Tag: spirituality

A Christmas Meditation

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Generally around the time of Christmas, people develop sensitivities of the heart,a time when most people feel nostalgic, depressed, low in spirit and melancholic…why?Perhaps too many reminders of the way it should be spent with lavish parties and gifts,negative past experiences—missing someone,lost of a loved one,separation,present way of unhappy life situations,being(feeling) alone,the dark,rainy and gloomy weather conditions,the chaotic world, etc.This season too is a time for miracles of the heart to happen,charity and spiritual growth/changes!,A time we can be moved with Love!During this time,we often speak(sing), hear and see the words LOVE,PEACE,JOY in songs, posters,advertisements,greeting cards at home,in shopping centres,decorations,etc.

When we lighten and allow the heart to tenderize through whatever we are experiencing in this moment—with thoughtful understanding,being kind,loving,forgiving,joyful and humble actions,we can and will enjoy the Christmas season and all its festivities even more meaningfully.We can learn to simply be Present and be a gift of peace and joy and thus not get into a knot of attachment to all unhappy past reminders.Through this way of loving consciousness,we can wake up without any traces of harsh ‘hangovers’ when the season is over!

My wish and prayer for each one of you,your family(near and far),friends and all whom I haven’t seen for a long time and perhaps never see again and some even I have not met,my wish for you is to be blessed with a Generous Heart and be a witness to the Miracle of Love during this Christmas time. Joyous and Peaceful blessings of the season to all!

We remember that day 2 thousand years ago of a baby named Jesus who was born in a humble stable and we remind ourselves of our human humbleness in life!

Author of To Resurrect the True Self

Who Am I

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Who Am I

When we want knowledge of truth,we ask wise questions…and not be perturbed to hear the answers!

Do you dare sit courageously and perserveringly and ask these 2 pertinent questions of your own self..

“who am I?”

“what do I truly want?”

We go deep into the Heart for the answers and not from the level of the mind.

Can we ask…am I of a partticular sect of religion, a man, a woman, a mother/father,am I doctor, a nurse, a businessman,rich/not so rich,good/bad,etc…are we truly anything we identify with??keep asking to go within the self in quiet reflection.

Do we honestly want to be only selfishly happy, loved and at peace OR …keep asking…

Author of To Resurrect the True Self

The Warrior Without an Enemy

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The Warrior without an Enemy

I Am that warrior who fights without a sword,

I Am that warrior who is protected without a shield,

I Am that warrior who sees no enemies around me,

I Am that warrior whose purpose is to slay the ‘demons’within me,

I Am that warrior who champions fearlessly for Love,without prize or crown,

I Am that warrior who knows suffering and who seeks only to spread awareness of its wastefulness!

Author of ‘To Resurrect the True self’

Forgiving Power

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Forgiving Power

In order to facilitate inner forgiveness for ourselves

or toward others, we need the strength and courage to

be humble, to allow the heart’s capacity to fully open,

and to bring down all barriers that had blocked the

heart from tenderizing, from loving, and from being

charitable. Humility aids the heart to soften, to be

pliable, to yield toward gentleness, and to be open to

learn from past mistakes.

In December 1998, while still in the beginning

stage of my journey of spiritual revelations, I used to

occasionally spend time with Sister Marilyn of the Grey

Nun Congregation. One time, I poured out some of my

past transgressions to her. She then asked me straight on

if I was willing to put down the heavy load that I was

carrying. Without hesitation, I said a firm “YES.” She

then asked if I would like to make a personal confession

with her friend, a monsignor at the chancery office of

the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver. I humbly and

wholeheartedly agreed.

I remembered the day, it was

sometime in late December 1998, and I must have spent

more than an hour in confession with Monsignor Smith.

It was to be my last Catholic rite of confession. I was

crying throughout the confessional time with heartfelt

shame and deep remorse for my past actions. Monsignor

was very empathetic and comforting toward me. He

pointed to a framed picture on the wall depicting a

scene showing Jesus throwing a life-saving buoy to a

drowning man in a perilous sea. I remembered feeling

free and relieved upon looking at the picture; it was a

knowing inside of me that was saying, “I am turning

my back toward the past and starting anew.” I walked

out of his office and into the Vancouver December rain.

I felt washed clean and joyful, and the peace gave me

the courage to say, “I want to make amends and never

to be that same person again.”

~~~~ excerpt from my book “To Resurrect the True Self”,page 168-169 ~~~~

May be an image of text that says 'SINCERE ASKING FOR FORGIVENENSS AND OFFERING FORGIVENESS. OPENS THE PATH TO THE WILLINGNESS TO DIE TO OURSELVES, TO PAST MISTAKES AND HABITS... REJUVENATE AND BECOME RENEWED. WE WELCOME THE OPENNESS TO ACCEPT LOVE..'

Author of ‘To Resurrect the True Self’

To be Spiritually Free

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What it means to be Free? It means to be authentic/true to yourself,to live in open-minded/hearted willingness and acceptance in every circumstance,to love and embrace the friend and the foe without any trace of attachments/clinging,resentment,anger or animosity.To be able to give fearlessly without wanting or expecting anything back,feeling the abundance of lacking in nothing,of having everything sufficient in simplicity and humility.It is when we become courageous to take responsibilities of all actions instead of wielding blame and fault-finding tactics.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

~~~ Jesus in the gospel of Matthew chapter 11:verse 29~~~~

To Live spontaneously in this Moment!To not be living or identifying with regrets, guilts,mistakes,miseries,pleasures and fears of the past nor be burdened with the worries,anxieties,trepidation and unknown outcomes of the future!

