Dear Friends,
We pray you are safe and well.
Today's Meditation is a moment of respite that will bring a smile to your heart: A Children's Presentation of the Nativity Scene that develops in a way that was unforeseen but is representative of life.
Today as I was praying with Give Us This Day, I noticed that the saint for the day was St. Herman of Alaska, a Russian Orthodox monk sent to Alaska to minister to the Russian fur hunters. "Herman was particularly aggrieved by the exploitation and harsh treatment of the native peoples. For his prophetic preaching and his intercession with authorities in Russia, he has been compared to Bartoleme de Las Casas, defender of the native peoples in Latin America. When epidemics struck the natives, Herman cared for their sick and dying. As a result of his efforts, thousands were baptized. Eventually, wishing to adopt a more solitary life, Herman retired to a hermitage on Spruce Island and devoted himself to ceaseless prayer. When someone asked him whether he minded being alone, he replied, 'I am not alone. God is here, as God is everywhere.' Eventually disciples moved to be closer to him and Herman agreed to offer spiritual instructions. In time, his hermitage was joined by a chapel, a school and an orphanage. He died in November, 1836 and was canonized by the Orthodox Church in 1970 with a feast on December 13: the first Orthodox saint of the 'Americas.'"
We invite you to join us as we commit ourselves to working tirelessly to end systemic and structural racism in our society, in healthcare, in the workplace, in the Church--wherever it shows up so that everyone may come to have more abundant life. May this meditation nourish our contemplative-active hearts and sustain all of us in action.
In the spirit of our philosophy of co-creating community and our awareness that the Spirit speaks through each of us, we invite you to share your meditations with us as well. We truly believe that in God’s economy of abundance, when we share our blessings, our thoughts, our feelings, we are all made richer.
We hope and pray that you and your loved ones experience genuine peace of mind and heart, and remain in good health during this challenging time.
May this Advent Season be a time of peace, of healing and hope, of the infusion of joy in your life!
With our love and care,
Ron & Jean
MEDITATION 228: Children's Nativity Scene (when you click on the link, a further down load link may appear in the lower left corner of your screen and clicking on that will open the video.)
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