Nineteenth Day

These figures from the Parthenon's east pediment are most likely the goddesses Hestia, Dione, and Aphrodite. Originally, they flanked a central sculpture of Athena emerging from the cranium of her father, Zeus. The temple was dedicated to the worship of Athena Parthenos, the Virgin. Around 500 CE it was converted into a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, before later becoming a mosque. Today, ownership of the Parthenon Marbles is hotly contested between Greece and Great Britain as they are now housed in the British Museum, London.

Daniel 2.26-28a, 45b-46, 48

2

26 Nebuchadnezzar asked Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and to interpret it for me?"

27 Daniel answered, "No scholar or magician or enchanter or astrologer can tell your majesty the secret about which you ask. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals what is hidden, and it is God who has revealed to Nebuchadnezzar what will happen at the end of this age.

45 [...] "The great God has revealed to the ruler what will be the future; this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure."

46 When he heard these words, Nebuchadnezzar bowed down in homage to Daniel, and ordered that he be given grain and pleasant offerings.

48 Nebuchadnezzar promoted Daniel to a high position in the court and gave him many rich gifts. He gave Daniel authority over the whole province of Babylon and over all the scholars of Babylon.

"Ropes"

by Mary Oliver (1935-2019)

from Dog Songs (Penguin Press, 2013)

IN THE OLD DAYS dogs in our town roamed freely. But the old ways changed.

One morning a puppy arrived in our yard with a length of rope hanging from his collar. He played with our dogs; eventually he vanished. But the next morning he showed up again, with a different rope attached. This happened for a number of days - he appeared, he was playful and friendly, and always accompanied by a chewed-through rope.

Just at that time we were moving to another house, which we finished doing all in one evening. A day or so later, on a hunch, I drove back to the old house and found him lying in the grass by our door. I put him in the car and showed him where our new house was. "Do your best," I said.

He stayed around for a while, then was gone. But there he was the next morning at the new house. Rope dangling. Later that day his owner appeared - with his papers from the Bideawee home, and a leash. "His name is Sammy," she said. "And he's yours."

As Sammy grew older he began to roam around the town and, as a result, began to be caught by the dog officer. Eventually, of course, we were summoned to court, which, we learned quickly, was not a place in which to argue. We were told to build a fence. Which we did.

But it turned out that Sammy could not only chew through ropes, he could also climb fences. So his roaming continued.

But except for the dog officer, Sammy never got into trouble; he made friends. He wouldn't fight with other dogs, he just seemed to stay awhile in someone's yard and, if possible, to say hello to the owners. People began to call us to come and get him before the dog officer saw him. Some took him into their houses to hide him from the law. Once a woman on the other end of town called: when I got there she said, "Can you wait just a few minutes? I'm making him some scrambled eggs."

I could tell many more stories about Sammy, they're endless. But I'll just tell you the unexpected, joyful conclusion. The dog officer resigned! And the next officer was a different sort; he too remembered and missed the old days. So when he found Sammy he would simply call him into his truck and drive him home. In this way, he lived a long and happy life, with many friends.

This is Sammy's story. But I also think there are one or two poems in it somewhere. Maybe it's what life was like in this dear town years ago, and how a lot of us miss it.

Or maybe it's about the wonderful things that may happen if you break the ropes that are holding you.

Today’s Art Practice

What You’ll Need

From Your Home:

• Your Finger Labyrinth.

• Items for Decorating. (paint/brushes, crayons, stickers, leaves, glue, etc.)

Directions: Today we are focusing on beauty.

Decorate your Finger Labyrinth however you like taking care not to obstruct the path of the Labyrinth with any 3-dimensional decorations.

Once the decoration step is done & dry, your Finger Labyrinth is complete. We will use it for a contemplative prayer practice later in Lent, and it is available for you to use on your own however you wish.

If you like, this playlist can help you keep track of time. Once it stops playing, 20 minutes will be over.

Let’s Pray…

Prayer for Confronting Evil

by Miriam Therese Winter

O Warrior Woman,

You are our God

from the days of the earth's beginnings.

You guard Your precious charges

from the claws of all those predators

who seek to do us harm.

Slay those raging passions

that dehumanize and conquer,

and touch us all

with that gentleness

we need for making peace.

Gentle Woman God,

You are our God,

now and forever. Amen.