Rituals for Transition
A Reflection by Christine Jurisich
If there is one thing that has helped me the most in all of my times of transition, it is letting-go rituals. If you feel as though you are holding a lot of emotion—whether it is joy, gratitude, grief, or worry—rituals are a powerful way to express yourself and connect with God's Grace. Rituals help us connect with God, ourselves, our family, friends, and community in a profound way.
Recently, I was cleaning out my house and had to throw away some things that were hard to let go of. I prayed over the object, thanking it for what it was for me. When saying goodbye to the home I grew up in, I walked through each part of the house and the outdoors, recalling memories and praying prayers of gratitude for what each space held for me.
I will never forget the prayer ritual my mentor, Sr. Paula Hagen of the Sisters of St. Benedict, planned for me when I left my leadership role in the Ministry of Mothers Sharing, a ministry I had dedicated my life to for ten years. It was hard for me to leave, even though I felt I was being called away to write my book. The ministry had been a catalyst for my spiritual awakening and helped me grow closer to my sacred self. Ritualizing the ending of something so profound in my life—with the wonderful women I had worked with and built relationships with—helped me feel the love of God and the strength of community. It marked a beautiful sense of closure and gratitude in my heart and facilitated my readiness for a new phase in my life.
You do not have to create a formal or grand ritual for it to be meaningful and helpful. Spend time sharing memories of your job if you are about to retire; light a candle before journaling; listen to a song while using arm movements that give you a feeling of letting go; deadhead flowers and plant seeds while reflecting on a goodbye and new life. Each of these rituals help mark the end of one phase and the opening of another.
Whether you have feelings of sadness, joy, gratitude, or emptiness as you move from season to season in your life, spend a sacred moment creating a ritual. Let it remind you how you are not alone in your transition. God is present, and there are ways to move through it into hope.
Did this reflection resonate with you?
Share your thoughts in a Sacred Circle. New people always welcome.
Trying to adjust to a transition?
Reflect on how to find God in the center of the unknown.