The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic
Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily
Meditations with Matthew Fox
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In our recent daily meditations, we have been praising and therefore thanking Earth and Air, Fire and Water. As Thomas Berry put it in a recent DM, we humans have a special capacity to reflect on the universe and from this
reflection can emerge celebrations and other acts of gratitude. |
Thanksgiving is a celebration, a Thank You, a day of praise. This holiday, 2022, let us give thanks for our young people, who are especially endangered by climate change and by recent killings and the rise of hatred toward two-spirited ones and other minorities. | “The Earth, the Air, the Fire, the Water Return.” Traditional chant performed by Lindie Lila. Video by Daniela. |
Following are some excerpts from the traditional prayer
of thanksgiving of the Iroquois people. For Mother Earth: We give thanks and greetings to the earth; she is giving us that which makes us strong and healthy. She supports our feet as we walk upon her. We
are grateful that she continues to perform her duties as she was instructed. The women and mother earth are one, givers of life. |
Four youth of Native American nations recite portions of the traditional Haudenosaunee thanksgiving address. Video by Matika Wilbur of Project 562. | We are her color, her flesh and her roots. Once we acknowledge and
respect her role, then begins a true relationship, and all that is from her returns to her. Now our minds are one. Agreed. |
For Plant Life: We give greetings and thanks to the plant life. Within plants is the force of substance that sustains many life forms, among them are food, medicine and beauty…. We give greetings and thanks, and hope that we will continue to see plant life for generations to come. Now our
minds are one. Agreed. |
For Bodies of Water: We give thanks to the spirit of waters for our strength of well being. The waters of the world have provided to many; they quench
thirst, provide food for plant life, and are the source of strength for many medicines we need. Once acknowledged, this too becomes a great power for those who seek | Giving thanks to all that exists: “Grateful/A Love Song to the World.” emptyhandsmusic |
its gift for mankind itself is made from the waters. Now our minds are one. Agreed. For the Animals. We give thanks and greetings to all animals of which we know the names. They are still living in the forest and other hidden places, and we see them sometimes. Also, from time to time they are still able to provide us with food, clothing, shelter and beauty. This gives us happiness and peace of mind because we know that they are still carrying out their instructions as given by the creator. |
| Therefore, let us give thanks and greetings to our animal brothers. Now our minds are
one. Agreed. Thomas Aquinas writes that true “religion is supreme thankfulness or gratitude.” |
Meister Eckhart writes that “if the only prayer you say in your whole life is ‘Thank You,’ that would suffice.” Julian of Norwich writes that “this is the holiest prayer–the loving prayer of thanksgiving.” |
| To view today's video, please click the image. You will be taken to today's post on the Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox website, where you can see the meditation in a larger version and also view and post your Comments. In the sharing that follows, a kind of community is developing around the DM.
If you can't reach Matthew's video on the website, try his Vimeo channel HERE. |
See Matthew Fox, Original Blessing, pp. 108-116. And Fox, The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times, pp. 41-44. And Fox, Meditations with Meister Eckhart, p. 34. And Fox, Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic–and Beyond, p. 101. Banner Image:
“Giving thanks.” Photo by Laela Sequoia on Unsplash |
Queries for Contemplation What are you giving thanks for this Thanksgiving? |
Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, please click HERE
to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality Matthew Fox lays out a whole new direction for Christianity—a direction that is in fact very ancient and very grounded in
Jewish thinking (the fact that Jesus was a Jew is often neglected by Christian theology): the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality, the Vias Positiva, Negativa, Creativa and Transformativa in an extended and deeply developed way. “Original Blessing makes available to the Christian world and to the human community a
radical cure for all dark and derogatory views of the natural world wherever these may have originated.” –Thomas Berry, author, The Dream of the Earth; The Great Work; co-author, The Universe Story | |
Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce
Wisdom for Hard Times A stunning spiritual handbook drawn from the substantive teachings of Aquinas’ mystical/prophetic genius, offering a sublime roadmap for spirituality and action. Foreword by Ilia Delio. “What a wonderful book! Only Matt Fox could bring to life the wisdom and brilliance of Aquinas with so much creativity. The Tao of Thomas Aquinas is
a masterpiece.” –Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit | |
Meditations with Meister Eckhart: A Centering Book
A centering book by Matthew Fox. This book of simple but rich meditations exemplifies the deep yet playful creation-centered spirituality of Meister Eckhart, Meister Eckhart was a 13th-century Dominican preacher who was a mystic, prophet, feminist, activist, defender of the poor, and advocate of creation-centered spirituality, who was condemned shortly after he
died.
“These quiet presentations of spirituality are remarkable for their immediacy and clarity.” –Publishers Weekly. | |
Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic-And
Beyond Julian of Norwich lived through the dreadful bubonic plague that killed close to 50% of Europeans. Being an anchoress, she ‘sheltered in place’ and developed a deep wisdom that she shared in her
book, Showings, which was the first book in English by a woman. A theologian way ahead of her time, Julian develops a feminist understanding of God as mother at the heart of nature’s goodness. Fox shares her teachings in this powerful and timely and inspiring book. “What an utterly magnificent book. The work of Julian of
Norwich, lovingly supported by the genius of Matthew Fox, is a roadmap into the heart of the eco-spiritual truth that all life breathes together.” –Caroline Myss Now also available as an audiobook HERE | |
See Matthew Fox's full calendar HERE |
Join Matthew Fox in conversation with Robert Holden in a special Thanksgiving webinar: Thanksgiving with the Mystics: 5
Practices for Gratitude and Abundance as a Spiritual Path. Available online ONLY from Tuesday, November 22, 10:00 AM PT, through Sunday, November 27. Purchase tickets HERE. Join Matthew Fox as he leads a new course hosted by The Shift Network: Answer the Call for an Uncommon Life Through the Mystical Teachings of St. Hildegard. New 16-module video training with two live Q&A events starts Monday,
November 28, 12:00 PM PT. Register HERE. Join Matthew Fox for the monthly Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, discussing Christian Mystics: 365 Readings and Meditations. Thursday, December 15,
4:00pm-6:00pm PT Register HERE. Creation Spirituality Conversations |
In a podcast episode with the Earth and Spirit Center, Matthew Fox reflects on how creation-centered spirituality, and the marriage of the divine feminine and sacred masculine, can help us respond with hope
to the troubles of our apocalyptic times. Listen HERE. | |
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