That was so wonderful(as always), Martin. Thank you. 🙏🏼❤️
After I finished listening, we listened as a family over hot Sunday breakfast, herbal tea and coloring. (A new tradition of practicing listening.) I helped clarify some of the stories to help my children understand better. They also enjoyed seeing how long they could hold up their arm and leave their hand open for a nest. I can’t thank you enough for your shared beauty and soul speak. I especially loved your moving prayer at the end of today’s post.
Today’s stories reminded me of an experience I recently had with a little bee on that remote beach in Point Reyes. I was resting in the quiet, sheltered between two dunes, when I heard a buzzing. A bee had come to visit me. After greeting the bee, I welcomed it to land on my head for a rest. My little friend took me up on this offer and then gave me a message. The bee told me that if I would make my yard a home for the bees, their presence would heal the land around my house. (I often struggle to feel content at my home in the suburbs and wish for a quiet place closer to the wild. A lot of my free time is spent traveling(escaping) to wild places.) Now, to transform the poisoned green lawn surrounding my house into a garden for the bees, I have my work cut out for me! A deepening and renewal of place. 🐝🌸
I hope the listening of everyone’s hearts brings them the wisdom they desire. ❤️
Thank you Martin; that awakening of Arthur in a cave has haunted me since childhood when I first encountered it. There does indeed seem to be a bell ringing now! I feel only able to bless and praise these days and be open to what is! This accords in my mind with Tarkovsky’s film Andrea Rubliev and the boy, who in a time of plague, says he has the knowledge to forge a great bell but is really just acting from faith. Perhaps that’s all we can do at this juncture?
Perhaps it is David. You remind me to watch the Tarkovsky movie, I know it's huge for Rod Dreher, and we get to spend a couple of days together next week.
I recommend Nostalghia, Sacrifice and Stalker as well if you haven't already seen them. The imagery woven through of the beauty and sounds of nature, the characters of the"mad mystic," the exiled poet seeker and the beautiful hauntings of Christianity are some of the most moving cinema I have ever seen. The most recent episode of the Lord Of Spirits Podcast is quite interesting as well as they explore “divine madness” as a corrective when society becomes inhuman and living against nature: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/lordofspirits
The stories, your words... enrich my experience in Glendalough some years ago. I still hold the blessing of visiting it in my bones. A blessed place indeed. Unforgettable. The birds, Kevin...the bells.. your experiences there... reading through it again and feeling grateful for this gift on this, my Sunday today..Thank you Martin!
Nothing deep, but as I walked my dog this morning, I had said a prayer in the woods and then thought I could listen to this, I don’t usually carry my phone and it was still early, I checked again, it seems nine o’clock is the hour and listened as I crossed fields and just as it ended church bells were ringing.
and... thank you for this beautiful prayer (that´s what it is for me). It falls into my heart, expands it.... I walk with it into this golden autumn day. Blessings
And years ago I was visiting friends high in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. I went for a walk and below the road ran a lovely stretch of rocky stream. At one place along the stream I sensed for a moment the presence of an angel. I mentioned this to the wife and described the location. She said, “Oh, that is where I pray every day”. We are both hardened evangelical protestants but even we can get in on the action!
Always my most look forward to read of the week, Martin. Thanks for this. Great image arms stretched out of the window, wide open to bearing the Others. I read in a note on medium earlier this week by einsofist that, according to Nachmanides, birds are capable of eavesdropping on the angels. They then translate these comuniques into the birdsong that they share with humanity. To uphold the nest-world of such ones, like one of the Nistarim, might be to hear untold wonders if one could get the lexicon just so. The same note speaks of Chrysostom warning against being like the Jews and listening to closely to the voices of birds. How odd for a man whose G-d's incarnation/baptism was announced by that same G-d in the form of a bird. Like the good hunchbacks we are in this court of miracles, to the bells!
My gosh I love your writing and I’m reminded of a dream I had in which a loud bellowing voice said to me ‘the loudest engaged tone can be heard even through the deepest ringing’ todays entry of yours was my first reminder to decipher this message. Thank you/
This was fresh and crisp nutrition for my morning; how I lapped it up! It’s also been all so wonderful to look through the window of comments and hear everyone’s stories, associations and synchronicities.
Really grateful for you and what you carry, Martin. Inspiring too.
Martin, Your whole missive today is wonderful! As you close, holding all three possibilities of Ciaran and his animal monks as "occurring naturally and easily at once" is spot on. Life's amazing complexity holds it all, it really isn't an either or, is it?! Each and all of those possibilities happening on-goingly. Not only one world, one Reality ... with who knows how many and what kinds of various dimensions, and nooks and crannies... past, present, future all co-mingling in the sparkling Now (shamans and I'm sure many Saints travel freely throughout time and space), each one occupying the center of life's magnificent web pulsating mystery, fetching companions, hatching wave after wave of love.
“Never once in my life have I felt saintly” Same here, but we can freely know the love of the Three Persons of the Trinity in the here and now. The light of life as pure gift! “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Little children, happily with no shame, eagerly receive a gift. And I look forward to visiting simple silent nature away from the background hum of the urban, even that of the pleasant area I live in. Thank you for that inspiration, enjoying the gift of the earth.
That was so wonderful(as always), Martin. Thank you. 🙏🏼❤️
After I finished listening, we listened as a family over hot Sunday breakfast, herbal tea and coloring. (A new tradition of practicing listening.) I helped clarify some of the stories to help my children understand better. They also enjoyed seeing how long they could hold up their arm and leave their hand open for a nest. I can’t thank you enough for your shared beauty and soul speak. I especially loved your moving prayer at the end of today’s post.
