New sight, new eyes

I heard today that Michelangelo was roundly criticized when his Pieta was unveiled.  "Mary is too young, too beautiful, and too calm" said the naysayers. 

The artist replied that they were right, but it had been his intention.  He wanted, artistically, to demonstrate the Mary's faith and trust in God even at the end of the very worst day of her life.  And, Michelangelo continued,  he hoped to remind every person who ever viewed his work,  that they, also, could  trust God's love and goodness no matter what life brought their way.

For me, at least, works of art as famous as this one can become cliches.  I've seen it so many times I don't really look at it any more. 

More the pity! 

This story has given me new eyes not only for the Pieta but also into the life of faith.

Changing colors

Fall has finally arrived.   With the cooler breeze blowing through my hair, walking is pure joy. 

The summer's drought has many leaves turning brown and dropping already.  To my eyes, more trees look stressed or dying this year.

I hear distress from my neighbors in small comments that reflect anxiety about our nation's current economic problems.  I know some who're unemployed, some who've lost their homes to foreclosure, and many who are actively preparing for a future they fear.  One person, nearing retirement, said to me last week:  "I'm going to working till I die just to survive."

These realities and fears feel like a drought of hope.

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for a future full of hope.  Jeremiah 29:11

The universe -- an accident????

An accident?

I just read on Yahoo News that Stephen Hawking recently wrote

Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist."

It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."

I hope the author of the piece has edited Hawking inappropriately. His conclusion begs the question (and I find it difficult to believe Hawking doesn't address it himself): Where did gravity come from (not to mention all the other natural laws which govern not only the earth but the universe)?

Today is the feast of St. Gregory the Great. He said:

Read the Scriptures and know God's mind.

In the eye of the storm

Hurricane Earl, bearing down on the east  coast, fills the airwaves today.  Millions of lives disrupted as they prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

How fortunate to have the benefit of advanced warning.  Despite interuption and inconvenience, we in the first world have the grace, which those in the developing world do not,  of prior warning.  Technology provides time to prepare and to avoid nature's fury, if one chooses.

Through the scriptures, church, faith, and sacred tradition God provides an early warning system for preparing to weather the storms of  our spirits.  Ignored them, ridiculed them (and those who heeded them), denied them, and finally named 'my own truth' based on my intelligence and education -- I've done it all at one time or another.


I've traveled many roads to at last surrender and say, "Jesus, I trust in you."  Implicit is a decision to do my best to obey, simply obey.  No excuses, no rationalization.  (Two things I'm quite accomplished at.)

By the light of the silvery moon...

It's still dark now when I get up with the dogs at 6 or so.  The last few mornings the moon has been up.  It's waning now, but it was full and so bright it shone through our skylight like a spotlight.  Luminous against the clear sky, I wanted to stay out until it set, which isn't very long at all at that time of the morning. It seemed as if I turned my eyes away just briefly and it was out of sight.  I wanted to hold on, but the moon had its own plans for the morning.

Carpe diem.

The eyes have it

For the first time in 6 weeks, I'm able to put my contacts in.  They make all the difference not only in my sight, but in eye comfort.  Even though I've had them in almost 2 hours this first day, my eyes feel better than without.  What joy the seemingly small things  -- the abilities we take for granted (like seeing without pain) -- bring.  Reminds me to live gratefully.

Which reminds me of Alexander McCall Smith's "The Art of Gratitude".  It's a very gentle mystery with philosopher-sleuth Isabel Dalhousie at center stage.  I really liked it and its' premise that people are not simple and are rarely what we think.  Rings true to me.

I'm also reading G.K. Chesterton's "The Man Who Was Thursday."  My only familiarity with Chesterton was the Father Brown mysteries -- delightful reading.  I'm discovering that Chesterton was quite a man of letters and quite politically astute.  Thursday is one of 7 Brits (named for the days of the week) planning anarchy against France.  Will they succeed?    My edition is annotated and good thing, it's challenging reading but with the notes quite a romp through philosophy, British history, the geography of London, and the politics of anarchy and the absurd.

Sight restored to the blind

Since my last entry, I've struggled with a viral eye infection, which is just about healed. I've listened to quite a few books on cd while stuck at home; the funniest of the lot was "Ladies of the Lake".

The infection came on the heels of a visit to Louisville to celebrate my Mom's 80th' birthday. I enjoyed the time with my family and was incredibly glad I had that memory to tide me through recovery.

The drive from Virginia to Kentucky offers beautiful mountain vistas. What a treat!