Yes, I was able to get enough gas to go out to the Abbey for mass. It was wonderful. Fr. James is in Spain for some reason, and the Abbot was apparently out of town. Fr. Andrew celebrated, and he had a cough. The first reading this was the one about wives obeying their husbands. I don't care much for that reading. All of the sudden the culture of 2000 years ago is in the bible, and in a way that today is insulting. Yet, the whole thing is really about the relationship between us and Christ, and between Christ and the Church. In that light the reading is less offensive.
Bernard. I have wondered if maybe it would be better for me to give Bernard his own blog. The only reason I think that is because this is supposed to be a spiritual journal. In a number of ways, reading Bernard has become part of my spiritual journey. For that reason it's better to keep him here. On the other side is it takes up a lot of space, and will require more searching to find relevant entries. Two very good reasons, each having equal weight. In the interest of keeping this blog about the journey, I have decided Bernard is going to have his own page. A devotional reading of On Loving God is something that must be done section by section, and sometimes, line by line. Look for it tomorrow.
This Sunday is the meeting of local LCG at the Abbey. I'm looking forward to this meeting. Small as we are, we do make up a community. I know Bill hardly at all, Kathleen about the same amount. The only reason I know Bryan and Michael is that they both are active in email and blogging. Sunny I hardly know either. It's time to know these people. After all, the Holy Spirit brought us together.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Monday and Bernard
At last it is sunny in Kentucky. After the monsoon last week the sun is welcome!
When I committed to a study of On Loving God I didn't intend for it to be a line by line discussion. However, there does seem to be a trend in that direction. What I have learned is that Bernard can be scanned for content, but to do that is to lose the point. So far in the book not a lot of concrete information has been given. I am more convinced than ever that this is a book for devotion, not an instruction manual.
Once the logic part of my mind was shut off, the metaphoric/symbolic area was set free. In other words, I have a lot in common with Bernard, No, I am not brilliant. Yes, I am a free associator of words and ideas. What is emerging in this study is just how vast Bernard's metaphorical range really is. The man was a miracle of connecting this thought to that thought, using pomegranates and apples, erotic language, and faith, to express that which can never be expressed in a logical manner: the action of God in our hearts.
So using symbol and metaphor, I propose to continue the study in a nearly line by line course. This way will take much longer. It will also take years to complete. There was a time that would have depressed me, but no longer. Now it feels like a new freedom!
Bernard involved himself so fully with metaphors and bible quotations that when he started to think, or talk about any aspect of his faith, it all mixed together to create a Croque en Bouche of devotion. A Croque en Bouche is "a light choux pastry filled with a Crème Diplomat flavoured with Cognac, Cointreau or fresh vanilla. The profiteroles are made into a cone using caramel and decorated with sugar twists and fresh flowers, it makes an unusual and attractive alternative to a traditional wedding cake." Thanks to Foster's Events for the definition.
Each apple, pomegranate, fragrance, ointment or balm, is a small piece of Bernard's massive structure of faith. Can I give any less effort to the study of his work? It is any wonder the Carthusian monks wanted a treatise from Bernard!
When I committed to a study of On Loving God I didn't intend for it to be a line by line discussion. However, there does seem to be a trend in that direction. What I have learned is that Bernard can be scanned for content, but to do that is to lose the point. So far in the book not a lot of concrete information has been given. I am more convinced than ever that this is a book for devotion, not an instruction manual.
Once the logic part of my mind was shut off, the metaphoric/symbolic area was set free. In other words, I have a lot in common with Bernard, No, I am not brilliant. Yes, I am a free associator of words and ideas. What is emerging in this study is just how vast Bernard's metaphorical range really is. The man was a miracle of connecting this thought to that thought, using pomegranates and apples, erotic language, and faith, to express that which can never be expressed in a logical manner: the action of God in our hearts.
So using symbol and metaphor, I propose to continue the study in a nearly line by line course. This way will take much longer. It will also take years to complete. There was a time that would have depressed me, but no longer. Now it feels like a new freedom!
Bernard involved himself so fully with metaphors and bible quotations that when he started to think, or talk about any aspect of his faith, it all mixed together to create a Croque en Bouche of devotion. A Croque en Bouche is "a light choux pastry filled with a Crème Diplomat flavoured with Cognac, Cointreau or fresh vanilla. The profiteroles are made into a cone using caramel and decorated with sugar twists and fresh flowers, it makes an unusual and attractive alternative to a traditional wedding cake." Thanks to Foster's Events for the definition.
Each apple, pomegranate, fragrance, ointment or balm, is a small piece of Bernard's massive structure of faith. Can I give any less effort to the study of his work? It is any wonder the Carthusian monks wanted a treatise from Bernard!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Chatper III, Lines 6-13
Neither Jew nor pagan feels the pangs of love as doth the Church, which saith, ‘Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples; for I am sick of love’ (Cant. 2.5). Chapter III, line 6.
Bernard is referring to the church. As always he's taking the long view, like an eagle scanning history, to show us how all things in God stretch both backwards and forwards in time. Why else start with the church remembering Solomon? The roots of our faith on earth are in the past. Our links in history. In an essay discussing the why and how of loving God, then such a highly placed view is not out of the question.
She beholds King Solomon, with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals
The associated thoughts and scriptures and meditation that can go along with Solomon is far too extensive to enter into here. It must be that Bernard felt that Solomon was the perfect illustration because of his wisdom. The first two chapters of On Loving God, have discussed wisdom in great detail. So then, Wisdom is the church. Wisdom is part of the abiding presence of God. Wisdom has been associated with Logos, BVM, the Holy Spirit, the Church.
All the early Cistercian's loved the Song of Songs. They were absolutely giddy about it. It wasn't just them, the medieval church was just as taken with it. And the imagery of "stay me with apples and flagons of wine," is seductive, and shocking. It is the language of love and food. We eat our food. We provide our love as food for others. We eat of their love. That is highly erotic.
