Tag: joy

The Spirituality of Letting Go

Fr Richard Rohr, Center for Action and Contemplation God* asks only that you get out of God’s way and let God be God in you. – Meister Eckhart, sermon on 1 John 4:9    Father Richard describes the spiritual discipline of detachment as the practice of “letting go”:   In the larger-than-life people I have met,…

A blessing written to celebrate a birthday

Shared by permission from the author A Journey of Purpose May you be reminded today of the unique being that you are,May you appreciate all that you have been and all that you have come to be,May you know the joy of being alive on this wondrous planet,May the flowers salute you with their fragrance,May…

Smile!

A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive it, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is too poor that he cannot give it…

Who is really running the show?

In this period of growing world distress and challenges, it is good to remember that maybe Someone/Something else is pulling the strings. My dear friend Sandy Wilder of the Educare Unlearning Institute, who sends out daily the most profound and enlightening free messages anyone can receive (sign up at educare-unlearning-insights-sign-up), sent out recently this poem: …

The art of constant wonder

On awakening, bless this day, for it is already full of unseen good which your blessings will call forth; for to bless is to acknowledge the unlimited good that is embedded in the very texture of the universe and awaiting each and all. One of the greatest secrets of life is to know how to…

Understanding the power of joy

On David Hawkin’s ‘Map of Consciousness’ Joy ranks at 540. The dominant emotion is serenity and compassion. This is the inner joy that arises from every moment of existence rather than from an external source. The life view is completeness. Near death experiences have the effect of temporarily bumping people into this level.

On Silence – Jean Klein

Silence is our real nature. What we are fundamentally is only silence. Silence is free from beginning and end. It was before the beginning of all things. It is causeless. Its greatness lies in the fact that it simply is. In silence all objects have their home ground. It is the light that gives objects…

The most extraordinary spiritual affirmation of all time

At the end of one of the parables that Jesus left us, that of the Prodigal Son (Gospel of Luke), we find the most extraordinary spiritual affirmation that I have ever read in my entire life: “My child, you are always with me and all that I have is yours.” ALL that God is/has is…

Thoughts on Love and Life, excerpts from Rumi’s poems

What in your life is calling you, when all the noise is silenced, the meetings adjourned… the lists laid aside, and the wild iris blooms by itself in the dark forest… what still pulls on your soul? Our task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within…

The Gifts of a Simple Life

Fr Richard Rohr, OFM from his October 8, 2020 meditation – used by permission We can summarize the transformative gifts of a truly Franciscan simple life in these ways: When we agree to live simply, we put ourselves outside of others’ ability to buy us off, reward us falsely, or control us by money, status,…

The magic of appreciation

A few years ago, I discovered with wonder a new form of magic: expressing appreciation to others for something they had done. And modern life offers us a thousand different opportunities to manifest that magic. A small example: I live in a community that makes a special effort to decorate public places. Multicolored flowers are…

Excerpts from Footprints on the Path by Eileen Caddy

To love one another you must try to understand one another, and to understand you have to be able to communicate. Whether that communications is done in words or in silent action matters not as long as it is done in love, your heart is open and the love flows freely. Where there is love…

Am I a world citizen?

We live in an infinitely benevolent, ever loving, universe …. but a very, very strange humanly (dis)organized world! After all, a world where a tiny virus weighing a microgram can upset the world economy in a few weeks is either inhabited by a very, very clever virus…or then is really inhabited by an extremely strange group of people. So…

What do you call God?

Excerpts of an inspiring  blog by Paul C Pritchard on Thursday February 6th, 2020. Please visit the link below to read the full article. Source : https://upliftconnect.com/what-do-you-call-god-2/ Deepening My Connection with Source I don’t like the word God. There I said it. Please stay with me here. I don’t mean to offend. I am not saying I…

Abundance and Gratitude by Jack Kornfield

Note from Pierre “This is one of the most remarkable spiritual texts I have read in a long time.” Mistakenly, some people think that Buddhism condemns all desire. But there is no getting rid of desire. Instead, Buddhist psychology leads us from desire to abundance. The Indian sage Nisargadatta, one of my teachers, challenged his…

Expressing appreciation

There are many activities in our societies that seem of little significance or “unimportant,” but that is such a superficial view of things. It bears repeating that the humblest activity performed with love certainly uplifts the human race more than a high prestige or “important” job performed out of self-interest. Love is the key indispensable ingredient of true progress and the most powerful healing agent on the…

Express gratitude and generosity

How do you express your gratitude in life? Do you rise with the sun and thank the creator for this incredible planet and your wonderful life? Give thanks for the blessings you receive throughout the day? Are you attentive when you express your gratitude to those who help you and do you want to create…

The joy of service

For one who has discovered the deep, nourishing satisfaction of life lived in a spirit of service, finding opportunities of service becomes one of the joys of life. And there are so, so many such opportunities. For those who may be wondering what kind of service they may render because they have not yet made…

The Meaning of Life… and the gift of unconditional love

Excellence Reporter: Suzanne, what is the meaning of life? Suzanne Giesemann: The answer is simple:  You as a soul have temporarily taken on human form to develop your divinity. God … Spirit … the Divine is Love; therefore you are here to be the presence of Love. Love is the Force that breathes you. Love is your very essence.…

Sharing Your Happiness with Others

Your desire to be happy must include others’ happiness. When we serve others, we serve ourselves. Do not think, I will help others, think rather, I will help my own, my world, because I cannot otherwise be happy.  The law of life is designed to teach us how to live in harmony with objective Nature…

True Riches

My friend Ibrahima was a rather special man. Not many school directors in his part of the world (Mali) would decide to become peasants. But such a man was my friend. While I lived in Africa I used to go and visit him occasionally when I felt the need to get in touch with the…

A link between blessing and healing?

