TRUITY Spiritual Mentoring

Stop before you send that email!

Email can be a curse or a blessing, it saves us thousands of $ every day in postage costs and phone costs, keeps us in touch in an instant.  Emails flying round the globe in the flash of an eye, once that button is pushed it gone.   Ever pushed that send button and then had that horrid sinking feeling in your gut of “Oh I just shouldn’t have done that?”  But that email has gone off into cyber world the place of no retrieval, and it’s too late.  You said it, you wrote it and now you just are going to have to wear it.  Have you ever been so angry that you have just wanted to tell someone exactly what you think of them?  Ever just wanted to hurt someone so bad that you don’t care what you say, you just want to strike out and hit hard?  So if you’re someone who does hit that send button and regret it later the following may just help you change that bad habit into something more positive.  

Did you know that emotions are addictive?  The hormones produced by the brain when were happy, or when were sad are just as addictive as hard core drugs, the only difference is we don’t need to go and buy them, they are home made, in our brain by the very thoughts we think.  Often our behaviour is driven by our need for drama, and the drama is created in our own perception to feed our habits!  So do you have an emotional habit, a habit that drives you to be someone who is always angry, always flying off the handle, always over the top? 

Think for just a moment about your friends, what do you think of them when they loose it? Is there any dignity in that behaviour? Does it show they are powerful and in control?  9 times out of 10, when ever you over react, I can guarantee you will regret what you have done and yes you will feel darn stupid, that charge of adrenalin may have made you invincible and super human for one minute, but sooner or later you will come down to earth and then feel so bad about jumping to that conclusion, or saying things you didn’t mean. So just for a minute let’s revisit the circumstances that lead you to let your fingers do the typing and your emotions to pour out on paper. 

What happened?  How did you feel when you had cooled down?  Did you feel justified or stupid, did you regret what you had done or not?    Loosing control and behaving badly is definitely not cool.  When were young often the emotions control every aspect of our lives, we respond accordingly by buying that dress we cant afford, falling in love (or lust) with someone we just know is a rat, or simply eating that huge serving of fries and ice cream and then wondering why our waist line is bulging. As we age and learn our behaviour changes and we begin to understand just how much damage we do to our own lives by letting our emotions overtake our rational thinking.  Mind you, emotions are fantastic things, they take us on incredible journeys, of highs and lows, up and down, responding to everything in our circle of influence, running like a rollercoaster, and often giving us courage to rush in where angels fear to tread. Only problem is you can guarantee that if you do allow your emotions to run your life, and you do keep acting on impulse then it will make your life extremely turbulent and often very unhappy.    

Living life totally living on the drama of emotions has its down side, that’s for sure, when you act irrationally things are always blown out of proportion, then when you cool down, you have to face up to whatever it was that you did and then you feel lousy and guilty and mentally give yourself a hard time.  When you give yourself a hard time, telling yourself how stupid you were it then lowers your self esteem and lowers your trust in yourself.  So isn’t it better just to wait, write a draft email, walk away and then come back the next day? If your still angry then find a way to express it like a person who has control of their life, and in charge of their choices.  

Remember; there is a time and a place for everything, and there are ways to do things right.  No matter what anyone else may have done, or you think they have done, NEVER give anyone the satisfaction of seeing you loose your control and becoming a raving idiot.  Hold your power; walk away with your head held high and with dignity.   You remember when you were a child, someone either your teacher, mother, grandparents would have tried to tell you, don’t do anything when your angry, count to 10 step back and take a deep breath.  Well that is the wisest thing you can ever do for yourself, count to 10 take a breath and consciously choose how you will respond – its your life your choice! 

Unfolding of Spirit , the presence of a loving mothers ghost. 

This is a story about something that happened last week.  The fact it happened inspired me to write about it, so maybe, just maybe this story will help someone else.

Just over a week ago, I received a call from a woman wanting an appointment to see me for some help.  I didn’t know her story, but could feel that there was something I could help her understand or help her to resolve in her life.  She came to visit and first asked me what was it I did? After all she didn’t know why she had found her way to my home, but things had just fallen into place and here she was a series of coincidences?  Well I don’t believe in coincidence I believe that miracles happen and if we are ready the sign posts will always lead us to where we are meant to be.   When she asked what I did, my reply was, “well what do you need.”  She looked at me puzzled and I laughed, then I began to explain that I am a healer, who is also a medium and clairvoyant, and I have helped people this way for over 30 years. 

