Roche Miette Newsletter Quarterly of Roche Miette Association, No. 8, October 2003

The Mount of the Eternal One
Indian Summer - by Piotr Rajski
Come to me, Sister - by David Huggett
Field of Reality - by Gary Horn
Finding God in the Silence - by Piotr Rajski.
Thanksgiving at One God Site - by Pritam
One God Notes - by Pritam
Mutlifaith Calendars
What is Roche Miette Association
Call for Papers

In the days to come,
The Mount of God's House shall stand
Firm above the mountains;
And it shall tower over the hills.
The people shall gaze on it with joy.
And the many nations shall go and say:
Come, let us go up
To the Mount of the Eternal One,
To the House of the God of Jacob;
That God may instruct us in God's ways,
And that we may walk in God's paths.

Micah 4:1-2

by Piotr Rajski

The last couple of days has been absolutely gorgeous. This is the best Indian Summer I remember seeing in Alberta. The air is warm and pleasant to breathe. It is such a treat to walk (some of you may remember that I almost lost my foot last year) along the banks of North Saskatchewan River. I rush there right after the day of work and feel better in a matter of minutes. It is absolutely delightful to be showered by God's unending gifts: fresh air, the smell and soothing murmuring of the leaves, warm sunshine, fragrances of the flowers, herbs, shrubs and trees. It is like God was outpouring His love on us through the gift of oxygen. When I breathe, I breathe with God's Love, unconditional love for every sentient being. This is such a privilege!

This must have been an experience of the Psalmist who declared:
 

The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky proclaims His handiwork. Day to day makes utterance, night to night speaks out. There is no utterance, there are no words, (yet) their voice carries throughout the earth (...). Psalms, quoted after: Novak Philip, The World's Wisdom, P.203.

Where were you when I laid the earth's foundations? Speak if you have understanding. (...) Have you ever commanded the day to break, assigned the dawn its place? (...) Have you ever penetrated to the sources of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? (...) Can you dispatch the lightning on a mission and have it answer you, "I am ready?" (...) Who gave understanding to the mind? (...) Who provides food for the raven when his young cry out to God and wander about without food? (...) Do you know the season when the mountain goats give birth?(...) Who is wise enough to give an account of the heavens? (...) The Book of Job, quoted after: Novak Philip, The World's Wisdom, P.209.

For me Nature can be equated with Life. What is natural is life giving. Most of human inventions - genetically modified foods, pesticides, hormone therapies, anticonception pills, antidepressants, etc., are artificial and seem to bring suffering and misery. Thus, I concur with the Essene Gospel of Peace when it declares Life/Nature to be more important than all the Scriptures:
 

And Jesus answered: Seek not the law in your scriptures, for the law is life, whereas the scripture is dead. (...) The law is living word of living God to living prophets for living men. In everything that is life is the law written. You find it in the grass, in the tree, in the river, in the mountain, in the birds of heaven, in the fishes of the sea, but seek it chiefly in yourselves. (...) They are in your breath, your blood, your bone; in your flesh, your bowels, your eyes, your ears, and in every little part of your body. They are present in the air, in the water, in the earth, in the plants, in the sunbeams, in the depths and in the heights. (...) God wrote not the laws in the pages of books, but in your heart and in your spirit. (..) They all speak to you that you may understand the tongue and the will of the living God. (...) For I tell you truly, all living things are nearer to God than the scripture which is without life. The Essene Gospel of Peace. (1981), P.13.

Dear children, today I invite you all to awaken your hearts to love. Go into nature and look how nature is awakening and it will be a help for you to open your hearts to the love of God the Creator. (…). Our Lady of Medjugorie, April 25, 1993. Words from Heaven, P.271.

