MINDFULNESS

This year I have been focusing on mindfulness as a way of being in the world. I am trying to learn how to cultivate an awareness that what matters is the moment at hand, whether I'm paying bills or writing a paper or waiting in the line at the grocery store. I want to remember continually that since all of life is spiritual, nothing I do or see or know or hear or experience is outside of the realm of God's touch. Jean-Pierre De Caussade, an 18th century saint challenged us to embrace the holiness--not just of the moment, but in the moment, something he referred to as a sacrament:

Precious moment, how small in the eyes of my head and how great in those of my heart, the means whereby I receive small things from the Father who reigns in heaven! Everything that falls from there is very excellent, everything bears the mark of its maker.

For me, this is a journey fraught with stops and starts, but in the end I'm learning that like every other spiritual discipline, it requires persistent grace, daily intentionality, and patience with myself.