Category Archives: miracle

Beyond The Tomb

The angels in Jesus’ tomb asked Mary Magdalene, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” Why indeed do we seek new life, a new way of being, while continuing to do what we have always done?  Why do we seek freedom among the thoughts, words and actions that have held us captive?

To live beyond what might seem like a tomb, we must be willing to bless what has passed and then look beyond it.  A tomb experience in life can be anything that draws us apart for a while and provides an opportunity for growth and realignment with Spirit.  A process of deep and lasting change is revealed when we explore four stages of transformation that take place in the tomb; renunciation, retreat, resurrection and realization. 

On the cross, Jesus renounced the world as his source and commended his Spirit to God.  He took the final step toward overcoming the greatest block to transformation; the belief that life is created and sustained by the world.  What is demonstrated for us through the crucifixion and resurrection is that   Life is independent of the world.  Life, the flow of Spirit within us, creates the world according to our ability and willingness to allow Truth to be expressed through us.

Jesus was laid in a tomb, retreating from the world for three days. Three is symbolic of completion in Spirit, soul and body.  Resurrection is instant, simultaneous in Spirit, but soul and body require a time of unfolding. When we pray, our prayers are answered the instant we release them to Spirit.  Yet, most often, a time of quiet reflection and letting go is required for our prayers to fully manifest in our minds, hearts and body.

Mary returns to the tomb with the intention of blessing what she believes is lost.  The willingness to bless what has passed away rolls away the stone and opens the way for divine inspiration. When we bless what has passed for the opportunities of growth and realignment provided, blockages are removed and our way is made clear.

Mary did not realize that the gardener was Jesus until he spoke to her.  When he did, she ran to inform the others.  When we realize something we incorporate the new information at all levels of being. Only then is deep and lasting change made possible.  The risen Christ sent his followers to convert the nations.  To convert is to change. To convert the nations is to change everything.  Realization happens in us when we recognize the Christ as the Life within each of us and then inform every level of our being to live this Truth.  When we live this Truth everything is made new and we live beyond the tomb.  

© 2016.  Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

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Funny Thing About Miracles

MIRACLES.dreamstime_xs_54350453

There’s a funny thing about miracles. They always require us to do something different than we’ve been doing.

In my prayer time this morning, the health of our planet came to mind, and I found myself wanting God to do something about it. I wanted God to miraculously alter the way we have abused our earthly home and bring it back to its pristine and healthy state. I wanted a miracle. And then I remembered, God can only do for us what God can do through us. We, every one of us, must change something in our thoughts, words, and actions to bring our planet once more into its glory. It’s the way miracles work.

Think about the things we call miracles. In every miracle of Jesus, someone has to DO something. At the Wedding Feast at Cana, water is only turned into wine after the stewards fill the jars with water. No water, no wine.

A blind man who wishes to see must put mud over his eyes and then wash it away. The man whose son is gravely ill must return to him and believe the healing will occur. The woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years? She reached out and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.

Miracles require us to do something. And that something involves a change of thought, a change of belief, a change of words, and a change of action. They require action grounded in absolute faith.

What miracle are you looking for today? And what will you change? What voice will you listen to? What will you believe – the impossible? Or the possible? And what will you do differently?

An Unexpected Journey, part 1

cc.14132367384_525d253cb5_zFor those of you who generally follow my posts you may have noticed I’ve been on a blogging hiatus.  I’ve found myself on a path I could not have predicted as my husband’s journey of healing has taken the spotlight in our lives.  As a firm believer in the power of the mind to create our experiences and of the natural state of wholeness that underlies any appearance of illness, a sudden health challenge should be a simple matter, right? Well, in fact, it is simple, but the mind is a complicated aspect of our consciousness, not easily harnessed. It can be like a wild horse taking flight … in a variety of possible directions. 

As I sit here this afternoon, I find myself excited at returning to the keyboard, ready to write about this journey.  Even though it is not yet complete, the experience has already been and filled with underlying blessings, invisible to many, and often hidden from that runaway horse.  It has been peppered with moments of enlightenment, and moments of the runaway horse heading into a darkening sunset.  But the moments of enlightenment are the moments I am eager to explore and ready to being sharing. 