Being in the Nature makes me more prayerful. Bathed in God's unconditional blessings of fresh air, water, earth and fire, I am more inclined to repeat God's Name, talk to Him "plainly and simply," say a little prayer or just sit in silence and awe. Prayer renews human mind and spirit, while Nature renews our energy, our vitality and aliveness. This is how Our Lady of Medjugorie speaks about this process:
 

Every second of prayer is like a drop of dew in the morning, which refreshes fully each flower, each blade of grass and the earth. In the same way prayer refreshes man. (…) Man renews himself and can, once again, listen to the words of God. (…) How the  scenery is beautiful when we look at nature in the morning in all it's freshness! But more beautiful, much more, is it when we look at a man who brings to others peace, love, and happiness. Children, if you could know what prayer brings to man! Especially personal prayer. Man can thus become a really fresh flower for God. (…) For the beauty of nature, daily renewal and refreshment is necessary. Prayer refreshes man in the same way, to renew him and give him strength. Temptations, which come on him again and again, make him weak and man needs to get from prayer always a new power for love and freshness. Our Lady of Medjugorie, January 27, 1986. Words from Heaven, P.387-8.

Piotr.

by David Huggett
 

Come to me, Sister,
alone on this quiet Sabbath afternoon

You find me thoughtful
in the open air, breathing the same air
you contend is more than air
but inhalations of One
who inhales, and blows us out again
and with each breath gives us light and air
and shapes our vision, and quickens our sight
to the end that we may see, and measure:

how great the darkness
how bright the light
and how small the pale
of our own dim lamp

and rests from his labours before he proceeds

From "Progress Notes." To order call the author at (780) 414-1534, or write him at:
David Huggett, 12156 - 93 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T5G 1E8, Canada.

by Gary Horn

In the middle of an Iowa cornfield, a "voice" coaxed farmer Ray Kinsella to build a baseball field in the middle of his corn crop with this promise: "If you build it, he will come." And Shoeless Joe did indeed come. The banished ballplayer walked onto the outfield grass from the cornrows and was reconciled with the game. Later, Terence Mann, a disenfranchised author and activist made peace with his past on the ball field. And Doctor "Moonlight" Grahm realized his dream of a major league at-bat. And finally, Ray buried the hatchet with his own youthful father in a game of catch. While they were tossing the ball, Ray’s father asked, "Is this heaven?" When Ray answered, "No, this is Iowa", his puzzled dad observed, "I could have sworn this is heaven."

The ballpark project had taken a heavy toll on the Kinsella’s finances. When the bank threatened to foreclosed on the farm, Terence made this prophecy: "People will come, Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway, not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door, innocent as children, longing for the past… This field, this game…reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. Oh people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come."

And after 5 hours in a minivan, there I was with two of my brothers on a warm October Saturday, playing catch and hitting fungoes on the Field of Dreams. I, along with thousands of others over the last 12 years, had fulfilled Terence’s prophecy. Why had I come?

I have deeply connected with many of the movie’s themes. I love baseball and have played it every chance I could, including high school and college ball. Like "Moonlight" Grahm, when I was a boy I wanted to be a major league ballplayer, a dream that never came even close to materializing. I strongly empathized with Ray, who was alienated from his father when he died. Their only connection when he was young, a flawed one, was baseball. I have also struggled with my own relationship with my dad, and playing catch with him is one of my bittersweet memories. Like Ray, I have longed for complete reconciliation with him. In short, I long for the heaven that I saw in the movie.

My brothers and I had a wonderful time, but not a perfect one. No dreams came true. Instead, we were greeted by a rude dose of reality. The Lansing family owns most of the field. However, a neighboring farmer owns left field. This farmer has enlisted an investment-banking firm to manage his portion of the ballpark. Therefore, there are two separate driveways to the Field of Dreams, with two different souvenir booths. Initially, the commercial besmirching of this bucolic setting outraged me. Eventually, I became reacquainted with this sober truth: heaven can’t be found in an Iowa cornfield or any other place on earth, for that matter.

It is so tempting to look for heaven on earth, especially since there are whisperings of heaven around us. As I sat on the outfield grass, with my face warm with sun and ears overflowing with October wind, the rattling brown corn seemed to be applauding our Creator. "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork." I absorbed the serene delight of my fellow dream-chasers as they pursued the ball around the field. Taken for what they are, these temporal things are enjoyable and they hint at heaven. But if created things become ends in and of themselves, we can look forward to disappointment, disillusionment and bitterness. You’re right, Ray; this Field of Dreams cannot deliver heaven.

