Branching-Out

The Human Race

Posted by Sharon Krause on Jul 3, 2023 6:00:00 AM

What’s the hurry? We humans are always racing around doing something! Play that computer game! Wishing that red traffic light would change to green faster…got to get going! Quick! I guess I’ll have to find that question’s answer on the internet! Look it up! Ah! Answer comes right up! Race! Race! Race! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Instant gratification! Hurry! Black Friday sale! Hurry before supplies run out! Arms race! Race to the moon! Race to be “Number One!”

Do we race to help our neighbor? Do we race to church to pray and thank God for our blessings? Our spirituality can suffer because of all our human racing. We can forget how to slow down, how to savor Our Savior. We can get out of good habits of reverence and reflection. Oh, if we could just get past the race pace and into the prayer mode. Trying to channel the racing energy into being in the present moment in our gifted humanity to share love and affirmation is the challenge. If we must race, may it be to thoughtfully and/or spiritually offer improvement…while keeping God as our center.

CONCENTRICITY

Through ages and life stages

True love in concentric circles.

Keeping the Center in the center

Creative constant blessing Source;

Going around, coming around,

Kinship, community, sharing.

Steady and strong reference Point:

Always back to circle Center.

Spreading influence, challenges

In widening inclusiveness.

Like a stone dropped vertically

Into a puddle of water:

Circles growing, radiating,

Focusing on eternal Truth

Through ages and life stages

True love in concentric circles

Keeping the Center in the center:

God.

 

After all the day’s hurry and flurry, it may be a good idea to say this little take-off of a children’s prayer that could be easy to remember:

         Now I lay me down to slumber,

Haste and worries do me encumber.

If I should doubt that God’s “got my back,”

I pray his Spirit puts me “back on track.” Amen.

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Topics: centering prayer, Sharon Krause, daily prayer

Close Encounters

Posted by Sharon Krause on Nov 2, 2020 6:00:00 AM

I believe most of us have experienced a close encounter with the Lord every once in a while, perhaps while we are praying or attending a religious function. I will never forget the wonderful closeness I felt with God as I attended the Mass being celebrated for my graduating class of the Catholic Biblical School in Newington, Connecticut. The celebrant was reading from Chapter 17 of the Gospel of John, as Jesus prays for his disciples, which I quote in part:

I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who
will believe in me
  through their word, that they may all be one.
As you, Father, are in me and I am in
you, may they also be in us,
so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
The glory that you have given me I have given them,
so that they may be one, as
we are one, I in them and you in me,
that they may become completely one, so
that the world may know
that you have sent me and have loved them
even as you
 have loved me.” (Vs 20-23) 

It seemed as if the reading was meant for me, that Jesus was praying for me very personally. There was a peace that lingered, a graduation gift I still hold dear.

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Topics: catholic renew progam, Good Shepherd, Gospel according to John, prayer, Psalm 23, RENEW International, sins, spiritual life, centering prayer, close encounter

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