In November, after a visit with my brother who had been diagnosed with ALS, I returned to find that my husband’s doctor had discovered a suspicious nodule on his lung.  The nodule turned out to be nothing, but the tests revealed a mass in his other lung, and that has led us into this current journey; from Xray, to CT scan, to biopsy, to the severe complications from the biopsy which postponed the recommended surgery.  Now, one could get very upset on this journey. Fear could be the destination of the runaway horse. Or, one could find the blessings along the path.  We have, for the most part, chosen the blessings.  And they are many.  A prolonged wait time for surgery provides more time for his energetic body to return to wholeness; more time for prayer and spiritual healing.  The demands of his current treatment have given us a rare opportunity to spend time together.  It has given us multiple opportunities to witness the face of God in friends, family, and health care professionals. It has given us the opportunity to truly practice our Truth.  And, the dis-ease itself can be seen as a catalyst for a much greater healing that has nothing to do with tumors or lesions or PET scans at all. This healing is of the heart and soul. This healing is a joint venture between two souls committed to a common path; committed to their role in the evolution of the planet.  This healing is an opportunity for growth and transformation in unexpected and miraculous ways.  This healing is a miracle unfolding and I am excited at all that is being revealed.  I look forward to my first Sunday back at Unity of Livonia on March 12, 2017 (EDT) when I share some of the experiences of this journey in my talk titled “Life is Like a Box of Chocolates…”

©2017. Rev. Eileen DeRosia Patra. 

Amazing Days Every Day

amazing-dreamstimefree_2246985“Something Amazing Happens to me Today!” This is the affirmation the members of our ministry are working with this week based on last Sunday’s talk and Pam Grout’s book, “E-Cubed.”  Some truly amazing results have occurred over the past few days for each of us, simply by setting this intention before getting out of bed each morning.

Today, just happens to be Friday the 13th.  It has always been, for me anyway, an amazing day.  And, this has been the result of the intention I set for this day based on an experience from my childhood.

When I was in the 3rd or 4th grade, I was working on a science project and drawing a picture of the solar system.  It was Friday the 13th and I had recently heard that it was an unlucky day.  As I struggled with the drawing, using dishes, glasses, cups and saucers as templates for the planets, I voiced my concerns about this very unlucky situation.  My mother told me that a day could only be unlucky if I believed in such things.  As I struggled with creating the correct proportions of planets with my very limited circular tools, I considered this idea.  And suddenly, everything changed!

My brother, who was married, much older than I but living nearby showed up with a contraption called a compass and showed me how to use it. Amazing!! I could make circles in whatever size I chose! What had been limited and frustrating only moments before became a work of joy.

Today, as my husband and I wait for a phone call that will likely mark the beginning of a path some would call challenging, I am affirming “Something Amazingly Awesome Happens to us today!” and I believe it.  Friday the 13th has never failed to offer me something wonderful.  Whatever the message we receive today, I know there will be opportunities to expand and the circle of Divine Love to be expressed through this is unlimited. The circumference of our experience will be determined in proportion to our intention of living in this infinite, spiritual principle; “There is only one Power, one Presence, one Activity in our lives and in the multi-verse and we are one in it.”  Today and every day are amazing opportunities to be the expression of this one Power and Presence that I call God.

© 2017. Rev. Eileen Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving as the Spiritual Leader of Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan. 

I REMEMBER

breath-cc-16193758604_c24b91a8cc_mWhen I REMEMBER I become one with what may seem to have come apart. In the greater picture, nothing is ever disconnected, but in my mind or perception something may appear that way.  I may feel disconnected from my spiritual nature.  I may have lost touch with cherished memories.  I may have lost touch with friends or loved ones by a move, a change of workplace, a conflict, or their transition from the physical realm. Whatever the cause, I have the ability to REMEMBER and draw the essence of that relationship into my conscious awareness.  I can REMEMBER the sweetness of the first meeting with a beloved spouse.  I can REMEMBER the first moment I held my precious child in my arms.  I can REMEMBER the great joy of a childhood friendship.  And in that moment, I reconnect. I experience oneness once again with what seemed lost, separate or grown apart.  I once again feel the great gift of connection.  And, I can REMEMBER that I am one with all beings; one with the Source of all things, one with the Allness of God.  And in that holy instant I am REMEMBERED; all parts once again whole. In that moment I know that all members, all parts of the whole, all moments in time, all feelings, qualities and blessings are forever one in the mind and heart of God and I am enormously blessed and instantly made whole.

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.

MOVEMENT: A Miraculous Activity

dominoes-ccc-21496317363_a2a99d7fcf_mMOVEMENT is the activity of continuous motion, miraculously at work at all times.  Nothing is ever not moving. Nothing is ever truly static.  Though it may seem at times that nothing is happening, we are breathing, the planet we stand upon is moving, the universe is continuously expanding, everything in fact is moving all of the time.  That this occurs is more fact than miracle but the awareness of MOVEMENT in what seems to be static is miraculous indeed.  When it seems that nothing will change, that the things of the world are too big, too cumbersome, outside of our control; we would do well to tune into this activity, for it is Spirit that continuously moves through us.  Stepping into an awareness of the movement of Spirit within us reminds us that there is no “thing” more powerful than the power of God within us.  Remembering that everything is always in motion reminds us that change, evolution and transcendence are always at hand.  It reminds us that all things of matter are transient, impermanent. What is permanent and unchanging is God and our awareness of our oneness in the Source of all that lives, moves and has being. That is powerful and miraculous indeed.

