Life and Death

Dear readers, after a long hiatus after my fall over the cliff in Iceland I am ready to begin sharing the fruit of my healing sabbatical. Much has happened in our lives and world.

My brain will never be the same as it was, but I’m continuing to learn to accept what was lost and to do my best to help my brain create new neuropathways.

Daily treatments continue

My mother’s relatively short cancer journey and eventual death in January 2019 have been very significant for me. In an attempt to allow grief to teach me, I started a personal daily practice of working with and creating prayer responses to the images of death in the Chartres Cathedral.

Soul carried by angels

These medieval images are incredibly beautiful and evocative.

Funeral for Mary Magdalene

Pondering death can seem scary, yet sages in many traditions have encouraged followers to use meditation on our fatal fragility as a way of becoming more engaged in life. St. Benedict wrote in his rule, “Day by day remind yourself that you are going to die.” (4:47)

Death of St. Thomas

It is my hope and prayer that the images relating to death from the Chartres Cathedral, which no one can currently visit, will open up new paths of life for you.

Mary as she died

My prayer:

God, may my words and images be used to bring perspective, faith, comfort, hope, and life.

Scriptural touchstone:

…you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Genesis 3:19c

Invitation to pray:

Begin a conversation with God using, “Life, when I consider death…”