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SOMETHING TO THINK AND PRAY ABOUT THIS WEEK
Let There Be Grace
‘Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights,’ Anne said. ‘How wonderful.’ I considered how its magnificence could be delivered in words. She didn’t need that. ‘Leave me with the magic,’ she cut in. She reminded me of my mother’s response to my attempt to explain why the prayer plant raises its leaves in praise as night falls. ‘It’s praying,’ she said. ‘That’s enough.’ Good messages both of them, because they pushed me back to the source of our best response, namely, wonder and praise. And the wonderful must never surrender to any formula of words. We stand before a sunset, for instance, and say, ‘Ah’, for it is truly an awe-moment. And, if we must reach for a word, let it be ‘grace’! In fact, St Paul found that word to be his best ally when he wrote about the Good News, which for him was all grace and graceful, given gracefully and plucking the strings of gratitude in those who heard it. Just so for Gerard Manley Hopkins, who remarked that the mystery of the Incarnation – of the ever-beyond-us God entering our bloodstream in Jesus – could never be reduced to ‘an equation in theology,’ for its wonder ‘leaves the mind swinging, poised but on the quiver’. Quivering.
Just so, we talk of ‘climate change’ or ‘global warming’ and have no sense of what we mean, unless we have had to walk further each day to fetch water, lost our home, or, as a reindeer farmer, seen our reindeer fall through thinning ice.
Hugh O’Donnell SDB, The Sacred Heart Messenger, June 2024
We remember at this time...
St. Brigid, whose feast day is February 1st, is renowned for her faith in God and for her role as a peacemaker. Despite growing up as a slave in a pagan society, God anointed her and gave her the faith to believe that she would be used to bless others and bring many to the Lord. She was a strong character, a warrior woman for her faith, and was not afraid to go against her pagan father and give away his possessions to the poor and needy.
We pray that we may be inspired by St. Brigid’s faith and ask for peace and compassion in our own lives and in a world in turmoil.
Sacred Space – Daily Prayer for 25 Years
Sacred Space began in 1999 and has offered new content every day since then. You can learn more about Sacred Space on our About page, or if you are a regular, you can share your Sacred Space Story on our Feedback page. For our 25th anniversary, we are featuring stories from people for whom Sacred Space has played a special part in their lives. Please consider sharing your Sacred Space Story.
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