We began talking; she said she had come back to the place where she was born, because it was 50 years since her birth and 50 years since her mother passed away.  Her mother had died in childbirth and for some bizarre reason she couldn’t work out why for the last few moths she has been absolutely plagued with grief and the need to return to the place she was born.  She sobbed as she told me some of her story, the grief was so overwhelming, and she asked would she ever stop crying. I replied yes, its time and proceeded to explain a few things too her in regards to how her mother was with her right now, and her grandmother also was with her, and that her mother needed to pass over, and be healed, that she was very tired, and it was time.  This is why she felt the overwhelming grief, her life was about to change and things were about to be moved and healed.  We discussed many things that day, and spent over 4 hours just talking and listening, explaining about what happened when people die, and sometimes when they die, they are not ready to die, and want to stay, just as her mother had done.  Her mother may have physically died but she had been living through her daughter for the last 50 years, trying to make sure her daughter was ok and that she was protected. 

The mother let me know she was sorry if she had interfered in her daughter’s life, she said she never meant to do that, she only wanted to protect her from the hardship of life.  As we spoke it came to me that I was to take her on a journey to a special place where we would do a small ceremony to say goodbye to her mother, and let her spirit pass through to the other side, where she could heal and gain more perspective on life.  The lady was astounded that everything I had said to her she in fact had written in her diary the night before, she had begun to let go and understand that her mother had been such a strong presence in her life that now at the age of 50 she didn’t have a clue who she was.

I wont go into great detail as I am trying to keep the story brief, any way, that night as I slept I heard someone call out to me and when I opened my eyes there in the corner of the room was this woman’s mother and grandmother.  Well they were the typical Italian mothers, dark clothes and strong women. The next morning I met again with this woman, and told her what the grandmother had conveyed to me, including her name, a name I could not have guessed, which gave her confirmation of their presence.  We proceeded out into the national park and I took my camera with me to record the day, so I could give her something special to take back in way of good memories.   The question was asked, “Lesley how do you know something will happen to day?”  My answer to my client was, “ I just know we will be given a sign, something before the end of the day to show you that your mother is now at peace and everything is alright.”  We had a lovely morning, just being out in nature, the ceremony to bring the sweetness back into life was done, and we asked for the blessings of the traditional owners of the land and the ancestors and you could feel their presence and the peace was profound.

I just stepped back and left my client to sit in peace for a few moments, all the while I kept taking photos, and just recording the sadness and then the totally change to such serenity within my client.   We drove home and I offered to put the pictures on my computer straight away so she could see them, this is when we were both astounded.  

I took over a hundred pictures that morning, and I do have a very good camera.  What we saw in the photo absolutely established that spirit was with us and that yes her mother was there and yes she did pass over.  Just at the before the ceremony of releasing her mother and the sweetness to the river, there appeared to the right of my client a huge orb of white light, you can even see where it is standing on the wooden bridge overlooking the steam.  And then after the ceremony, the same orb has moved off to the right and two more glowing balls of light one blue and one pale blue are clearly visible in the top of the frame moving upwards towards the heavens.

 My client had her sign, she was given reassurance and confirmation and not only that she was astounded that she had actually felt peaceful for the first time in longer than she could remember.  She stayed on at the resort for a few days, and it was as though she was a totally different person, the weight had gone and even people who knew nothing of what had occurred remarked on the change in her.  

In my line of work, I am lucky enough to meet a wide range of people, many of which naturally come to me when their life is in turmoil.  Turmoil comes in many shades of grey and in pure black and white too, so many issues can adversely affect a person’s life.

People just find me, someone tells someone and someone tells someone else, and so things go round and round.  My websites are the only place I tell my stories, and only then to inspire other people to understand that – death is not the end, it is the beginning, and that there are so many things that we have been indoctrinated to be in fear of, that truly are not to be feared.  In this case the answer was simple, the mother was a young woman when she passed in childbirth, she loved her daughter so much that she could not leave her, she wanted to protect her and that is exactly what she did. The time had come for her to go, to pass back to the source from whence all people come, to see the whole picture, to receive her healing, and to let go and trust that the daughter she loved so much was ok.  You see just because someone dies, doesn’t mean they know it all, they continue to learn and to live through our lives, sometimes they do interfere, sometimes they do impose their energy upon us, sometimes they simply love to much and cant let go.