Perhaps the slightly erotic tone of the Song of Songs goes far to explain why celibate monks meditated upon, and developed the erotic energy in a way that humanity to this day has had trouble understanding, much less doing. The early Cistercian's were letting their erotic side become part and parcel of the conversion to God's love. It is entirely possible that they were wild with desire, but not of the bodily kind. It wasn't a genital desire at all. They turned the whole of their lives over to God, including sexual desire No one is going to be free of desire and longing. Each is integral to our life, and our well being. When the eros is ordered rightly, and by 'rightly' is meant aligned like a lodestone to north, then the whole soul vibrates with the Love of God.
God does love us in ways that we do not understand. We can't penetrate the mind of God, only the Love. And in the remainder of today's quote we are faced with the passion: she sees the Sole-begotten of the Father bearing the heavy burden of His Cross; she sees the Lord of all power and might bruised and spat upon, the Author of life and glory transfixed with nails, smitten by the lance, overwhelmed with mockery, and at last laying down His precious life for His friends.
Such imagery following hard upon the love-sick state is brutal. It is as if the soldiers entered and did the whole thing in their bedroom on their wedding night. It is horrible to consider this after the beauty of apples and wine. Yet, that is exactly what Bernard does to us. He puts that harsh imagery in as if it were intimately involved with the Bride and Bridegroom. Not abuse of lover and beloved, instead it is the abuse of humanity, our violent, oppressive, negative, and life despising ways. We have forgotten who God is, and who we are in relation to God. Bernard put that imagery together to force us to look deeply at the fact that we are the abusers, and not some undefined other.
God acted out of love. What is the basis of our actions?
Bernard is referring to the church. As always he's taking the long view, like an eagle scanning history, to show us how all things in God stretch both backwards and forwards in time. Why else start with the church remembering Solomon? The roots of our faith on earth are in the past. Our links in history. In an essay discussing the why and how of loving God, then such a highly placed view is not out of the question.
She beholds King Solomon, with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals
The associated thoughts and scriptures and meditation that can go along with Solomon is far too extensive to enter into here. It must be that Bernard felt that Solomon was the perfect illustration because of his wisdom. The first two chapters of On Loving God, have discussed wisdom in great detail. So then, Wisdom is the church. Wisdom is part of the abiding presence of God. Wisdom has been associated with Logos, BVM, the Holy Spirit, the Church.
All the early Cistercian's loved the Song of Songs. They were absolutely giddy about it. It wasn't just them, the medieval church was just as taken with it. And the imagery of "stay me with apples and flagons of wine," is seductive, and shocking. It is the language of love and food. We eat our food. We provide our love as food for others. We eat of their love. That is highly erotic.
Perhaps the slightly erotic tone of the Song of Songs goes far to explain why celibate monks meditated upon, and developed the erotic energy in a way that humanity to this day has had trouble understanding, much less doing. The early Cistercian's were letting their erotic side become part and parcel of the conversion to God's love. It is entirely possible that they were wild with desire, but not of the bodily kind. It wasn't a genital desire at all. They turned the whole of their lives over to God, including sexual desire No one is going to be free of desire and longing. Each is integral to our life, and our well being. When the eros is ordered rightly, and by 'rightly' is meant aligned like a lodestone to north, then the whole soul vibrates with the Love of God.
God does love us in ways that we do not understand. We can't penetrate the mind of God, only the Love. And in the remainder of today's quote we are faced with the passion: she sees the Sole-begotten of the Father bearing the heavy burden of His Cross; she sees the Lord of all power and might bruised and spat upon, the Author of life and glory transfixed with nails, smitten by the lance, overwhelmed with mockery, and at last laying down His precious life for His friends.
Such imagery following hard upon the love-sick state is brutal. It is as if the soldiers entered and did the whole thing in their bedroom on their wedding night. It is horrible to consider this after the beauty of apples and wine. Yet, that is exactly what Bernard does to us. He puts that harsh imagery in as if it were intimately involved with the Bride and Bridegroom. Not abuse of lover and beloved, instead it is the abuse of humanity, our violent, oppressive, negative, and life despising ways. We have forgotten who God is, and who we are in relation to God. Bernard put that imagery together to force us to look deeply at the fact that we are the abusers, and not some undefined other.
God acted out of love. What is the basis of our actions?
Friday, October 27, 2006
Last Friday of October
Today's gospel reading is timely as much for the rain as the message. After he mentions the rain he lays one of those Jesus-smack-downs on the crowd. I think Jesus is so very human in those moments. Can you imagine the constant attention and harrasment he had to endure every day of his ministry? Even though he loved everyone-- just like us, he got tired of being asked the same question, and folks trying to trick him in the same old way.
I asked myself if I were alive then would I have been in the crowd bothering Jesus? Or part of the crowd listening to Jesus? Knowing me, I'd have done both. Listened, and then run away because that seems to be what I have done throughout my life. God in heaven, deliver me from myself.
The great thing is that I believe God is delivering me, right now, in my life. Although I may feel more desolate than ever before in my entire life, I know that God is working in me, and through me, even if I can't discern it. The money situation which has prevented me from driving to the monastery for mass in the mornings has taken a huge toll on me, my pride, and my soul. One thing is certain, next month I shall have money budgeted for gas enough to attend mass daily.
Fr. James suggested that I pray for the multiplication of the loaves. At first I thought he was joking, but the more I thought about it, the less sure I was of what he said being a joke. If the situation I am in at this time is something like littleness, or weakness, then all I can do is hold fast the faith and not let go, even though it's hard to do.
I asked myself if I were alive then would I have been in the crowd bothering Jesus? Or part of the crowd listening to Jesus? Knowing me, I'd have done both. Listened, and then run away because that seems to be what I have done throughout my life. God in heaven, deliver me from myself.
The great thing is that I believe God is delivering me, right now, in my life. Although I may feel more desolate than ever before in my entire life, I know that God is working in me, and through me, even if I can't discern it. The money situation which has prevented me from driving to the monastery for mass in the mornings has taken a huge toll on me, my pride, and my soul. One thing is certain, next month I shall have money budgeted for gas enough to attend mass daily.
