March 9 Echoes of Eternity
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.
John 17:3
I am the Lord your God who dwells in you, nearer than breath itself. I am your life and the meaning of your life. This is life, to know Me and Jesus Christ whom I have sent. Set your affections on Me—and where I am, there you will be also. When your heart goes out for the things of this world, you reap unto yourself a harvest of deadness. I would that you have an abundant harvest of living fruit—life-bringing fruit that will bless others and glorify Me. The key is here: set your affections on Me.

A wonderful review on ##039;Vulnerable Faith##039; from Patheos Book Club.
#quot;The author acknowledges that each of us has our wounds and shame that we so deeply fear being exposed, but shows us that those same fears can be our path out of fear and toward hope and resurrection.#quot;—Wendi Matusic

Patheos Book Club: “Vulnerable Faith” by Jamie Arpin-Ricci
www.patheos.com
Each of us has our wounds and shame that we so deeply fear being exposed. So how do we still live in community?

This is the third installment of NPR##039;s series #quot;Inside Alzheimer##039;s#quot;, about Greg O##039;Brien##039;s experience of living with the illness. This time we hear from Greg##039;s wife, Mary Catherine:
http://n.pr/1CO5CmB

Timeline Photos
#quot;I don##039;t get angry anymore. I did, at the beginning…. But what are you going to do?#quot;
– Mary Catherine O##039;Brien

This is the third installment of NPR##039;s series #quot;Inside Alzheimer##039;s#quot;, about Greg O##039;Brien##039;s experience of living with the illness. This time we hear from Greg##039;s wife, Mary Catherine:
http://n.pr/1CO5CmB

Gregorian Chant: The Eternal Song http://www.communityofjesus.org/?p=4442329

Gregorian Chant: The Eternal Song | The Community of Jesus
www.communityofjesus.org
By Cantor Lent III: Sounds from Advent and Pentecost! The Sunday introit for the third week of Lent, Oculi mei semper ad Dominum (I will my eyes always to the Lord) has audible connection to the introit for the 2nd Sunday of Advent (O People of Zion) and the Communion (There came a mighty sound ) for Pentecost. [ 152 more words. ]

By Cantor

Lent III: Sounds from Advent and Pentecost!

The Sunday introit for the third week of Lent, Oculi mei semper ad Dominum (I will my eyes always to the Lord) has audible connection to the introit for the 2nd Sunday of Advent (O People of Zion) and the Communion (There came a mighty sound ) for Pentecost.

During this past Advent, we looked at several pieces whose incipits (opening motives) could be likened to a trumpet call. It is a unique sound in the chant repertoire and immediately demands your attention. Further, we looked at how this motive often appeared in chants speaking of the kingship of God.

Advent, Lent, and Pentecost are all seasons of waiting — waiting for the appearance of the Lord, waiting for His action of Resurrection upon our lives, and waiting for the arrival of the Holy Spirit.  Each of these chants speaks of waiting with excitement and expectation. With just a few notes at the opening of these chants, they remind us that we are not waiting on just anything but on God himself, coming to us in so many different ways.

Image credit:  Gregorian Chant –
Elaborate initial with a face [IM-10068 …cepuckett.com

March 8 Echoes of Eternity
In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
Isaiah 4:2
This, My child, is My promise to you—if you obey My voice and walk in the paths I lay out for you. My will is life—not darkness and death. You can still bring forth fruit unto My praise. Only redeem the time! Do not fritter away these precious days as though they will last forever. Claim the grace I offer and bear fruit for eternity.

A Word:
She said God. He seems to be there
when I call on Him but calling
has been difficult too. Painful.

And as she quieted to find
another word, I was delivered
once more to my own long grappling

with that very angle here–still
here–at the base of the ancient
ladder of ascent, in foul dust

languishing yet at the very
bottom rung, letting go my grip
long before the blessing.
–Scott Cairns from ##039;Idiot Psalms##039;

Any Day Now http://www.communityofjesus.org/?p=4442326

Any Day Now | The Community of Jesus
www.communityofjesus.org
By Sr. Nun Other I portray myself as a negative person. But I##039;m realizing that in the midst of my negativity, I nurture a constant ember of hope. It remains there, uncrushable and available, with the capacity to eradicate all gloomy inclinations. So I look at crusty, misshapen snow sculptures, bury my feet in frozen slush, stare out dirty windows and think, #quot;Any day now.#quot; A bird will sing, a crocus will emerge, we##039;ll wash the windows and I##039;ll smile, because God is in charge.

