As I was reading (and imagining my own boxes of books), my first thought was, "Draw nigh unto Me and I'll draw nigh unto you." I think in pictures (and thought everyone did) and I always picture myself walking towards God and being pulled by God simultaneously.
What a beautiful image, Linda. It is exactly the image Edit Stein describes with her words here. Walking towards God and being pulled also. Beautiful. Thank you.
I appreciate your readers' comments; they expand yours. I have often thought that messiness might be one indicator of right-ordered priorities, i.e. choosing to comfort the sick rather than dust the floors. There can be, however, a good deal of rationalization in this thinking.
You are so right on this, Mary. As always in life things are dialectical, both a blessing and a burden. I guess that is the same for messiness, it can inspire us and it can burden us. The Benedictines would remind us, it is all about "moderation". blessings to you.
Welcome back! I too am struggling to write recently, so there must be something in the air. Thank you for this introduction to Edith Stein, I hadn't yet heard from her and will now check out her work. What an awesome concept of grasping for and being grasped by grace. I hope Kindergarten went well for little one - and the bigger ones in your house - as I think that transition can be unexpectedly hard on the parents!
Hallo dear friend! Yes, there must be something in the air! Hope? Joy? Concerns? Too much distractions? Probably all of it. I am glad Edith Stein resonated with you. That encourages me to share more on her. There is not much translated I think. I have actually taught her in Spiritual Care. She writes so beautifully about the "spiritual person" and I love how she bridges scholarship and spirituality. Her dissertation supervisor was btw one of the most known philosophers of that time in Germany.
So good to have you back. Much needed words for me. I learned a but about Edith Stein this summer on her feast day but would love to know more. I think in the basement of my life lurks the judgment that if I were really graced-filled, grasped by grace, this basement, and the rest of the upstairs, wouldn't be such a mess. Good to hear the affirmation that grace waits in the mess.
My granddaughter started kindergarten this week, too. Fun to have her in parallel to your little one!
Donna, so good to hear from you! And thank you for sharing your honest observations on grace. Indeed! We need to lean into grace about the messy stuff in our life, be it our basement or the dark corners of our heart we have not reached yet. Grace is always there waiting!
Amen to all of this. I have lost the thread to my Substack and don’t quite know how to begin again after my hiatus. Thank you for your beautiful observations. I’m always inspired by Edith Stein. Your insights help me love her even more. May this new school year be filled with curiosity and joy.
Katie, I am so glad to hear you know about Edith Stein! That is impressive. I peaked into your substacks when reading that you lost the thread. I would love to know more about you behind your ponderings actually. Or your inspirations with Edith Stein? Or both in one? I would love to read and share that :-) But the most important: Grace is also waiting for you.
PS: I often have so high expectations about my writings and how it might all fit in into a well curated substack that I just don't start. Though my brain is writing all the time. So it was helpful to have someone say, why don't you start with the book boxes in your basement? I am humbled that it worked.
I was so happy to see your email this morning. Blessings to you and your little one as you both experience Kindergarten. What a glorious age and what wondrous learning yo will experience together!
Today I meet with a friend from church to begin ‘something new”. I hear a “Behold!”arising. We have been asked to gather women form our church and our sister parish to form a Women’s spirituality group. I’ve been a participant in many groups but never a leader. Out of the comfort zone for sure.
I thank you for the image form Edith Stein, “Faith is grasping for God. And this grasping requires being grasped: We cannot have faith without grace.”
Sue, thank you so much for your beautiful words! And thank you also for your blessings! I am delighted to hear this post resonated with the journey you are on and the wonderful new thing you are about to start. "Behold!" Sending my warm wishes your way 🙏.
I appreciated this account of your recent journey; You are good at that. You have moved from your journey in Germany, to your journey in your basement; will the next be a journey from your prefrontal lobe to an ache in your gut? Bruce
Thank you, Almut. I have been missing you. Edith Stein is one amazing woman, although I only know about her from Richard Rohr et al. And now, from your respect for her and quotes from her. Welcome back to the basement and the upstairs. And welcome to the world of school children -- and especially to the wonderful world of a kindergartener (which is probably best experienced in nature and play and music and play and books and play and family.) I know your little one is getting all of that - along with what I consider the silliness of the American educational system in K and 1. But I digress!!!
Oh, so nice to hear from you again, Carol! I am glad to add a little more about Edith Stein in a next post may be :-) Our kindergartener is happy and we are happy that we found a school which happens mainly outdoors! Blessings to you!
As I was reading (and imagining my own boxes of books), my first thought was, "Draw nigh unto Me and I'll draw nigh unto you." I think in pictures (and thought everyone did) and I always picture myself walking towards God and being pulled by God simultaneously.
What a beautiful image, Linda. It is exactly the image Edit Stein describes with her words here. Walking towards God and being pulled also. Beautiful. Thank you.
Glad to read your beautiful reflection-going down or into the messy heart of things. And to be encouraged by the rediscovery of grace. You lifted me.
Thank you so much, Marian. Glad about your words and to meet you here again :-)
"Grace, be welcome here. " Amen. This will be my mantra for today. Many thanks and blessings!
yes, indeed, Katherine, I am glad you found a mantra in my humble descent :-)
Just thanks.
