Left Field:

Tales from a Wisdom Keeper

By Ty Ragan, Psy.D.

Copyright 2015

Topical Table1

Prologue

Compassion

Empathy

Respect

Kindness

Faith

Hope

Patience

Perseverance

Love

Journey on ward: Home & Community

1 All Biblical References come from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Acknowledgements

A huge thank you to my soul mate and life partner, Shawna, who without her conversation and

support this new book would not have come into reality. It came during a light and fun summer

course in 2015 at the Calgary Centre for Spiritual Living based around Pam Grout’s (2013) E-

Sqaured where I was attempting to manifest a book gift from Shawna, as my reading stack was

dwindling. Within 48 hours there was new novel in my care, but through conversation what had

manifested was the outline for this book.

So for that and so much more in this work is dedicated to my beloved,

Shawna,

And our children:

Leland, Justina and the furbaby, Diamond

It comes from the soul work of having an open home for community and family to be formed

throughout the years.

Prologue

800 years ago, give or take a few years St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron of my Spiritual Charism,

cast a new order to go beyond Order of Friars Minor (think Robin Hood’s Friar Tuck) and the

Poor Clares (think Nun’s with Feminism dashed in, kind of like Sister Act with Whoopi

Goldberg if you will)…

Yet. Much better than a but, Y-E-T- as Francis’ mendicants (insult meaning beggar)

travelled spreading the gospel message of poverty, charity, love, and justice for all the

interconnected of creation many who were married wanted to forsake their vows and join the

celibate orders and…

Yup plus an A-N-D- there was some friars and sisters that well, let’s be honest humanity

like every species on the planet is designed for procreation. Francis was an astute spiritual guide

in that he realized this and blessed those that are called to be together, to make babies, to

populate the world for that is the original commission within the Hebrew Scriptures go forth and

out of the indwelling love of Spirit populate the world in love.

This is what birthed the Third, Lay or Secular Order. It was a work by one of these

Franciscan’s 19 years into my journey of trying to remember paradise, discover the Spirit within,

that working in a bookstore I stumbled upon John Michael Talbot’s (1998) The Life Lessons of

St. Francis: How to bring Simplicity and Spirituality into your Daily Life. For someone who had

journeyed through many Eastern, Celtic, Pagan, Western and Alien spiritual paths finding myself

back in the Christian Church as a Sunday School teacher, this little volume showed me how my

beliefs around love and inclusion worked together with belief and living out of God’s love, from

the divine spark, the star dust that we are created from.

So dear reader, you are probably wondering what this 800 year history lesson has to do

with anything? Especially the book you have picked up to read on different centering values to

create a fuller you?

Simple, it is part of the formation of the writer of this book, it has influenced my

understanding and shaped any bias within the stories to be found within. Also, when in the mid-

2000’s I took the Munay-Ki Shamanic Rites, I was blessed to be labelled a Wisdom Keeper, one

that holds the truths of the ancient stories for today.

In the Franciscan story there are many truths for today, but the one to remember as we

move through these pages is perhaps the simplest lesson of all:

Within Francsicanism there is no historical Reformation (where the Protestant Church

split from the Roman Catholic Church) rather it is a moment by moment reformation of one’s

own heart, soul, spirit and community that one is called into.

So thank you for stepping into this new journey, it is a collection of values for all ages.

To prepare for this spend time cleansing your energy, exhaling out the negative, and opening

your heart to seeing things in a new light. There may be terms that are unfamiliar or may not

resonate with you, this is due to my family’s Judeo-Christian Heritage, simply as you are reading

replace them with terms that resonate with you.

I encourage you to find the best time of day to do the soul work with these values, take

along a prepared kit:

Monk’s Bag of Tricks

1. A simple bag, back pack or attache case

2. Place within pens, pencils, crayons, pencil crayons, pastels,

3. A fidget toy (perhaps a koosh, some Lego, a slinky, mystery box figures, something to

play with to clear your mind when you get stumped).

4. A journal

5. A book of Wisdom teachings that you can read a snippet of each day.

Armed with this bag in your daily life, either identify a place in your community or your home

that you can use as a retreat space to commune deeper within yourself.

So are you ready? This will not be your traditional spiritual formation journey, I mean the

book is called Left Field, which for any sports metaphor you know it is usually the unusual team

members that do not fit anywhere else.

That is us, those that are seeking the personal ongoing moment by moment reformation

of St. Francis of Assisi, not only for ourselves but for our community and out world. So the

question is now in your hands, close the book and walk away…

Or turn the page, step into left field with gusto and accept the challenge to create a new

you.

Compassion

For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.

-Philippians 1:8

Ah the first step in understanding the Cosmic Christ you are, that’s right the star stuff we

are created from, that is the Cosmic Christ within, the divine you in unity with the human you in

the here and now. The first step in this reality is living a life of compassion. These are simple

lessons of life shown not told. It is in the way that you observed your family behaving, how

others were treated. Perhaps it was stories told after the fact, or those that became family legend.

For those without a happy family life, perhaps it was the mentors and family you chose to

have in your life that laid out the new reality. This is the reality that exists, and that by beginning

this new journey you may see again.

One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living

entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free

from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who

is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with

determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement

with Me-he is very dear to Me.

-Bhagavad Gita 12: 13-14

The fruits of the Divine within whether you term it Spirit, God, G(o)od, Vishnu, Krishna,

Dharma, Karma---the list can go on, but what is evident is we know the star stuff exists as

science says, and from that we live out the compassion that burns brightly. By acknowledging it

and listening to it, we move beyond the “Old Laws” like Moses character was used to lay out in

the 10 Commandments (and the 617 in Leviticus) that in our infancy story guided us towards a

selfless self-love life that drew us closest to the divine.