By Sr. Nun Other

I portray myself as a negative person. But I’m realizing that in the midst of my negativity, I nurture a constant ember of hope. It remains there, uncrushable and available, with the capacity to eradicate all gloomy inclinations. So I look at crusty, misshapen snow sculptures, bury my feet in frozen slush, stare out dirty windows and think, “Any day now.” A bird will sing, a crocus will emerge, we’ll wash the windows and I’ll smile, because God is in charge. Any day now. He’ll throw a handful of spring in His recipe, then pour it our direction.

March 7 Echoes of Eternity
Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Jeremiah 31:3
From My mouth My Word goes forth to bring life to the world. This world which I created, I created in love. It is still My world. My love is eternal. My love is infinite. My love is life-giving. My Word is My love. Hear My Word and live. Receive My Word and give. Give up the ways of death that life may blossom forth in all its abundance. Do you not see? Life for death. That is what My love offers—not
once for all, but a daily, moment by moment exchange: My life for your death. My way for your way. This is what My love offers My world—and you, My child.

This Lent, push the pause button and revel in The Word.
25% OFF ##039;Sacred Pause: A Creative Retreat for the Word-weary Christian##039; through Monday.

Sacred Pause: A Creative Retreat for the Word-weary Christian
www.paracletepress.com
Sacred Pause: A Creative Retreat for the Word-weary Christian – Our lives are full of words. We rarely pause to attend to them, much less take time for personal retreat. This book encourages you to …

Timeline Photos
Gloriae Dei Cantores presents choral chamber concerts with music of the early Renaissance and Poulenc, March 6 #amp; 7 in Orleans.
We invite you to join us at 7:30pm!

#quot;Truly golden sound and beautifully nuanced singing.#quot;
AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE

#quot;Scripture is a sacrament of this Word, but the Word also reaches us through our interactions with others and through the events of our lives, which we are also called to read, listen to, reflect on, and interpret. Through our meditation, we give meaning to the events of our daily lives, we discern the presence and Word of God in the work, and in history, and we become capable of living in conformity with the Word.#quot; —Enzo Bianchi, author of our new book on Lectio Divina

March 6 Echoes of Eternity
Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them.
Matthew 7:17,20
The tree does not know how the fruit is made or what its end will be. Its task is to be and to send its roots deep into the soil. So with you, My child. It is not your care to be concerned about what will become of the “fruit” of your life. Keep sending the roots into the fertile soil of My Word, and into the living water of My Spirit. The fruit will be good and it will bless others. That is all you need to know—or can afford to know.

Bestselling Lent eBook Sale – 2.99 on paracletepress.com and Amazon – Scot McKnight, Jon Sweeney, Scott Cairns, Frederica Mathewes-Green, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Jana Reiss, Jack Levison, Fr. Alexander Men and others:
http://www.paracletepress.com/ebook-sale.html

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st_price-asc-rank?keywords=paraclete+press#amp;qid=1425519496#amp;rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3Aparaclete+press#amp;sort=price-asc-rank

Ebook Sale
www.paracletepress.com
Ebook Sale …

New Release! Vulnerable Faith: Missional Living in the Radical Way of St. Patrick
#quot;Gently and yet provocatively, Jamie Arpin-Ricci uses the life and teaching of St Patrick to show us that it is only through accepting our common weakness, our brokenness and our unequivocal need for grace that we can find the opportunity for fullness of life and true freedom.#quot; —Michael Frost, author of Incarnate

VULNERABLE FAITH – Book Trailer

This is #quot;VULNERABLE FAITH – Book Trailer#quot; by RebelSkyMedia on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

You##039;ve heard of Lectio Divina—Now##039;s a good time to try it.
25% OFF Through Monday.
“We need lectio divina today more than ever…” —from the Introduction http://www.paracletepress.com/lectio-divina-from-gods-word-to-our-lives.html

March 5 Echoes of Eternity
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:16
Quench not the Spirit when He prays within you. Remember, My child, that He searches all things and makes intercession according to My will. You do not know the extent of your need or the needs of others. Your prayers still lack the intensity of importunity. But the Spirit knows and bears your burden, waiting for you to comprehend. So do not despise My provisions for your welfare and for the welfare of those for whom you pray. Trust the Spirit’s interceding cry, and do not quench His gift to you.

Pieces of Lent http://www.communityofjesus.org/?p=4425507

Pieces of Lent | The Community of Jesus
www.communityofjesus.org
By Melodious Monk This year, Jesus again walks with us on our Lenten journey. As we go, I want to try and find new delights of God that I can gather together and take into springtime, with the hopes of understanding a few more aspects of the love of God. Here are a few nuggets I picked up this week from French writer Leon Bloy. [ 237 more words. ]

By Melodious Monk

This year, Jesus again walks with us on our Lenten journey.  As we go, I want to try and find new delights of God that I can gather together and take into springtime, with the hopes of understanding a few more aspects of the love of God.  Here are a few nuggets I picked up this week from French writer Leon Bloy.