Fr. James suggested that I pray for the multiplication of the loaves. At first I thought he was joking, but the more I thought about it, the less sure I was of what he said being a joke. If the situation I am in at this time is something like littleness, or weakness, then all I can do is hold fast the faith and not let go, even though it's hard to do.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
While at the Abbey a few weeks back, I picked up a leaflet in the guest library called, Prayer to Jesus, Agonising on the Mount of Olives. The language was over the top, as is usual with this type of devotional writing, but something about it snagged on my soul, so I took it home. After reading it through I was convinced that despite it's completely cliche style, there was something truly wonderful in devotion to Jesus in the Garden.
Heavily edited for style: "I pray You to move my soul and heart at least once a day to think of your agony in the Garden, so that I may communicate with you, and be united with you as close as possible."
That was the trigger, "think at least once a day of your agony in the garden." How often do we really turns our minds to Jesus suffering in the garden? Certainly we do on Holy Thursday, but that's to be expected. What about during the Thursday of the 123 Week of Ordinary Time? Is there enough reason, right now, to put the garden into our minds? Or, more accurately, put us in the garden with Jesus?
The suggestion in the pamphlet, that just thinking about Jesus in the garden is an act of prayer, is a powerful stimulant of desire for more prayer. This started me thinking about what a fine devotional practice meditation on the agony in the garden might yield.
Heavily edited for style: "I pray You to move my soul and heart at least once a day to think of your agony in the Garden, so that I may communicate with you, and be united with you as close as possible."
That was the trigger, "think at least once a day of your agony in the garden." How often do we really turns our minds to Jesus suffering in the garden? Certainly we do on Holy Thursday, but that's to be expected. What about during the Thursday of the 123 Week of Ordinary Time? Is there enough reason, right now, to put the garden into our minds? Or, more accurately, put us in the garden with Jesus?
The suggestion in the pamphlet, that just thinking about Jesus in the garden is an act of prayer, is a powerful stimulant of desire for more prayer. This started me thinking about what a fine devotional practice meditation on the agony in the garden might yield.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
"The faithful know how much need they have of Jesus and Him crucified; but though they wonder and rejoice at the ineffable love made manifest in Him, they are not daunted at having no more than their own poor souls to give in return for such great and condescending charity."
Again I turn to the first sentence for yet more information, remembering that yesterday the subject was Jesus on the cross. Today is about ineffable love.
Definition of Ineffable: Adj. 1.Defying expression or description. 2. Too sacred to be uttered.
Ineffable is from Latin ineffabilis, from in-, "not" + effabilis, "utterable," from effari, "to utter," from ex-, "out" + fari, "to speak."
Now that the word is defined it casts a different light on the "ineffable love made manifest in Him." Instinct says that we should afraid of something ineffable. It would seem a moment that needs Elijah's response when the Lord passed by: he covered his face. That was a moment of the ineffable. That should be our response to something unutterable. We should hide our faces, but not from shame. We should do it as acknowledgement of the presence of God.
Bernard's tone is joyous: "though they wonder and rejoice." So we are to wonder at the miracle that something ineffable loves us, and thereby rejoice because if it were not love, then we should surely be destroyed by the nearness of God. The Kabbalah teaches that the ten Sephirot are emmanations from God in contstant interaction withe all creation. Further, that from the top of the Tree of Life the full power of God is unimpeded. As the light passes through the Sephirot, it contributes to all of creation the power of God, and when it arrives at the bottom of the tree, where we are, it is still the light of God, but now in a form that humans can survive.
Yet, Bernard teaches us to be joyous, as well as to wonder. Then our joy must come from the life, passion, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven of Jesus Christ. For Jesus was true God, as well as true man. So bearing in mine the Kabbalah we might have another way to "wonder" at the ineffable workings of God when we think that God poured Own Self out, into the womb of a virgin. Now, if we take that seriously, it can only be something of ineffable nature. Every part of Jesus life on earth and his continued life with God, part of God, is something we shall never get our minds around. Why not rejoice!
Take the joy in the revelation. So far we see that in barely half the opening sentece we have seen the deep need we all have of Jesus dead on the cross, and the ineffable joy that so much love should express itself for us.
Again I turn to the first sentence for yet more information, remembering that yesterday the subject was Jesus on the cross. Today is about ineffable love.
Definition of Ineffable: Adj. 1.Defying expression or description. 2. Too sacred to be uttered.
Ineffable is from Latin ineffabilis, from in-, "not" + effabilis, "utterable," from effari, "to utter," from ex-, "out" + fari, "to speak."
Now that the word is defined it casts a different light on the "ineffable love made manifest in Him." Instinct says that we should afraid of something ineffable. It would seem a moment that needs Elijah's response when the Lord passed by: he covered his face. That was a moment of the ineffable. That should be our response to something unutterable. We should hide our faces, but not from shame. We should do it as acknowledgement of the presence of God.
Bernard's tone is joyous: "though they wonder and rejoice." So we are to wonder at the miracle that something ineffable loves us, and thereby rejoice because if it were not love, then we should surely be destroyed by the nearness of God. The Kabbalah teaches that the ten Sephirot are emmanations from God in contstant interaction withe all creation. Further, that from the top of the Tree of Life the full power of God is unimpeded. As the light passes through the Sephirot, it contributes to all of creation the power of God, and when it arrives at the bottom of the tree, where we are, it is still the light of God, but now in a form that humans can survive.
Yet, Bernard teaches us to be joyous, as well as to wonder. Then our joy must come from the life, passion, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven of Jesus Christ. For Jesus was true God, as well as true man. So bearing in mine the Kabbalah we might have another way to "wonder" at the ineffable workings of God when we think that God poured Own Self out, into the womb of a virgin. Now, if we take that seriously, it can only be something of ineffable nature. Every part of Jesus life on earth and his continued life with God, part of God, is something we shall never get our minds around. Why not rejoice!
