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August, 2008

Dancing before God

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— mariagwyn @ 7:47 am
Fri
22 Aug 2008

The Dormition is a feast of liberation, in the vein of the best of liberation theology.  This liberation is not merely celebrated by women, but at times led by women.  Miriam’s song celebrates the destruction of Pharoah, the triumph of the Exodus, an event of freedom from slavery and oppression which still stands at the heart of Jewish theology and practice.  Judith, combining deadly seduction and skilled battle
tactics, saves the Hebrews from destruction by Holofernes and the
Persian army.  The beautiful Esther prevents genocide, a feat marked
each year by Purim, a celebration in which everything is topsy-turvey (Esther 9:18-22).  The Magnificat of Mary (Luke 1.39-55), read and sung during Dormition, echos the Song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10).

Dormition of the Theotokos: from the Communities of New SketeDormition of the Theotokos: from the Communities of New Skete

Sr. Katrina - Memory Eternal

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— mariagwyn @ 8:55 pm
Wed
20 Aug 2008

Sr. Katrina, a nun of New Skete, passed away on August 13th after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer.  I spent a few brief moments with Sr. Katrina the week before, and had one rather stunning conversation. 

Sr. Katrina - Coffin Lid: Sr. Katrina's coffin lid, with lilacs painted by Sr. Cecelia.Sr. Katrina - Coffin Lid: Sr. Katrina's coffin lid, with lilacs painted by Sr. Cecelia.

Sr.

The Transfiguration

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— mariagwyn @ 3:05 pm
Tue
19 Aug 2008

The monk Thomas Merton wrote, “Then it was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, the depths of their hearts where neither sin nor desire nor self-knowledge can reach, the core of their reality, the person that each one is in the eyes of the Divine. If only they could all see themselves as they really are. If only we could see each other that way all the time. There would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed.” Then finally he exclaims: “…I suppose the big problem would be that we would all fall down and worship each other!”

The Transfiguration: Theophanes the Greek, 1408The Transfiguration: Theophanes the Greek, 1408

Recently, I had the pleasure of spending the