My family was raised with many living examples of the simplicity that is compassion, as

Paul wrote to the church in Philippi there is a compassion within each of us as was witnessed in

the life of the Master Teacher Jesus of Nazareth. This is the compassion that if you take time to

be present in your own story, and the great story around you will see.

In my own life it was being 16 years old and being at my Granddad’s funeral, having

many of the now adults that grew up in the town with my grandparents and them sharing the

open door they had in their home for the neighbourhood kids, always having the open listening

ear to help them work through life issues to come to a solution.

It was hearing about my Grandma Ragan working in a diner in Canada around the Air

Force bases, and refusing to bend to American soldier’s whims not to serve African Canadian

Soldiers and welcoming them all in. Her following the life of a friend of my Uncle’s of Japanese

descent and celebrating his milestones, even though she should have been of a generation that

saw him as “enemy”.

It was the open welcoming door in my own home growing up, where whichever person

entered became part of the family. My Mum and Dad always having a helping hand for friend,

family, neighbour or stranger whether it was help with child care, food, rides or just a listening

ear, and a strong shoulder for tears.

These were not people that trumpeted their simple acts of compassion as anything more

than simply what one did in life to help another member of the family that is humanity. It is

stepping away from mourning what “we don’t have” or “what we can’t do” to looking at the

blessing we are, the purpose we have been given and are doing, to something deeper.

N-A-M-A-S-T-E-

The divine in me sees and recognizes the divine in you.

To one step more…even when you don’t I will see it and respond to it, and interact with you as

such to help bring you begin to see you as the truth of divinity you are.

An ancient story was used by Jesus of Nazareth, Brother Jesus in Franciscan teachings,

from the Gospel of Luke. Luke was a physician and a historian who tradition of the church states

in his works Luke and Acts of the Apostles set out to write an orderly historical account of the

early church. What is also noted as you read these works as one, these are not high fluting

theological texts like John (Greek) or Matthew (Jewish) or a Roman Action Flick like Mark, no

Luke is like the investigative reports of the ancient world.

It starts with the story of a girl without voice, nothing more than property, that God

breaks that culturally established walls of propriety and asks Mary of Nazareth, if she wants to

take on the shame, the outcast, the challenge of a lifetime in becoming a living example of

compassion to the world. Would she become a mother out of wedlock? Essentially if her

betrothed did not choose to follow would lead to her execution by stoning or being cast out the

city to become a beggar/child sex trade worker for survival.

Yet she chose the power of love, hope and compassion. Mary chose her yes.

The rest of Luke’s works are filled with stories that poke the bear if you will of cultural

norms and challenges them. I do believe if Luke was writing in the Twenty-First Century about

the church he would tear open the idiocy of the debate around full inclusion by sharing power

stories of the divine within the lives of Trans folk, LGBTTQ, the single parents, the addicts, the

abused, the fallen from grace and those with disabilities in such a way that they would be as fully

included as Mary of Nazareth and lives as celebrated.

But I digress. For this is the backdrop of the writer as Brother Jesus is answering

questions. And then a powerful story emerges over a question of “who is my neighbour?”

25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus.[a] “Teacher,” he said, “what must

I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What

do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all

your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your

mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have given

the right answer; do this, and you will live.” 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell

into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving

him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when

he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came

to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while

traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He

went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then

he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The

next day he took out two denarii,[b] gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care

of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36 Which

of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of

the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go

and do likewise.”

-Luke 10: 25-37

At this point it is time to pause and let the story speak to you. This is a mix of breath

prayer and Lectio Divina. The Divine Reading as taught by Ignatius of Loyola as a method of

study to allow the inner divinity to speak to you through the ancient stories. Read the story three

times, if you can find an audio link online then listen to it. With each reading/listening there will

be a question to reflect upon.

Sit comfortably, slow your breathing, focusing on it. Feel the environment you are in fade

away. Feel the gritty sand get between your toes, the arid desert air, the sounds of the market

place, bleating of live stock, haggling. Take in the aromas of the sacrifices, the fresh food,

cooking, children singing and dancing, soldiers moving in and out taking what they want. You

find the small group surrounding the labourer who has become a rabbi. How not many know, but

they have all heard the legends of this man, the whispers that he is the bastard child of a Roman

soldier, yet there is something in his manner, the way he looks upon everyone with tenderness,

and compassion regardless of who they are or where they are from, he draws you into the

conversation. The lawyer asks the question…who is my neighbour? The priest and the levite are

so heavenly minded they will not stray from the rules of holiness to help someone in need, which

makes them no earthly good. The Samaritan is part of a race from an exile of ancient Israel that

saw them remain in exile and inter-marry with the conquerors, they worship God differently,

they are seen as traitor’s to the chosen people, the stereotypical villain of every story.

Hear the story for the first time, during this reading as you walk through as the priest.

What times in your life flash back to when you responded as the Priest and Levite? What truth

emerges in these memories as you sit with them? Now as you sit write them out, colour them out

to cleanse your Chakra energy of this negativity.

Sit looking at the old, are you ready to release this way of being? If so walk it out the

garbage bin outside your home, rip it up and throw it in, walk away from this old way of being.

If not note why, and come back to it later.

Hear the story for a second time this time as the Samaritan left hurting and bloodied by

bandits on the road side. What comes to you, with those that at first walked past that you

expected aid from and none came as with the Priest and Levite? Write and colour this out in your

breathing again to get it out of you. In these moments where did aid come from surprising

sources, take this thought and enter it into your journal as a reminder of times when someone

else’s divinity came to you.

