live in the full picture...

I have taken over another room.One with a single window where the pale winter sun shines in.I have an altar with a hand carved St.Francis, a wooden, hollowed out, simple Mary and an icon of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.And my bells.When I walk in this sanctuary, and close the door, my entire body breathes of relief.Quiet, simple, and with pure candle light in a block of wood.I wish I could tell you how much I love and yearn for my time in this room.

It is here that I ponder today's Bible readings which speak of the mountain of the Lord again and the promised banquet laid out for his lovers.What does that mean for my life?

When my second son was running cross country very successfully for Riverdale High School and then Georgia Tech, he would occasionally be reminded by a coach to keep his success in perspective.He would come home and say:"Remember, Mom, there are 2 billion Chinese people who don't know that I ran well today."I have thought of that often.

I can get caught up in my world of family, friends and politics and if I have let my prayer life go for very long, this is all that is on my mind.One can become so ensnared in the hurts, losses, failures of this life and forget about the banquet.

What does this real feast feel and look like ?It might be a call from our new, disabled friend to tell me that last night when he despaired of what he was to eat (he lives alone), the doorbell rang and in walked Florence from church with some soup.The joy in his voice made my day.Today, she called to say that this afternoon she and her husband were headed over to put up a Christmas tree for him and he just had to share that.

Fr. Richard Rohr says, "..Jesus is always inviting us to live in the final and full picture, and not get lost in the momentary dramas, hurts or agendas.In Latin we used to say sub specie aeternitate, that is to ask ourselves everyday,"In the light of eternity will this really matter?"

Soup matters.