A Spiritual Bouquet

    A bouquet is an arrangement of flowers that are given as a gift.  A spiritual bouquet is a collection of prayers, masses, rosaries or good works that are carried out for the intention of another.  Though traditionally a Roman Catholic devotion,  the idea could be used by any religious tradition.  It is a meaningful and very personal gift.
     In the book, 365 Mary by Woodeene Koenig-Bricker, the author states, " Unlike the old fashioned spiritual bouquet, yours doesn't have to consist of Rosaries or set prayers.  Instead, you could wish someone happiness every time you think of them this week. Or you could vow to remember them with positive thoughts every morning when you brush your teeth."   The possibilities are infinite.  Be creative.  Here's how to get started.
     The bouquet is usually presented as a card, though I have seen bouquets made by children that use colorful, huge posters.  With card stock as you base material, you can draw flowers, print out pictures or photos, or even make a collage.  Include a list of the devotions you will undertake or have already finished for the recipient.  For example, the inside of your card could look something like this:

A Spiritual Bouquet For You

1 Mass
3 rosaries
5 days of prayer upon arising or even brushing teeth
or even I will pray for your highest good when I am cooking or washing the dishes

     The devotions do not have to be complicated and the list does not have to be long.  It is the thoughts and intention that are important.  Things are temporary, but relationships and love defy even death.  If you know someone who has a big birthday or anniversary coming up, consider giving them a spiritual bouquet.    As Kahlil Gibran noted in his work The Prophet, "  You give little when you give of your possessions.  It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."   He goes on to say  "there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;  They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space."  I believe a spiritual bouquet is a wonderful simile for true giving.  Be like the myrtle; give an unseen, but deeply felt gift.
    

A Community of Believers

     Webster's defines community as" A population of people living in the same place and under the same laws."  Religion is defined as "the service and worship of God or the supernatural."  Herein lies my quandary:  Can one have community without organized religion?  I think you can.
      Many good works and many vile acts have been committed in the name of religion.  This isn't God's fault.  It is the result of human nature and free will.  In every moment of your life you are free to choose your response and your actions.  You are free to be an atheist or agnostic if you so choose.  History has shown us that power and greed warp human nature.  We can look back to the crusades and shrink with horror at the things done in the Lord's name.  Roman Catholics slaughtered  Muslims AND Eastern Christians.  The shameful degradation of holy places and wholesale murder of innocents is sickening.  Yet, this kind of behavior is still committed by many faiths today.
       Growing up Catholic in the deep South I was asked why I worship statues.  This came as a great surprise to me;  I saw statues as a visual aid and nothing more.  I had Baptists telling me I could still go to heaven as long  as  I "don't say that Hail Mary prayer."  The list goes on and I am confident that my Catholic brethren have equally offended other Christians.
       Some Catholics are offended by the very ideas contained in the book, Angels  and Demons.  They have every right not to read it or to read it and reject it.  For me it is a book that gave me food for thought.  Ideas are not frightening; Not thinking and making your own choices is frightening.
       When I reflect on organized religion, I find myself torn.  I love the rituals and ceremony of the church.  I like the rosary.  I love the symbolism of lighting candles for loved ones or for an intention.  However, I bristle at being told how to vote from the pulpit.   I think women should be priests if they hear the call.  I disagree with the Church's view on contraception. I do not think contraception and abortion are one and the same.
     In the end, I have learned to form my own community of believers who may call the Divine different things.  My  circle includes all believers in the One.  It would be simpler if I believed one set of tenets, but I DO believe in One Divine creator who defies definition and description.  Hinduism is not, as many believe, polytheistic.  There is one Divine that has many facets, much like the faces of a diamond.  This is a good metaphor for how I see the Divine.  It is so vast, so beyond our comprehension, that we have come up with various ways of describing it.  So I see myself as part of a worshiping community that goes beyond walls and culture to embrace the Light.  In yoga, the practice is begun and ended with the word, "Namaste", "the Light in me greets the Light in you."  Call the light by whatever name you will, when we pray, I believe our voices are joined. Namaste.