Are you ready to dispose of the hurt and pain of being left by the roadside by those you

believed to be friend or helper? If you are take the walk as before and dispose of, if not place in

your journal and note why you are not ready yet?

Hear the story for a third time, this time hear it as the Samaritan. What makes you stop?

What times in your life have you lived out this compassion regardless of labels? Not these in

your journal to remind yourself of living compassionately, invest these in your heart and sit with

them.

Slowly bring your breathing back to normal, the aromas of the market place vanish, the

sounds dissipate, the sand and breeze are gone, feel the chair reform around you, hear the sounds

of your world, and the new aromas of your world. You are back and have a question to answer?

As you interact with your world, others in your community, your workplace, your place of

worship, your home and within yourself.

One simple question to answer:

Who is my neighbour?

Empathy

Most women prefer circles of sharing to pyramids and hierarchies. They prefer

conversation to construction. They will usually choose nurturance and empathy over

competition and climbing. They will normally choose connection over simple

performance games.

-Richard Rohr

Humans aren't as good as we should be in our capacity to empathize with feelings and

thoughts of others, be they humans or other animals on Earth. So maybe part of our

formal education should be training in empathy. Imagine how different the world would

be if, in fact, that were 'reading, writing, arithmetic, empathy.'

-Neil deGrasse Tyson

The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.

-Meryl Streep

Empathy has been far too often ignored in the equipping of humanity. From the Matriarchal lens

we can experience and see the benefit of tearing down the hierarchy and entering the journey.

The advent of Life Coaching, and the renewal of Spiritual Direction in society has proven this.

As Rev. Matthew Fox (defrocked Jesuit, current Episcopalian Priest, renewer of Creation

Spirituality) teaches, it is time for spirituality to tear down the falsity of climbing Jacob’s ladder

and to discover the joy of dancing Sarah’s Circle to move forward together as one.

This is the progression from Rohr to Tyson to Streep. Realizing that there is a truth, but opening

only to one gender is an old type of thinking that needs to be moved away from what can be

discovered needs to be taught to all along with the basic educational building blocks. For it is our

ability to empathize with others that is our great gift.

That is our ability to enter into someone else’s shoes, and walk to uncover the truth of their story

for them, and know that they are doing the best that they can for the situation that they are in.

This is the lesson of the Shelter System in Canada, from a Methodist Minister at the turn of the

Twentieth Century in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada as he entered into Biblical Dialogue with the

question “Who is My Neighbour?” Take a moment and revisit your journaling from last week,

celebrate your moments of compassion as the Samaritan, and if you haven’t disposed of the

Gremlins of your Priest/Levite moments sit with them for a moment and see as to why? Has

something changed, if so take the walk, if not mark them as to being held and place them back in

your journal to revisit in 30 days, this will become a 30 day cycle of release for you to face these

Gremlins of change. The same types of Gremlins’ every spiritual sojourner for change has had to

face, even Woodsworth.

James Shaver Woodsworth, a founding member of the Cooperative Commonwealth

Federation; before that a marcher in the Labour Rights Movement, part of the Labour party;

leading minister in the Labour Church Movement; Social Gospel theologian, and superintendent

of the Winnipeg Shelter.

People assume historically that shelters have gotten better in what they offer to those

experiencing homelessness. But through the writings of Woodsworth what is revealed is an

empathetic spiritual leader wrestling with his own understanding of the Divine.

Is it a judgemental old man on a throne? Someone from the Christian Old Testament

wanting blood and sacrifice? Or something more? What he zeroes in on is the Parable of the

Good Samaritan from the Gospel of Luke, the centering of our work on compassion. Empathy is

a key piece for you have to be able to see the divine in the other, and the humanness, holding

them both intentionally as you listen, and journey together.

At the Winnipeg Mission as today health care was provided, education, shelter, hygiene

and food to name but a few things. The folks coming through were new settlers to Canada’s

untamed Prairies, and after time spent would be given their free land tracks for farms. This is the

truth of reality of connectedness, chances are if your ancestors settled on the Canadian Prairies

late 19th to early 20th Century they came through the Winnipeg Shelter.

That means they were registered at “No fixed address” or “vagrant” or “homeless” in the

Canadian Census for a time. Think of that, next time you see a panhandler, or hear of a housing

start up or a call for aid at the local shelter in your community. Speaking at Mount Royal

University in Calgary one year to a first year class on the history of homelessness, my

introduction was simple:

Dr. Ty Ragan has been working to end homelessness officially for almost two decades,

he is the father of two beautiful children who are fifth generation out of a homeless shelter.

It was a shocking statement for the class to hear. We talk as immigrants to Canada as the

first, second, third, etc generation removed from first immigration, but never has that been used

to show empathy for our brothers and sisters experiencing poverty or homelessness. Yet the truth

lies there, as I stood in the reconstituted shelter in the Winnipeg Museum in the early 2000’s and

saw the name roles.

This was the reality that shaped J.S. Woodsworth as a man, a minister, a politician, a

writer and a theologian. He was beaten and arrested at the Winnipeg General Strike, he lost the

leadership of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation Federally for being the lone Member

of Parliament to vote against war with Hitler’s Germany. His rationale did not deal with the

horror’s of Hitler, but with empathy for the poor that would be lost in the conflict due to the draft

and the wealth made on the culling of the “herds of poor” if you will that military actions

inevitably bring.

Empathy in his spiritual journey that led him out of traditional Christianity to what at the

time was described as Pantheism/paganism for he recognized the interconnectedness of all with

the divine. Today this would lean more towards the term employed by Rev. Fox and that being

Panentheism: All is in the Divine, and the Divine is in all.

