"A Good Day"

I was reminded of this wonderful, short, video by David Steindl Rast when Brett Hughes posted it on the "Another Best Day" blog today.  Check it out! "A Good Day" with Brother David Steindl Rast.

~ The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Two kids of intelligence, Rumi

There are two kinds of intelligence. One acquired,
as a child in school memorizes facts and concepts
from books and from what the teacher says,
collecting information from the traditional sciences

as well as from the new sciences.

With such intelligence you rise in the world.
You get ranked ahead or behind others
in regard to your competence in retaining
information. You stroll with this intelligence
in and out of fields of knowledge, getting always more
marks on your preserving tablets.

There is another kind of tablet, one
already completed and preserved inside you.
A spring overflowing its springbox. A freshness
in the center of your chest. This other intelligence
does not turn yellow or stagnate. It’s fluid,
and it doesn’t move from outside to inside
through the conduits of plumbing-learning.

This second knowing is a fountainhead
From within you, moving out.

—Rumi (Translated by Coleman Barks)

All Souls Day

Today is All Souls Day!

Several years ago I was blessed to spend the day at Westminster Abbey on November 2nd...and I wrote about it below...

May you have a blessed All Souls Day,

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

photo credit

Several years ago while in college, I was studying in Europe and made a trip up to England to visit a friend and to see some of the sights there.  I was excited that my friend was staying in Kent, and I would be able to go to Canterbury Cathedral to attend church and poke around in the town.  But, before going to Kent, I was in London in early November, visiting museums and churches, and doing the tourist thing.  On November 2nd, I made my way over to Westminster Abbey, where I was to meet up with one of the canons of the Abbey.  A mutual friend made the connection for me, and I was poking around the Abbey on a terribly rainy and cold day.  Not being totally keyed into the liturgical calendar, I was able to learn a bit about All Souls Day while in Westminster Abbey.  Since it was such a cold and rainy day, and since there are endless things to see and to visit, I stayed there much of the day.  Since All Souls Day is also known as the Feast of the Faithful Departed when many Christians remember all those who have died in the last year, it became a rich and deep place to observe the holiday.  In addition, just the day before, one of the elderly canons (priests in a leadership role) at the Abbey had died. So, along with the rainy day, the soulful Abbey (full of tombs!), and the occasion of the death of the canon it really was a wonderful place to learn about All Souls Day, and about the depth of our Anglican Tradition - not merely by reading about it or talking about it, but by doing it.   I entered Westminster Abbey a tourist, and left a pilgrim.

I pray that we all take time today to reflect upon All Souls Day and pray for all those who have died, and pray for us, that we might live in a way that is full, abundant, and holy.

Blessings on All Souls Day,

~The Rev. Peter M.Carey

photo credit

photo credit

Happy All Saints' Day

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. 

  -- All Saints, Holy Women, Holy Men, p. 663

Will Barrow Memorial Flag Football Tournament Announced ~ November 3rd, 2012

Consider supporting the Will Barrow Memorial Flag Football Tournament on Saturday, November 3rd, which will raise money for the UVa HELP Line

"The UVa HELP Line is an anonymous, confidential telephone service serving the residents of Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the University of Virginia. It is affiliated with UVa's Madison House. HELP strives to provide callers with an empathetic ear for any sort of issue they wish to discuss and on finding long-term services in the community for callers, such as counseling services, medical services or drug treatment programs."

For more information, click the following link at virginiasports.com:
http://www.virginiasports.com/sports/m-lacros/spec-rel/103112aaa.html