Wood Knot + An Octopus Eye + Connections = Praying Without Ceasing

This morning, I found myself in a quiet house, with a cup of good coffee, a book of poetry, and a window inviting me to simply sit, be still and reflect on the goodness of God.

A gnarled knot on the thick tentacle that was a maple tree branch stared back at me, like the eye of an octopus.  While neither the tree nor the ‘eye’ was God, I could see God in both.  In that moment, a connection was made between God, a tree, an ocean creature, and me – reaffirming the interconnectedness of all Creation.  The pregnancy of that moment birthed thoughts and images of so many people who are part of my life – family, Sisters, friends, former co-workers, people with and for whom I’ve ministered - life-long connections and connections only days old.

Those connections between a wood knot, an octopus eye, God’s omnipresence, and the people in my life, prompted me to ponder the meaning of St. Paul’s exhortation to “pray without ceasing”, a challenging one for me.  Could the warm flood of connections, of thoughts, of images – some fleeting, others very intentional – be ways for me to ‘pray without ceasing’?  I’d like to think so.

What does ‘pray without ceasing’ mean to you?  As a reader of this blog, you are now part of my life and I’m part of yours.  Let’s pray for each other.

Kathy Flynn, OP
Whitefish Bay, WI


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