Being Humble

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To be genuinely humble,we allow ourselves the courage and willingness to be open to learn wisely,to accept and simply be with whatever is present and happening right Now.We can be resilient to life’s challenges and adverse situations and know that we are giving ourselves the chance of learning to not resist,defend,deny and avoid running away from the truth.Humility is an antidote to pride/arrogance(ego-centirc motivations).Pride and arrogance block the path to peaceful,joyful and loving endeavours and living.

Melting the Heart with Humility

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I began my humble service to the hungry,homeless,poor and the less fortunate in a soup kitchen after seeing a poster in St.Paul’s church Richmond asking for volunteers.This poster came to my attention after heartfelt praying in St.Paul’s on New Years eve 1998.In that prayer time,I asked earnestly to be of use,to do something beautiful for God as like in a book by Malcolm Mudggeridge titled ‘Something beautiful for God,a life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta which I had read before.

My prayers were answered immediately….’The Door is Open’needing volunteers to serve the poor and needy,I saw this poster ,posted on the main door of the church as I walked out.I went home to respond to that call and was invited to come in the door.That day was January 2nd 1999.Thereafter, many,many more spiritual doors started to open as I faithfully journeyed deeper and deeper into myself.

I remembered that particular day,driving from my home in Richmond to the Door is Open Catholic charities centre in Vancouver which took about 35-40minutes.While driving,I felt such a deep noble humility swelling up within my being,not in a egoic way but like an extraordinary sacred simple act of transformation was about to happen.My life slowly changed spiritually and radically through this courageous humble action.I walked through that door(in the picture below) and my life was never the same again(the old self was beginning to die,the snake has started to shed its unhealthy old skin).

I was there early as told to help prepare the sandwiches for the lunch crowd.The soup was prepared by some generous,kind women who I had come to know.As soon as the meal preparation was ready, someone opened the door to the hungry crowd.I remember feeling like a servant ready to be of service not to the master but to the poor.I have never done something so humbling like this before. As they lined up one by one, I was behind the counter serving each one a bowl of hot soup and sandwhiches with a simple minded innocence and purity of heart(tears run down my cheeks as I write this to see myself relive this moment)!

At that moment of serving, I lost my sense of ego,that self-centred,delusion of grandeur feeling and the neediness that I carried wastefully for so long in my being.I was allowing humility to take over and allow me the strength to surrender and let go of wrongdoings, mistakes,and regrets of the past.I was carefully transitioning from one of the world into the spirit(inwards into the self).Something more mystically powerful was taking place.As I served, I looked at each one from my heart through my eyes into their downcast,sad and lonely eyes.It felt like the penetrating rays of the divine,piercing through my eyes into my heart and melting away the hard-packed ice that I have built blocking the pathway of my heart.I saw myself,softening in compassion and forgiveness to see so much suffering and sadness,of mine and others.

At that point, I realized that we are all one is our suffering and that we can do something by understanding, respecting and most importantly to heal and care for ourselves first in order to reach out to others to share forgiveness, peace and love.When we do something beautiful and kind,we feel beautiful and respectful of ourselves,we reclaim our worthiness and self-esteem.

http://www.celestehoedenauthor.com

Waking Up to Spiritual Consciousness

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What do we witness,when we look externally,outwardly,away from ourselves?We see the world in chaos which includes the pain and suffering of those we are intimate with,close to,within our family,friends and social circles.Are we being aware of it or do we take it for granted that there is nothing we can do!

Honestly,are we being affected adversely,influenced negatively and drowning quietly,as though struggling against the strong current of confusion,self-doubt,self-limitations,hatred, resentments,anger,fear and depression.Somehow, we may feel that by engaging and getting caught up with the distractions of the world and standing by helplessly/hopelessly seeing the pain of others it gives us a sense of temporary relief from witnessing our own inner pain.

Without us touching and exposing our inner pain,how do we find resolutions for true healing,peaceful states and living in a conducive loving environment?If we first don’t find healing and peace within ourselves,how do we bring,teach,speak and share peace and compassion to and for others?How will the world begin to find healing and peace?We can start with ourselves first,to look honestly within and then we bring that healing out into the world as however little or much.

How beautiful and magnificent it is when a soul wakes up from deep slumber to listen to the call of its own voice of Truth.Not only does it wake up,it wakes up to wake up the ‘unconsciousness’ of others as well.

Please do visit my webpage https://www.celestehoedenauthor.com to know more about me and my book To Resurrect the True Self and a preview of the book with the link below.https://www.amazon.com/Resurr…/dp/B08512M7X1/ref=sr_1_1

Thank you!