Today’s stories reminded me of an experience I recently had with a little bee on that remote beach in Point Reyes. I was resting in the quiet, sheltered between two dunes, when I heard a buzzing. A bee had come to visit me. After greeting the bee, I welcomed it to land on my head for a rest. My little friend took me up on this offer and then gave me a message. The bee told me that if I would make my yard a home for the bees, their presence would heal the land around my house. (I often struggle to feel content at my home in the suburbs and wish for a quiet place closer to the wild. A lot of my free time is spent traveling(escaping) to wild places.) Now, to transform the poisoned green lawn surrounding my house into a garden for the bees, I have my work cut out for me! A deepening and renewal of place. 🐝🌸
I hope the listening of everyone’s hearts brings them the wisdom they desire. ❤️
I’m grateful for your deep and nimble prose. You are the bell today. Thank you!
Thank you Martin; that awakening of Arthur in a cave has haunted me since childhood when I first encountered it. There does indeed seem to be a bell ringing now! I feel only able to bless and praise these days and be open to what is! This accords in my mind with Tarkovsky’s film Andrea Rubliev and the boy, who in a time of plague, says he has the knowledge to forge a great bell but is really just acting from faith. Perhaps that’s all we can do at this juncture?
Perhaps it is David. You remind me to watch the Tarkovsky movie, I know it's huge for Rod Dreher, and we get to spend a couple of days together next week.
I recommend Nostalghia, Sacrifice and Stalker as well if you haven't already seen them. The imagery woven through of the beauty and sounds of nature, the characters of the"mad mystic," the exiled poet seeker and the beautiful hauntings of Christianity are some of the most moving cinema I have ever seen. The most recent episode of the Lord Of Spirits Podcast is quite interesting as well as they explore “divine madness” as a corrective when society becomes inhuman and living against nature: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/lordofspirits
Kathryn
The stories, your words... enrich my experience in Glendalough some years ago. I still hold the blessing of visiting it in my bones. A blessed place indeed. Unforgettable. The birds, Kevin...the bells.. your experiences there... reading through it again and feeling grateful for this gift on this, my Sunday today..Thank you Martin!
Nothing deep, but as I walked my dog this morning, I had said a prayer in the woods and then thought I could listen to this, I don’t usually carry my phone and it was still early, I checked again, it seems nine o’clock is the hour and listened as I crossed fields and just as it ended church bells were ringing.
and... thank you for this beautiful prayer (that´s what it is for me). It falls into my heart, expands it.... I walk with it into this golden autumn day. Blessings
And years ago I was visiting friends high in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. I went for a walk and below the road ran a lovely stretch of rocky stream. At one place along the stream I sensed for a moment the presence of an angel. I mentioned this to the wife and described the location. She said, “Oh, that is where I pray every day”. We are both hardened evangelical protestants but even we can get in on the action!
Always my most look forward to read of the week, Martin. Thanks for this. Great image arms stretched out of the window, wide open to bearing the Others. I read in a note on medium earlier this week by einsofist that, according to Nachmanides, birds are capable of eavesdropping on the angels. They then translate these comuniques into the birdsong that they share with humanity. To uphold the nest-world of such ones, like one of the Nistarim, might be to hear untold wonders if one could get the lexicon just so. The same note speaks of Chrysostom warning against being like the Jews and listening to closely to the voices of birds. How odd for a man whose G-d's incarnation/baptism was announced by that same G-d in the form of a bird. Like the good hunchbacks we are in this court of miracles, to the bells!
Down in the deep heart’s core. Thank you.
I so enjoy the early Celtic Saints stories and wonderful to be reminded of Glendalough. Thank you.
Thank you Martin
Your heart and soul came through in these pearls this morning.
Words flew like butterflies from his mouth … indeed!
Will listen again, but immediate response was to be deeply touched
With warm appreciation
Julia
My gosh I love your writing and I’m reminded of a dream I had in which a loud bellowing voice said to me ‘the loudest engaged tone can be heard even through the deepest ringing’ todays entry of yours was my first reminder to decipher this message. Thank you/
This was fresh and crisp nutrition for my morning; how I lapped it up! It’s also been all so wonderful to look through the window of comments and hear everyone’s stories, associations and synchronicities.
Really grateful for you and what you carry, Martin. Inspiring too.
Martin, Your whole missive today is wonderful! As you close, holding all three possibilities of Ciaran and his animal monks as "occurring naturally and easily at once" is spot on. Life's amazing complexity holds it all, it really isn't an either or, is it?! Each and all of those possibilities happening on-goingly. Not only one world, one Reality ... with who knows how many and what kinds of various dimensions, and nooks and crannies... past, present, future all co-mingling in the sparkling Now (shamans and I'm sure many Saints travel freely throughout time and space), each one occupying the center of life's magnificent web pulsating mystery, fetching companions, hatching wave after wave of love.
Cheers,
So now, you and Paul are cave men?
almost certainly
“Never once in my life have I felt saintly” Same here, but we can freely know the love of the Three Persons of the Trinity in the here and now. The light of life as pure gift! “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Little children, happily with no shame, eagerly receive a gift. And I look forward to visiting simple silent nature away from the background hum of the urban, even that of the pleasant area I live in. Thank you for that inspiration, enjoying the gift of the earth.