A Celtic Blessing for St Patrick's Day.
Had a marvelous day at the county jail this a.m., reviewing progress with four of our "Fierce Landscape" inmates their progress, plans and response to our program. The group itself played Gospel music while I interviewed this four, Robert, Billy, Steve and Andy.
Progress reports were powerfully positive. Our program and their use of it, particularly in their own meetings every afternoon, taking leadership turns, has turned the program into a powerful spur for self-examination, sharing and healing. I felt really affirmed by all the work that has gone into this during the last 3 years, building a program, creating worksheets, recruiting volunteers, and using my experience to help develop this program. The Afro guard in FF also told me today that this program has also brought a blessing to him. When the guards report something like that l then something is working right.
Yesterday, our SGN group completed a three day retreat at Knobs Haven, Loretto, with nine of us, using the Inner Landscape audio tapes of John O'Donohue and his talks on Celtic Spirituality. The place is always an awesome place for me. I first visited as a nursing babe while Mom waited in the car while Dad made his first call as a young M.D. there in early 1930. Then I had my first sung mass as a young Benedictine priest also there. The Sisters of Loretto taught us at St. Augustine's in Lebanon, KY. Our mom often took us there for an afternoon visit to see Sister Dorothy, and later Sister Phiillippa Henderson was the 8th grade teacher whom I give much credit to, for being the first to believe in me, and within a few weeks, I would have done any thing she asked. I still remember creative projects I did.
This is a time of blessing in my life. I feel deeply and undeservedly blessed in too many ways to count. Nunc dimittis. Now You can dismiss me, Lord. My soul magnifies the Lord, My spirit rejoices in God my savior. The Magnificat is the hymn I sing and pray daily. Favorite song.
Recommended: all the writings of John O'Donohue, Anam Cara, The Inner Landscape, and Beauty.
Progress reports were powerfully positive. Our program and their use of it, particularly in their own meetings every afternoon, taking leadership turns, has turned the program into a powerful spur for self-examination, sharing and healing. I felt really affirmed by all the work that has gone into this during the last 3 years, building a program, creating worksheets, recruiting volunteers, and using my experience to help develop this program. The Afro guard in FF also told me today that this program has also brought a blessing to him. When the guards report something like that l then something is working right.
Yesterday, our SGN group completed a three day retreat at Knobs Haven, Loretto, with nine of us, using the Inner Landscape audio tapes of John O'Donohue and his talks on Celtic Spirituality. The place is always an awesome place for me. I first visited as a nursing babe while Mom waited in the car while Dad made his first call as a young M.D. there in early 1930. Then I had my first sung mass as a young Benedictine priest also there. The Sisters of Loretto taught us at St. Augustine's in Lebanon, KY. Our mom often took us there for an afternoon visit to see Sister Dorothy, and later Sister Phiillippa Henderson was the 8th grade teacher whom I give much credit to, for being the first to believe in me, and within a few weeks, I would have done any thing she asked. I still remember creative projects I did.
This is a time of blessing in my life. I feel deeply and undeservedly blessed in too many ways to count. Nunc dimittis. Now You can dismiss me, Lord. My soul magnifies the Lord, My spirit rejoices in God my savior. The Magnificat is the hymn I sing and pray daily. Favorite song.
Recommended: all the writings of John O'Donohue, Anam Cara, The Inner Landscape, and Beauty.
posted by Paschal Baute at 2:02 PM
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