December Prayers: A Work of Attention

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. -Philippians 4:8

Dear Friends,

Even as holiday festivities pick up, December offers us opportunities to pause and reflect on all that we hold dear and all that we long for. The beautifully-filmed video above was created by Micah Lindstrom of Morgan Horse Studios and invites the viewer into a brief meditation of my practice as an artist, as someone who tries to attend to the beauty around me and tell about it. In that same spirit, and as we enter into Advent, enjoy the poem and music below, remembering the devoted attention that Mary gave to the Incarnate Divine Love in her arms.

grace & peace,

Messenger

My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird—
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.

By Mary Oliver