Speaking of Spirit

Beginning tomorrow Christians around the world will observe 40 days of reflections, sacrifice and prayer. This is the holy season of Lent - the time prior to the Feast of Easter.  Traditionally, followers would give something up for Lent - candy, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. Over the years, what I have found is that "giving something up" isn't always what one would hope it would be. In addition, when people fail at their attempt to give up, they feel bad about themselves, which truly defeats the purpose of nurturing our spirits. Long ago, I began a tradition of "giving" during Lent.  Rather than looking at the cup half empty and giving up candy or something, I decided to be positive, to give to others - random acts of kindness. For example,  instead of buying that candy bar, one could put the money into a friend's pocket when he/she wasn't looking.  When my girls were young, we took the money spent on pizza and gave flowers anonymously to people in...

(c) 2015 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas The message isn't new. Each year around this time, we are reminded that life continues, that nature renews itself. We see it in the first sprouts of spring, we hear it in the joyous birdsong of mating season, we smell it in the vernal rains that fall on fields near and far. But why do we need to be reminded? I believe that after the harshness of winter - the cold, the dark, the incessant chill - we need to be, in a sense, resurrected. We need to leave the tombs of our homes where we have hunkered down for the long winter months and step out into the light of spring's rebirth. We begin to see friends and neighbors once more, renewing old friendships or birthing new ones.  Around the world, this is the time of year that Christians celebrate Easter or Paschal Sunday. The promise of this Holy Day is new life. The Resurrection, followers believe, is the symbol of the rebirth of the soul. Just as buds return to the apparently dead branches ...

If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,  And from thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left,  Sell one, and with the dole  Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul. by Saadi of Shiraz Many years ago, my mother taught me this poem, which is filled with such great wisdom.  The poet, Saadi, was a Persian medieval scholar.  Each Easter, I buy hyacinths for the house, transplanting them into the garden once they go by. Why? Because, after a long, cold and difficult winter, my soul needs the beauty they provide.  Their scent, the gorgeous, rich purple blooms, the delicate shape of each flower does more to wash away the doldrums than all the medicine in the world! So, as the Easter morning sun rises on the first day of April, may you find something beautiful that will feed your soul.  Blessings of Light, Healing and Renewal!

Photo (c) 2017 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas May the Light that comes to all on this new day fill us with hope, heal our wounds, bringing us Peace and Love. Blessings to all!

Easter Sunday around the world is a day of remembrance, rebirth, and rejoicing.  In celebrating the risen Jesus, Christians are also remembering his call to the New/Old Commandment - Love One Another - a tenant held by all world religions.   Love One Another!  If we meditate on these three words, live by these three words, we can change the world.   Love One Another - today, tomorrow and all the days to come.  A simple three word command.  A simple act of faith.  A simple way to give true glory and praise. Love One Another!

Christians around the world will begin observance of the holiest of weeks in the Christian calendar - Holy Week .  Like many of our feasts, some of the history of Holy Week has been forgotten, as have the rites and rituals observed.  Why do people get palms on Palm Sunday?  What is Maundy Thursday all about?  Why do the symbols of lambs, eggs and flowers surround Easter? Historically, Holy Week or Easter Week as some call it, is the remembrance of the time that Jesus of Nazareth joined with his disciples to celebrate the Jewish feast of Passover, was arrested, tried and executed.  This week culminates in the holiest of holy days, Easter - the day of the resurrection of Jesus. Symbolically, Holy Week is filled with imagery, the meaning of which has been forgotten by many.  Palms have long been a symbol of life, rebirth or resurrection. They are used on Palm Sunday as foreshadowing for Easter Sunday. Maundy Thursday gets its name from the new comma...

March is a busy time for Interfaith Observances and Celebrations .  Beginning with the Welsh feast, St. David's Day on the 1st and ending with the most important feast for the Jain, Mahavir Jayanti on the 30th, many of the feasts remembered during March center around sacrifice, renewal/rebirth and growth , which are full of symbolism. Symbols are an important part of many traditions. Rabbits, pussy-willows, baby animals, spring flowers, and eggs are just some of the spring images that have traveled through time and across cultures , reminding us of the cycles of life. If you're Irish and American, you might be celebrating St. Patrick's Day on M ar ch 17th by wearing green, eating corned beef, cabbage and potatoes and singing the songs your mother taught you long ago. Green is symbolic of life as well as one of the colors associated with the Irish flag. For most folks in Ireland, however, the day is a religious observance of St. Patrick one of the three pa...

This weekend, two major holy days are observed.  Jews around the world will be celebrating Passover, while Christians will be observing Easter. (Actually, Eastern Christians will celebrate Easter; Western Christians celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend.) During these holy days, words like rebirth, renewal and resurrect are part of the daily vocabulary. After all for those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, this IS the time for rebirth, renewal and resurrection.  Winter is over; spring has begun.  Life is reappearing in the form of buds and bits of green pushing through the dark soil. However, this all happens so fast, that at times it seems we go to bed and when we awake, the world is in full bloom once again. The key word in that last sentence is "awake." I found it interesting to learn that a synonym for renewal was awakening .  When we are fully aware, we are awakened to the life around us.  We see what we did not notice before. This weekend, reg...

The Good Shepherd, mosaic in Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, 1st half of 5th century (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Lord, we are your people, the sheep of your flock. Heal the sheep who are wounded. Touch the sheep who are in pain. Clean the sheep who are soiled. Warm the lambs who are cold. Help us to know the Father's love through Jesus the shepherd, and through the Spirit. Help us to lift up that love, and show it all over this land. Help us to build love on justice and justice on love. Help us to believe mightily, hope joyfully, love divinely. Renew us that we may help renew the face of the earth. Amen