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““I neither seek nor wish for anything but you, my Lord Jesus”. With these words, Margaret of Cortona, answered the Lord’s question, “’What is your wish, poverella?’” (little poor one)
The causes of mental illness range from biological to environmental and everything in between. My own anxiety issues are biological, it is literally a part of my DNA and because of the wonders of modern medicine my illness is in check, at least most of the time. There was a time when I refused to acknowledge that I was struggling, but with time accepted it and asked for help.
“Today, I sacrificed a one of my precious masks for the sake of Ash Wednesday. Normally I burn a stack of palm crosses and fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration just as many churches do.”
But hope is not fragile,
or pretty,
or fine.
Hope is a weed,
a clinging vine.
“Regardless of where I am spiritually at any given moment, I persist with readings and prayers at the beginning and end of each day. And, despite what may be going badly in some of our lives, here we are, together as the Body of Christ in this Cafe, choosing to get up and embrace the spiritual life again today, to seek that joyful union.”
“Alfred Adler, in his theory of Individual Psychology, wrote that mental health could not be balanced by oneself—there must be a community aspect to it. He called that ‘social interest’ or ‘community feeling’.”
On January 21, 2021, President Joe Biden continued an American tradition by attending a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. The event included a closing prayer from Presiding Bishop Curry. Since 1933, the National Inaugural Prayer Service has been a familiar part of the inaugural ceremonies, but even before the was a National Cathedral, The Episcopal Church prayed for—and with—Presidents. That tradition began with George Washington and the first inauguration in 1789.
“As we traverse this second year of COVID with fears about the possibilities of more restrictions conflicting with our desire to get rid of masks and start gathering together, I know that many of us are wondering, ‘Does God believe in healing?'”
“Cry aloud, in habitants of Zion, ring out your joy,
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.”
“As I fell from my perch, that lofty view, my eyesight blurred and my heart broke. I never quite got over it.”
The Episcopal Café seeks to be an independent voice, reporting and reflecting on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican tradition. The Café is not a platform of advocacy, but it does aim to tell the story of the church from the perspective of Progressive Christianity. Our collective sympathy, as the Café, lies with the project of widening the circle of inclusion within the church and empowering all the baptized for the role to which they have been called as followers of Christ.
The opinions expressed at the Café are those of individual contributors, and, unless otherwise noted, should not be interpreted as official statements of a parish, diocese or other organization. The art and articles that appear here remain the property of their creators.
All Content © 2017 Episcopal Café
