Heaven Can't Wait: Reflections on Spiritual Living

By Thom Trunzo

This book is a compilation of 52 Spiritual Reflections on a wide array of life issues,situations and encounters. Each reflection moves the reader to explore his or her own response to the topic as related to seeking God in the moment. Often, we view events and situations from a purely secular vantage. But "God is everywhere!" God is in the tiny moments of our lives, and the quest for that divine presence is living in the Spirit. This work invites, and sometimes even challenges the reader to expand horizons in attempts to experience God alive in all things. Some of the reflections focus on,change, darkness, grief, being human, gratitude, prayer, fear, mercy, forgiveness, home and being a wounded healer to mention but a few. Each reflection is followed by questions which we call "Looking Inward," to help the reader begin his or her prayer process of self-discovery. The overall intent of the book is to be a prayer tool that draws on the reader's intellect, emotions and spiritual beings in considering new ideas and places of growth. Biblical, theological, spiritual, experiential writings are often utilized to lay a platform for the specific reflection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thom Trunzo
• Release date: Mar 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311058386

Thom Trunzo

Thom is a Catholic Permanent Deacon, ordained in 1995. He has served as Pastoral Associate in several churches since his ordination. He is passionate about Social Justice and healing divisions among cultures and religions. He taught both Social Justice and World Religion for 10 years. He completed a 4 Unit Chaplain Residency accredited by ACPE at the local VA Hospital and believes that humble service to those in pain or in need offers us the best chance for peace.Beth has been in parish ministry for more than 20 years. She served as Pastoral Associate as well as Director of Religious Education in two different parishes. She has a passion for liturgy and social justice. She has organized several workshops and lenten series on Social Justice based on the tenants of Catholic Social Justice Teaching. She has written and presented a variety of retreats and workshops. She has also completed the Ignatian Spiritual Director's Retreat at Guelph University in Ontario Canada..Thom and Beth have been married for 32 years, and together they have 8 children.Native American Spirituality is a part of their life as well. They have a Medicine Wheel on their land and do ceremonies there as well. Thom was given a Lakota name in 2005 that means "Bridge Builder." The name was selected by the Lakota Elders in acknowledgement of his work in bridging cultures and religious orientations, and efforts focused on understanding and healing divisions and acceptance of people who are different.You can find out more about this deacon couple by visiting their website: www.seventhdirection.comWhile you are there, you can sign-up for their FREE Weekly Reflection Service, and check-out Spiritual Direction, Native American Spirituality, and their on-line religion course intended to bring understanding and healing among the Jewish, Christian and Islamic people. They also provides Spiritual Direction. Information about Spiritual Direction is also on the website.You can contact Deacon Thom through e-mail – [e-mail]

Book preview

Published by: Deacon Thom and Beth Trunzo at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 Thom and Beth Trunzo

ISBN (e-pub) 9781311058386

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

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Introduction

This book is a compilation of reflections written and presented by Deacon Thom and Beth Trunzo. Much of what they share is from their direct experiences and from wisdom revealed to them by holy and wise people from diverse paths, religions and spiritual walks of life. These reflections were originally offered to those who visited their website, http://www.seventhdirection.com and are part of the Weekly Reflection Group. After a year-long weekly offering of reflections and the encouragement of their readers, they made the decision to compile the reflections together and present them in book form. The reflections touch on many of the ways we humans are challenged to become more - more open, more accepting, more forgiving, more loving on the journey through the confusing, uncertain, painful, joyful miraculously awesome journey of life. While it is true that no one has all the answers, it is through our commitment and our willingness to share with each other the ways we find God, that wisdom enters the world. As you open this book and read the 52 reflections, allow yourself to be challenged, motivated and open to exploring new horizons in your spiritual life. The authors have included personal reflection questions titled, Looking Inward to assist the reader in entering into self-reflection. Let the doorways of these reflections that are being offered here inspire you to new ways of being with the Divine and finding God in the tiny moments of life.

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Acknowledgement

We are grateful to the Seventh Direction Weekly Reflection Group for their support, positive comments and encouragement as we initiate this ministry of Seventh Direction, On-Line Spiritual Resource Center. Hearing their stories and sharing pieces of their lives has been and continues to be a source of inspiration.

We are so blessed having our daughter Valerie as part of this project. Thank you for sharing your talent and time in completing this book cover. We love you!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Alphabetical Index

A Community of Love

A Time for Mercy

Acceptance

A Matter of Practice

Being Human: Our Physical Being

Being Human: Our Intellectual Being

Being Human: Our Emotional Being

Being Human: Our Spiritual Being

Between God and Man

Call to Community: The web of Life

Change: Part 1

Change: Part 2

Choices: Part 1

Choices: Part 2

Christmas Reflection

Reflection on Life and the Circle of Life

Clouds

Community in the Real World

Dancing in the Dark

The Dark Side of Darkness

Don’t Believe Everything You Think: Part 1

Don’t Believe Everything You Think: Part 2

Fear

Friendship

Gandhi on Prayer

Gratitude

Home

Hope

How We Wait

I am Miraculously and Wondrously Made

Language of the Angels

Lessons of the Season

Living with Purpose

Living a Spiritual Life: Part 1

Living a Spiritual Life: Part 2

Meeting Grief in the Dark

Mercy is Falling

Mercy and Forgiveness

Our Names for God

Nourishing & Nurturing Relationships

Pray Always

The Sandpiper (Robert Peterson)

On Self Forgiveness

Take Deeply

Taking Your Place as a Crone

Three Conversion Movements

Touch

Two Parts to Everything

The Vanishing Face of Intimacy

When I am Weak, Then I am Strong

On Winter and Waiting

Wounded Healers

Endnotes

About the Authors

Other Published Book

A Community of Love

Beth Trunzo

How do we learn that we are loved? How do we learn how to love? What actions, words, expressions make love real to us?

