Eagle rising above it all. (photo credit: Rise-a-mui)
I saw a bald eagle down at the Illinois River this morning. It was soaring on wind currents like a huge, dark kite against the hazy blue sky. This regal bird was gliding elegantly, without effort, over the river when it suddenly dove and then swooped up in a kind of salute over the river with white tail feathers lit up by the sun. What a graceful performance!
Grace is as difficult to define as love. But, like love, I’ll know grace when I see it.
In my college days, I attended a concert by Artur Rubinstein. He was alone on the stage playing his Steinway. His hands danced across the keys and produced wonderful sounds that fell on my ears like gentle rain on a dry field. I soaked it up.
At the end of the announced program, Rubinstein turned from the piano bench, looked out at us and softly asked what we would like to hear. He heard a shout out for “Moonlight Sonata.” In peaceful silence he began to play Beethoven’s score. I actually felt like I was at Rubenstein’s shoulder watching and listening to him play. He was so graceful that we all were blessed.
Graceful Fingers. (photo credit: Decrand)
Some people walk with grace in their life’s journey. Their body seems to glide as they ease their steps along their path. Sometimes, even the more awkward of us can do something gracefully. You do something that’s done with class, integrity, proportion. Your graceful moment touches the rest of us with beauty. Think of a young man holding his newborn daughter, cradling her with love. It’s a graceful moment.
Remember when we were children and we were taught about grace? The Catholic Church taught us (and still teaches) that there are several kinds of grace. We all need the first one: “sanctifying grace,” the love of God dwelling richly in our hearts. It makes you holy, even sacred. At the moment of your Baptism you are sanctified because God’s presence becomes alive within you. You are supremely graced.
Another kind of grace is “actual grace:” the blessings that waft down on us each day, like the blessing that helps you when you pray silently an “I-need-help” prayer and you get that help. Actual grace is sometimes called “helping grace.”
Did you ever have someone tell you that your presence made them feel blessed? I hope so. I think that grace is all around us, like sunshine breaking through the clouds. We just have to be aware and recognize it when it comes. This kind of grace helps us get on with life. But, there are also moments when God touches your heart and stops you. He grabs you by the shoulder and turns you to look at something awesome, He asks you to listen carefully to something amazing. And, as you look or listen, a silent “wow” graces your day.
Ballet is a story portrayed by immensly talented and graceful dancers.
Grace is all around us, like sushine, like light and sometimes like darkness.
Grace is blessing, but for someone stuck within the walls of their own hearts.of their on their eyes see but their hearts do not.
Think of a companion who sits in the front seat with you, he driver. You are cruising through winding roads with flowers and bushes and groves of oak trees. your companion keeps talking about something that happened int he pst but is unaware of the now and the placing that God has for him riht no. There is a lack of wonder bc there is a lsck of openness.
Maybe this kind of person can never see what’s right in front of them.None of that is importsnt or even mkes a dent in his life.
How can you drive through the first days of Spring and be unaare of the green meadows, the softly moving appletree brranches with white blossoms? Santifying Grace. Actual grace. All amazing grace. Disgraced.
garceful should be the name for Christian.Sin is disgraceful. My heart is unsanctified though God hasn’t fled. I didn’t do something that I should have. I should have stood up and when I did something wrong, not that i was awkward, I acualy embracd the idea of stealing this money or slapping that child. said “I’ll help.” when the Church asked for help. I’d rather be graced than disgraced. I know what happends to the permanently disgraced and I know what happens ot eh Graced. I’ll take the latter. grace really is amazing!