I spent this past week with a group of ten people who signed up for the retreat I was giving on Enders Island in Mystic, CT. We were using parts of Joyce Rupp’s book The Cup of our Life. If you are not familiar with this book, the cup serves as a powerful symbol representing various aspects of one's spiritual journey and inner life. We talked about the ‘Open Cup’; ‘The Chipped Cup’; The Broken Cup’; ‘The Cup of Compassion’; and ‘The Blessing Cup’.
There was one particular reflection on ‘the stained cup’ that resonated deeply with one of the retreatants, who went on to share her reflection. It really struck a chord. With her permission, I’d like to share it with you. Brenda Whelan, RSM, wrote the following:
Is My Cup Stained?
How could my cup not be stained when it is only a child’s cup that is empty of stain?
I think it is true that the older we get, the more stains we collect. The question is, do the stains that build add to my life by way of flavor building upon flavor, or do the stains leave a bitterness of heart?
I think it can be both!
The stains that come between myself and the one that calls me Beloved are stains of bitterness that can be not only seen, but felt in the core of my being, my heart!
The stain of judgement and unrest, the stain of jealousy and greed, the stain of wanting more but not wanting to invest in it, the stain of anger and misunderstanding, the stain of giving up and not being present.
Ah, yes, being present! I have had to learn this lesson a hundred times over! This is my stain remover. Being in the now, slowly chips away at the stains in my cup and allows me to drink more fully.
Every day, I am offered a new cup. Not without flaws or cracks, but free from stain. Do I choose to accept the cup, or do I go back and pick up the old one because it is familiar?
For today, my choice is to pick up the chipped and broken cup that is stain free and calls me to be present!
During this week, pick up your favorite cup and check to see if it is stained and if so, what are the stains? Can they be removed? If not, how do I deal with them?
If you want to pray over it more, you may consider reading Joyce’s book. May your week be filled with cleaning up the stains of your cup and loving those that cannot be removed.
Till next week
Sister Theresita
Image by Virginia Portanova
