Here a young Ethiopian man stands near a brilliant icon of the Annunciation in his church. Notice that in order for us to venerate the icon, not one, but two veils have been pulled back. In the Annunciation: the conversation Gabriel and Mary have concerning her pregnancy and God's advancing into our world in Christ - the veil between heaven and earth has been pulled back fully and for all time.
And this is the 1000th Pauca Verba post which began in March of 2013. Since then there have been 426,000 page views from countries all around the world: Ireland, Great Britain, Mexico, France, Russia, China, Australia, Italy, Poland and all across Canada and the United States. Pauca Verba (a few words) began in the late 1990's as a column in a little Sunday bulletin for young people in their residential school. Later it morphed into a reflection page for parish weekend bulletins until friends pushed a bit and together we envisioned putting it up online.
It's a blessed project for me because it has invited me to deeper learning, awareness, reflection and prayer. The folks who follow are 99.9% friendly - "not for nothing" in a contentious world where a single online word can start an ugly fight.
The purpose of the blog is not to indoctrinate anyone but simply to point to ideas for prayer and places where we might encounter and ponder God. Indeed, in numerology the number 1000 signifies the Father's Glory: God's beauty, awesomeness, joy and delight, wondrous imagination and invitation. God's Glory is the humility God displayed in coming to us in Christ.
God is wonderful, and everyday there is something to experience which re-introduces us to God. I don't want to miss out on any of that. That's what I hope to point to here.
A word about the Thursday Intercessions: I think of them as a great needle and thread pulling together the things of heaven and our weary world. Do they effect any change? Maybe. That's God's business. The purpose of the prayers is to bring my heart before God - a heart which I hope is increasingly defrosted and opened. God reads hearts.
I send thanks, good wishes and a blessing to you and your homes.
God is wonderful, and everyday there is something to experience which re-introduces us to God. I don't want to miss out on any of that. That's what I hope to point to here.
A word about the Thursday Intercessions: I think of them as a great needle and thread pulling together the things of heaven and our weary world. Do they effect any change? Maybe. That's God's business. The purpose of the prayers is to bring my heart before God - a heart which I hope is increasingly defrosted and opened. God reads hearts.
I send thanks, good wishes and a blessing to you and your homes.