April 2019 blog

Blessing, in the meaning used on this site and in books* I have written on the practice of blessing, often results in healing.  A perusal of the section on healing testimonies shows that numerous healings or resolutions of “impossible” situations have occurred through this practice:  including a severe depression; very difficult relationships; being freed from…

Flowers that bring a smile

Flowers that bring a smile

Floral Angels, a charity re-purposing flower bouquets is helping to spread joy to others It was only when she read the letter from the women’s refuge that Frances Hunter fully realised the difference she and Floral Angels were making. “We had made up some posies and taken them to the refuge,” she remembers. “The letter…

No Better Place to Meet Yourself

“In the whirl and swirl of our modern world, I bless myself in my ability to step aside, stop, and enjoy the greatest gift of all:  the infinite simplicity and riches of Your Presence…. “I bless my fellow humans that they may discover the healing peace of uncluttered lives, the healing simplicity of an existence…

Our spotless innocence – unchallenged and unalterable

Our spotless innocence

By Pierre Pradervand ~ “I bless myself sincerely and joyfully for being the utterly beautiful divine creature I am, at one with the Source of infinite Love. … I bless myself as Spirit’s manifestation of glorious liberty, total freedom and unlimited innocence – and this is true of all humanity.” From my new book, 365…

A Poem on Identity

A Poem on Identity

by Doris Peel, an American poetess (Appeared in the Christian Science Monitor of Dec. 31, 1960) Daily I am His delight Daily He rejoices in His handiwork – All fresh, all bright All wrought from elemental light To be what He beholds as me. His song sung out in world this day ! His theme…

God’s Love and the Fruit Salad

God's Love and the Fruit Salad

Excerpts from Julian of Norwich One morning early, while making my fruit salad, the sentence “All is well, all is well, all is very, very well” continued playing through my mind.  I was suddenly reminded of a very beautiful booklet I read years ago, ENFOLDED IN LOVE – daily readings with Julian of Norwich. Despite…

Blessing messages read by Pierre

The Global Interfaith Compassion Challenge organized by servicespace.org included in its welcome session on September 11, 2022 a blessing from Pierre. The purpose of the 21-day event is to explore different ways to bring the timeless virtue of compassion into our lives — and to do it in concert with kindred spirits from around the globe. https://pod.servicespace.org/circle/14372/clips?id=123 The following are blessings taken…

The Purpose of Life

Paramahansa Yogananda or Paramhansa Yogananda (1893 –1952) was an Indian yogi and teacher who introduced millions of westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga . Excerpted from his writings on The Purpose of Life. Giving love to all, feeling the love of God, seeing His presence in everyone, and having but one desire…

Install LOVE on the HUMAN Computer

Program your spiritual life for a new year! Customer: I really need some help. After much consideration, I’ve decided to install LOVE. Can you guide me through the process? Tech Support: Yes, I can help you. Are you ready to proceed? Customer: Well, I’m not very technical, but I think I’m ready to install it…

Look to This Day – Ancient Sanskrit poem

“On awakening, bless this day, for it is already full of unseen good which your blessings will call forth; for to bless is to acknowledge the unlimited good that is embedded in the very texture of the universe and awaiting each and all.”  Pierre Pradervand, The Gentle Art of Blessing Look to this day for…

Have You Met St. Francis?

A mystical encounter in Tuscany. Andrew Harvey Andrew Harvey is an author, religious scholar and teacher of mystic traditions, known primarily for his nonfiction books on spiritual or mystical themes. He is the founder of the Institute for Sacred Activism and has been featured in many videos and interviews on mysticism and sacred activism. During…

Why Meditate?

As you progress in meditation, gradually you experience an ever-increasing inner peace and joy that comes from the soul. In the most exalted states, your soul realizes its complete oneness with God. This is the goal of meditation — ecstatic, superconscious, blissful divine communion, which is called samadhi. To inspire you, below is an excerpt…

The Power of Divine Love

Divine Love is the highest power of the universe. It is here within us often hidden in the deepest recesses of our heart and in the universal energy matrix. It is the energy that provided the first impulse to all Life and that opens the heart to receive abundance in all its forms.  Why is…

This Life is Joy

“The Infinite is the source of joy!” (Chandogya Upanishad 7.23) There is a mighty rushing river of deep Joy at the center of all life. Oh yes, there is also a roller-coaster ride of pleasure and pain at the surface of human experience. Yet transcending this is a Joy that is the very effervescence of…

A poem on hope, Abbé Pierre

I will continue to believe, even if everyone loses hope. I will continue to love, even if others distill hatred. I will continue to build, even if others destroy. I will continue to talk peace even in the midst of a war. I will continue to spread light, even in the midst of darkness. I…

Blessing is for everywhere, all the time

At a recent workshop on meditation given by a former Buddhist monk in the magical setting of a chalet in the Swiss Alps where I run workshops every summer, I was asked how I blessed people in the public transport system, in the street and other public spaces. I am most grateful for this question…

Five Choices that will Change your Life

From Inspire Me Today, 9 Apr 2015, by Erin Ramsey We can choose to grow habits of the mind and the heart that will guide us naturally to love and service. We can blossom through presence and good mental habits to awaken our authentic spirit. Love is the common denominator. Love is the universal energy…