiederkehr<\/p>\r\n

We gather our reflections as we end:<\/span><\/p>\r\nFor the cycle of life\r\nwhich brings death and rebirth:\r\nWe rejoice in the promise of Spring.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nFor lengthening days\r\nand sunlight’s warmth upon the soil:\r\nWe rejoice in the promise of Spring.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nFor a snowdrop’s beauty\r\nreflecting its Creator’s artistry:\r\nWe rejoice in the promise of Spring.<\/strong>\r\n

For new born lambs\"\"<\/a>\r\ntheir joy and exuberance:\r\nWe rejoice in the promise of Spring.<\/strong><\/p>\r\nFor all of creation\r\nand the majesty of its Creator:\r\nWe rejoice in the promise of Spring.<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n

Winter Voices<\/span><\/h1>\r\nPause for a moment…………….<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhat images does Winter hold for you?……………………..short days; darkness; staying indoors; lights and shopping…………….<\/span>\r\n

“Every year at just this time,\r\nIn cold and dark December,\r\nFamilies around the world\r\nAll gather to remember,\r\nWith presents and with parties,\r\nWith feasting and with fun,\r\nCustoms and traditions\r\nfor people old and young.”\r\n–\u00a0\u00a0 Helen H. Moore\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\r\nWhat does Christmas mean for you?<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Work of Christmas Begins<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n

“When the song of the angels is stilled,\r\nwhen the star in the sky is gone,\r\nwhen the kings and princes are home,\r\nwhen the shepherds are back with the flocks,\r\nthen the work of Christmas begins:\r\nto find the lost,\r\nto heal those broken in spirit,\r\nto feed the hungry,\r\nto release the oppressed,\r\nto rebuild the nations,\r\nto bring peace among all peoples,\r\nto make a little music with the heart\u2026<\/p>\r\n

And to radiate the Light of Christ,\r\nevery day, in every way, in all that we do and in all that we say.\r\nThen the work of Christmas begins.<\/p>\r\n

– Howard Thurman, adapted<\/span><\/em><\/p>\r\n\u00a0In what ways can we radiate the light of Christ in our everyday life?<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Winter Tree\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\r\nTree,\r\n\r\nwith thy twining, twisting fingers,\r\n\r\nthinkest thou to touch the unfathomable height?\r\n\r\nThine is a seeking like to that which lingers,\r\n\r\nclings in my own heart\r\n\r\non hearing the sea\u2019s might crying and sounding,\r\n\r\nclashing deep below\r\n\r\nin the dark caves misted to grey.\r\n\r\nWhat is it that we seek?\r\n\r\nI do not know\r\n\r\nwhat brings the vibrant longings into play, –\r\n\r\nYet see,\r\n\r\non thy fingertips fresh green leaves grow:\r\n\r\nthat which we seek is not so far,\r\n\r\nnot so ….\r\n\r\n– Gerald O\u2019Mahony SJ circa 1954<\/em><\/span>\r\n\r\nIn these bare, dark times that we all experience can we find a chink of light to help us take a step of hope into the future?<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Winter Prayer<\/h4>\r\nDear God, help me embrace the darkness, knowing that from the very deepest dark comes the brightest Light.\r\n\r\nHelp me to feel my own darkness, where fear resides inside, within my wounded child who is scared of being on Earth.\r\n\r\nWith your love, I may use the darkness of nature on this day to hold my wounded child close to my breast, letting her tell me all of her fears.\r\n\r\nShe will tell me how I scare her; I will ask her to tell me how I abandon her.\r\n\r\nI will use this darkness to let her cry; and with her final tear she will begin to sense the Light.\r\n\r\nI will use this day to go to the depths of my own dark places because I know you are with me always, and that only by going into the darkness may we see the truth of our Light.\r\n\r\nThank you, God, for giving me life so that I may explore the darkness and the Light.\r\n\r\nThank you for the cycle of creation.\r\n\r\nThank you for my breath, my heart, my body and my mind.\r\n\r\nThank you for the Light of my soul, where, though I sometimes forget, I long to always be.\r\n\r\nAdapted – Winter Solstice Prayer to the Inner Child,\u00a0by\u00a0Nancy Swisher<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em>\r\n\r\n <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Spring Voices   Take a moment from your busy livesRead More<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[37],"tags":[],"rise-blocks_total_comments":0,"rise-blocks_categories":[{"term_id":37,"name":"Events","slug":"events","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":37,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":37,"category_count":3,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Events","category_nicename":"events","category_parent":0}],"rise-blocks_excerpt":"\u00a0Spring Voices   Take a moment from your busy lives and relax. Notice the sounds around you. Do not strain after the sounds but let them come to you and then let them gently fade away. Enjoy the textures and colours of the sounds. Listen to them as if they were music. Enjoy the space between the sounds. Relax into..","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":794,"href":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468\/revisions\/794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ibvm.org.uk\/new4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}