A Reflection by Christine Jurisich
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An encounter with the Sacred brings with it an array of feelings. What is it like for you? Perhaps a comforting feeling while praying at night, an energized, connected sense while on a nature walk, or an experience of calm and peace while in one of our Sacred Circles.
I write in my recently published book, Awakening to the Sacred:
“Encounters with the Sacred’s radiant light can feel comforting, peaceful, and joyous. And that beautiful sense of presence can quickly vanish. The Sacred needs daily tending.
Tending the Sacred is taking time to pause, notice, and listen with intentional practices. Sometimes that means simply shifting your awareness: when critical voices enter your head while you’re doing a household task, give yourself an affirmation; when you are impatient and irritated with a slow cashier at the grocery store, take a breath and remember this person is sacred.
Tending the Sacred also means cultivating a relationship. While the Sacred is ever present, intentional time is needed to build a connection. As you reflect on what practices you want to start or change, remember your season of life. Taking two minutes of quiet before getting out of bed is a great start if you are juggling work and children until you collapse into bed each night. If you are a new empty nester, perhaps this is the perfect time to add twenty minutes of spiritual reading to your evening. If you are widowed or newly single and anxious about sitting in silence, try a daily walk dedicated to finding beauty or breathing in and out Infinite Love. Start with small, practical ideas that take into account your personality and the realities of your daily life.”
Here we are entering the holiday season, a time that can bring both joy and the stress of keeping up. There is a heightened energy from TV and social media ads along with stores asking us to buy one more present, decorate with one more thing, and attend one more event. If you are grieving, worried about losing a job (or transitioning to a new one), this may be a season you’re trying to ignore or avoid altogether. All of this combines with an election season that has magnified the divisiveness and tension felt around the country.
In the midst of all of this, tending the Sacred does not need to become one more thing on our to-do lists. Perhaps it is simply an invitation to pause, take a breath, and remember that God’s presence is with us in the joy, the sorrow, and the uncertainty. Whatever this season holds for you, the Sacred remains present, waiting to be noticed and welcomed.
As we enter this season, I invite you to reflect on one small way you might intentionally tend the Sacred in your daily life.
For Reflection
In our Sacred Circles this month, we will be reflecting on these questions:
What does tending the Sacred look like in your life today? How might you like to tend the Sacred more intentionally?
Did this reflection resonate with you?
Awakening to the Sacred now available for purchase.
You can also join Christine for a free, 30-minute Zoom gathering about the book.