Freedom is nothing but this: the respect God has for us…

If [God] desires to have us, he must seduce us, for if his Majesty does not please us, we can throw it from our presence, buffet it, scourge it, and crucify it to the applause of the vilest rabble. God will not defend himself with power, but only with his patience and his beauty….

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.  (Rev. 3:20)

Suffering! Here then is the key word! Here the solution for every human life on earth! The springboard for every superiority, the sieve for every merit, the infallible criterion for every moral beauty! People absolutely refuse to understand that suffering is needful…Suffering is necessary. It is the backbone, the very essence of moral life. Love is recognized by this sign, and when this sign is lacking, love is but a prostitution of strength or of beauty. I say that someone loves me when that someone consents to suffer through or for me…

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

There is but one sorrow, and that is to have lost the Garden of Delights, and there is but one hope and one desire, to recover it.

#quot;I cannot say how much this book was a blessing that points myself and others towards God and others in forgiveness. This book will surely challenge you to see forgiveness through the lens of God’s love and move you toward a life of forgiveness.#quot;
—Spencer Cummins
http://spencerdeancummins.blogspot.com/2015/02/freedom-and-forgiveness.html

#quot;I highly recommend ##039;God for Us##039;, and it would make a beautiful and inspiring gift. For anyone interested in deepening their experience of God in the Christian tradition, this book is not to be missed.#quot;—Lisa Rand

God for us: Rediscovering the meaning of Lent #amp; Easter
lighttoreadby.wordpress.com
Searching for Lenten books at my library, I found a beautiful collection of readings from Paraclete Press, God for Us: Rediscovering the meaning of Lent and Easter. The season of Lent can be a nour…

March 4 Echoes of Eternity
Ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawns and the daystar arise in your hearts.
II Peter 1:19
I move through the thickets of your thoughts, a ray of light and truth for your soul. Your thoughts weave a thicket of darkness— twisted, tangled, leading nowhere. My light and My truth lead you outward and onward. Do not drag the thicket with you. I will help you cut loose from the old patterns of desire and ambition. Believe
Me, My child, it can happen if you are willing. But it must be sought and desired. Look for the light shining through the thicket and follow where it leads.

Merton and Waugh: A Monk, A Crusty Old Man, and The Seven Storey Mountain

Thank-you to Paraclete Press for sharing Merton and Waugh: A Monk, A Crusty Old Man, and The Seven Storey Mountain (2015) with the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN)! In an age of virtual friendships, Ma

March 3 Echoes of Eternity
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Matthew 5:7
Have mercy, My child, on those who have offended you. Remember how many times you have offended Me. My way is not the grudge-bearing way, but the forgiving way. I have called you in righteousness to walk a holy way—a way that leads to life abundant, full and free. That is the prize I call you to seek. Seek it with all your heart and pay any price it may demand. Do not hate the instruments I choose to crucify your pride. Pride is the enemy—not the poor human who has offended.

March 2 Echoes of Eternity
For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
Ephesians 5:9
Stand in truth. Seek the truth and pursue it. Flee from fantasies and falsehoods; the “icing” on the cake of deceit. Truth often cuts, sometimes wounds, but only to heal. Do not fear the truth. Stand in it boldly. Speak it courageously, even when it threatens a false peace. Know that I, the Lord, am the God of truth. Know that I, the Son of God, am the Truth embodied in a human life. Respect the truth, nay, reverence and honor it—for the truth brings life.

March 2 Echoes of Eternity
For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
Ephesians 5:9
Stand in truth. Seek the truth and pursue it. Flee from fantasies and falsehoods; the “icing” on the cake of deceit. Truth often cuts, sometimes wounds, but only to heal. Do not fear the truth. Stand in it boldly. Speak it courageously, even when it threatens a false peace. Know that I, the Lord, am the God of truth. Know that I, the Son of God, am the Truth embodied in a human life. Respect the truth, nay, reverence and honor it—for the truth brings life.

Paraclete Poetry is dedicated to the notion that great poems are for everyone and their themes are universal. Poetry allows us to linger with language and explore light and darkness. Great poems permit us to wander, to linger, to grow—in ways that other writing does not. It has been this way since the Bible was written. King David wrote poems about every emotion imaginable, and the prophets wrote in poetic form because they knew they had a truth too deep for prose. So, too, Paraclete Poetry is dedicated to the idea that verse is one of the best ways to explore spiritual meaning, to help all of us find our way home.

