The Way of the Dreamcatcher: Spirit Lessons with Robert Lax, Poet, Peacemaker, Sage, by  S.T. Georgiou. Revised Edition. Templegate Pub, 2010.

The author relates how he came to visit the seer called Robert Lax, or simply Lax, on the Island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. "I had nearly lost my faith in love, in the possibility of ever finding lasting joy in life and put myself at the mercy of God. I had known Patmos to be a spiritual isle, a place of hope, miracles and revelation, and something told me that if I journeyed there, if I made the effort, I might save myself, or better put, allow God to save me. And the waters were kind because they brought me to a spiritual site referred to in early Christianity as the 'Isle of hope', owing to its relationship with St. John the Apostle, 'the Disciple whom Jesus most loved'    (John 13:23)."

Upon arriving on the island, he was approached by a young man who asked the author why he was in Patmos. The author said he had come to find peace. He was asked if he believed in God. Yes, indeed and he also said he was interested in art, philosophy, and poetry. The youth said, "You must see the wise old poet in the hills whose name is Pax." The author was directed to the little house in which the wise man lived, and learned that the wise man's name was not Pax but was Lax, Bob Lax in fact. When Georgiou declared what he wanted, he was invited in and many long and interesting conversations followed, with which the rest of the book is filled.

Bob Lax had been a former classmate of Thomas Merton and had shared each other's wisdom on many occasions. He was willing to be spiritual guide to the author. Their conversations open up a new world of spiritual wisdom that is both simple and sublime and this book breathes a deep sense of God's presence. Their dialogues are full of wisdom and awareness of God in all creation, especially in people. This book is said to capture the essence of one of the 20th century's enlightened friends of the Cross, the dreamcatcher Bob Lax.

No point in asking where I go next;

I know that you love me.

You don't tell me to kill.

by Bob Lax

(Thanks to Sr. Irene Hartman OP for this review.)



Registration is now open for the 2013-14 session of SpiritLife, which is sponsored by Heartland Center for Spirituality in Great Bend, KS. Friday night accommodations are available for those who would like to come in a day early.

See http://heartlandspirituality.org/spiritlife for more information about the program and registration.

SpiritLife  presentations are also available online, but for personal enrichment only.

- http://shalomplace.com/inetmin/spiritlife/

St. Stephen of Hungary (975-1038): August 16

The Church is universal, but its expression is always affected--for good or ill--by local culture. There are no "generic" Christians; there are Mexican Christians, Polish Christians, Filipino Christians. This fact is evident in the life of Stephen, national hero and spiritual patron of Hungary.

Born a pagan, he was baptized around the age of 10, together with his father, chief of the Magyars, a group who migrated to the Danube area in the ninth century. At 20 he married Gisela, sister to the future emperor, St. Henry. When he succeeded his father, Stephen adopted a policy of Christianization of the country for both political and religious reasons. He suppressed a series of revolts by pagan nobles and welded the Magyars into a strong national group. He asked the pope to provide for the Church's organization in Hungary, and also requested that the pope confer the title of king upon him. He was crowned on Christmas day in 1001.

Stephen established a system of tithes to support churches and pastors and to relieve the poor. Out of every 10 towns one had to build a church and support a priest. He abolished pagan customs with a certain amount of violence, and commanded all to marry, except clergy and religious. He was easily accessible to all, especially the poor.

In 1031 his son Emeric died, and the rest of Stephen's days were embittered by controversy over his successor. His nephews attempted to kill him. He died in 1038 and was canonized, along with his son, in 1083.