Why Mary Magdalene Should Be My BFF

     One of the things I admire about Jesus is that he is the way for anyone who chooses to approach Him.  The Bible tells countless stories of Jesus dining with tax collectors, the sick and lame and women of questionable reputation.  When an adulterous woman  was brought before Jesus, He said "Let you who is without sin cast the first stone."  This made an impact on the crowd.  Moments before they were self-righteous and ready to stone her.  After His comments, the crowd dispersed. Jesus told the woman to go and to sin no more.
      The story of Mary Magdalene is one that is open to debate.  Was she a prostitute?  Or was she an independent woman that did not fit the culture of her time?  I honestly don't know. The answer did not matter to Jesus;  he welcomed her into His circle.  He saw her as a soul on a journey
      When I think of Easter Sunday, I think of the miracle of the resurrection and I can't help but notice that it was Mary Magdalene who first saw the risen Lord.  That's right.  Mary Magdalene, a woman of questionable reputation, was the first to see the risen Lord.  For me, this is no accident.  Jesus message is  for all people. I am touched and humbled that Jesus chose Mary Magdalene as among the first to see Him.  For me, it speaks volumes about Jesus' message.
       Jesus was not interested in beautiful Easter dresses and fancy Easter bonnets.  He was not captivated by fame or connection.  Jesus was interested in  faith and love.  In Matthew 9:12, Jesus says," It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  But go and learn what this means:  I desire mercy, not sacrifice."    Just as He showed mercy, we are called to show mercy.  We are called to leave judgement to God.  None of us is perfect. None of us is without sin.   Because of our own imperfections, we are called to compassion.
     The concept of compassion is a common thread among the world's religions.  Buddhism has a strand of meditations specifically centered around loving kindness and compassion.  This type of meditation can be visualized as concentric circles.  You picture yourself in the middle.  You begin at the outer circle and picture an acquaintance.  You pray that they have peace, mercy and compassion.  You move inward praying peace, mercy and compassion for those you know AND those you know that are difficult for you.  Slowly you work your way  toward those in your inner circle and then yourself, concluding with "May I have peace, mercy and compassion" and finally, "May all sentient beings have peace, mercy and compassion."  
      Jesus gave two commands that echo these ideas on compassion:  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."  and "Love your neighbor as yourself."  I think the second command is often tougher to follow.  We are not called to be self righteous.  We are not called to look down on others.  We are called to radical, other worldly love.  

Holy Week Memories

      Holy Week brings to mind many childhood memories.  I think back to the Holy Week I spent with my grandparents when I was 12.  My grandparents were hardworking,  devoted believers who had immigrated from Czechoslovakia.  Their earthly world was insular; it  revolved around church and family.  However, their spiritual world seemed vast and just as real.  The impact of  mystery on a child's soul and mind is hard to quantify.   I grew up believing that some things are accepted on faith.
       Their Church, St Nicholas of Myra, was a Byzantine Rite Catholic church.  The church was a glorious collage of icons, rich colors and stained glass.  When I think of it, I can smell the incense and I can hear my grandmother chanting the rosary in Slovak.
      Holy Week  meant baking, lots of baking.  I helped my grandma make the Pascha, or Easter bread.  We made cheese and decorated it with a cross made of cloves, we dyed red eggs and we shaped butter in glass dishes.  All of these delicacies were blessed by the priest on Holy Saturday.  The blessed food was then eaten for a late snack on Saturday or breakfast on Easter Sunday. 
       Holy Week meant lots of Mass and lots of rituals.   Good Friday was a day of strict fasting, no dairy and no meat.  Good Friday was a somber day for technology too.  There was no radio and no television.  I got snagged for watching cartoons at a friends house one year. Oops!
       One of my most vivid memories about Easter Sunday is my Grandpa saying grace.  On Easter Sunday, you all stand to say grace.  I was impressed by the solemnity and the sense of honor in this simple gesture.  Another custom involves the greeting of the day.  People say, "Christ has Risen."  Then the other person responds, "Indeed He is risen."  These gestures weave the core message of Easter into the fabric of the day.  This puts me in the mind of an Easter card display I saw.  There were dividers for the cards and they said "niece", "husband", "grandma" "clergy" etc and wait for it..."religious".  It is a religious holiday.  I have nothing against spring, but Easter IS a religious holiday.   
       Easter is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.  When I say I am a Christian, it doesn't mean that attend a certain church and have certain friends and can remember certain scriptures.  It means that I am a follower of Jesus Christ.  It means that I believe He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  It means that I am called to love my enemies, care for the poor and forgive others as I would like to be forgiven.  Jesus is inclusive. His circle is one where there is always a seat for someone new.   During His lifetime, He ate with tax collectors, prostitutes and the unclean.  As the Christian rock song says "Jesus paid much too high a price for us to pick and choose who can come.  We are the body of Christ."  
       During this Holy Week, I reflect on the foundations of my faith with gratitude.  I also understand that being a Christian is a practice,  not a static label.  I pray that this week refreshes my faith and opens my heart to God's grace.  It is this  grace and mercy, so clear on Easter Sunday,  that will enable me to continue my Christian practice.  I pray that God blesses all of you.  May you have peace in your heart and enjoy a connection with the Divine.  Have a blessed Holy Week.