Take the joy in the revelation. So far we see that in barely half the opening sentece we have seen the deep need we all have of Jesus dead on the cross, and the ineffable joy that so much love should express itself for us.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Lectio Worthy Poetry, Bernard, and the Sacred Heart
The Order of St. Benedict website has a page for lectio divina. I try to use it everyday for a while, and always before dawn. Once the sun has come up the day begins, and the chance for reflection is past. This morning I came across a set of poems called The Way of the Cross. To me, the poems are both intense and confrontational. They are also daring poems, because they put current religious establishment to shame.
Some people do not like poetry. And I have to confess, as much as I love poetry, there are times that I just can't read it. What the poet is able to express in rhyme and/or meter is always of high truth, but seldom meant literally. The use of metaphors is of supreme importance in poetry, as the poet Shelley called it, "posie." When the metaphors are removed then meaning is removed as well.
The faithful know how much need they have of Jesus and Him crucified; but though they wonder and rejoice at the ineffable love made manifest in Him, they are not daunted at having no more than their own poor souls to give in return for such great and condescending charity. Chatper III, On Loving God
This sentence has an obvious meaning, but there is another meaning seemingly lurking under the surface. Have you ever thought of what it means to need Jesus crucified? 1 Corinthians 2:2 says, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified." The verse shows Paul's determination to show how the cross is the crux of our relationship to God, as revealed in Christ. Bernard gives the verse a different slant, another point of view.
In Paul it means, "The means of salvation."
In Bernard it means, "Ah! At last I've found it."
So then we may say that Bernard is subtly passing over an entire area of the christian life, the how-did-we-come-to-this-point of saying "Yes, I need Jesus and I need him to be crucified." Bernard knew that he was writing to Carthusian monks. The was no need for the rhetoric of conversion. It is simply put forward as a fact.
The chapter is called "What greater advantage Christians have, more than the heathen, to Love God." The very first thought put forward in this chapter is that we already know how much we need Jesus on the cross. Bernard is sure we already know this.
Do we though? How often do I, and others, glide through some of the most imporant items of our religion without comprehending beyond our minds only, that we have a deep need to put this understanding in our hearts. To move it from our heads to our hearts.
Some people do not like poetry. And I have to confess, as much as I love poetry, there are times that I just can't read it. What the poet is able to express in rhyme and/or meter is always of high truth, but seldom meant literally. The use of metaphors is of supreme importance in poetry, as the poet Shelley called it, "posie." When the metaphors are removed then meaning is removed as well.
The faithful know how much need they have of Jesus and Him crucified; but though they wonder and rejoice at the ineffable love made manifest in Him, they are not daunted at having no more than their own poor souls to give in return for such great and condescending charity. Chatper III, On Loving God
This sentence has an obvious meaning, but there is another meaning seemingly lurking under the surface. Have you ever thought of what it means to need Jesus crucified? 1 Corinthians 2:2 says, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified." The verse shows Paul's determination to show how the cross is the crux of our relationship to God, as revealed in Christ. Bernard gives the verse a different slant, another point of view.
In Paul it means, "The means of salvation."
In Bernard it means, "Ah! At last I've found it."
So then we may say that Bernard is subtly passing over an entire area of the christian life, the how-did-we-come-to-this-point of saying "Yes, I need Jesus and I need him to be crucified." Bernard knew that he was writing to Carthusian monks. The was no need for the rhetoric of conversion. It is simply put forward as a fact.
The chapter is called "What greater advantage Christians have, more than the heathen, to Love God." The very first thought put forward in this chapter is that we already know how much we need Jesus on the cross. Bernard is sure we already know this.
Do we though? How often do I, and others, glide through some of the most imporant items of our religion without comprehending beyond our minds only, that we have a deep need to put this understanding in our hearts. To move it from our heads to our hearts.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Making a Simple Living
Lately I've been giving considerable thought to candle making. The dream is to make paschal candles. Of all candles made there is not one to compare with a paschal candle. I found this article informative for its suggestion that the paschal candle be used in the home, after being blessed by the priest, and lit from the Vigil candle.
A couple of friends have been talking in the vein of making a simple living. We are not career motivated people, and there do exist entire spheres of the secular world that require too much compromising of spiritual values. A greed dominated culture does not mean that we have to play along with it. It is possible to create income, even if small, from the most basic of activities.
That's why I'm giving thought to learning how to make paschal candles for home and church. Selling them should not be a particular problem. First of all, I'm a very good saleman. Second is that good marketing can go a long way toward making sales. No one is going to get rich making and selling candles, but for me it could be the answer to my prayers.
I accept my physical limitations now because I am more spiritualy healthy than probably at anytime in my life. That is not to say things are going well. But thankfully I'm aware. At this point any income would go a long way to being a contributor to the things and people I love.
Making the actual candle shouldn't be that hard to do. I would think that PVC pipe would be the mold, but I'm not sure. The decorative possibilities, while not limitless, are wide enough to make some very creative arrangement of symbols. Perhaps there would come a point where "clients" -- how wonderful would that be -- could select from a list what elements they wished for their candle each year.
Anyway, just thoughts. God bless.
A couple of friends have been talking in the vein of making a simple living. We are not career motivated people, and there do exist entire spheres of the secular world that require too much compromising of spiritual values. A greed dominated culture does not mean that we have to play along with it. It is possible to create income, even if small, from the most basic of activities.
That's why I'm giving thought to learning how to make paschal candles for home and church. Selling them should not be a particular problem. First of all, I'm a very good saleman. Second is that good marketing can go a long way toward making sales. No one is going to get rich making and selling candles, but for me it could be the answer to my prayers.
I accept my physical limitations now because I am more spiritualy healthy than probably at anytime in my life. That is not to say things are going well. But thankfully I'm aware. At this point any income would go a long way to being a contributor to the things and people I love.
