Everyday We Begin Again
A Reflection by Christine Jurisich
“Every day we begin again.” This fifteen-hundred-year-old quote is from a monk who lived a life most of us cannot relate to, yet his words inspire deeply. St. Benedict of Nursia was a 6th-century monk who is considered the father of Western monasticism. The words are written in his “Rule of St. Benedict,” a guide he wrote for monks living in community.
“Every day we begin again” can speak to your journey of mercy, forgiveness, acceptance, compassion, new ideas, dreams, and second chances. It serves as a reminder to give yourself and others a fresh start.
“Every day we begin again.” This fifteen-hundred-year-old quote is from a monk who lived a life most of us cannot relate to, yet his words inspire deeply. St. Benedict of Nursia was a 6th-century monk who is considered the father of Western monasticism. The words are written in his “Rule of St. Benedict,” a guide he wrote for monks living in community.
“Every day we begin again” can speak to your journey of mercy, forgiveness, acceptance, compassion, new ideas, dreams, and second chances. It serves as a reminder to give yourself and others a fresh start.
“‘Every day we begin again” is an invitation to accept yourself—with all your strengths and limitations, achievements and failures—and allow the Spirit to guide you in a new and healing direction. It may be, for you, a call to forgiveness; to connection; to boundaries; to a healthier life. Ponder how each of these is in some way a journey to wholeness.
What do you need to begin again?
You may feel that even the phrase “begin again” can sound overwhelming, yet the first step may be a subtle internal shift of the heart: a choice to be open to the grace of God. When this happens, you may be surprised who and what comes along to accompany you.
Another step can be the commitment to be mindful of the yeses and noes you make throughout the day. The courage to voice out loud a no you have been saying internally for some time can open you up to the yes you are seeking. Slowly over time, you will find the courage to enter into certain conversations in your heart that had previously been difficult to entertain.
In the beginning of my spiritual growth story, I felt like I needed to work hard to grow in faith. Everyone around me seemed to have it all figured out, and I wanted to “catch up.”
I worked hard to make my family look like we had not just been fighting all the way to church.
I worked hard to pray like those around me, especially the ones who looked like they were having this deep, intimate conversation with God, something I could not understand how to have.
I worked hard to figure out how to hear God.
I worked hard trying to make my spiritual growth happen quickly. I did not allow for the slow movement of the Spirit to guide me, love me, and lead me. I did not allow for a sweet surrender to each question, stirring, and conversation in my heart. I look back at those questions, stirrings, and conversations and see how they are just starting to make sense. Just starting. That night was the beginning of a lifelong beginner’s story. I am still a beginner. I am still entering each day and each season of life with the intent to begin again, and there is something exciting about that to me.
As you reflect on ways you are called to “begin again,” know you do not have to “work hard.” Yes, it is important to be intentional. There is a difference between being intentional and working hard.
Be intentional in opening your heart.
Be intentional to start each day accepting yourself as a human doing the best you can. Make a commitment to accepting that others are doing the best they can.
Dare to dream of a new reality.
Courageously ask for professional help.
Vulnerably reach out to begin a new friendship.
Be intentional in opening your heart to the grace of God.
May you be open to discovering the people, resources, and offerings that help you begin again.
Share your beginning in this month’s Sacred Circle
The second full week of the month, we offer a chance to share the month’s topic in Sacred Circles on Zoom and in-person. Come to one or come to all. New participants are always welcome.
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What does, “everyday we begin again” mean to you?