 The spirit is constantly evolving, and moving towards greater understanding of itself and to peace.    

http://www.inklings.vze.com

and select "This week's reflection"

~ You are welcome to forward this to others, please credit the author. ~ 

by Deborah Beach Giordano
© July 23, 2007

Having seen the empty tomb and the burial cloths, Peter and the other disciple went away from that place.

But Mary Magdalene remained behind, sobbing bitterly. Through her tears she stared into the tomb; and there she saw two radiant angels, sitting where the body of Jesus had been; one at the head and the other at the feet.

They said to her, "Woman, why are you crying like that?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have put him."

When she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t recognize him. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you wailing like a lost child? Who are you looking for?" Thinking that he was the gardener, Mary said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where he is, and I will take him away."

Then Jesus called her by name: "Mary!" In that instant she felt her hope reborn — and from her heart Mary cried, "My beloved teacher."

Jesus said, "Don’t cling to me, for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. Instead, go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ "

Mary Magdalene went forth and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.
~ The Gospel according to John 20:11-18

It’s That Woman again. Just when we think we’ve heard the last of her, she pops up again. This time it is in honor of her feast day, this past Sunday, when we celebrate Mary’s ministry in the service of her beloved teacher, Jesus.

She’s different now from the woman I learned about in Sunday School — the image of the Magdalene which the Church proclaimed for centuries: The Great Sinner, the Harlot, the Bad Girl. Now we know better; modern scholarship and our own close reading of the text proves that it is a lie, a slander against the First Apostle.

Yet that Other Woman still stands; there, in the shadows, enticingly, tempting us to believe ... to wonder ... even to hope...

Recent books, articles, and myths have arisen "reclaiming" the Magdalene. Beyond her role as the First Proclaimer of the Good News, it is said that she and Jesus were married, and that their union produced one or more children.

Talk about redemption! Mary Magdalene’s reputation has been restored in a major way: from prostitute to respectable married lady. That’s great.

But I wonder ....

Of course I want Mary’s role as Apostle to the Apostles to be recognized. And I want her to be honored for who she was and what she was — untainted by slurs based on her gender. No one has ever suggested that any of the male "forgiven sinners" of the bible were prostitutes!

And yet I have to confess that sometimes I miss "the old Mary." It seems to me that the rush to "reclaim" the Magdalene has resulted in a sanitized version of a complex human person. Rather than a single woman who dared to follow an itinerant preacher, she is now safely married — or at least betrothed. Lost is the (dare I say it?) liberated woman whose faith caused her to set aside the social demands of her time in order to become a disciple of the Lord.

But what if, unafraid of gossip, Maggie risked all to be with Jesus? Knowing her reputation would be ruined, that she would never be accepted as a wife of a "decent" man after her life on the Road, that her family would cast her out, still she followed her beloved Teacher.

If this Jesus wasn’t who he appeared to be; if his healing miracles were a sham, if his message of God’s mercy and love wasn’t true, all that would be left for Maggie would be the life of a prostitute. Truly she risked all that she had.

That’s real faith.

If she is "in love" with Jesus in the flesh, the Magdalene’s commitment to Christ can be written off as mere ... well, "carnal desires." Her loyalty might be nothing more than a schoolgirl crush — and you know how powerful, but ultimately meaningless, puppy love is.

But what if Maggie’s faithfulness was based on a deep devotion to God? What if she followed this man Jesus because his preaching reflected her own inner knowing? What if she dared to trust his description of a Heavenly Father who seeks after us, who forgives us, and loves us utterly?

If this Jesus wasn’t what he seemed; if he was a mere magician: a trickster, a deceiver; if his message was a lie, all that would be left for Maggie was death. If not the eternal life, then eternal death. Truly she risked all that she had.

That’s real faith.

And what if the Magdalene really had been a "bad girl"? The gospels of Mark and Luke both report that Christ cast seven demons out of her (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2). That’s quite a few devils. But — let’s pause for a moment here, people — sexuality isn’t the only sin to which women are inclined. I don’t think it is even the sin to which we are most inclined. Besides, that large a number of demons surely indicates some variety.