Heaven will be the place where our deepest longings are met. Until then, we can listen to the clapping corn…and hope.

I am pleased to announce that my text "Finding God in the Silence: Contemplative Prayer and Therapy" has been published in the recent issue of Journal of Religion and Health. You could get an access to this text by requesting the Journal through your local library or requesting a reprint from Kluver Publications. I have a limited amount of reprints available at the cost recovery basis ($10). Please, contact me at rajski@shaw.ca if you are interested. I attach the abstract of the text.

Journal of Religion and Health
42 (3): 181-190, Fall 2003
Copyright © 2003 Blanton-Peale Institute
Piotr Rajski - Finding God in the Silence: Contemplative Prayer and Therapy

Abstract
In this paper the author shares some of his experiences of using silence in therapy. He presents one of the modes of practicing silence, namely the meditation technique known as Contemplative Prayer, and shows advantages of using this technique in the process of self-purification and self-balancing of the therapist. The author stipulates that silence is a royal way to discovering God. Finding this divine particle within oneself and client changes the whole outlook of therapy. The therapist is no longer alone with the client, but God becomes an active participant in the therapeutic process through His love for both therapist and client.

Keywords
silence, God, Contemplative Prayer, therapy

Article ID: 468722

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October 13 is celebrated as the Thanksgiving Day in Canada. Here are some quotations about the attitude of thankfulness and God's Providence from One God Site:
 

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord keeps watch over the city, the watchman stands guard in vain. In vain you rise early and go late to rest, toiling for the bread you eat; he supplies the need of those he loves. Sons are a gift from the Lord and children a reward from him. Psalm 127:1-3

And seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to God on its behalf, for in its prosperity you shall prosper. Jeremiah 29:7

Dear children, I am calling you to a complete surrender to God. Let everything that you possess be in the hands of God. Only in that way shall you have joy in your heart. Little children, rejoice in everything that you have and give thanks to God because everything is God's gift to you. That way in your life you should be able to give thanks for everything and discover God in everything, even the smallest flower. (…). Our Lady of Medjugorie, April 25, 1989. Words from Heaven, P.253-4.

Look at the birds: they don't sow seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? (...) Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. (...) So do not start worrying: Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes? (...) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what He requires of you, and He will provide you with all these other things. Matthew 6:26, 28-29, 31-33

This inner awareness, this experience of love as an immediate and dynamic presence, tends to alter our perspective.  We see the prayer of petition a little differently.  Celebration and praise, loving attention to the presence of God, become more important than "asking for" things and "getting" things.  This is because we realize that in him and with him all good is present to us and to mankind: if we seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, all the rest comes along with it.  Hence we worry a great deal less about the details of our daily needs, and we trust God to take care of our problems if we do not ask him insistently at very minute to do so.  The same applies to the problems of the world. (...) Merton, Thomas. Contemplation in a World of Action. P. 158, 159. Submitted to L-Center Discussion Group by Gary Horn ghorn@uswest.com

Even if everyone were to pray day and night to become as rich as Henry Ford, their prayers could not be granted because earth is not a place where everybody can be a Henry Ford. But everyone can be rich in Spirit, for God has given everyone equal power to become like Him. When you claim your divinity, everything belongs to you. A Henry Ford might lose his wealth or his health, but Jesus Christ can create health or wealth or anything else he wants, at will. So don't long to be as rich or as healthy as someone else; have only one desire: to be like God. Paramahansa Yogananda, Man's Eternal Quest, P.186.

(…) those who are perfectly humble will lack nothing they really need, either spiritually or materially. God is theirs and He is all. Whoever possesses God (…) needs nothing else in this life. The Cloud of Unknowing, P.79.

Those who believe and work righteousness, their Lord guides them, as a reward for their faith. Rivers will flow beneath them in the garden of bliss. Quran 10:9

Abu'l Hasan Pusanji was asked, "What is faith and what is trust in God?"  He replied:  "You eat what is in front of you and chew each mouthful with a tranquil heart, knowing that whatever belongs to you you will not lose." Submitted to Merton-L Discussion Group by Melanie Mattson.

"One God Notes" consist of quotations from spiritual writings of many religious traditions. The purpose is to inspire, to open hearts, so people perceive God's Presence in and around them. In this way I hope to create a sense of human and religious unity.

