Dear Friends, I am writing on Monday evening, the 27th of February, a day and a half before Ash Wednesday. I don't have time to write a lot but want to pass on something that happened to me this morning that is so meaningful, and I hope it encourages you in your own faith walk. After breakfast each day I spend 45 minutes quietly in my room sitting in a chair while closing my eyes and trying to be quiet and attentive to the Lord in my depths. Some days I spend a fair amount of energy fending off distractions, some days a lot of distractions, but for most days my attention is in and out with my awareness of God, but on some rare occasions the attention is so steady and so rewarding. And that happened this morning. Why some days are one way and others the other way, I do not know. It is like in any long term relationship: some days are winners and many days are rather ordinary, and then some, thankfully few, are unpleasant or even bad. But this morning's was a winner. And I sensed the push of God to share something of it with you in hopes that this would encourage you in your own journey and search for a deeper, closer life with God. How fitting as we approach Lent.. . ............................................................................................................. So what happened? All I can say is that as I sat this morning in the quiet, having finished breakfast and smelling the cool air of the morning, I went down inside myself but then was taken deeper, very much inside myself to a great stillness and focus, and in this stillness I became oblivious of my body, of my room, totally unaware of everything around me except this very loving Presence deep inside. Is this what is meant by "tunnel vision" or tunnel awareness"? I witnessed no image, no picture, but at the same time I was quite aware of a Presence that was so real and attractive, so "sweet" to my spirit, so utterly beautiful and "right there," completely present to me. I knew it was very important not to speak but to be still, to be attentive, receptive, and to gaze steadily with all the love inside me at what was beyond words. The closeness with this loving Presence was beyond describing, so engaging, so capturing. I trust it was a brief taste of heaven. ......................................................................................................... As I came out of this, I had the sense that underneath all the pain that is going on now in our very polarized, conflicted world today, there is this loving Reality that is most reassuring, telling us that He is with us through it all; that deep down all is well. We are loved beyond our wildest hopes and expectations, and we only have to turn to this loving, completely welcoming Presence to gain perspective, balance, and hope, and claim this gift of His Peace and not let ourselves become afraid and then stumble into speaking with the same kind of contempt and disrespect that characterizes much of the public discourse going on today, especially in the political scene and, I notice, in some sports also (with what is called 'trash talk' that gets really demeaning and violent................................................................................................... So, that is all I have time for now. A blessed Lent to all of you. Please remember in your prayers the many poor people of this young nation who suffer so from a seemingly endless drought. So many animals, so many people are dying. These are some of those now nailed to the Cross of Christ and must feel like He did in his final hours, abandoned without any sense of the presence of His Father, our Father. Bernie Owens