The star stuff of creation sparks throughout and our journey is to become conscious of

this. For it is in the world of empathy and journeying with your neighbour that I most relate to

Woodsworth’s own journey. I have taken many paths to discover the Cosmic Christ, and God.

Through the roads of traditional religions whether it be Christianity Proper; Paganism streams; or

Eastern Religions to finally coming to my own conclusions through Sabbatical rest within the

Divine within.

Moving away is the wrong term, I would state it more as evolution of the kernel of beliefs

laid out in my younger days. God is love, Jesus is the example of how to be with each other, and

it is all the same regardless of the words that religion uses so it is not worth fighting about, it is

worth moving forward together as one honouring each other’s path.

Each other’s choices.

Spend time reflecting on the stories of Woodsworth, explore his life on line or at your local

library, is there another spiritual teacher that resonates with you spend time learning about their

life. See how it gets laid out.

The soul work of empathy is knowing yourself and then beginning to know the other. So create

your life timeline on paper with post it notes. All the major life events, choices, using different

colour pieces of post it note was it a healthy choice at the time, was it unhealthy? Pick a colour

for each, then choose another colour to use for the life lesson you learned from it, and another

colour for how it shaped your journey moving forward.

Another piece is to spend time in Holy Listening with another. This is simply having coffee or a

walk with someone and letting them share about who they are to you. Listen, it will be

uncomfortable with silence, but don’t probe, or offer advice, just listen, ask questions to aid

clarifying points, and offer the ear/shoulder.

What was learned about who you are in the process of listening to the other?

What have you discovered about?

Who is my neighbour?

Respect

Follow your heart.

-Justina Ragan (my 7 year old daughter)

Discover what you love doing, then figure out how to make a living at it.

-Wayne Ragan (my Dad)

Justi summed it up pretty good near the end of service one Sunday at our Centre for

Spiritual Living here in Calgary. The kids volunteer to share what they learned at Funday

School, and they are currently working through the Virtues’ project. In a clear strong

voice she shared to follow your heart, which is great advice.

It is the essence of our world, we all have passions, interests, thoughts and

opinions. We all are different and unique yet bonded through our connectedness with the

Divine. It is this connectedness that saw Woodsworth enter his journey, and ask his

question about his shelter work and go deeply into empathy. It is the compassion seen by

the Samaritan to the man on the road attacked. It is a gut level interaction that becomes

heart level and then crown level within the Chakra system.

What is it?

It is R-E-S-P-E-C-T. It is deeper than speaking well to a person and not ill of them when

they are not around. It goes deeper into the recognition of the divinity and the humanity

of the person we are and the person we meet.

The Dalai Lama has written much on respect without probably ever using the

word, I will not reference or beat the reader over the head with a bibliography at this

point, if you are interested any good public library or book store has many of his works,

but I digress. The point being is in his works on the Art of Happiness, he shares the story

of a custodian at an Ivy league university in the U.S. of A he had met on his travels, this

man was not just working a job, or was part of a unionized shop for career advancement

or the benefits. He felt called to be a custodian at the school, for he became the empathic

listener for students of all walks of life that came through those hallways over his time

there. He knew all the students by name.

Just think of that. How many of us in Calgary, Alberta, Canada or any major city

in North America would be proud of our children or even respect them if they said they

wanted to be a custodian? Yet this story typifies respect. It removes the labels of

dignitary and servant to conversing people, but also it shows that our world, smaller yet,

our communities take all kinds of people in all kinds of roles to function.

The meta-myth that all children should go to University and enter the white collar

professions strips our children and ourselves of our created originality, but also of our

ability to have happiness and respect for ourselves and others in this world. It lends itself

to the hierarchy of needs, and the hierarchy of the world. By entering into the truth of

respect the hierarchal lie of the ladder is destroyed and replaced by the truth of the Wheel

of Life, that is the interconnectedness and interdependence of all aspects of creation, of

people in our communities and our world.

This is a hard truth to function through as a parent of two brilliant and talented off

spring. Both my kids EQ (Emotional Intelligence) is off the charts. My wife and I are

both post-secondary educated, and our peers think it is downright weird that we do not

place a huge priority upon homework for our kids. Truth is, what is a priority is that they

always do their best in academics, but truly they need to discover what makes them

happy in life. If that is pursuing an academic path, or a trade or just entering the market

place working that is up to them once they have completed their graded education.

Our role as parents is to encourage, equip, and support the chasing of the dream.

To teach them to respect themselves and their peers, so that all choices of health and

happiness are celebrated. So that when they find the calling they are created to be in,

there is no second guessing themselves, they move forward and live into it fully.

What is your passion? What brings joy to your life?

How much time in your week or day do you spend pursuing these activities?

How can the work you have incorporate this? Or is it time to discover the work

that can work with your passions of life?

Impossible you say? Na. It is another truth found for us in the Gospel of Luke for

those seeking to shatter glass ceilings and remove labels from themselves and their lives

and truly live the Cosmic Christ within:

37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

-Gospel of Luke 1:37

In quiet moments to begin or end times of meditation, or even to re-centre yourself in

chaos, use this simple prayer of the body. Make the sign of the cross- forehead to top of stomach-

right shoulder to left shoulder back to heart.

Forehead to top of stomach say “I Not I”

For the cross of the arms say “But the Cosmic Christ”

When your fingers rest on your heart say to end “within me”

For that is the true living of the value of respect, the discovery and acknowledgement of

the Cosmic Christ within yourself, and then recognizing the same within your neighbour. So this

is the next step after answering:

Who is my neighbour?

