Summer is my preferred season. I find the pace slows and I see life through different eyes. I think better and find my way inside of myself in ways that heal and affirm life decisions. Everything whispers I Am and I Am here. Sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and touch awaken the body in holy ways. What better than the splash of colour in a flower garden to stimulate our sense of beauty? The sandy beach beneath your toes glimpses heaven. The taste of ice cream on a scorching hot day delights. The sound of waves crashing on the shore calms. Even the hot dog vendors on the street corners can bring a smile as the smell of their food wafts through the air. Ah, Summer, how I adore thee!

Retreatants in the Spiritual Exercises are taught to set the place of prayer with discernment. This will be a constant in the weeks of the hour-long prayer sessions. Summer also invites me to a sacred place and it is the beach. Here serenity seeps into my skin, relaxing every fiber of my body, releasing all the stress that I carry, and renewing my spirit.

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions
Where is a sacred space that eases you into prayer, where you can see God in all things?
What does it take for you to shed your stress?

Prayer
Blessed are You, O God,
Who creates space for us
to rest and rejuvenate
Blessed are You, Holy One,
Who slips serenely into our souls
and bathes them with delight and wonder.
Blessed are You, Creator of the universe,
for spending time decorating our world
with sacredness that stills us.
Blessed are You, Beloved,
for whispering our names in all places
so that we may glimpse the Divine
Everywhere.

Amen.