RamaLent/Lentadan

breath and the beloved

Last week at our Interfaith Life Community meeting we read a poem called “Only Breath” by Rumi, the Sufi mystic. I decided to bring the poem to the group because it first caught my eye as the poem begins: Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu / Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion / or cultural system.” How perfect for an interfaith reflection community! The poem also spoke to my personal exploration of faith. In the poem Rumi writes: “I belong to the beloved, have seen the two / worlds as one and that one call to and know, / first, last, outer, inner, only that / breath breathing human being.” I absolutely love the idea of belonging to the beloved. Just the title speaks about the great compassion of the One beyond ourselves. For me the beloved is God. After reading and reflection on the poem I had each of the students to write their own spiritual poem. All of the poems were extraordinarily unique and beautiful and I asked them if there were comfortable to share them on this blog. It was a great meeting and I am thankful for the beautiful conversation and poetry we were able to share with each other.

Here is my poem:

Where do I exist

but in my breath

I cannot belong

to one name

I do not come

from a town, a city

a place in time

I come from something unknown

I am unknown

Only truly seen by the beloved

existence lies in the beloved

in that breath, in that silence.

- Elaina Jo 

Contemplation

At the Interfaith Life Community meeting today, we were asked to read through a small poem by the Muslim mystic, Rumi. It was both impactful and eloquent. After, we made our own response poems showing how we perceived the work by Rumi, how we see the world, or how we view spirituality.
Here was my response:

Inhale
The sun
or son
draw on the power of earth
or the all-powerful

Existence isn't futile
no matter who's name you proclaim
to the heavens, nirvana, or your own soul
because the light
life
inside of you doesn't need
affiliations or social acceptance

Justification
is not its food
breath- and that is all
exhale hate
inhale love

You are fed
content
and finally
complete.


-Caitlin Courtney

Giving Yourself - Receiving Love and Grace

Last week interfaith ministry had its first Interfaith Life Community meeting. It has been a dream of mine this year to have interfaith reflection group for students that meets to learn and grow spiritually. I decided to start the program by calling on the namesake of our school St. Ignatius of Loyola. I used his Prayer of Personal Dedication to start our meeting and focus our discussion.

Here is the prayer:

Take, Lord,

And receive all my liberty,


My memory, my understanding,


And my entire will,


All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.


To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours;

Do with it what you will.


Give me only your love and your grace,


That is enough for me.

The prayer proved to be perfect for our first meeting as it lead to a beautiful discussion of personal struggle to both offer God our liberty and accept God’s love and grace. It is hard to fully give yourself to God or the greater sense of purpose you believe in. While each one of us who strives to grow in our spirituality believe in giving ourselves in some way to something greater than ourselves it is overwhelming to conceive of completely surrendering. It is only in welcoming and openly receiving the love and grace of God that we are able to give ourselves completely. Although we may have reservations about giving up all we have there is hope in the great love offered by God. As Saint Ignatius reminds us God does not ask us to go forth alone, but with God’s love ever present in the work we do. 

-Elaina Jo