Without the experience of love we are doomed to a life of insufficiency. We may have every other thing the world can offer, but if we do not experience the manifestation of love, we will never be able to reach who we are meant to be.

Reflect on the writing of St. Paul:

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. ...

We are not able to exhibit love unless at some point we experience love.

I would like to offer 4 stories about how I experienced love in my life. There are many more but these are the ones that resonate in my memory.

When I was a young child, summer vacation consisted of driving five hours to Aunt Mary’s. Aunt Mary was married to Uncle Syl and had four children, but we never referred to the other family members when we talked about going to Aunt Mary’s for vacation. I could never describe Aunt Mary or explain why she was so special; it was just what I experienced. On hot summer nights all the children would go to the attic and explore and play and have great adventures. But when the time was right, Aunt Mary would climb the stairs to the attic to tuck us into bed. We slept on mattresses on the floor. When we were settled Aunt Mary would get on her hands and knees and move from one child to the next. She would trace the sign of the cross on each child’s forehead and she would offer a blessing for the night and the upcoming day. I am 63 years old now and I will never forget the feeling of Aunt Mary’s hand on my head and her soft voice offering God’s blessing for me. This is the way I learned about God’s unconditional love because Aunt Mary never asked for anything from the children. Her love was full and filled with joy.

When I was newly married, living in my home town I found myself experiencing hate and anger toward someone who I barely knew; a person who had gravely hurt someone I loved dearly. This anger grew until it was taking over my life! I yelled at her in the shower and I imagined her being hurt by someone else until one day I realized that my own life was being destroyed. I could no longer be the loving wife and mother I had been; there was too much hate standing in the way. And so I went to visit Fr. Bob. He was a young priest, quiet, humble, honest. I confessed my sin of hatred and anger and asked him to absolve me of my sin so that I could get back to my life of being a loving wife and mother. He surprised me by instructing me to do the following for my penance: I was to pray every day for this woman and not only pray for her but to imagine her in my mind and hold my arms out to her. I was to do this every day, asking for God’s help, until I could hold her in my arms and forgive her and ask for her forgiveness. I was sure that this could never happen. What I wanted for penance was to say 3 Hail Mary’s and 2 Our Fathers! But I greatly admired Fr. Bob and so I agreed to try the penance. To my astonishment after several months I was actually able to hold this woman in my arms. I found that God opened my heart to a better understanding of the pain that she was enduring because of the situation. We never became friends but since then I have been able to think of her in a compassionate and loving way. This is the way that I learned about loving forgiveness. Fr. Bob taught me that the amount of healing I could expect to experience was equal to my ability to forgive.

In 1995 I was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. It was a great shock to me because there had never been any cancer in my family. The prognosis wasn’t particularly good but Thom, my children, close friends and I faced the reality of cancer together. We prayed for strength, for healing, for wisdom and then we started the long journey through the treatments. My emotions were everywhere widely swinging from fear to pain to anger to… One summer afternoon between treatments I was lying on my bed trying to rest. My bed was just below an open window. Suddenly I felt a breeze blow over my body from the window. It was unexpected but it felt calming and so very gentle! Then suddenly I recognized that it was the Holy Spirit offering me a gentle gift of healing. I didn’t know if that healing would make me physically well or not but I knew that God and the prayers of my family and friends would work to bring me spiritual healing and help me to accept whatever there was to experience in my future. That is the way that I learned about healing and trusting love because of the presence of Sophia, the Holy Spirit in my life.

And now we have reached the present day. I write this in the wonderful days of summer. Thom and I have been very busy. We are trying to retire and Thom’s dad lives with us. We live on a large piece of property with egg-laying chickens, a hive of bees, a cat and a garden. Sometimes there doesn’t seem to be a spare moment to think about anything but the work that needs to be done. And so recently we started having coffee on the deck before our day begins. We have 2 conches out there and we blow them to greet the day. The sound of the conches reverberates through the hollow. When the sound dies out we offer prayers of gratitude for the day, the weather, the air, the beauty of the land, the love we share, all the people who grace our lives, God’s loving presence in our lives. It’s hard to begin a day in negativity when there is so much for which to be grateful. That is the way that I learned about God’s overwhelming loving presence in my life each and every day because I take the time to remember the gifts God gives me.

Looking Inward

Think about the stories in your own life. Consider the many ways that you have experienced love through the people and events. Write them down. Share them with someone else. Do this every day for the rest of your life.

Back to Table of Contents

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A Time of Mercy

Thom Trunzo

The world is riddled with hatred and violence. This is certainly not a revelation. Despite generations of speaking and praying the words of Peace, we continue to lay new pavement on the road of exclusivity and intolerance. Is it any wonder that the Christian church is so dysfunctional? The Sunday morning shot of Jesus, continues to prove to be ineffective as so many cannot separate themselves from being IN the world without being Of the world. All Are Welcome simply is not true. Even within so-called Christian traditions, one rebukes the other, another excludes those who do not speak, pray or walk the exact path. Within the Catholic tradition, for example, we say All Are Welcome, but when it comes to being invited to receive Communion, we can