Then:

How do I respect the Cosmic Christ within?

Kindness

“My religion is kindness”

-The Dalai Lama XIV

Francis was an odd duck as saints go. He was sainted faster than anyone after his

death as the Vatican feared an uprising of the poor against the powerful Cathedra if he

was not shown to be “a part of the church”. He was the son of a wealthy merchant, who

dreamed of being a knight in the Crusades, wound up prisoner and wounded, on his way

back home in the crumbling church of San Damiano heard Jesus’ voice from the cross to

build his church. He set out to rebuild three churches in the area only to have Jesus return

to him again. Was it to praise these great earthly monuments?

NO!! It was to tell Francis he had misheard and was wrong, it was not the

building or the trappings that mattered to the Holy Mystery, the church that was to be

rebuilt was within each person. The synergy of the human and the divine, the Cosmic

Christ awakened. Francis’ call was to go out to those that society had cast out and help

them become whole.

The first element of this mission was kindness to himself, but also to all of God’s

creation. Showing true panentheism, Francis did not limit his good works or prayers to

just humanity, but to all of creation. He would even find ways to create living parables

for owners of animals:

One day "Francis was travelling through the Marches with another brother when he

came across a man on his way to market. The man was carrying over his shoulder two

little lambs bound and ready for sale. When blessed Francis heard the bleating lambs, his

innermost heart was touched and, drawing near, he touched them as a mother does with

a crying child, showing his compassion. "Why are you torturing my brother lambs," he

said to the man, "binding and hanging them in this way?" "I am carrying them to market

to sell them, since I need the money," he replied. Francis asked: "What will happen to

them?""Those who buy them will kill them and eat them," he responded. At that, Francis

said: "No, this must not happen! Here, take my cloak as payment and give me the lambs."

The man readily gave him the little lambs and took the cloak since it was much more

valuable.

Sheep grazing in a sloping field in Connemara, Co. Galway

Francis, having taken the lambs, now was wondering what he should do with them.

Asking advice from the brother who was with him, he gave them back to that man,

ordering him never to sell them or allow any harm to come to them, but instead to

preserve, nourish, and guide them carefully."

- From The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, 1229

There was also times when one would say it was justified to harm an animal, but Francis

would show another way to the heart of the Divine within:

As Francis’ reputation for holiness and peace spread throughout his native Italy, people

called upon him to resolve their disputes and to deliver them from danger and violence.

On one such occasion, the people of the small town of Gubbio alerted Francis to the

presence of a ferocious wolf in their countryside. All efforts to trap the wolf or drive him

away had failed, so they called upon the Saint to intervene. He went out with only the

message of the Gospel: no weapon, no sanctions, no threatening bravado. Francis met

the wolf and called him to repentance for the chaos and harm that he had caused. The

wolf and the townspeople agreed to live in peace; the wolf would refrain from attacks

and the townspeople would feed the wolf for the rest of his life.

-From The Little Flowers of St. Francis

Now one could spend time in Lectio Divina with either of these short parables as was

done with the Good Samaritan, but truly this is another journey to the centre of the heart, and as

such should be done with a Labyrinth. Now if you area offers one you can walk take the story

that resonates with you the most, read and hold it as you walk the Labyrinth to the centre and see

what the Holy Mystery reveals to you about kindness to all of creation you are connected with.

If there is not a physical Labyrinth in your area please good finger Labyrinths and print

off the design that resonates the most with you.

In the life of Brother/Friar Francis we see kindness epitomized. As he journeyed around

his country sides creating hope through simple acts of kindness and showing release from the

material world. Showing what is most important in life. A story that always resonated with me

during my formation with the Orders, was of a time he was in a small grotto.

Francis and his friars were helping the poor, and giving out what food and monies they

had gathered up. You must remember historically the Franciscans were a mendicant order.

Mendicant means open hand, so to attempt to remove the power of kindness many in authority

would degrade them by calling them beggars, it was a term of love that Francis and his followers

embraced as they lived out the Cosmic Christ gospel life.

It came to the end of the allotted resources for giving when two children appeared to the

priest of the parish. Their father was off in the Crusades, their mother was sick, they were hungry

and unable to get help for their failing farm. The priest abruptly turned them away (where else do

we see priest’s being so heavenly minded they are no earthly good?). Only for Francis to stop

them from leaving and bring them into the sanctuary, not only into the sanctuary, but where no

one “unholy” or non-priestly was allowed to dwell, that is to the altar.

At the altar was a gold leafed bible, and a gold Eucharistic Service set, one of the other

friars brought Francis a satchel to place the items in. He simply told the children to take and sell

and know that Jesus’ love still beats in the world.

Think of that. Simple items that were declared holy, others would not see as a resource to

aid the divine in human form, but this mystic looked upon them as they truly were…tools to

connect with the Holy Mystery. This time for the awakening to happen was not through bread

and wine, or words on a page, but rather through the money the items could bring in to aid in the

care and healing of a family in need.

Kindness is the first element that reveals the divinity within ourselves and allows us to

connect with the divinity with others. It is the first step in answering the question:

Who is my neighbour?

Faith

18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare

it? 19 It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and

became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

-Luke 13:18-19

It is hard to imagine that such a large tree was born from such a non-existent voice of her

time. There ae parallels between Brother Jesus’ teaching and the life lived by his mother

as a child bride to be, when the Holy spoke through her to the world. It was her decision

to decide whether or not to bear the child. This was a difference from many of the ancient

beliefs where the Gods would woo, but never so clearly lay out a plan.

It was a system that has created rumour and innuendo since the time of

conception, has led to dreaming up of new theologies of understanding Mary’s state of

being. For those in Christendom it is the idea of vocation, for others calling, for those in

New Thought circles it is the Vision.

