Art and thoughts by Roger Vincent Jasaitis

This Speaks My Mind

  • Stillness

    “In stillness the world is restored.” Buddhist Proverb This is the day of the winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. The word solstice, literally sol (sun)- stice (stasis) means the sun appears to stand still in its heavenly march. Culturally this day has been celebrated since…

  • Family Ties

      This lovely old photo is of my Grandmother on my Mother’s side. In Polish Grandmother is Babci. This was taken right after she emigrated from Poland to the United States early in the last century. I was born of immigrants, as most of us are in this country. She was escaping war and deprivation…

  • Monk for a Day

    A few weeks ago I spent a long weekend in retreat with some Friends at a Benedictine monastery here in Vermont called the Weston Priory. The monks live under the Rule of Saint Benedict which was written circa the year 500. The  motto of the Benedictines is Ora et labora meaning “pray and work”, which refers to two major components of a…

  • On Racism in America

    Bernie Sanders on Islamophobia and racism Minute on Racism  New England Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends affirms its commitment to becoming an open, affirming, anti-racist Religious Society.  Our understanding of racism is that it is a system that accords advantage or disadvantage based on racial identity.  Racism is fundamentally inconsistent with the…

  • Response – Ability

    Sheila Garrett deconstructed the word responsiblity as part of her following note. I had never thought of this word in this way. It opens up possibilities for action in ways that you may not have thought of… both as individuals and as Faith groups. Sheila is walking from Vermont to Georgia. You can follow her…