Thank you, Nancy. Just saw that you know quite a bit about descending as a Jungian. Glad you are here with us :-)
I appreciate your readers' comments; they expand yours. I have often thought that messiness might be one indicator of right-ordered priorities, i.e. choosing to comfort the sick rather than dust the floors. There can be, however, a good deal of rationalization in this thinking.
You are so right on this, Mary. As always in life things are dialectical, both a blessing and a burden. I guess that is the same for messiness, it can inspire us and it can burden us. The Benedictines would remind us, it is all about "moderation". blessings to you.
Welcome back! I too am struggling to write recently, so there must be something in the air. Thank you for this introduction to Edith Stein, I hadn't yet heard from her and will now check out her work. What an awesome concept of grasping for and being grasped by grace. I hope Kindergarten went well for little one - and the bigger ones in your house - as I think that transition can be unexpectedly hard on the parents!
Hallo dear friend! Yes, there must be something in the air! Hope? Joy? Concerns? Too much distractions? Probably all of it. I am glad Edith Stein resonated with you. That encourages me to share more on her. There is not much translated I think. I have actually taught her in Spiritual Care. She writes so beautifully about the "spiritual person" and I love how she bridges scholarship and spirituality. Her dissertation supervisor was btw one of the most known philosophers of that time in Germany.
So good to have you back. Much needed words for me. I learned a but about Edith Stein this summer on her feast day but would love to know more. I think in the basement of my life lurks the judgment that if I were really graced-filled, grasped by grace, this basement, and the rest of the upstairs, wouldn't be such a mess. Good to hear the affirmation that grace waits in the mess.
My granddaughter started kindergarten this week, too. Fun to have her in parallel to your little one!
Donna
Donna, so good to hear from you! And thank you for sharing your honest observations on grace. Indeed! We need to lean into grace about the messy stuff in our life, be it our basement or the dark corners of our heart we have not reached yet. Grace is always there waiting!
PS: The kindergartener is doing well :-)
Amen to all of this. I have lost the thread to my Substack and don’t quite know how to begin again after my hiatus. Thank you for your beautiful observations. I’m always inspired by Edith Stein. Your insights help me love her even more. May this new school year be filled with curiosity and joy.
Katie, I am so glad to hear you know about Edith Stein! That is impressive. I peaked into your substacks when reading that you lost the thread. I would love to know more about you behind your ponderings actually. Or your inspirations with Edith Stein? Or both in one? I would love to read and share that :-) But the most important: Grace is also waiting for you.
PS: I often have so high expectations about my writings and how it might all fit in into a well curated substack that I just don't start. Though my brain is writing all the time. So it was helpful to have someone say, why don't you start with the book boxes in your basement? I am humbled that it worked.
I was so happy to see your email this morning. Blessings to you and your little one as you both experience Kindergarten. What a glorious age and what wondrous learning yo will experience together!
Today I meet with a friend from church to begin ‘something new”. I hear a “Behold!”arising. We have been asked to gather women form our church and our sister parish to form a Women’s spirituality group. I’ve been a participant in many groups but never a leader. Out of the comfort zone for sure.
I thank you for the image form Edith Stein, “Faith is grasping for God. And this grasping requires being grasped: We cannot have faith without grace.”
And Graceis taking part in the Divine life.”
What a great place to begin this new thing.
Thank you.
Sue, thank you so much for your beautiful words! And thank you also for your blessings! I am delighted to hear this post resonated with the journey you are on and the wonderful new thing you are about to start. "Behold!" Sending my warm wishes your way 🙏.
Happy to have Cloister Notes pop up in my Substack again. 💗
That is so great to hear, Katie. So great. Bless you 🙏.
I appreciated this account of your recent journey; You are good at that. You have moved from your journey in Germany, to your journey in your basement; will the next be a journey from your prefrontal lobe to an ache in your gut? Bruce
Ha, probably it will, Bruce. Good to have you reading along :-)
“Isn’t it humbling to see how we forget what we already know because we are too busy with other things?”
And
“Sometimes we must descend into the messiness of our life, into the unopened, dusty boxes, to find what we have always known in our hearts…”
These sentences went in my journal… deeply resonate with both of these. I’ll be returning to them in the morning. Thank you dear Almut for your words…
beautiful. So glad these words found your heart, too, Christina. Thank you for sharing 🙏
Thank you, Almut. I have been missing you. Edith Stein is one amazing woman, although I only know about her from Richard Rohr et al. And now, from your respect for her and quotes from her. Welcome back to the basement and the upstairs. And welcome to the world of school children -- and especially to the wonderful world of a kindergartener (which is probably best experienced in nature and play and music and play and books and play and family.) I know your little one is getting all of that - along with what I consider the silliness of the American educational system in K and 1. But I digress!!!
Oh, so nice to hear from you again, Carol! I am glad to add a little more about Edith Stein in a next post may be :-) Our kindergartener is happy and we are happy that we found a school which happens mainly outdoors! Blessings to you!
❤️
So glad you’re back to writing. All good wishes to the kindergartener.
Thank you so much, Mary. I am glad being back, too. PS: the kindergartener is doing well and volunteers to go to bed much earlier than usual :-)