To see the previous "One God Notes" visit http://www.onegodsite.net/archives.html. To learn more about the philosophy behind these notes, please, visit http://www.onegodsite.net/

If you would like to go further and add "One God Notes" to your web site, please, copy and paste the button below and use it to create a link to http://www.onegodsite.net/onegodnotes.html

In Truth, Simplicity and Love, Pritam.

Multifaith Calendars, published by the Multifaith Calendar Committee in Port Moody, BC, Canada, have been a great source of inspiration for me during last four years. Designed with great artistic taste they provide valuable information about the holidays of all major religions. It is a great educational resource for people interested in cross-cultural and interfaith sensitivity. To order calendars at source you may contact:

The Multifaith Calendar Committee
Multifaith Action Society
2722 Henry Street
Port Moody, BC, V3H 2J9
Canada
Tel/fax: (604) 469-1164
mfcalendar@pacificcoast.net

If you live in Alberta you may save some shipping costs if you contact:

Edmonton Interfaith Center for Education and Action
11148 - 84 Avenue
Edmonton, AB, T6G 0V8
Canada
intfaith@telus.net
or Netta at
phillet@shaw.ca

Some excerpts from the month of October 2003:

October 18 - Eve of Simhat Torah, (Rejoicing of the Law) marks the beginning of the synagogue's annual Torah reading cycle.
October 20 - Birth of the Bab (herald of the new age for Baha'is). His shrine is at the Baha'i World Centre, Haifa, Israel.
October 20 - Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib (Nanakshahi), celebrates the passing on of the guruship to the Holy Scriptures (the Guru Granth Sahib Ji) by the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh Ji.
October 24 - Mahavira (6th Century BCE), the 24th Tirthankara, attained nirvana and release from the cycle of rebirth (moksha).
October 25 - Diwali, perhaps the most popular Hindu festival. Known as the Festival of Lights, it is dedicated to the Goddess Kali in Bengal and to Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, in the rest of India.
October 25 - Bandi Chhor Divas, means "the day of the prisoner's release." It commemorates the return of the sixth Guru, Sri Hargobind Ji, to the holy city of Amritsar after his release from detention.
October 27 - the Holy Month of Ramadan begins. Ramadan is the month of fasting during which Muslims who are physically able do not eat or drink from the first sign of dawn until sunset.
October 29 - Jnana Panchmi, means transcendent wisdom. Some Jains celebrate it by fasting for 36 hours; others perform rituals and pray for right knowledge.
October 31 - Samhain, celebrates the Celtic New Year. The souls of those who have died during the turning of the past year's
wheel are bid farewell. Also Halloween.

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Roche Miette Association is an informal group of people who try to achieve the ideals of human unity as expressed in  the Roche Miette Rule. One of the characteristics of this group of enthusiasts is love of Nature and willingness to love God through His Creation.  In particular, we are drawn by the beauty of Roche Miette Mountain, near Hinton, Alberta, and organize once a year a non-denominational hike/pilgrimage to this mountain. People of all religious backgrounds are invited to participate with us in this auspicious event.

If these ideals appeal to you, you may want to support them through a financial donation. Please, send checks for "Roche Miette Association" to:

Piotr Rajski
Roche Miette Association
576, Lessard Drive
Edmonton, AB, T6M 1B2
Canada

Would you like to contribute to Roche Miette Newsletter? Please, send your text in Microsoft Word or HTML format to rajski@shaw.ca. Of special interests are stories, reflections on the following subjects:

Human and religious unity.
Harmony between different religions, cooperation between religious groups.
Examples of interfaith dialogue, tolerance, forgiveness.
Love of Nature (especially mountains).
Spirituality.
Meditation, Contemplative Prayer.
Religious life, especially Practice of the Presence of God, pilgrimage.
Mysticism, especially in the context of the mountains.
Poetry, art, music, photographs related to the mountains.

Manuscripts to be considered should be original articles (not published elsewhere). Some previously published materials may also be considered if submitted with the info and consent of the publisher. Presently there is no remuneration for the submitted materials.

2003/10/13