Making the actual candle shouldn't be that hard to do. I would think that PVC pipe would be the mold, but I'm not sure. The decorative possibilities, while not limitless, are wide enough to make some very creative arrangement of symbols. Perhaps there would come a point where "clients" -- how wonderful would that be -- could select from a list what elements they wished for their candle each year.
Anyway, just thoughts. God bless.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Cows Doves, Sunlight, a Red Corkscrew Williow and Wild Link Clicking
Today is a gorgeous day. The sun has come out so the ground may get a chance to dry out. Because money for gas is a real problem right now, I've had to stop going to morning mass at the Abbey. I miss it, but am finding that being alive in the present moment is always the first duty. Yet, there has been no distance from God. For that I thank all who have prayed for me, and God Almighty.
Whew, that said it's time to move on to the cows that live behind my house. I love how they visit each morning without fail, and munch their way along the ridge. They are no more than fifty feet away. There are doves feeding at the feeder on the deck, and their presence is always a cheerful thing. All this living nature around me in this particular spot delights me. We are on a ridge of a landscape of rolling hills. Perhaps a mile away is the next ridge. In the opposite direction the land begins to drop away, very subtle yet perceptible. Because of the elevation of Bardstown, the dropping to the west, and the rising to the east, we are gifted with some ravishing sunsets. Sometimes the lowering sun lights the underside of the clouds creating the most incredible pink you could hope to see.
All the above is nothing but another way of saying I have become a "lover of the place." The late Fr. Francis Kline wrote a book called Lovers of the Place, and I've always loved the phrase. It's helped me to realize that where one physically lives is holy to that person for it is their particular part of creation. By observing the movements and acts of nature in a devotional manner, then nature comes to be seen as the on going interactive process. By observing it, I am fully accepting God's self revelation to me. What I'm saying is nothing new, by any means, yet by discussing it I can further discern the areas of grace in my life.
Lectionary thoughts today led me to a web site with scripture commentary by Irene Nowell, OSB. She has an engaging writing style that is both clever, and the fruit of prayerful reflection.
This is another site I like very much, The Text This Week. If you want to find out anything about the lectionary for that week, it's on that site. It's not a Roman Catholic site, but it links readings and themes, art, movies, music, etc., to the readings for that week.
Religion Online is a very comprehensive site. Here is their own statement of themselves.
"Religion Online is designed to assist teachers, scholars and general "seekers" who are interested in exploring religious issues. The aim is to develop an extensive library of resources, representing many different points of view, but all written from the perspective of sound scholarship. While the initial orientation has been to seek material written primarily from a Christian perspective, the ultimate aim is to broaden the scope to include material on all the world's major religions."
Whew, that said it's time to move on to the cows that live behind my house. I love how they visit each morning without fail, and munch their way along the ridge. They are no more than fifty feet away. There are doves feeding at the feeder on the deck, and their presence is always a cheerful thing. All this living nature around me in this particular spot delights me. We are on a ridge of a landscape of rolling hills. Perhaps a mile away is the next ridge. In the opposite direction the land begins to drop away, very subtle yet perceptible. Because of the elevation of Bardstown, the dropping to the west, and the rising to the east, we are gifted with some ravishing sunsets. Sometimes the lowering sun lights the underside of the clouds creating the most incredible pink you could hope to see.
All the above is nothing but another way of saying I have become a "lover of the place." The late Fr. Francis Kline wrote a book called Lovers of the Place, and I've always loved the phrase. It's helped me to realize that where one physically lives is holy to that person for it is their particular part of creation. By observing the movements and acts of nature in a devotional manner, then nature comes to be seen as the on going interactive process. By observing it, I am fully accepting God's self revelation to me. What I'm saying is nothing new, by any means, yet by discussing it I can further discern the areas of grace in my life.
Lectionary thoughts today led me to a web site with scripture commentary by Irene Nowell, OSB. She has an engaging writing style that is both clever, and the fruit of prayerful reflection.
This is another site I like very much, The Text This Week. If you want to find out anything about the lectionary for that week, it's on that site. It's not a Roman Catholic site, but it links readings and themes, art, movies, music, etc., to the readings for that week.
Religion Online is a very comprehensive site. Here is their own statement of themselves.
"Religion Online is designed to assist teachers, scholars and general "seekers" who are interested in exploring religious issues. The aim is to develop an extensive library of resources, representing many different points of view, but all written from the perspective of sound scholarship. While the initial orientation has been to seek material written primarily from a Christian perspective, the ultimate aim is to broaden the scope to include material on all the world's major religions."
Friday, October 20, 2006
Oldest Scrap of New Testament Extant and Bernard
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows
Luke 12
I heard once that these verses on a fragment in a British museum were the oldest dated writing from the period. It is very possible that the fragment represents the first time those words were put to paper since spoken by Jesus himself. Imagine it, something so old, a physical scrap of a scroll that was likely written by someone who actually knew Jesus. Even if the writer didn't know Jesus personally, he was likely the first one to record the words of Jesus, at least as far back in time as our evidence allows.
What an awesome responsibility those gospellers must have felt. To record Jesus words and actions among them for all the generations that would follow so that they/we might believe. Discussions of biblical authority, interpretation, etc., all pale to nothing beside such a small scrap of writing as exists in some British museum. And what a wonderful example to speak from the mists of time: "You are worth more than many sparrows."
To me this scrap shows that even our physical evidence speaks of a Jesus who loved us beyond all comprehension. Although all Christians know this, not all are able to internalize such a holy meaning. Were any of us Jesus, we'd be worried about suffering, or what people thought; or even how stupid people are. Jesus, though, he only loved us. He didn't particularly argue so far as we know, he made points, he debated, but in the end it wasn't his reasoning that made him so spectacular, it was simply his Love. Ultimately this post is about love, although it wasn't at all what I meant to say when I started. It is interesting how in the writing process itself we find the real heart of what we need to say.
