Stranded on the Mainland: Inner Pilgrimage and Living Alone as a Spiritual Path:

Last week I watched the replay of Jim Finley's 2025 Advent Retreat from St. Monica's in California. The theme of the retreat was: Advent Sermon by Meister Eckhart. Not very exciting or relevant today you might think, but not so. Next. What stood out for me in the retreat was Jim saying, "But God comes anyway."  Below are some thoughts on this from my journal: I can twist myself into knots trying to decide whether to go to a Christmas event, to buy a new winter coat, or couch, or to have my apartment repainted, but God comes anyway. Family situations can be hard at Christmas, but Jesus comes anyway. I'm not sure this is where I should be living, but God comes anyway. And then nine floors up-- Eckhart's ground Finley talks about in the retreat breaks through and  sunset paints my living room. (for free!) . God comes anyway. Whether there is peace on earth or not, in politics, in families, at church, at work, in prayer, everywhere. Love comes anyway. Sometimes it...

This Sunday will be Joy Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent. Two things: I woke this morning thinking of images in the news of Toy Mountain and the Salvation Army . I'm also listening to a talk on prolonged grief.  I'll put a link at the end of this post in case it might be helpful to you or someone you know during the Christmas season. Now a poem: I imagine a growing cross that is Toy Mountain. I imagine people bringing an unwrapped gift, and an unwrapped loss. I see wounded givers and receivers, wounded grievers and healers. and Joy untranslatable. Cb Amen Navigating Grief talk: Bing Videos image:clipart Music:  Bing Videos Please remember to donate to the Salvation Army Red Kettles if you're in the malls this week! Thank you and God Bless

On this the last day of my  Being Presence  retreat with Jim Finley, it's the CAC Daily Meditation that's pulling it all together for me. To explain, I'm paraphrasing from today's Daily Meditation with Richard Rohr quoting psychiatrist and theologian Gerald May, "The Dark Night isn't called "dark" because it is in some way sinister, it is called dark because liberation (rescue) takes place in the dark: Trusting the Unknown Path — Center for Action and Contemplation I'm thinking of my blog title " Stranded on the Mainland -- rescue doesn't happen on a beautiful bright perfect summer day when the family's all together again, but in a beautiful bright imperfect Dark Night of the Soul when I'm "alone." At least that how it's happening for me on a snowy winter day east of Toronto right now. Finally and for now, it seems "when I wasn't watching," God shifted gears and drove a red convertible into the empty p...