The year as a house

from a poem by Jan Richardson:

“The Year as a House: A Blessing

Think of the year
as a house:
door flung wide
in welcome,
threshold swept
and waiting,
a graced spaciousness
opening and offering itself
to you.

“Let it be blessed
in every room.

“Let it be hallowed
in every corner.

Let every nook
be a refuge
and every object
set to holy use…

“…And may it be
in this house of a year
that the seasons will spin in beauty,

“and may it be
in these turning days
that time will spiral with joy.

“And may it be
that its rooms will fill
with ordinary grace

“and light spill from every window
to welcome the stranger home.”