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 Every morning I receive “A Word for the Day” from A Network for Grateful Living ,www.gratefulness.org>. Today’s offered just the spark I needed on this grey day as I settle back at home after two weeks in Florence. Off I go. I love the idea of being a shepherd.
Be a lamp or a lifeboat or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd. Rumi
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 The other morning I headed out without a plan, other than to walk to Santa Croce. I love that church piazza in the early sun and before the crowds. As I walked along the Arno, I came to a little chapel, Santa Maria della Grazia. Open for morning and afternoon prayer, this gem of a space offers respite from the crowds of tourists and zooming traffic. Throughout the half hour I was there, four women and one man came in to pray. I lit a candle for the peace of the world.  Bear with me if you’ve been following my previous trips to Florence on this blog. Again and again I return to my favorite spots, take picture of the same places, and write about what they mean to me. You can always count on me to return to Monastery of Saint Francis in Fiesole. I don’t look back to read what I wrote, but you can if you want. Now is now, and I just spent a lovely fall morning there in full view of God’s creation. I’m into simplicity both in my home and in my life; the monk’s cells inspire me, not only to get rid of stuff, but to write and to pray. It’s all there in that tiny room—a cross, Bible, paper and pen on the table, along with a chair and wooden plank. Simplicity of space clears the way for simplicity of prayer, which God hears best.  The other afternoon I visited the Brancacci Chapel in the Church of the Carmine. The chapel’s frescoes, depicting the Life of Peter, are predominantly the works of twenty-one year old Masaccio, with some contributions by Masolino and Filippino Lippi. The painter Masaccio, along sculptor Donatello and architect Brunelleschi are considered the leaders of Renaissance in Florence in the first half of the fourteen century. Each left Florence for a while to study antiquities in Rome. Unfortunately Masaccio died there at an early age. These frescoes, along with the Trinita in Santa Maria Novella are the primary extant works of the artist. The chairs facing the chapel offer a quiet, comfortable place for visual lectio divina.  I start each day with a cappucchino. I say a little prayer when I first get up, but truthfully, my first though is coffee. A monk once told me that his first thought of the day was not about God but about coffee. I figure I’m in good company. After wandering about the city for a while I stopped at La Badia for prayer time. This is a most prayerful church in that it is absolutely the quietest public place I know of in Florence. Except for services, which are primarily sung, it is SILENT. Visitors, step through the door, and everything changes for them. A few leave immediately, but many stay to pray. On the welcoming table are two little boxes; one to leave a prayer request (paper and pens provided); the other with scripture written on little pieces of paper to be taken. In front of a lovely statue of Madonna and child there is a stand and candles to light. Today in their shop I purchased a wooden rosary and an icon of Christ from the crucifix hanging from the altar.  I’ll be posting about my visits to churches on both of my blogs, but for you prayer diary readers I will add something more at the end. I visited Santa Maria Novella yesterday afternoon. Although I’ve never thought of it as my favorite, I always seem to spend time there soon after I arrive in Florence. This time I took a notebook tour, computer notebook that is. A very leisurely, solitary way to do it. In fact, I’m considering doing so at other churches I tour. This Dominican church has a rich history in Florence, beginning in the mid-thirteen century when monastic orders were building churches all over Europe as a base to carry out their mission (with public assistance). Florence was no exception. The Dominican mission is to preach, teach, and confess. Interesting to note that the Dominican Fra Girolama Savonarola (1452-96), who became over zealous in the order’s mission until he was burned at the stake in Piazza della Signoria, was not mentioned in the tour. Maybe he’ll appear when I tour the Convent of San Marco where he lived, but I’m thinking the text on these tours is committed to giving a positive spin. http://www.museumsinflorence.com This is a marvelous church for prayer, even in the midst of tourists. It is never crowded and it’s spaciousness provides quiet and solitude. The Trinita by Masaccio, offers visual lectio divina, as do the Ghirlandaio’s frescoes on the life of Mary, Brunelleschi’s carved crucifix, and Giotto’s crucifix hanging in the nave. Also, through a separate entrance, there is a chapel just for prayer. There is an entrance fee for this church, but not for this chapel. Inside the church The Cloisters  I had the a most reward and fun day today walking with my church, Memorial Congregational Church of Sudbury, in the Worcester Pride Parade. Being with church friends, and meeting people from other churches and organizations was awesome. The denominations represented included UCC, Unitarian, American Baptist and Episcopal. Tomorrow after church I fly to Rome, via Frankfort, Germany. I’ll take a train to Florence where I’ll live for two weeks in an apartment I’ve rented near the Ponte Vecchio. I’ll be working on three articles: Seven Days Writing in Florence; Seven Days Praying in Florence; and Seven Days Living in Florence. Stay tuned. I’ll be posting drafts.  I just delivered a prayer shawl to a friend who is going through chemo. In fact, he has session tomorrow and is going to take the shawl with him. After leaving a voice message a few days ago telling him that I had a gift for him, I debated whether to make an appointment, or just take my luck and leave the shawl and a note. Well, of course it was a God moment. My friend was home and was so grateful.
My new go-to activity to get out of my head is knitting. Jigsaw puzzles are on the back burner. I knit during my prayer time in the morning, when watching TV, while chatting with friends. I also just sit and knit and listen to what God wants to tell me. Sometimes, nothing. Just sit and be in God presence. It was at one of those moments that I heard who the shawl was for. Now I have a couple going, one easy, the other needing a little attention. I’m listening. (I didn’t take a picture of the shawl, but here are the two I’m praying on.)  You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. Exodus 22:23
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:35 I must speak up about this immigration/refugee issue. Clearly it is a problem. But for whom? Not just for the countries ‘receiving’ people, but for the people themselves who are fleeing horrific situations that I can not begin to imagine. I have no experience living in fear of suicide bombers, starvation, or drug dealers. One of the building blocks of Judaism, Christianity and Islam ismigration. God told Abram to leave his country, and so began the wanderings of the Israelites. Ishmael, son of Abram and his slave Hagar, fled with his mother to the area of Mecca, and became a prophet of Islam. Jacob’s twelve children migrated to Egypt of avoid famine. The story of Ruth, the Moabite, is full of migration and intercultural relationships. Ruth marries Boaz, and gives birth to Obed, father of Jesse, and grandfather of David. On a personal level, my American ancestors were immigrants from Scotland, England and Germany; when I married I migrated from Connecticut to Colorado to my present home in Massachusetts. I know times are tough now, but if we don’t have a policy of welcoming the stranger, our hearts will begin to close and we will lose our freedom. |
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