Skip to main content

Fortitude

I follow an interactive blog through Abbey of the Arts.  Looking to 2014 we had the opportunity to let a word resonate with us and the choose that word and journey with it through the forthcoming year.  I chose Fortitude which I have found to be a well needed friend. In further response to "choose a word", there was an invitation this morning to have our word associated with a photograph. 
Cynthia Gallo - ⓒ 2009
Alpha and Omega
 ⓒ 2009 Cynthia Gallo
My word Fortitude resonated with me during Mass this morning. Father spoke in his homily that we should look upon the Baptism of the Lord, the close of the Christmas season, not as an end, but instead, a beginning. Looking at the altar, with the lit trees of white lights, I became conscious that next week the altar would be dressed for ordinary time. At that moment the sanctuary reminded of a photo I was inspired “to receive” after Christmas 2008. I titled the photograph "Alpha and Omega". It was one of those days that will always be with you. One evening I had been sitting in my former parish church alone (I had a key). The altar was lit, the trees sparkling, and I found myself leaving the pew and kneeling in the center of the aisle gazing upon the altar. The stable was set in front of the altar (which has statues of the Last Supper encased) and as I looked up at the Crucifixion I felt strength come over me.
There were many changes to come during 2009 (and they came) and I had a creative yearning to preserve it. I went home and came back with my camera. Resolutions rarely happen, but one or two intentional changes do, the rest depends on the gift of fortitude, especially accepting the changes that come our way we didn’t plan.
I have a strong sense that 2014 could be one of those years, and this morning was a reminder of keeping Fortitude.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Touching the sky . . .

Life is good. Waiting for the coffee to brew. Mom has one of those new Keurig machines. I am going to try the Nantucket roast. I may decide I like this machine -- I have retired my auto drip and pulled out my one cup DeLonghi espresso machine. Think I would prefer to grind my own beans and use a reusable basket if I bought one. The disposables are just that. Disposable. And fresh ground coffee just tastes better. But the matter of coffee wasn't foremost on my mind this morning. I woke sifting through the fading dreams sleep brought, and the waking transition of life as a parent with children leaving for college this week. Moving day Wednesday for my daughter, Saturday for my son. Many parents go through this. An empty nest feeling some call it. So opposite to the nesting before childbirth. We prepare and anticipate. Now they spread wings and fly to create dreams and goals of their own. The way it should be. It is this transition of life that we feel when these normal ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Standard Process Purification: The Takeaway

Saturday, September 4, 2021 Me this morning. Three weeks have passed since beginning the Standard Process Purification cleanse. Questions such as “How do I feel?”, “What do I notice?”, “Was it worth it?”, “Would I do it again?” and "Moving forward" are all questions to be reflected upon.  I don’t know about you, but many generations just lived, ate seasonally, and didn’t pay much attention to the catchall words that we have today such as “organic” and “sustainable eating.” They already were!!!! Farmers worked hard, still do. Today our society has changed and many of us are stuck behind desks and are on the run so much that the food we eat and unhealthy habits we have formed have been problematic to our overall health, posture, spinal health, obesity, amongst others. There is more disease than ever before in this country, much which has been our own doing, but even more so, the culture and environmental factors around us contribute to dis-ease and our unnecessary stressful liv...
Post a Comment
Read more

Now is the time. ..

There are some days when I reflect perhaps too deeply.  Sometimes I think many of us, myself included at times, live in a bubble.  Our own world.  When I find myself wondering why my life has led me to where I am, looking at both the joys and struggles, the dreams and reality, it is then I am thankful to God for where I am. Now is the time to consider to reflect to own and embrace all that life shows us. Now is the time for life is fleeting as we do not know the day or the hour of our passing to another life. Now is the time for life is ephermeral as the petals of a flower the puff ball of the dandelion all changing within a blink of our eye and with a passing of our footsteps. Now is the time for life is transitory as the changing of the seasons: crimson autumn colors shimmering winter snows aromatic spring blossoms soft summer rain. Now is the time to put aside regrets old hurts make amends create new bridges begin anew no...
Post a Comment
Read more