The Mystical Order of the White Rose » Mysticism

January 24 Multi-faith, Multi-media Devotional

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:50:36 +0000

Feast Day of St. Francis De Sales born: 1567–died: 1622

Patron saint of journalists.

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them–every day begin the task anew.”

– - – - – - – - – - -

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”

— St. Francis De Sales

Read about his life by clicking here.

De Sales book, “Introduction to the Devout Life” was a huge success in his lifetime. It is still a widely read and respected and is considered a spiritual classic. You can read a text version of it here.

The Golden Counsels of St. Francis De Sales — This is a very accessible, well organized and inspirational selection of “adapted” texts from De Sales. This devotional anthology could provide rich spiritual nourishment for weeks or months. Texts are written in contemporary English.

Salesian Spirituality Cyberspace Community

An unconscious instrument… Leo Tolstoy

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:29:03 +0000

Man lives consciously for himself, but is an unconscious instrument in the attainment of the historic, universal aims of humanity.

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)

Almost there…

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:04:51 +0000

January 21, 2010 Daily Devotional

Meditation Video: Relax Snow – Kokin Gumi – Zen Garden

How many mystics have suffered from feeling abandoned by God! In reality, God didn’t abandon them; it was they who failed to remain conscious of his presence. God never abandons us; it is within our own consciousness that these changes take place.

Of course, it is difficult to remain permanently convinced and to sense constantly that we are inhabited by the divine presence, but this is what we must work towards; we must make our entire being a temple to the supreme Being. Yes, not even a palace, but a temple. Of course, if you manage to make a palace of your inner being, it’s a start, but a palace lacks that element of
consecration found in a temple.

God will enter those who have succeeded in making themselves a temple, and he will never leave them again: the supreme Being does not leave a sanctuary that has been dedicated to himself, where he continues to be worshipped in purity and light.

– by Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov (used with permission from Prosveta)

If you wish to visit Prosveta’s site to learn more about Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov and his writings, go to http://www.prosveta.com. While there, you can subscribe to a daily quotation service that provides spiritually stimulating and profound readings for mystics.

Jan. 18 Multi-faith, Multi-media Devotional

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 02:15:14 +0000

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY

Song: We Shall Overcome sung by Mahalia Jackson (video)

Song: Go Down Moses by Louis Armstrong (video)

In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. I can never be whatI ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. this is the inter-related structure of reality.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Video of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” Speech in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963

The King Center

MLK Online

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Sojourner Truth

“Ain’t I a Woman?” - Sojourner Truth (video)

Today’s Multi-faith, Multi-media Devotional

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:53:46 +0000

WINTER FEAST FOR THE SOUL STARTS TOMORROW

AKAR SANKRANTI/LOHRI HARVEST FESTIVAL (Hindu)
Sankranti means to go from one place to another place (to change direction). It also means one meets another. The time when the sun changes direction from one constellation (of the zodiac) to another is known as Sankranti. It is celebrated in mid-winter and marks the transition of the sun from the Sagittarius to Capricorn during the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. People take dips in rivers and worship the Sun God especially in the holy Ganges river. The dip is said to purify the self and bestow “punya”. Special puja is offered as a thanksgiving for good harvest.

PONGAL HARVEST FESTIVAL (Hindu)
Pongal is one of the most popular harvest festival of South India, mainly Tamil Nadu. Pongal falls in the mid-January every year and marks the reaping of crops and a special thanksgiving to God, the sun, the earth and the cattle. Pongal festival lasts for four days. Celebrations include drawing of Kolam, swinging & cooking of delicious Pongal.
Find out more

Who are the Sikhs? – Video (History)

MAGHI FESTIVAL (Sikh)

Introduction

Maghi is the occasion when Sikhs commemorate the sacrifice of forty Sikhs, who fought for Guru Gobindh Singh Ji.

Maghi, Makara Sankranti, the first day of the month of Magh. The eve of Maghi is the common Indian festival of Lohri when bonfires are lit in Hindu homes to greet the birth of sons in the families and alms are distributed. In the morning, people go out for an early-hour dip in nearby tanks. For Sikhs, Maghi means primarily the festival at Muktsar, a district town of the Punjab, in commemoration of the heroic fight of the Chali Mukte, literally, the Forty Liberated Ones, who laid down their lives warding off an attack by an imperial army marching in pursuit of Guru Gobind Singh.

The action took place near a pool of water, Khidrane di Dhab, on 29 December 1705. The bodies were cremated the following day, the first of Magh (hence the name of the festival), which now falls usually on the 13th of January. Following the custom of the Sikhs to observe their anniversaries of happy and tragic events alike, Maghi is celebrated with end-to-end recital of the Guru Granth Sahib and religious divans in almost all gurdwaras.

Sikh Guru Baba Deep Singh

Image source.

Significance
The day of Maghi is observed to honour the heroic fight of the Chali Mukte, or the Forty Liberated Ones, who sacrificed their own lives defending an attack by the imperial army marching in pursuit of Guru Gobind Singh. The action took place near a pool of water, Khidrane di Dhab, on 29 December 1705

Celebration
Sikhs celebrate the Maghi with an end to end recital of the holy Guru Granth Sahib and religious rituals in all the Sikh Gurudwaras. On the eve of Maghi falls the common Indian festival called the Lohri when bonfires are lighted in Hindu homes and alms are also distributed. . however The largest assembly, however, takes place at Muktsar (Punjab) where big fairs are organized and pilgrims take a holy dip in the sacred waters of sarovar and also visit several shrines. A mahala or big march of pilgrims from the main shrine to gurdwara Tibbi Sahib, sacred to Guru Gobind Singh, concludes the three-day celebration.

Source: http://www.allaboutsikhs.com/sikh-festivals/the-sikh-festivals-maghi.html

The Mystical Order of the White Rose provides:

admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:30:58 +0000

The Mystical Order of the White Rose offers members:

— an emerging, online, ecumenical, multi-faith community;

— an eclectic, uplifting collection of daily and seasonal multi-faith devotional resources;

— access to people, writings, services, and products that offer spiritual and religious support, stimulation, and nourishment to members

— a free monthly newsletter that contains daily devotional readings, profiles of artists, healers, visionaries, news, views, and links of interest.

– access to Cafe Press shop with images of the White Rose Mandala (above left) on a variety of objects, including t-shirts, greeting cards and posters.

“All is marvelous for the poet; all is divine for the saint….”

admin — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:27:31 +0000

“We make for ourselves, in truth, our own spiritual world, our own monsters, chimeras, angels, –we make objective what ferments in us. All is marvelous for the poet; all is divine for the saint; all is great for the hero; all is wretched, miserable, ugly, bad for the base and sordid soul. The bad man creates around him a pandemonium… the elect soul a paradise, which each of them sees for himself alone. We are all visionaries, and what we see is our soul in things. We reward ourselves and punish ourselves without knowing it, so that all appears to change when we change

- Henri Frederic Amiel (1821-1881) a Swiss poet and philosopher.

For more information about Amiel click here.

April 18 Daily Devotional Reading from the Mystical Order of the White Rose Newsletter. You can read past issues and get a free subscription here: http://www.mysticalwhiterose.com/freenewsletter.html

“For I too am a steward. Did you not know?”

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:26:58 +0000

“The rule of no realm is mine, but all worthy things that are in peril as the world now stands, those are my care. And for my part, I shall not wholly fail in my task if anything passes through this night that can still grow fair or bear fruit and flower again in days to come. For I too am a steward. Did you not know?”

– J.R.R. Tolkien

Daily Devotional text for April 15.