This came out in Prosperity 101 by Mary Morrissey that my wife and I took in the

winter of 2015. If you see this offered at a local Centre for Spiritual Living or Unity

Church I suggest taking it. Now the big question folks have is how this Law of Prosperity

works within a life where vows of simplicity and justice were taken. It comes down to the

deeper understanding and moving beyond the superficial. This is what was seen with

Mary of Nazareth’s decision as well.

For in working through the course, yes there is manifestation, yes there is talk and

teaching around wealth, but not for wealth sake, as a tool within the Law of Circulation.

What the core of the course is about though is discerning a vision for your life and then

allowing this to guide you.

Hmmm…it is a Rule of Life just like the religious orders had, how are you going

to live your life to the fullest? Live it to better yourself and the world around you? Live it

to honour the divine and human within yourself and others? Brother Francis reinvigorated

the Gospel life as shown by Jesus of Nazareth, who took off and ran with the power given

to him by the resounding Y-E-S of his mother, Mary of Nazareth.

Where is your faith leading you to scream yes and honour the power within?

Where are you being called to be Mary?

Get comfortable in your seat. Close your eyes. Slow your breath, discovering your

rhythm and becoming one with the environment around you. Let your mind cleanse itself,

do not worry if a thought pops up, acknowledged it, and then place it aside until after.

Feel the present melt away, feel the dust of the old world, the bustle of livestock,

chattering of children working and playing, women talking, perhaps the clang of soldiers

moving throughout the village. You are entering into the announcement, you are a

thirteen year old peasant girl, who has just been bought by a 50ish year old man to bear

his child.

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee

called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the

house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said,

“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[b] 29 But she was much perplexed

by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.30 The angel said to

her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you

will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He

will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will

give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of

Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the

angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”[c] 35 The angel said to her, “The

Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow

you; therefore the child to be born[d] will be holy; he will be called Son of

God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son;

and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will

be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord;

let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

-Luke 1:26-38

As you prepare to hear the story for the first time, sit and listen, where your faith is calling you?

As you prepare to hear the story a second time, what images are formed or memories surface in

your mind as you hear these words? Let you sit with these images/memories and see how the

Holy uses them.

For the third and final hearing, can you feel Mary’s anxiety or trepidation to say yes, when was

there a time in your life that seizing your yes in faith meant a harder road? Sit with that memory

and know that, like Mary, you are transforming this world.

Slowly bring your breath back to normal, feel the present wrap around you, the dust melt off you,

the sounds of the village vanish, the sounds of the city and this room greet you. Bring your

breathing rhythmically up to its normal pace, open your eyes.

Welcome back Mary, how shall your faith Reign in this world?

Mary strongly answered in faith, by discovering who her neighbour was and what needed to

happen. Who is your neighbour? What is your answer in faith? Spend time in your journal

creating a vision of how you mean to live your life to transform yourself and your world. What is

your faith calling? Where are you to scream Y-E-S- and shake the world as Mary did?

Hope

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than

despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world."

- Jack Layton, New Democratic Party Leader 2011

2011 the Province of Quebec shocked the rest of Canada in the Federal election by

not electing Conservatives or Liberals en masse, or even defaulting to their separatist

Bloc Quebecois as a protest. They voted en masse and sent quite a few Members of

Parliament of the New Democratic Party persuasion, dubbed the “Orange Crush” it was a

shock that showed when a leader is charismatic, focuses on issues and hope something

good can come as the NDP rose to the Official Opposition status. The downside of the

crush was that Jack Layton lost his fight with cancer. The opening quote is from his last

letter to Canadians as he battled on.

Too often in the modern world, leadership is decided by the one who can spin the

best story that prompts anger or fear in the followers. But what if something different was

possible? It is hard to turn a ship around, and focus on what is good and not what is

wrong. Ever sit in a meeting a see how easy it is to chalk up what is wrong with the world

rather than what is going right?

Next time your friends circle starts going down the negative gossip path, speak up

and simply ask “What are three things we are each thankful for?”

At work, it can take the shape in a team as the question of “What are three things

we are thankful for with our roles here?”

Does not matter what the situation is, this simple pausing creates some new

positive energy that then can lend itself to hope. For hope is knowing that there is always

positive energy coming from every situation, it is just the lens, paradigm if you will, that

allows us to see that.

Want practice? It is quite astounding, but there is a spiritual practice within

writing that can allow you to practice this. Take our meta-narrative throughout this book

of “Who is my neighbour?”

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of

robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half

dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him,

he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place

and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came

near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and

bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on

his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he

took out two denarii,[b] gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him;

and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’

-Luke 10:30-35

Re-write the parable from each character’s perspective, the goal is to make each perspective a

sympathetic character:

1. Victim

2. Robbers

3. Priest

4. Levite

5. Samaritan

What was learned about hope from each perspective?

Which characters were the hardest to writer sympathetically?

What does this say about your own story and experience?

What is the common thread that binds all the characters together?

To each character who is their neighbour?

Spend time reflecting on your vision from the Kindness work. Is there anything you want to

change based around what you have learned here?

Hope is hard to quantify, it is easy to qualify as it is a base emotion that tells us if there is

something around the corner for us. The challenge with hope is to know that no matter what we

are going through good or bad, there is always something new around the corner. It is then our

attempt to respond and react to it that tells us if we have hope or are living in fear.

What is your choice: Fear or Hope?

How will you choose to live today?

Patience

Have patience with all things, But, first of all with yourself.

-Saint Francis de Sales

How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?