Now, about Bernard and On Loving God. I knew it would hard to go through the book because Bernard is not always the most easy person to understand. Logical trains of thought in this book seem strained to me. What is becoming clear however is that devotional writing must have a devotional reading. In trying to do the last few entries I have come up against the fact that my mind is divided. The logical, western educated side says, "it must flow one point to the next." The metaphorical, shall I say spiritual, side says, "it must arouse devotion."
Let me consider the pomegranate. The pomegranate is a very seedy fruit, and has had symbolic associations for many religious systems. Since it is so full of seeds it's easy to interpret that as symbolic of resurrection, or the overabundance of God's love for us. Perhaps, the very difficulty of extracting the juice of the fruit is symbolic of our continuous efforts to advance in our spiritual lives. There are many possible ways to look at it. Anything worth getting takes some effort.
So it is with Bernard. I am now taking a longer view of the book and my efforts to closely read it. I have to teach my logical mind to be quiet so that my spiritual self might hear what Bernard is saying.
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows
Luke 12
I heard once that these verses on a fragment in a British museum were the oldest dated writing from the period. It is very possible that the fragment represents the first time those words were put to paper since spoken by Jesus himself. Imagine it, something so old, a physical scrap of a scroll that was likely written by someone who actually knew Jesus. Even if the writer didn't know Jesus personally, he was likely the first one to record the words of Jesus, at least as far back in time as our evidence allows.
What an awesome responsibility those gospellers must have felt. To record Jesus words and actions among them for all the generations that would follow so that they/we might believe. Discussions of biblical authority, interpretation, etc., all pale to nothing beside such a small scrap of writing as exists in some British museum. And what a wonderful example to speak from the mists of time: "You are worth more than many sparrows."
To me this scrap shows that even our physical evidence speaks of a Jesus who loved us beyond all comprehension. Although all Christians know this, not all are able to internalize such a holy meaning. Were any of us Jesus, we'd be worried about suffering, or what people thought; or even how stupid people are. Jesus, though, he only loved us. He didn't particularly argue so far as we know, he made points, he debated, but in the end it wasn't his reasoning that made him so spectacular, it was simply his Love. Ultimately this post is about love, although it wasn't at all what I meant to say when I started. It is interesting how in the writing process itself we find the real heart of what we need to say.
Now, about Bernard and On Loving God. I knew it would hard to go through the book because Bernard is not always the most easy person to understand. Logical trains of thought in this book seem strained to me. What is becoming clear however is that devotional writing must have a devotional reading. In trying to do the last few entries I have come up against the fact that my mind is divided. The logical, western educated side says, "it must flow one point to the next." The metaphorical, shall I say spiritual, side says, "it must arouse devotion."
Let me consider the pomegranate. The pomegranate is a very seedy fruit, and has had symbolic associations for many religious systems. Since it is so full of seeds it's easy to interpret that as symbolic of resurrection, or the overabundance of God's love for us. Perhaps, the very difficulty of extracting the juice of the fruit is symbolic of our continuous efforts to advance in our spiritual lives. There are many possible ways to look at it. Anything worth getting takes some effort.
So it is with Bernard. I am now taking a longer view of the book and my efforts to closely read it. I have to teach my logical mind to be quiet so that my spiritual self might hear what Bernard is saying.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Anger Day
I'm angry. Mostly it's frustration that's boiling over and calling itself anger. Reminding myself that it is just a feeling and not much else, doesn't seem to be helping. For some reason I keep thinking that tomorrow will be better. Well, it isn't.
One bright light is the consistent round of prayers that dominates the morning and evening. Soemtimes I find myself wishing that they took longer to say, so I keep slowing it down, trying to stretch it out. That doesn't always work, because as everyone knows, life is very good at foiling the best laid plans. Still, it is a calm spot in what are usually days frought with something bordering on despair.
Of course, my problems are important to exactly no one else but me, and I do keep that in mind. It's for that reason that Intercession is so important. Praying for other people does a lot more for me than just praying for myself. Something I've learned is that when I'm utterly miserable it is a good thing to offer all of it to God on behalf of someone else. I suppose that's the creative way to use suffering, give it away to God so it might benefit another.
So, that's what I'm doing. Give it to God, so others may suffer less.
One bright light is the consistent round of prayers that dominates the morning and evening. Soemtimes I find myself wishing that they took longer to say, so I keep slowing it down, trying to stretch it out. That doesn't always work, because as everyone knows, life is very good at foiling the best laid plans. Still, it is a calm spot in what are usually days frought with something bordering on despair.
Of course, my problems are important to exactly no one else but me, and I do keep that in mind. It's for that reason that Intercession is so important. Praying for other people does a lot more for me than just praying for myself. Something I've learned is that when I'm utterly miserable it is a good thing to offer all of it to God on behalf of someone else. I suppose that's the creative way to use suffering, give it away to God so it might benefit another.
So, that's what I'm doing. Give it to God, so others may suffer less.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Chapter Two
Prayer before Study
Chapter Two
Chapter Two
- God's benefits lavished oh us.
- food
- sunlight
- air
- Seek our higher self in
- dignity which corresponds to freewill
- wisdom which corresponds to knowing that the dignity comes not from ourselves
- virtue causes us to seek for the source which is not ourselves.
- Again
- Dignity appears not only as the prerogative of human nature, but also as the cause of that fear and dread of man which is upon every beast of the earth.
- Wisdom perceives this distinction, but though in us, it is not of us.
- Virtue moves us to search eagerly for an Author, and, when we have found Him, teaches us to cling to Him yet more eagerly.
- Bernard goes on to tell us that there is no dignity in having a gift and not giving glory to God who gave it to us in the first place. In fact, the majority of this chapter seems to say that when we believe that our gifts originate with ourselves, we are in reality robbing God of the glory which belongs to God. When placed beside Christ's empyting himself to become human, our attempted robbery of glory is a horrible thing.
