April3, 2024
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” ~Meister Eckhart
Grace and peace to each of you, in this Eastertide season, and a deep bow of gratitude to each of you for a wonderful Holy Week! Easter Sunday was simply magnificent. Thank you, Holy Family, for the grace and hospitality extended by everyone!
Over the past 8-10 days, I’ve enjoyed a kind of “second autumn” while running on the local trails. The lovely Beech groves deep in the forests of our neighborhood, especially on longer runs where I reach the spot pictured below, are an opportunity to pause, and pay attention. And this in turn is an occasion to attempt what I’ve learned from many on from my journey in Christian centering prayer and Buddhist mindfulness practice: show up; pay attention; speak my truth (and this can be a deepened, inner self-awareness); and let go of attachment to things I cannot control. The last step, as we know, can be in relation to an infinite variety of issues, including addictive behavior of various kinds, and is at the heart of any 12-step journey. It is at the heart of the Serenity Prayer.
Trail running in the woods near our mountain home continues to teach me to let go of attachment to things I cannot control, and this has in turn had application in many areas of life.