-William Shakespeare

If patience is worth anything, it must endure to the end of time. And a living faith will last in the

midst of the blackest storm.

-Mahatma Gandhi

Patience is a unique thing. There is the rumour or urban legend never to pray for it for then the

Holy Mystery will let the shit really hit the fan in your life. Is this true? Or is it that when you

come to the awakening of needing to expand your patience to make your life better you are more

present within the moments of your life that you are moving through?

It is like the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah in the Gospel of Luke, an elder religious

couple who have endured years of being barren, which for Zechariah being a servant in the Temple,

leads to the gossip mill of what sin is this family hiding for them to be barren? For not having a

child was seen as a sin issue, and one tied mostly to the woman in the ancient world.

Again a couple that even due to station would be accorded honour, still were victims of

having their worth and voice stripped away. It is a story worth reflection:

5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,

who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron,

and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, living

blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.7 But they

had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.8 Once

when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty,9 he was chosen by

lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and

offer incense. 10 Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people

was praying outside. 11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the

right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear

overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your

prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him

John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will

be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before

his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel

to the Lord their God. 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn

the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous,

to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will

I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” 19 The

angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to

speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 But now, because you did not believe my

words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until

the day these things occur.” 21 Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the

sanctuary. 22 When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he

had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to

speak. 23 When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in

seclusion. She said, 25 “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably

on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.” 57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 Her neighbors and

relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with

her. 59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him

Zechariah after his father. 60 But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.” 61 They

said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.”62 Then they began motioning to his

father to find out what name he wanted to give him. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and

wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was

opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came over all

their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country

of Judea. 66 All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child

become?” For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.

-Luke 1:5-24; 57-66

Enter into the Lectio Divina. Sit comfortably, slow your breathing down. Feel the breaths in and

out. Feel the room around you melt away, smell the Temple, the sacrifice’s, the acrid odour of

stale and fresh blood from the sacrifices. The smells rising stronger due to the heat. The rope

around your waist so that you can enter the Holy of Holies in case you are not “holy enough” and

die so they can pull you out before defiling the offering. The sounds of the animals, the chanting

of the crowds.

In the first hearing, enter the story as Zechariah. What images/thoughts emerge for your

journey? Your understanding of the Holy Mystery? Make note of these for your journey forward,

in living your own vision, what will be your Zechariah moments?

In the second hearing, you are Elizabeth, a woman of station, yet one unable to fulfill a

societal calling. Like ancestor stories before you are beyond the bearing of child years, and have

heard throughout your life the whispers, and gossip. Where is your worth at in being unable to

achieve your vision? What does it feel like to full embrace the Divine and have the human made

road blocks removed for your vision to flourish?

In the third and final reading… you are the new baby, John, born into this world of

possibility. Sit with the reflection at the end for a time “What then will this child become?” using

it as your mantra for your life and vision?

What emerges for you in this last question?

Bring yourself back to the present by becoming aware of your breath once again. The smells of

old sacrifice fade to the scents of where you are; the sounds of the Temple are replaced by the

sounds of the street and the place you are. Feel the old world fade away, as you re-enter the present.

Your vision is the new baby born into the world. Today is the first day of the new life, as

every day is a new “John-Day” for your Divine-Human self in unity. It takes patience to slowly

move towards you vision, they are not always fulfilled, like Elizabeth and Zechariah it took a

lifetime.

Are you prepared for a lifetime journey until you transition to the next phase?

Perseverance

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.

-Newt Gingrich

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all

confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing

must be attained.

-Marie Curie

Perseverance may appear a lost value. 15 years into the 21st Century with on-demand this, social

media that, 24 hour news cycles that breaks the world down into 15 minute news rotations, well

sticking through with anything to move to the next level can appear to be lost. If we were aliens

doing an ethnography on planet Earth, what may be reported back following our media is an

inability to move slowly through anything, to understand that hurt is a part of life, but also our

response to that hurt.

A world that is reflected is one, where immediate gratification and fulfillment reigns, and

there is no putting off for tomorrow for it shall be ours today or we will move on. But is this

really a new development within life?

It appears to have existed at least 2000 years ago in the time of Brother Jesus, and more

likely before that as he shared a parable around a young son that did not want to have to

persevere through creating his own way in the world when he could just take what awaited him

at his father’s transition now. It is well known within Christendom. Rembrandt did a painting

around it; Henri Nouwen did a whole book reflecting on the story.

Yet it is a story with truths for us today as well and our journey of crafting our vision and

discovering our neighbour. The Parable of the Prodigal Son:

11 Then Jesus[a] said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to

his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he

divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he

had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute

living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that

country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the

citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly

have filled himself with[b] the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him

anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands

have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!18 I will get up and go to

my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before

you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired

hands.”’ 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father

saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed

him. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I

am no longer worthy to be called your son.’[c] 22 But the father said to his slaves,

‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and

sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for

this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began

to celebrate.

25 “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he

heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going

on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf,

because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go

in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father,

‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never

disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might

celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured

your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the father[d]said

to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to

celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he

was lost and has been found.’”

-Luke 15: 11-32

This is an excellent parable to re-write from each character’s perspective and looking at them

sympathetically: Father, Younger Son, Elder Son. What truths emerge as you look at all

perspectives? What is the truth around perseverance for you and your vision as revealed by these

three?

Take time as well to take this story through at Lectio Divina:

Hearing one enter into the story as the father, what are your emotions and experiences. What

memories from your own life does this bring up? Take note of them.

Hearing the second time enter into the story as the prodigal or youngest son, what memories

from your own life does this bring back? Take note of them as well.