Maybe Maggie had lived a life of sin, perhaps she was a wealthy woman who had abused her servants, exploited the poor, or failed to care for the sick. Perhaps her heart had been filled with hatred and envy. She might have been an adulteress, a prostitute, a murderer. She may have been consumed by fear or despair. All we know for certain is that Jesus accepted her as one of his disciples.

All we know for certain is the her testimony of faith.

Mary Magdalene stood in solidarity with her Lord while he suffered on the cross. She dared to claim his body for a decent burial — the body of an executed Enemy of the State. She risked imprisonment and death for preaching His revolutionary Gospel.

That’s real faith.

What if Mary Magdalene really was "a sinner" — no better than the rest of us? What if she was a woman who had "fallen" into temptation: if she had made mistakes, had even intentionally done wrong? And what if, despite these failings — or perhaps because of them — she became the greatest of the apostles?

That would mean that any one of us can do what she did.

If our dear Maggie was a real sinner then we — no matter what our background, our history, or condition — can be as faithful to Christ, as constant in our love, as powerful in our proclamation of His Gospel, as she was.

That’s real faith.

Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,

Deborah +

This Week’s Suggested Spiritual Exercise: Do you accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ: that God is merciful, forgiving, and loving? What sins have you failed to forgive in yourself?

JOIN OUR LIST: If you would like the weekly Reflection to be sent directly to your email address, you may join our list for free by emailing dbgiordano@comcast.net with the word "Reflections" in the subject or body of the email. The Reflections mailing list is NOT used for any other purpose.

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and select "This week's reflection"

~ You are welcome to forward this to others, please credit the author. ~ 

by Deborah Beach Giordano
© July 23, 2007

Having seen the empty tomb and the burial cloths, Peter and the other disciple went away from that place.

But Mary Magdalene remained behind, sobbing bitterly. Through her tears she stared into the tomb; and there she saw two radiant angels, sitting where the body of Jesus had been; one at the head and the other at the feet.

They said to her, "Woman, why are you crying like that?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have put him."

When she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t recognize him. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you wailing like a lost child? Who are you looking for?" Thinking that he was the gardener, Mary said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where he is, and I will take him away."

Then Jesus called her by name: "Mary!" In that instant she felt her hope reborn — and from her heart Mary cried, "My beloved teacher."

Jesus said, "Don’t cling to me, for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. Instead, go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ "

Mary Magdalene went forth and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.
~ The Gospel according to John 20:11-18

It’s That Woman again. Just when we think we’ve heard the last of her, she pops up again. This time it is in honor of her feast day, this past Sunday, when we celebrate Mary’s ministry in the service of her beloved teacher, Jesus.

She’s different now from the woman I learned about in Sunday School — the image of the Magdalene which the Church proclaimed for centuries: The Great Sinner, the Harlot, the Bad Girl. Now we know better; modern scholarship and our own close reading of the text proves that it is a lie, a slander against the First Apostle.

Yet that Other Woman still stands; there, in the shadows, enticingly, tempting us to believe ... to wonder ... even to hope...

Recent books, articles, and myths have arisen "reclaiming" the Magdalene. Beyond her role as the First Proclaimer of the Good News, it is said that she and Jesus were married, and that their union produced one or more children.

Talk about redemption! Mary Magdalene’s reputation has been restored in a major way: from prostitute to respectable married lady. That’s great.

But I wonder ....

Of course I want Mary’s role as Apostle to the Apostles to be recognized. And I want her to be honored for who she was and what she was — untainted by slurs based on her gender. No one has ever suggested that any of the male "forgiven sinners" of the bible were prostitutes!

And yet I have to confess that sometimes I miss "the old Mary." It seems to me that the rush to "reclaim" the Magdalene has resulted in a sanitized version of a complex human person. Rather than a single woman who dared to follow an itinerant preacher, she is now safely married — or at least betrothed. Lost is the (dare I say it?) liberated woman whose faith caused her to set aside the social demands of her time in order to become a disciple of the Lord.