- "The apostle shows how to discern the true glory from the false, when he says, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord, that is, in the Truth, since our Lord is Truth" I Cor. 1.31; John 14:6
- "For man, being in honor, if he know not his own honor, may fitly be compared, because of such ignorance, to the beasts that perish. Not knowing himself as the creature that is distinguished from the irrational brutes by the possession of reason, he commences to be confounded with them because, ignorant of his own true glory which is within, he is led captive by his curiosity, and concerns himself with external, sensual things. So he is made to resemble the lower orders by not knowing that he has been more highly endowed than they."
- Bernard seems to be telling us to remember that we are greater than the beasts, but less than the angels, and never to go to either extreme.
- IN some ways we all align ourselves with the "lower orders" when we give in to anger, or lust, or any of the other sins that have so devastating effect on our spiritual health.
- It seems then that we are to know ourselves as possessors of great dignity, reason, virtue and wisdom, but that none of it comes from us, and all from God. For that reason we are to love God. For Bernard it is so obvious that he seems to almost be struggling to not say, "you idiots!"
Unreliable Internet Connection
After a day and a half of intermittent Internet connection I've decided to risk making a post today. Whether or not I stay connected long enough to get a post finished remains to be seen. Be assured though that Bernard has not been forgotten or abandoned, merely put on a temporary hold until I can be sure that no more disasters happen.
I will post more later today, after I've written it out in Notepad to be sure I don't lose it!
I will post more later today, after I've written it out in Notepad to be sure I don't lose it!
Monday, October 16, 2006
No Chapter Two Today
Well, I wrote out a nice long piece about chapter two, including an ouline of the chapter. However, I lost the whole thing. Every letter is now gone, afloat somewhere that the "Recover Post" button cannot reach. I will try again tomorrow.
The Spirituality of "I Don't Care"
Sometimes the way you feel is in exact opposition to what you know to be fact. For instance, at mass today I couldn't shake the "what a bunch of silliness this all is," feeling. It's a mental state, obviously, and one that I don't find particularly comforting, or helpful. What bothers me about it is how I feel like pushing people away with rudeness. I don't do that, of course, although it is tempting.
Isn't that the first building block of the wall-of-isolation? For me it certainly would be so. There is challenge at work here, but there is also an opportunity for faith and grace to prevail. The challenge is to remember that all of this is just a feeling, perhaps even a mental process, and as strong as that is, it is not who I am. Faith enters this through my understanding that God is not distant from me, and by the insight that this is just longing dressed in different clothes. Whatever the answer, I need people to pray for me.
So, just because I'm having a slight crisis is no reason to not go on to Chapter II of Bernard.
Isn't that the first building block of the wall-of-isolation? For me it certainly would be so. There is challenge at work here, but there is also an opportunity for faith and grace to prevail. The challenge is to remember that all of this is just a feeling, perhaps even a mental process, and as strong as that is, it is not who I am. Faith enters this through my understanding that God is not distant from me, and by the insight that this is just longing dressed in different clothes. Whatever the answer, I need people to pray for me.
So, just because I'm having a slight crisis is no reason to not go on to Chapter II of Bernard.
Friday, October 13, 2006
The Doctor Mellifluous
Yes, St. Bernard. And as wonderful as Fr. Elias' suggestion that people should start with the sermons on the Blessed Virgin, is, the majority of us don't possess a copy of those sermons. To buy them is expensive. Most people wouldn't buy a book written by St. Bernard in the first place. So, if you want to study St. Bernard -- and I do -- then you start with something you can get not only for free, but online.
The Christian Classics Ethereal Library of Calvin College has graciously made available a large number of works from all periods of Christianity. The majority of works are in the public domain, which means I may use them here without copyright infringement. They have two works by Bernard, On Loving God, and Letters.
On Loving God holds a fascination for me because it is such a foundational text. Part of the lay Charism, according to Fr. Michael's Toward the Formation of LCG Members, is to make a special study of the Cistercian Charism so it can be made more clear to us all. It is something I am willing to undertake for my own understanding.
Methodology.
We'll progress through the book one page at a time. One page a day is enough. I will link to each day's page, that will prevent the blog page from being too many words. The book is short, so one page on the web browser usually equals one chapter.
This is a spiritual study, more along the lines of Lectio Divina, than study for gathering information. It is my hope that those few who read my blog (and I bless you) will comment about each day's discussion.
Links are used generously to follow points for development. There will no more "Click here" nonsense. If the text color looks like a link, it's a link.
There are fifteen chapters, so it will take fifteen days to complete. For the next fifteen days then, each day will have two entries, one talking about the morning mass and personal things, plus a second entry for Bernard.
The Christian Classics Ethereal Library of Calvin College has graciously made available a large number of works from all periods of Christianity. The majority of works are in the public domain, which means I may use them here without copyright infringement. They have two works by Bernard, On Loving God, and Letters.
On Loving God holds a fascination for me because it is such a foundational text. Part of the lay Charism, according to Fr. Michael's Toward the Formation of LCG Members, is to make a special study of the Cistercian Charism so it can be made more clear to us all. It is something I am willing to undertake for my own understanding.
Methodology.
We'll progress through the book one page at a time. One page a day is enough. I will link to each day's page, that will prevent the blog page from being too many words. The book is short, so one page on the web browser usually equals one chapter.
This is a spiritual study, more along the lines of Lectio Divina, than study for gathering information. It is my hope that those few who read my blog (and I bless you) will comment about each day's discussion.
Links are used generously to follow points for development. There will no more "Click here" nonsense. If the text color looks like a link, it's a link.
There are fifteen chapters, so it will take fifteen days to complete. For the next fifteen days then, each day will have two entries, one talking about the morning mass and personal things, plus a second entry for Bernard.
Friday Is Penitential
Friday mass at the Abbey is a Dialog mass. No music. That's fine, too, because I don't really want to sing that early in the morning. My mind is on a number of things that need prayer. Two major renunciations that have got to be brought to readiness, and that frightens me. Still, I have faith and hopefully that will be enough to accomplish what I've given myself to do.
