Dear fellow traveler,

Today, on this 9th day of our journey to the heart of Christmas we woke up to sub zero temperatures and ice flowers at our window panes.

Now we arrive at a Sunday. A day of rest. Thus, we invite you, if you can, to do what is not easy to do – namely to rest and to deepen.

You might want to take a nap, or a walk, or to cuddle with your kids or animal companion or a good read, or to spend some time napping, or what is the hardest of all, not do a thing for a while.

If you just started this journey into the 12 Days of Christmas, or if you have set aside this Sunday for your personal retreat you will find all former posts in our virtual dwelling space and at the bottom of this email. Do read, if that means for you resting from your work and if it gives peace to your soul. Or start with a day of rest to prepare for the second part of the journey ahead.

If you are one of the many who have to serve others this Sunday, including family members and loved ones, may you find peace and grace in your doing, and some moments of rest also. And thank you for your kindness!

But now, let’s be present to this day and what it will bring to us.

Deepening

Below you will find all the meditations so far in our journey. Visit or revisit a meditation from our journey which speaks to your soul, ponder a thought you had wanted to come back to, listen to a music piece again or anew. Ponder a word or phrase or image which had grasped your attention. Revisit it, taste it, and cradle it in your heart as you would a newborn child. Ask it questions and listen with an open heart.

Or, find something entirely different which calls to you today for some deepening. Not some chore to be checked off, but some opportunity to practice and to train the heart. As Therese of Lisieux reminds us, not some great work, but some small thing done with great love. E.g. tend to some one or something you had meant to do for some time. May be a closed up grief, a distant relative, or a shortcoming for which you have not forgiven yourself. Or give someone a gift you had meant to give for a long time.

Blessing

Here is a blessing for your sacred pause:

May you find some quiet this day

to nourish your soul

may you find a sacred moment

even in the work which needs to be done

may you forget for a moment

all

that makes demands on you.

May you instead greet this day like a child

joyful and in curious anticipation

of what is to come.

May God meet you at your resting place.

Warmly, Almut

This post is part of our 12 Days of Christmas Series 2021/22: “Always we begin again…”, a Contemplative Journey towards the heart of Christmas. To enter our virtual gathering space or to subscribe click here. To share your thoughts with us, write us here or comment below. To consult with us, visit our PathFinder.

The 12 Days of Christmas Contemplations are a donation based online retreat. Your donation, any size, will help us pay this gift forward, to sustain this labor of love and keep it accessible to all.

Thank you, thank you.

Peace and Blessings, Almut & Chuck