But what if, unafraid of gossip, Maggie risked all to be with Jesus? Knowing her reputation would be ruined, that she would never be accepted as a wife of a "decent" man after her life on the Road, that her family would cast her out, still she followed her beloved Teacher.

If this Jesus wasn’t who he appeared to be; if his healing miracles were a sham, if his message of God’s mercy and love wasn’t true, all that would be left for Maggie would be the life of a prostitute. Truly she risked all that she had.

That’s real faith.

If she is "in love" with Jesus in the flesh, the Magdalene’s commitment to Christ can be written off as mere ... well, "carnal desires." Her loyalty might be nothing more than a schoolgirl crush — and you know how powerful, but ultimately meaningless, puppy love is.

But what if Maggie’s faithfulness was based on a deep devotion to God? What if she followed this man Jesus because his preaching reflected her own inner knowing? What if she dared to trust his description of a Heavenly Father who seeks after us, who forgives us, and loves us utterly?

If this Jesus wasn’t what he seemed; if he was a mere magician: a trickster, a deceiver; if his message was a lie, all that would be left for Maggie was death. If not the eternal life, then eternal death. Truly she risked all that she had.

That’s real faith.

And what if the Magdalene really had been a "bad girl"? The gospels of Mark and Luke both report that Christ cast seven demons out of her (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2). That’s quite a few devils. But — let’s pause for a moment here, people — sexuality isn’t the only sin to which women are inclined. I don’t think it is even the sin to which we are most inclined. Besides, that large a number of demons surely indicates some variety.

Maybe Maggie had lived a life of sin, perhaps she was a wealthy woman who had abused her servants, exploited the poor, or failed to care for the sick. Perhaps her heart had been filled with hatred and envy. She might have been an adulteress, a prostitute, a murderer. She may have been consumed by fear or despair. All we know for certain is that Jesus accepted her as one of his disciples.

All we know for certain is the her testimony of faith.

Mary Magdalene stood in solidarity with her Lord while he suffered on the cross. She dared to claim his body for a decent burial — the body of an executed Enemy of the State. She risked imprisonment and death for preaching His revolutionary Gospel.

That’s real faith.

What if Mary Magdalene really was "a sinner" — no better than the rest of us? What if she was a woman who had "fallen" into temptation: if she had made mistakes, had even intentionally done wrong? And what if, despite these failings — or perhaps because of them — she became the greatest of the apostles?

That would mean that any one of us can do what she did.

If our dear Maggie was a real sinner then we — no matter what our background, our history, or condition — can be as faithful to Christ, as constant in our love, as powerful in our proclamation of His Gospel, as she was.

That’s real faith.

Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,

Deborah +

This Week’s Suggested Spiritual Exercise: Do you accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ: that God is merciful, forgiving, and loving? What sins have you failed to forgive in yourself?

http://www.inklings.vze.com

and select "This week's reflection"

~ You are welcome to forward this to others, please credit the author. ~ 

by Deborah Beach Giordano
© July 23, 2007

Having seen the empty tomb and the burial cloths, Peter and the other disciple went away from that place.

But Mary Magdalene remained behind, sobbing bitterly. Through her tears she stared into the tomb; and there she saw two radiant angels, sitting where the body of Jesus had been; one at the head and the other at the feet.

They said to her, "Woman, why are you crying like that?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have put him."

When she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t recognize him. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you wailing like a lost child? Who are you looking for?" Thinking that he was the gardener, Mary said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where he is, and I will take him away."

Then Jesus called her by name: "Mary!" In that instant she felt her hope reborn — and from her heart Mary cried, "My beloved teacher."

Jesus said, "Don’t cling to me, for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. Instead, go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ "

Mary Magdalene went forth and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.
~ The Gospel according to John 20:11-18

It’s That Woman again. Just when we think we’ve heard the last of her, she pops up again. This time it is in honor of her feast day, this past Sunday, when we celebrate Mary’s ministry in the service of her beloved teacher, Jesus.

She’s different now from the woman I learned about in Sunday School — the image of the Magdalene which the Church proclaimed for centuries: The Great Sinner, the Harlot, the Bad Girl. Now we know better; modern scholarship and our own close reading of the text proves that it is a lie, a slander against the First Apostle.

Yet that Other Woman still stands; there, in the shadows, enticingly, tempting us to believe ... to wonder ... even to hope...

