Monday, July 27, 2015

Dear God,

A day of grateful reflection, today was a day of grateful reflection.  I spent most of the day in bed resting, remembering, and reflecting upon the last ten days.  I let my mind wander and recall whatever it wanted to bring to me.  It seemed every vision brought a prayer of thanksgiving.

I remembered our week-long retreat.  My, oh, my, how your spirit moved us!  The spiritual center was a haven of loving spirituality.  The sisters' hospitality, their faith, and their kindness provided such a marvelous breeding ground for faith.  Each morning to awaken to a profound silence was an incredible gift.  Then to dance at the water's edge or to walk down the beach in the fog or to just sit and look out the window at the ocean waves as they broke and fell upon shore made a beautiful beginning to every new day.  Eating delicious food prepared by loving hands made us feel as if we were sitting at your table, dining with committed disciples.  Mass directed us to our loving master, creator, teacher, comforter, and friend.  At the end we walked out with a question lurking in our souls, causing us to think about faith and how we live it.  All through the day, each day we encountered holy moments with you.  As we crawled into our beds at night, we were so full of your living presence, loving us to the core.

I thought about the inspiring choir retreat on Saturday and the glorious worship yesterday and I was filled to the brim with the oil of gladness.  I breathed my many prayers of gratitude and offered up my deep appreciation for faith and all its benefits and responsibilities.  I thought of you and could think of no other.

Most Holy God,
to you
we owe
all our devotion
and love.
Thank you
for our retreat,
its insights
and inspirations.
Thank you
for our choir
and our desire
to sing together
for you.
Thank you
for worship
where we bring
all we have
and return it
to you.

Love always, Andrea