In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.
Shunryu Suzuki - Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
|
No cherry blossoms,
No rainbowing irises, No moonlit Fuji, No wind-driven maple leaves, But stars in the night, and you. |
To Zoe
The love of my life,
Zoe, beautiful black Lab;
Exceptional girl,
More full of life, more divine
Than anyone I have known.
No one else knew you,
As Moses and I knew you.
You were his mother,
And my soul’s true companion
More than any I have known.
You had more courage,
More strong determination,
More self-confidence
Than any human being
I’ve ever known in this world.
You ruled by your love
And by intense faithfulness.
You whom I named Life,
In Greek, Zoé, not bios,
But true, noble, divine Life.
I can’t imagine
That any being is alive
Beyond death’s assault
If you are not forever
Alive in true, divine Life.
Zoe a goddess,
A creature overflowing
With divinity;
Hidden to human self-love,
To true love most visible .
I love you, Zoe,
Now and forever, unless
Death kills all loving
Making our lives meaningless
And having no fulfillment.
You brought God to me
Daily in devoted love,
Most gentle woman,
Carrier of Jesus Christ
To one who received your love.
Lord Byron was right:
How arrogant of Christians
To think only we--
We alone go into God,
Soulless animals perish.
Animals have souls,
Or why are they named for them?
Anima means soul,
And humans attuned to God
Recognize his real presence.
Not only in hosts,
Not only in priests and books,
But in real beings,
Animals alive with God
Often far more than we are.
28 January 2020 6th anniversary of Zoe’s death
The love of my life,
Zoe, beautiful black Lab;
Exceptional girl,
More full of life, more divine
Than anyone I have known.
No one else knew you,
As Moses and I knew you.
You were his mother,
And my soul’s true companion
More than any I have known.
You had more courage,
More strong determination,
More self-confidence
Than any human being
I’ve ever known in this world.
You ruled by your love
And by intense faithfulness.
You whom I named Life,
In Greek, Zoé, not bios,
But true, noble, divine Life.
I can’t imagine
That any being is alive
Beyond death’s assault
If you are not forever
Alive in true, divine Life.
Zoe a goddess,
A creature overflowing
With divinity;
Hidden to human self-love,
To true love most visible .
I love you, Zoe,
Now and forever, unless
Death kills all loving
Making our lives meaningless
And having no fulfillment.
You brought God to me
Daily in devoted love,
Most gentle woman,
Carrier of Jesus Christ
To one who received your love.
Lord Byron was right:
How arrogant of Christians
To think only we--
We alone go into God,
Soulless animals perish.
Animals have souls,
Or why are they named for them?
Anima means soul,
And humans attuned to God
Recognize his real presence.
Not only in hosts,
Not only in priests and books,
But in real beings,
Animals alive with God
Often far more than we are.
28 January 2020 6th anniversary of Zoe’s death
MTMonk. Welcome to the website of Fr. William Paul McKane, OSB, a Benedictine monk residing alone in the Ruby Valley in Montana. We shall post brief essays, poems, prayers, photographs, and links on this website. My main interests are in our spiritual life, in philosophy, in seeking the truth about God and man. With a doctorate in political science / political philosophy, I am also interested in the well-being of our citizens, of our political system and society, and of our world.
MTMonk. Empty Monk. A real monk seeks to be empty of self, or self-centered existence, in order to allow God to reign in and through him. MTMonk just happens to be suitable for a monk living in Montana, MT.
A monk’s purpose and way of living is simple: to seek God. One seeks God in faith, truth, goodness, beauty, and in silence. Monk comes from the Greek word, monachos, in turn based on the Greek word monos, meaning alone. A monk must be essentially alone to be all one in God. Alone with the Alone is the familiar phrase by the Greek-speaking philosopher, Plotinus (204-270 A.D.) To be alone with the Alone is the way of the monk. Meditation is the lifeblood of a monk, and it is conducted in silence and in the darkness of unknowing.
A monk’s purpose and way of living is simple: to seek God. One seeks God in faith, truth, goodness, beauty, and in silence. Monk comes from the Greek word, monachos, in turn based on the Greek word monos, meaning alone. A monk must be essentially alone to be all one in God. Alone with the Alone is the familiar phrase by the Greek-speaking philosopher, Plotinus (204-270 A.D.) To be alone with the Alone is the way of the monk. Meditation is the lifeblood of a monk, and it is conducted in silence and in the darkness of unknowing.