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

I Found My Heart Today

heart-dreamstimefree_12589058My Miracle today is that I found my heart! Not just metaphorically, though that is true as well.  I found a beautiful gold heart necklace that was hidden in the inner folds of a jewelry pouch I carry when I travel.  I had forgotten I even had this golden heart.  I have a silver one too and thought the gold one was a faulty memory.  This morning, as I prepared that pouch for my visit with my brother I felt something buried deep within the layers of fabric.  I couldn’t reach it through the four different zippered pockets.  I had to reach down into a small opening between the zipper and the seam.  I wasn’t even sure what I was feeling until I pulled it free.  So much like my own heart, it can become lost in the folds of emotions and put away in a drawer.  I may wear a silver heart, one that is almost as lovely as the gold, but not quite.  Gold is the color of Spiritual Understanding.  As an element it is pliable yet strong.  Gold is a mixture of red which represents life and yellow which represents wisdom and a touch of silvery glitter that represents the power of will aligned with Spirit.  I found my heart today and it is still gold.  I found my heart today and I open it wide to let God in.  I found my heart today and I let it sparkle and expand to envelop you in Love and Light. 

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.

Return to Center

MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAThink about how a PENDULUM works.  It is drawn from its center by a force or energy.  Eventually, after swinging to and fro, it will return to center as the force of gravity pulls it back. If more force or energy is applied to the original swing, the return to center will be delayed.  The workings of a PENDULUM are predictable and simultaneously miraculous; predictable as a law of physics, miraculous in its manifestation of Truth.  Spiritually, we are sometimes pulled from our center by outside energies and experiences.  But just as predictable as the return of the PENDULUM, we too return to center.  The miracle occurs when we make the conscious choice to defy the pull of outer energies and return right here, right now to our spiritual center.  The laws of physics are predictable, but the Law of Principle, the nature of God, the power of God within us, transcends the laws of physics.  This we experience as the miraculous.  Today I remember the miracle of the PENDULUM and I apply the force of Spirit upon the PENDULUM of emotion and I return quickly and easily to center.  From this place in the center of me I let my light shine that others may see the presence of God and be returned to center as well. 

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.

 

Miraculous Armor

The miracle I witness today is the ability to lay down the sword and put on the armor of God. This is what David did when facing Goliath. The world is at battle with itself, but I do not have to participate. A world at battle with itself is the reflection of the mind at battle with itself. The battle is the struggle to hold on to what is impermanent. The armor of God is not a suit of steel. It is not of the world. It is a consciousness, a stream of thought that is centered in the Tree of Life and not fooled by the knowledge of good and evil. In the consciousness of God, what seemed huge and powerful and terrifying has no power at all. When I put on this armor of God, I see beyond the illusion of separation. I see the essence of life that precedes all things. In this awareness, there is no battle to fight, there is no-thing that has power over me. I am guided by what is true and what is REAL. What seemed to be terrifying has no power at all, for God is the only power. Jesus said that heaven and earth would pass away but His words would not. What is permanent and does not pass away is the Truth that He taught and lived. In the human mind that believes in the permanence of the world there is constant battle and struggle to hold things as permanent. In the mind of God, there is only wholeness and Life. There is no battle. There is nothing to battle for. Today I put on the armor of God. I let go of what I know will pass away and I gather only what is True. I face the giant energies of a world at battle with the stones of faith, hope, love, wisdom and Truth. There is nothing that stands before me that is more powerful than the power of God within me.

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.

What’s Budding in You?

fall-colorsThe Changing Leaves are always a miraculous sight for those of us in climates that provide this annual display of colorful foliage.  The predictable transformation has become synonymous with change and a reminder that there is always new life, new growth just beyond what appears to be death.  What is truly remarkable about the process is what causes the change in colors.  As the hours of daylight become less, the tree responds to an inner signal.  The signal is not to drop its leaves although that is what occurs.  The signal is to begin new growth.  The tree begins to direct its resources to new growth, to the buds that will occur in the spring.  This focus on the new growth in turn diminishes the flow of nutrients to the current leaves and they respond by fading, falling and preparing the space for the new buds.  As always, when I look at the falling leaves I know that new life will occur in the spring but today I recognize that the forming of new buds has already begun.  In life, as I see something fading away, I know on an inner level that something new is forming within me. What falls away prepares the space for what is being called forth in me.  This is the miracle of transformation that occurs in the trees, in my life and in the world. 

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.