closings

Clan Apis

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Quotes from Jay Holser’s graphic novel “Clan Apis” (2000)

“When she said she would return with a full load of nectar, she meant the nectar would be carrying her.”

“What is this inner voice I hear, and why does it tell me to go forth to adventure?”

“We may do things differently, but that doesn’t make my way better than his. We both play out our role in nature, and I wouldn’t intentionally interfere with his attempts to survive”

Jay Hosler is an associate professor at Juniata College, and the author and illustrator of Clan Apis. The novel follows the life story of a honey bee named Nyuki learning about her purpose in the vast world of insects.

At the End of My Days

brass Guided Reflections, Prayers and Meditations ,

By F. Reed

And if at the end of my days
if the horrors persist and sadness prevails
if the world is chaotic, melting and flaming
if I leave my body earlier than expected
Success will be clear.

If I said Alhamdulillah for everything
if was good to my fellow human and the creatures of the earth
if I prioritized love and patience over my ego
if I spoke truth no matter the consequence
if I lived in a sustainable way and took only what I needed
if I found beauty and appreciation in every day
then my time here was not a waste
then I have accomplished something.

For I am so tired
And the woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I can feel the glow of the village from here
the laughter of those to whom I owe my life, calling me home
and I can find the strength and sabr to trek these last few miles
before I leave the body and world where I’ve loved to call home.

F. Reed is DePaul Alum. Her poem was influenced by both Robert Frost and Muslim traditions of gratitude and Sabr.

Do Something

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By Carl Sagan

“You are, by accident of fate, alive at an absolutely critical moment in the history of our planet. Anything else you’re interested in is not going to happen if you can’t breathe the air and drink the water. Don’t sit this one out. Do something.”

Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, and science communicator who played a key role in the US space program.

Small Acts

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By Howard Zinn

“We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”

Howard Zinn was an American historian, playwright, philosopher, socialist intellectual and World War II veteran.

Blessing That Vincent Offered to Louise as He Sent Her Forth on Her First Mission to the Confraternities of Charity

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By St. Vincent de Paul

“Go forth, then. Go forth in the name of the Lord. We pray the Divine Goodness to accompany you, to be your consolation on the way, your shelter against the heat of the sun, your protection from the rain and cold, your soft couch in weariness, your strength in labor, and that in the end, it may bring you back in perfect health, laden with good deeds and precious remembrances.”

And may we send you forth in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac! Go lead with love!

When You Say Kaddish 

arampone Quotes ,

By Lynda Sexson

“When I die, if you need to weep, cry for someone walking on the street beside you.

And when you need me, put your arms around others and give them what you need to give me.

You can love me most by letting hands touch hands and souls touch souls. You can love me most by sharing your simchas and multiplying your mitzvot. You can love me most by letting me live in your eyes and not in your mind.

And when you say Kaddish for me, remember what our Torah teaches: Love doesn’t die, people do. So when all that’s left of me is love, give me away.

Memory is an imaginal constellation of past and present that generates a new experience. Memory is not the storing of the past, but the storying of the present.”

From Ordinarily Sacred (1992): University of Virginia Press.

Closing Reflections

eamaya1 Facilitation Tips, Guided Reflections ,

Purpose: The purpose of post-service reflection is to gather together and listen closely for the CALL of your experience. Through reflection, we remember, celebrate, integrate, and honor what we have experienced. What are you pushed and pulled to do in your personal life and in the larger community?

Recommended Activities

Check-in: This is critical to get a pulse on how people are returning from their experience. How have you shared your story, or how will you share it? Are there parts that you have not shared with anyone? Has it been difficult to come back? What concerns do you have about keeping the experience alive?

Hands reflection: How are you holding your experience?: Close your eyes. Open your hands in front of you. Notice how they feel. Now clench your fists tightly. Pay attention to how it feels. Open your hands again, notice any difference. Clench them one more time. Open your eyes. What did you notice about how it felt to open or clench your fist? Continue reading →

Stand Firmly for Justice

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From Qur’an 4:135 (Islamic sacred text)

“O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for God can best protect both. Follow not your personal inclination, lest you not be just, and if you distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily God is well-acquainted with all that you do.”