Recent books, articles, and myths have arisen "reclaiming" the Magdalene. Beyond her role as the First Proclaimer of the Good News, it is said that she and Jesus were married, and that their union produced one or more children.

Talk about redemption! Mary Magdalene’s reputation has been restored in a major way: from prostitute to respectable married lady. That’s great.

But I wonder ....

Of course I want Mary’s role as Apostle to the Apostles to be recognized. And I want her to be honored for who she was and what she was — untainted by slurs based on her gender. No one has ever suggested that any of the male "forgiven sinners" of the bible were prostitutes!

And yet I have to confess that sometimes I miss "the old Mary." It seems to me that the rush to "reclaim" the Magdalene has resulted in a sanitized version of a complex human person. Rather than a single woman who dared to follow an itinerant preacher, she is now safely married — or at least betrothed. Lost is the (dare I say it?) liberated woman whose faith caused her to set aside the social demands of her time in order to become a disciple of the Lord.

But what if, unafraid of gossip, Maggie risked all to be with Jesus? Knowing her reputation would be ruined, that she would never be accepted as a wife of a "decent" man after her life on the Road, that her family would cast her out, still she followed her beloved Teacher.

If this Jesus wasn’t who he appeared to be; if his healing miracles were a sham, if his message of God’s mercy and love wasn’t true, all that would be left for Maggie would be the life of a prostitute. Truly she risked all that she had.

That’s real faith.

If she is "in love" with Jesus in the flesh, the Magdalene’s commitment to Christ can be written off as mere ... well, "carnal desires." Her loyalty might be nothing more than a schoolgirl crush — and you know how powerful, but ultimately meaningless, puppy love is.

But what if Maggie’s faithfulness was based on a deep devotion to God? What if she followed this man Jesus because his preaching reflected her own inner knowing? What if she dared to trust his description of a Heavenly Father who seeks after us, who forgives us, and loves us utterly?

If this Jesus wasn’t what he seemed; if he was a mere magician: a trickster, a deceiver; if his message was a lie, all that would be left for Maggie was death. If not the eternal life, then eternal death. Truly she risked all that she had.

That’s real faith.

And what if the Magdalene really had been a "bad girl"? The gospels of Mark and Luke both report that Christ cast seven demons out of her (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2). That’s quite a few devils. But — let’s pause for a moment here, people — sexuality isn’t the only sin to which women are inclined. I don’t think it is even the sin to which we are most inclined. Besides, that large a number of demons surely indicates some variety.

Maybe Maggie had lived a life of sin, perhaps she was a wealthy woman who had abused her servants, exploited the poor, or failed to care for the sick. Perhaps her heart had been filled with hatred and envy. She might have been an adulteress, a prostitute, a murderer. She may have been consumed by fear or despair. All we know for certain is that Jesus accepted her as one of his disciples.

All we know for certain is the her testimony of faith.

Mary Magdalene stood in solidarity with her Lord while he suffered on the cross. She dared to claim his body for a decent burial — the body of an executed Enemy of the State. She risked imprisonment and death for preaching His revolutionary Gospel.

That’s real faith.

What if Mary Magdalene really was "a sinner" — no better than the rest of us? What if she was a woman who had "fallen" into temptation: if she had made mistakes, had even intentionally done wrong? And what if, despite these failings — or perhaps because of them — she became the greatest of the apostles?

That would mean that any one of us can do what she did.

If our dear Maggie was a real sinner then we — no matter what our background, our history, or condition — can be as faithful to Christ, as constant in our love, as powerful in our proclamation of His Gospel, as she was.

That’s real faith.

Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,

Deborah +

This Week’s Suggested Spiritual Exercise: Do you accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ: that God is merciful, forgiving, and loving? What sins have you failed to forgive in yourself?

JOIN OUR LIST: If you would like the weekly Reflection to be sent directly to your email address, you may join our list for free by emailing dbgiordano@comcast.net with the word "Reflections" in the subject or body of the email. The Reflections mailing list is NOT used for any other purpose.

UNSUBSCRIBE: If you no longer wish to receive the weekly Reflection, reply to this email with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject or body of the email.

