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Inshala GlassLas Alpujarras, Grenada
Here
FRANCISCAN BENEDICTION
May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people,
so that you may work for justice, freedoom and peace.
May God bless you with tears
to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, starvation, and war,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
and to turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in the world,
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
Amen.
(The prayer is from the materals provided for those of us who are directing or making the student retreat for which I volunteered as a director this week. The retreat's theme is "Choices," certainly an important topic for college students. And for me as well, as I try to discern whether choices made in a better time still apply. The stained glass,with its focus on the colors and details of nature, seemed to fit nicely with a Franciscan prayer for growth. )
(And . . . the painting I posted on Monday? It materialized out of a search I was making for images of women in ministry, part of the same process of discernment. I think that Hildegarde is one of the best role models I coud find - a woman of great gifts and achievements, making her way with difficulty in perilous times.)
10 comments:
That benediction is breathtaking. I plan to use it...
Thank you for continuing to share your voice and heart with us.
(((GG)))
That's a beautiful glass!
And I love St. Francis. That's one of my favorite benedictions.
Wonderful benediction and stained glass. Thank you for helping me start my day with beauty and positive energy.
Fantastic pairing. Thank you so much.
Robin--
This prayer is wonderful, and I'm going to borrow it (not your entire post, just the prayer) to post at "Women On..." It speaks very well to the mindframe we each must have in order to shepherd our country back onto the right path...
"and may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world"
This may be my favorite prayer verse ever. Good luck with both the leading and discernment you will do as part of the retreat. Beautiful stained glass - I'm quite certain that I have never seen a tropical plant represented in stained glass before.
beautiful...
thanks for reminding me of the message in the benediction.
I have to ask... is that a tulip or a bishop emerging from the foliage in the bottom right of the stained glass? I see a bishop.
LOL I see your point. A Spanish bishop who looks like a tulip? A tulip which looks like a bishop?
My favorite is the very relaxed insect on the twig. Or is it a lizard on a branch?
Cynthia is right; looking for art is very fun.
a slug with a tail? the leaves seem to have some suspicious holes in them!
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