{"id":7636,"date":"2012-03-05T10:57:58","date_gmt":"2012-03-05T16:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/holyrover\/?p=7636"},"modified":"2012-03-05T10:57:58","modified_gmt":"2012-03-05T16:57:58","slug":"compassionate-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/holyrover\/2012\/03\/05\/compassionate-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Compassionate Service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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Allegory of Compassion by Cesare Ripa (Wikimedia Commons image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

As the calendar turns to March, it\u2019s time to revisit the gratitude practice inspired by Angeles Arrien\u2019s Living in Gratitude<\/a>\"\". In February I vowed to be more deliberate in sending compassionate thoughts to those who irritate me. This practice, alas, proved harder than I thought it would be. I could blame others for ramping up their irritation level, but honestly, I think the fault actually lies with me. Mea culpa. Time to start anew.<\/p>\n

In Arrien\u2019s book, this month\u2019s chapter\u00a0is an invitation to practice\u00a0compassionate service<\/em>. Just as spring brings warmth, new life, and a blossoming of the earth, Arrien invites us to nurture the burgeoning fruits of our gratitude practice. She quotes the advice given by Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush in their book Compassion in Action: Setting Out on the Path of Service<\/a>\"\":<\/p>\n