The third and final hearing, bear witness to the story as the elder son. What memories does this

perspective bring to you?

Note in your journal the times in your life you have played the role of father; youngest

son, eldest son. Where do the stories truths overlap for all three? Where do they diverge? What

does this reveal about your journey and who is your neighbour in life?

Bring together the reflections from both exercises and hold them in your heart as

intention as you walk a labyrinth, and rest in the centre.

During the walk what faded away?

What were you left with?

How does this transform or not your vision for your life?

This journey has been about journeying with the Cosmic Christ within to a renewed life of

Love…

You know who your neighbour is, you hold a vision, now discover the sacred heart of the

Cosmic Christ within you.

Love

What Would Love Do?

I still have the paperweight from my Confirmation in the Christian Church. A gift from my

parents that had W.W.J.D.? on the stone, What Would Jesus Do? A question that was supposed

to cause one to pause, reflect on the life of Brother Jesus and move forward from there.

Unfortunately in our world, too often what Brother Jesus would have done has been co-opted by

a political agenda, a hate agenda, a (fill in the blank) agenda. But what cannot change is where

the life lived came from, and that is from the divine source of all L-O-V-E.

This brings forward the new question for guidance in life, What Would Love Do? No

qualifiers, no buts, no add ons.

Just simply asking what would divine love do in this situation or that situation?

Look at your vision, and ask the question:

What Would Love Do?

Spend time each day reflecting on your life lived out, and how this question changes some

things, does not change others, and how this shapes the vision? How this shapes your own heart,

what does it awaken?

What gremlins (the buts, the add ons, the qualifiers) come up when you ask this in the

challenging situations? Take some blank paper and draw these voices in your mind and heart,

name them, look upon them. Are you ready to cast them out? To take them for that long walk we

first did when we reflected on “Who is my neighbour?” if not, label the date reflected, put them

aside, come back to them and your vision daily and see what is holding you back and ask the

simple question: Why do I let it?

Then confront the Gremlin with the question from the Cosmic Christ:

What Would Love Do?

When you are ready to finalize your vision for this piece of your journey, take the gremlins to the

walk to the rubbish bin and let them go.

Step into the divine love, the awakening of the unity of humanity and divinity within you.

The embracing of the Cosmic Christ and take the step out into love for yourself and your

neighbour.

The true living of the Great Commandment as revealed by Brother Jesus:

Love God with your everything and your neighbour as yourself.

We are in the divine, we love God with your everything we are loving ourselves, and since we

are all connected through the Cosmic Christ this loves spills over to all others.

Labels become irrelevant for the divine in us welcomes the divine in another. For the

Gospel of Luke revealed a life of Brother Jesus where he went to the margins of society and

showed that all were the same, labels were irrelevant, and that love is the deepest communion of

all.

The question is are you ready?

Journey On Ward:

Community & Home

Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.

-Anthony J. D'Angelo

A library is a place that is a repository of information and gives every citizen equal access to it.

That includes health information. And mental health information. It's a community space. It's a

place of safety, a haven from the world.

-Neil Gaiman

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action.

-Mother Teresa

Home is the nicest word there is.

-Laura Ingalls Wilder

Two of the most powerful words in the English language for anyone are community and home.

Why? Simple, it denotes a place of belonging, and of being accepted for who you are. Ask

people what they think of when they think of home? What makes a community for them? As

with ourselves at first the infrastructure answers come, the basic needs, but keep listening to

yourself and others and see what comes out.

It takes one to the next level deeper, and this is where we need to live our life from if we

are to exert any lasting change on ourselves and our community. I leave you reader with one

final story for reflection:

Clare of Assisi was a wealthy woman who chose to follow the way of life laid out by

Francis of Assisi. There are many legends around their unconsummated love for one another as

they kept their focus on the vision of transformation given from the vision of Brother Jesus.

Clare was a deep thorn in the side of the powers of religiosity for the Poor Clares (the female

wing of Franciscans) were moving in the world of equality as taught in the Hebrew Bible

creation stories; and the way of Brother Jesus from the Gospels that the church had forgotten.

She had written their own community rules; they left cloister (nuns of the time were supposed to

be sealed off from the world in prayer) to heal the sick and feed the poor (horrors of horrors).

Clare would petition and go against two Popes, until a third one heard of this trouble

making order and through discussion with the old man with beards club decided to finally silence

and disband the trouble makers for their heresy. For you see the stories getting back to the

Vatican were that when the sisters made the sign of the Cross healings would occur, and surely

this must be witch craft for the male patriarchal God would not use lowly women to perform

male miracles?

A group of these wizened misogynists set out for the convent to prove the heresy, and

remove the troublemakers. It was a harder journey than they expected with inclement weather.

The rheaumatoid arthritis was aching as the women welcomed them in with great hospitality, a

change of clothes, warm by the fire and warm drinks. They even invited them to break bread

with them. Apologizing that due to their work in the outlying parish they only had simple soup

and some bread left to share.

They gathered around the dinner table, Clare said a simple prayer of thanks raising her

hands, as she prayed simply the cross arose on the bread and as the cross arose the old men no

longer felt pain.

They were healed.

They broke bread with the sisters and returned to the Pope with the story of their miracle, the

Pope could no longer argue the equality of these women and granted Clare’s request for their

own rule, written by them and to be uncloistered.

Clare asked What Would Love Do? And lived her life as the answer, for a time it

transformed her world.

What will be transformed in your world by living our the answer of What Would Love

Do?

What will transform in your community?

In your home?

In your life?

Remember, today is the first day, live it as such. Step out into left field, honour the stories that

have built you up to who you are today…and then…

Live your vision.