Sr Judith

They were very determined.

It’s red kites we have. I saw one being harassed by crows the other day week! It wasn’t winning!

That’s so misguided. If you give children badly produced material they’ll feel worthless. At teacher training college we were told not to give children scrappy paper if we wanted good work from them.

Then, however whatever we face we will have a solid basis for the choices we make. Then, we are able to make them freely, knowing that the desire of our hearts and our actions will align with the values of the kingdom.

Where is Christ calling you to discernment today?

Instead, our choices have to be based on the self-knowledge that comes from true discernment. Jesus asks us to learn to know our own hearts, to be open and honest about our true desires, and to base our choices on those.

He tells us we have no need to fear, even in these fearful times, because the Father has already given us the kingdom. But that gift requires a response from us. If we want to embrace that kingdom we have to practice discernment. We can no longer make choices based on our passing moods or whims.

He says to his disciples:

“Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

In many situations this may be fine, but if we are seeking to live a meaningful, prayer for life it is not enough. In today’s gospel Jesus reminds us that the choices we make matter.

A collection of highly polished heart shaped stones. The text reads: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

A 🧵on discernment. We live in a world that presents us with a dizzying array of choices in almost every situation. There are times when this give us a sense of control but it can also be a burden. When presented with such variety it can be hard to know which to choose.

A collection of highly polished heart shaped stones. The text reads: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

#Benedictine, #challenge, #Choice, #Christ, #Christlike, #discernment, #Disciples, #Discipleship, #gospel, #Hope, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #lectiodivina, #love, #newlife, #treasure, #trust Discerning treasure, new blog post on turveyabbey.org.uk/pilgrimage/2...

Day 202. Said my Our Father for our country. Every day until …
Join me. Let me know. Pass this on. If it’s not your “thing”, just be kind and let it be

It’s a call to leave the places where we feel safe and comfortable and follow him whatever challenges life presents, and to learn to respond to those challenges with love, kindness and compassion.

Where are you being called to listen to Christ in your life today?

It’s a call to listen to Jesus that requires we are open to those intense moments of transformation, but are also willing to move on from them. It’s a call not only to listen, but to respond to his words, allowing them to shape our actions and encounters.

Those times of intense encounter with God aren't places to hide in. They are places to draw courage from so that we can face the turmoil of the challenging lives & times we live in. The key to the Transfiguration is in this, spoken from the cloud: “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.”

Like Peter, when we glimpse that glory we want to stay with it. We long to be held in the shelter of God’s presence, protected from the storms & hardships of our lives. Tempting as that is it misses the point of the Transfiguration.

A rainy city street, with street lights reflected on the wet road. In the foreground there is a back view of someone in a black coat holding an umbrella. The text reads: “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.”

A 🧵for the Transfiguration. The Transfiguration is a beautiful feast. It gives us an insight into the mystery of God. It shows us how God’s glory can break through into our ordinary lives, transforming them and enabling us to see them in a new light. Yet it’s also full of challenge.

A rainy city street, with street lights reflected on the wet road. In the foreground there is a back view of someone in a black coat holding an umbrella. The text reads: “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.”

#Benedictine, #challenge, #Chosen, #Christ, #Christlike, #Glory, #gospel, #Hope, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #lectiodivina, #listen, #love, #newlife, #Transfiguration, #Transformation, #trust Transformed in Christ, new blog post on turveyabbey.org.uk/pilgrimage/?...

He challenges us to put aside our need to possess so that we can come to him vulnerable and empty handed, trusting his promise of a deeper and more secure fulfilment.

Where is Christ inviting you to come to him empty-handed today?

The parable ends when the man dies before he is able to benefit from his hoarding.

This challenges us to reflect seriously on how we view our possessions. It also offers us hope and freedom. Unlike the world Jesus values each of us for who we are, not for what we do or don’t possess.

He then tells a parable of a man responds to a better than expected harvest by pulling down his barns and building bigger ones, congratulating himself on a secure future. We all recognise that temptation. We use our possessions to make us feel secure, comfortable and in control.

Talking to his disciples in today’s gospel Jesus warns of the dangers of this view:

“Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for life is not made secure by what we own, even when we have more than we need.’”

Our society tells us that possessions are the way to a fulfilled and happy life. It promises that possessions are the road to peace, happiness and contentment. We are all too willing to surrender ourselves to this idea, though our own experiences repeatedly tell us the opposite.

Seashells being tipped from an outstretched hand onto a beach at the seashore. The text reads: “Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for life is not made secure by what we own, even when we have more than we need.’”

A 🧵on letting go of possessions. For those of us who live with more than we need today's gospel is unsettling. Having been asked to arbitrate a disputed inheritance Jesus challenges the whole principle of consumerism. He calls us to look at our possessions & how we relate to them.

Seashells being tipped from an outstretched hand onto a beach at the seashore. The text reads: “Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for life is not made secure by what we own, even when we have more than we need.’”

#Benedictine, #challenge, #Disciples, #Discipleship, #EmptyHanded, #gospel, #Hope, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #lectiodivina, #lettinggo, #love, #newlife, #Parable, #Possessions, #treasure, #trust With empty hands, new blog post on turveyabbey.org.uk/pilgrimage/?...

I'm scared of dogs...really scared...All dogs...EXCEPT GUIDE DOGS because guide dogs are so well trained and focussed on their work that they pay me no attention & don't attempt any of the things that scare me about dogs. I'm actually quite pleased when I meet them.

That would be my experience of them too.

And, in my experience, Scottish spirituality has al been rooted in one or other established church. I’m heartened by the young historians looking at early monastic life especially in Ireland. They are also wary of Celtic spirituality.

Yes. I generally am comfortable with what the Iona community does. It doesn’t present a false rural idyll and it does take account of Scotlands industrial working class roots as well. Often what gets presented as Celtic spiritually is too sentimental and not rooted enough in established Churches

He invites us to be surprised by the presence of the kingdom. He calls us to look for the signs of the kingdom not only in momentous occasions, but in the ordinary, apparently unimportant encounters of daily life. Where are you discovering the treasures of the Kingdom in your life today?

He says to the crowds: “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.” His words are a call to openness and attentiveness. He calls us to look beyond our expectations and prejudices.