Abraham replied, "If you agree to let me bury my dead in your land, please ask Ephron to let me buy the cave of Machpelah, which he owns, as a burial place." ... And so the cave of Machpelah, and the field that surrounded it was sold to Abraham. After this, Abraham buried Sarah in the cave, facing Mamre; and the field and the cave became the burial ground for Abraham’s family.
~ The book of Genesis 23:1-20

"Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept for her."

A short, simple sentence filled with poignancy and deep resonance for most of us. The death of a loved one is powerful beyond words, the loss indescribable, the emptiness of life without this one yawns before us like a dark cavern. Our hearts know the ache that Abraham felt. It is the common human experience that reminds us we are all one people, one tribe, one nation.

Abraham mourned and wept — as people have always done; as people will always do. Then there came a time when he "arose from his mourning."

He arose. Had Abraham been kneeling beside Sarah’s body? Was he prostrate with grief for weeks on end? Had this man, who was not afraid to argue with God, spent days or weeks or months in prayer? We do not know.

And we do not know what caused him to arise. Something brought Abraham up out of the pit of despair. Somehow he found a way to go on despite the loss.

But it was not easy. Abraham asks for a place to bury his dead, "out of my sight." It seems as if to look upon what was lost to him was unbearable; to see the traces of one who was no longer there was to be drawn down into sadness.

The people of the land seemed to understand. They spoke respectfully to the widower, offering him a place to bury his beloved wife "in any of our cemeteries."

But Abraham did not want to bury Sarah in any of those places. He came to them asking for the rights to a specific location, which he identifies by name: the cave of Machpelah.

Why? Why that place? There were many, many caves throughout the region — as there are to this day. Surely one was as good as another. Why was Abraham so insistent in claiming that site? And he refused to accept it as a gift or as an act of charity, but made a point of having witnesses that he paid the full value of the property. He made every effort to ensure that it was his, and no one could take it from him.

Over the years there has been much speculation about this choice of a burial site to which — so far as we know — the family had no previous association. It obviously mattered a great deal to Abraham. It was important that Sarah and he and their descendants would go to their rest not just anyplace, but in that particular place.

I wonder.

I believe this location, and this action by Abraham is a part of why he can arise from his grief. The answer is not in what will be "out of his sight" in the cave, but what can be seen from there.

We are told that Abraham laid his beloved wife to rest in this secure and quiet womb of the earth "facing Mamre."

On the hill of Mamre Abraham built an altar after receiving the Beloved’s promise of descendants that would number "as many as the stars in the sky" (Gen 13:18) — as impossible as that seemed. In that place he and Sarah had entertained angels who brought them the Holy One’s promise of a son in their old age — as impossible as that had seemed (Gen 18:1-12). There he and his family had dwelled in peace and safety. At Mamre Abraham had spoken with God, even argued with God, and lived — as impossible as that seemed (Gen 18:23). It was there that the Eternal One had promised to be faithful; to protect and to love Abraham and his descendants forever and ever — as impossible as that seemed.

Mamre was the Hill of Promise: the site where the God of History made extravagant, nearly unbelievable, promises that came true.

Is it any wonder that Abraham chose the cave of Machpelah as the resting place for his family?

God’s love never ends. The Holy One’s faithfulness, mercy and compassion are not only to the young, the strong, or the cheerful. Abraham, full of age and wisdom and sorrow, could rely on the Promises that the Beloved gave to the young Abram.

I think that knowledge — that memory, that hope — was what caused Abraham to cease his mourning and weeping. It was his confidence in God’s goodness that made it possible for the aged patriarch to "arise" and come forth into life again.

Wherever he traveled Abraham would look toward Mamre, remembering the extraordinary things that happened there. He would recall Sarah’s amusement at the idea of a baby so late in their lives. He would remember her laughter of joy and delight as she held Isaac in her arms. He would know that she, too, was facing toward Mamre. He would remember God’s Promise of eternal love and protection.

"And Abraham arose from his mourning."

Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,

Deborah +

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This Week’s Suggested Spiritual Exercise: What place or experience reminds you of God’s goodness and faithfulness? Where is "the Hill of Promise" in your life? How can you keep the memory of this promise alive in your everyday living?

What place or experience reminds you of God’s goodness and faithfulness? Where is "the Hill of Promise" in your life? How can you keep the memory of this promise alive in your everyday living?