Join the Paraclete Poetry Facebook group by clicking here. We invite you to share, post and interact!

Paraclete Poetry

• #quot;Paraclete continues to issue carefully selected books of poetry. . . they have modestly put themselves into the front ranks of poetry publishers in America.#quot;
  — Ray Olson, former poetry editor, ALA B…
• 6 members

Paraclete Poetry is dedicated to the notion that great poems are for everyone and their themes are universal. Poetry allows us to linger with language and explore light and darkness. Great poems permit us to wander, to linger, to grow—in ways that other writing does not. It has been this way since the Bible was written. King David wrote poems about every emotion imaginable, and the prophets wrote in poetic form because they knew they had a truth too deep for prose. So, too, Paraclete Poetry is dedicated to the idea that verse is one of the best ways to explore spiritual meaning, to help all of us find our way home.

Join the Paraclete Poetry Facebook group by clicking here. We invite you to share, post and interact!

Paraclete Poetry

• #quot;Paraclete continues to issue carefully selected books of poetry. . . they have modestly put themselves into the front ranks of poetry publishers in America.#quot;
  — Ray Olson, former poetry editor, ALA B…
• 6 members

An insightful book review on The Grace of Incorruption, by Donald Sheehan from the Orthodox Arts Journal. http://www.orthodoxartsjournal.org/donald-sheehan-grace-incorruption-book-review/

An insightful book review on The Grace of Incorruption, by Donald Sheehan from the Orthodox Arts Journal. http://www.orthodoxartsjournal.org/donald-sheehan-grace-incorruption-book-review/

Gregorian Chant: The Eternal Song http://www.communityofjesus.org/?p=4401963

Gregorian Chant: The Eternal Song | The Community of Jesus
www.communityofjesus.org
By Cantor Lent##039;s Return Last Friday, I ran to the service of Lauds, leaving the house a little later than usual and feeling disturbed about something that I couldn##039;t shake. I wanted to just #quot;wall off#quot; for a few minutes while I went to the service, but the thought went through my head: “Don’t harden your heart.” I threw on my robe, checked the page numbers in my service book, and hoped I wouldn##039;t be late. [ 192 more words. ]

Gregorian Chant: The Eternal Song http://www.communityofjesus.org/?p=4401963

Gregorian Chant: The Eternal Song | The Community of Jesus
www.communityofjesus.org
By Cantor Lent##039;s Return Last Friday, I ran to the service of Lauds, leaving the house a little later than usual and feeling disturbed about something that I couldn##039;t shake. I wanted to just #quot;wall off#quot; for a few minutes while I went to the service, but the thought went through my head: “Don’t harden your heart.” I threw on my robe, checked the page numbers in my service book, and hoped I wouldn##039;t be late. [ 192 more words. ]

By Cantor

Lent’s Return

Last Friday, I ran to the service of Lauds, leaving the house a little later than usual and feeling disturbed about something that I couldn’t shake. I wanted to just “wall off” for a few minutes while I went to the service, but the thought went through my head: “Don’t harden your heart.”

I threw on my robe, checked the page numbers in my service book, and hoped I wouldn’t be late. As I sat down, the words of the opening antiphon leapt off the page: “If today you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” The tune started, and I found my spirit lifting.

This particular antiphon is chanted every weekday at Lauds during Lent, giving us this message every day. What amazed me was that as I saw, and heard, this antiphon again for the first time this year, it was like hearing the voice of an old friend say my name after not having seen him for many months. There was no condemnation, but rather a hopeful sound that I would welcome again in my own ears and heart.

This is one of the most beautiful aspects of chant — its return! In the annual repetition of this antiphon, it has become part of my own spiritual life. This can be and is true for any chant learned, repeated, and savored — it will become part of you in unexpected ways and unimagined moments — even when running late to a service!

Image credit:Gregorian Institute of Canada: News
www.gregorian.ca1526 × 2291

March 1 Echoes of Eternity
Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.
Psalm 17:8
My child, My child, why do you doubt My love? It grieves My heart for you to question the ways of My Providence. Have I not been with you in every dark place? Has there ever been an end to My amazing grace? Trust then; the future is all in My hands. The wind and the waves still obey My commands. Nothing shall touch you but by My permission. Relax and be still: that is My commission.

The Soul##039;s Permanence:
I##039;m asking. If the soul—the breath
of God—has suffered by its being
both a heavenly and an earthly
element (as, say, a light might be
concealed in a cave), it remains
in any case divine, immortal.
—Scott Cairns