How do you define holiness? What are you seeking in life? How do you name the mystery? Are you exploring the wonder of the holy in the extraordinary experiences of life? Have you found holiness in the ordinary moments of daily living? Or both?
Spirituality
How do you nurture your spirituality? A life of seeking? How are you leaning into the mystery?
Sometimes we compartmentalize or limit our spirituality to a day of the week or at a particular location. Yes, spirituality can be that and more, beyond the boundaries. Strive for a wider attentiveness to simplicity, for profound attention to the mundane routine of daily living. Give yourself permission to seek the holy in all of life, especially in the ordinary moments.
God and Mint Tea
I drink tea every morning at work, and the preferred flavor is either mint or English breakfast. One early start to my work day as I was sipping a cup of tea, the brand and aroma of the mint took me back to the days in the Novitiate several years ago when I was learning to live my life as a nun. (Full disclosure: I am a former nun and lived religious life for eight years). During that time, I would meet with Rosemary, my novice director, a sister in the community who had lived the life for many years and came to the conversation with incredible experiences and stories.
Nearly every time we met, usually on a weekly basis, both of us would have a cup of mint tea. There seemed to be endless soulful and spirited conversations with Rosemary over many cups of tea. The starter question would be some variation of the following, “How is God in your life?” or “What are you seeking today?” We would talk, laugh, pray, and talk more deeply of the spiritual life in raw, honest, everyday language. And oh how we laughed throughout the conversations and moments of sipping tea together. I treasure those deep conversations with Rosemary.
Spiritual Conversations
We became great friends and remained close even when I was no longer living my life as a member of the religious community. Several years ago, Rosemary died suddenly of a ruptured aneurysm. To this day, I still miss her and our spiritual conversations. Whenever I have a cup of mint tea, I often go back to those days with Rosemary where we talked about how we see God in the ordinary moments of our lives, and where we pondered the mysteries of the Spirit while trying to be the love of God for others. Mint tea is a tangible reminder for me to continue the search for God in all of life. (Note: this story is from my original post, God and Plantation Mint Tea. Reflections on the Spirit, 9.19.2009.)
What reminds you of the mystery? How do you foster your spirituality in everyday life?
I welcome your comments.
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