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PDF versionThe Final Journey
by Joyce Rupp on May. 28, 2010
Companion of Life, Guardian of Death,
more and more I resemble an old gnarled tree,
wrinkled bark, gray boughs, thinning leaves.
The ground around my roots is weakening.
My limbs bend and no longer stretch very far.
Grant me the ability to not be afraid,
even in face of significant physical change.
Be a source of deepening hope
during my internal and external adjustment.
Keep me trusting in the deepest part of myself
where love and vitality are stored.
Teach me about true and everlasting beauty,
to be compassionate with my body in its growing frailty,
to love my mind and heart even as my life wanes,
to befriend the wrinkles and accept the grayness,
to be unthreatened by the depletion of my energy
and the waning of memory that was once keenly alert.
Ancient One,
Fill my heart with joy in the little gifts of life.
Let me find sources of comfort and serenity
in the midst of my aches and loss.
Be my near, ever-vigilant Beloved, as I experience
The creaks and groans of the aging process.
Show me how to embrace this transition time
as my soul ripens for its final journey home.
“When you have grey hair, you will still find wisdom.” – Ecclesiastes 6:18
From Prayers to Sophia: Deepening Our Relationship with Holy Wisdom by Joyce Rupp
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Journaling subjects:
What do you see as the blessings of aging? What is most difficult for you? What kind of tree do you envision yourself to be at this time of your life? Sketch this tree.
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Thank you for this meditation
Thank you for this meditation which couldn't have come at a better time and therefore couldn't be more meaningful....thanks too for the wonderful journaling questions. All of your meditations throughout Lent and in the weeks after Easter have been exceptional and meaningful for me....
Thank You, Thank You for the
Thank You, Thank You for the weekly spiritual reflections durning this Holy season. God Bless.
Listen Up! Now Hear This! Our
Listen Up! Now Hear This!
Our 'brains' and our 'hearts' are 'material organs of our bodies' which wear out, but our 'intellects' and our 'wills' are 'immaterial parts of our soul' which cannot deteriorate.
Would that sooner than later we would progress from primary reliance on the 'perceptions of our senses' to the 'truth which we can discern through reason and faith' as a basis for our 'choices': it would make growing old easier, more joyful and more fullfilling!
You jest stick with 'Yer Ole Sea Daddy' here and I will teach you 'New Tricks'!
Yer Ole Sea Daddy
Joyce, you have been such a
Joyce, you have been such a comfort to me as you share your wise words and direct personal knowledge of the aging process in your own life. We all sometimes feel like we are totally alone during this time. Your continued focus on Scripture, nature and God's love for us, helps to keep us on track for the rest of the journey. Thank you so much for sharing your own wisdom!
Sr. Joyce: Loved your "Final
Sr. Joyce: Loved your "Final Journey"
I am only in my late fifties but could relate to alot in the paragraph that was sent.
It sure has alot of food for thought.
I may print it off and reflect on it from time to time.
Awaiting your next posting.
Thanks
Katherie
Sister Joyce- For so many
Sister Joyce-
For so many years you have been a source of great inspiration as I have worked my way through reflection programs and endless meetings where I provided opening & closing prayer. I thank you and pray with and for you each day for the gift of your insight and consumate ability to lay on paper the love and emotion of our faith. I wrote this 4 years ago for the funeral of my aunt, it traces the fabrics that touch us at all stages of our lives...Hope you enjoy. I take such inspiration from you.
THE FABRIC OF LIFE
SueFurda
From the moment of our birth, our life spreads like a piece of silk,
Unblemished, unmarked, white as snow;
Ready to receive the embroidery of life.
We grow and the silk becomes thicker,
The fabric melds into taffeta
Still shiny and smooth,
As we pass through the innocence of childhood.
The fabric of adulthood changes again, this time to denim.
Tough and sturdy, it withstand the adventures and
Responsibilities of work and parenthood,
The joys and sorrows of birth and death.
Grandparents have moved from the denim of their youth,
to the warm wool of their wisdom years.
Memories of their love are held in the smell of cookies
And Thanksgiving dinners,
A pipe or a bonfire of burning autumn leaves.
Time slips too quickly, our elder years take its place.
We are now reminded of fine linen,
Soft and white against the lined skin of life.
Their far off gaze filled with long ago memories.
Heads, cradled on a pillow,
While a smooth sheet of linen
Shields fragile skin from the coarse sackcloth of death.
Life is a crazy quilt –
Of textures and color, of journey and home.
Each piece carries memories -
Of love and passages, of beginnings and ends.
It’s warmth and strength as unique as the story it tells.
God bless you always - Susie
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