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Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit, for Theirs is the Kingdom of HeavenCat attends St. James with her husband Neil, and two daughters Beatrice and Lucy. She also grew up in Scarsdale, and spent part of her childhood at St. James the Less! She is a high school English teacher, and has done some acting in local theaters. You'll see Cat many Sundays in the North Transept (aka Children's Corner) with her family. Here's her meditation: Well, I initially wasn’t sure what it meant to be spiritually poor, so I did what any 21st Century scholar would do, and I looked it up on the Internet. Google’s AI so graciously told me that Jesus’s first beatitude meant that “those who recognize their spiritual need and dependence on God are blessed. Essentially signifying humility and a reliance on God’s grace”. So what does that look like? To be poor in spirit? I think anyone who has ever truly been lonely and lost has been poor in spirit. Maybe you’ve lost everything: your house has burned down, maybe you are sick and an illness has compromised your sense of identity… Maybe you are emotionally isolated and apathetic… I think that in our darkest and loneliest times, we are poor in spirit. I find it fascinating that with all the technology surrounding us, we can still feel increasingly isolated – bereft and alone. I sometimes wonder if our Covid isolation ever really truly ended. But, maybe Jesus is saying that, if we turn off our phones, if we turn off the lights and block out all of the sounds and sites of this insane world and we just meditate… maybe you might be lucky enough to hear God's resonating spirit. It’s like a gentle hum. It’s quite comforting. It tells you that there is hope that there is more to all of this, because you are loved. |
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Renew and Revitalize Task ForceThe Renew and Revitalize Task Force continues to be hard at work getting ready for the upcoming work on our campus, beginning after Easter. The Project Narrative that goes before the Review Board tomorrow, February 26, was recently sent out to all the immediate neighbors of St. James the Less. If you'd like to read that letter, click the button below. We're already receiving feedback and are grateful for the love and concern our neighbors show towards our campus and community. The Task Force's next meeting is Monday, March 3 at 6 pm. Please join us if you're able. We're always looking for more helping hands for all the tasks there are to carry out. And you're always welcome to simply show up to our meetings, as well. |
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Rest in Peace, Peter SmithPeter Smith, a beloved member of our parish, died peacefully at home last week. Many of us got to know Peter when he returned to the East Coast and to Scarsdale (where he grew up) to marry Louise Clark, our parish matriarch and historian. Their wedding was a joyous occasion, and we were blessed to have two more years with Peter after Louise died in 2022. Some of us had the privilege of traveling with Peter and Louise on our parish pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2020. They were avid travelers right up to the end. Their intellectual and spiritual curiosity, but above all, love and affection for each other, were truly an example for the rest of us. Peter's daughter, Heather, wrote the beautiful obituary, linked below. I hope you can join us on Saturday for his funeral, which will be followed by a reception hosted by members of our parish and the Samaritans. Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him. + |
