Over the last three Sundays in the Adult Forum we have explored a book called Discernment: A Path to Spiritual Awakening, by Rose Mary Dougherty. In the course of the short book, Dougherty discusses the importance of prayer, self-knowledge, and developing discernment as a habit of life.
She concludes her book with this lovely poem by Sister Maura Eichner, about a particular journey of discernment. May it guide your own Advent journey and beyond!
From A Woman’s Life
What Mary knew was just
enough for the usual day:
Pull water, flint fire, bake
bread, smile, praythe dark orations, sleep, wake,
wait. When pain honed a nerve,
when birth or dying clotted
an hour, she leaned to the curveof living, resilient to fear,
laughter, suffering.
Partings are a little death.
Each one’s journey is a thingwholly without precedent.
She looked at the sky
for compass. None. She, too,
created a road to travel by.