Fr. Anton celebrated today. I always like it when he celebrates, he's so marvelously intense, and almost formal, yet there is something wonderful exuding from him that makes you love him. He talked about the gospel reading, and how we are indeed beset by demons. He said that ours are called scrupples, perfectionism, or worrying about not being good enough.
That fits in perfectly with some thoughts I've had about how the "demons" that resist conversion do so by creating fear in us. I am not saying that demons with wings and horrors are all around me. So don't even go there. But those nagging fears and little promptings away from the life of conversion do certainly feel demonic. And they fight hard when threatened.
That is the doorway of grace. When they get nasty -- as they do, and with yet more to do to me -- then I am weak. And, "when I am weak, then I am strong."
Pray for me.
Fr. Anton celebrated today. I always like it when he celebrates, he's so marvelously intense, and almost formal, yet there is something wonderful exuding from him that makes you love him. He talked about the gospel reading, and how we are indeed beset by demons. He said that ours are called scrupples, perfectionism, or worrying about not being good enough.
That fits in perfectly with some thoughts I've had about how the "demons" that resist conversion do so by creating fear in us. I am not saying that demons with wings and horrors are all around me. So don't even go there. But those nagging fears and little promptings away from the life of conversion do certainly feel demonic. And they fight hard when threatened.
That is the doorway of grace. When they get nasty -- as they do, and with yet more to do to me -- then I am weak. And, "when I am weak, then I am strong."
Pray for me.
Chapter One
Prayer Before Study
"Why we should love God and the measure of that love. I answer, the reason for loving God is God himself."
The very first sentence of the book answers the question right off the bat. We love God for God, much like we love anyone, for who they are. If you're married, you love your wife for who she is. We love our friends because of who they are. They reflect us in some way, and hopefully, we reflect them back to them. That kind of love implies a long relationship. You come to know someone by being around them. So it seems that to love God for being who God is, is a matter of spending enough time with God, to know God.
Of course, no one knows the Mind of God, except God. It can also be said that we don't know the mind of anyone else either. Being around a person long enough is to come to know what they are like, what the experience of them is like. As that person reveals more of themselves to us, they allow us in a little deeper into who they are. So it must be with God. God reveals himself to us, thereby giving us a deeper glimpse into His Being.
We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing more profitable.
The 21st Century is not a time where most people believe in God, much less love God. The fact that anyone cares to wonder why we should love God, implies a great deal more at this point in history than it did in the 12th Century. It implies that we have already come to faith, even in a culture that is not centered on faith. Only through faith are we able to consider that loving God is reasonable or profitable.
Reasonable: showing reason or sound judgment. To the faithless and the atheist the love of God is the least reasonable thing possible. Even those who believe in a detached, and not a personal, God, would see the love of God as unreasonable. Yet, as you love God, and God reveals more of Himself to you, the reasons for love begin to mount up. Soon, the mounting reasons to love God are so high that it becomes a mountain
Bernard goes on to say that the profit we have from loving God, is God himself. At first that seems an obvious statement, yet, think on it a while and it turns into a far greater reality. The more we love a person, the more than person gives us of their self. I am not talking about unrequited love, although God could certainly claim that His love for us is unrequited. Think of friends and spouses, children and relatives whom we all love. Do they not give themselves for our love? So, it seems that the more we love God, the more God gives himself to us.
The fourth paragraph is the clincher for the chapter. Who loves? God loves. Whom does he love? God loves us. How much does God love? Enough to die on a cross.
"Why we should love God and the measure of that love. I answer, the reason for loving God is God himself."
The very first sentence of the book answers the question right off the bat. We love God for God, much like we love anyone, for who they are. If you're married, you love your wife for who she is. We love our friends because of who they are. They reflect us in some way, and hopefully, we reflect them back to them. That kind of love implies a long relationship. You come to know someone by being around them. So it seems that to love God for being who God is, is a matter of spending enough time with God, to know God.
Of course, no one knows the Mind of God, except God. It can also be said that we don't know the mind of anyone else either. Being around a person long enough is to come to know what they are like, what the experience of them is like. As that person reveals more of themselves to us, they allow us in a little deeper into who they are. So it must be with God. God reveals himself to us, thereby giving us a deeper glimpse into His Being.
We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing more profitable.
The 21st Century is not a time where most people believe in God, much less love God. The fact that anyone cares to wonder why we should love God, implies a great deal more at this point in history than it did in the 12th Century. It implies that we have already come to faith, even in a culture that is not centered on faith. Only through faith are we able to consider that loving God is reasonable or profitable.
Reasonable: showing reason or sound judgment. To the faithless and the atheist the love of God is the least reasonable thing possible. Even those who believe in a detached, and not a personal, God, would see the love of God as unreasonable. Yet, as you love God, and God reveals more of Himself to you, the reasons for love begin to mount up. Soon, the mounting reasons to love God are so high that it becomes a mountain
Bernard goes on to say that the profit we have from loving God, is God himself. At first that seems an obvious statement, yet, think on it a while and it turns into a far greater reality. The more we love a person, the more than person gives us of their self. I am not talking about unrequited love, although God could certainly claim that His love for us is unrequited. Think of friends and spouses, children and relatives whom we all love. Do they not give themselves for our love? So, it seems that the more we love God, the more God gives himself to us.
The fourth paragraph is the clincher for the chapter. Who loves? God loves. Whom does he love? God loves us. How much does God love? Enough to die on a cross.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Thursday in 500th Week of Ordinary Time
Okay, I understand why Ordinary Time exists, but for crying out loud it does go on, and on, and on. Today's gospel was "knock and it shall be opened," of Luke 11:5-13. I find it very difficult to say which gospel I like best, but today's was timely. On my way to mass I had been praying for work. I've put in applications, even had an interview, but the bottom line is people don't want to hire a 49 year old man with a fragile neck even with a college degree.
During mass a pain in my side made me sit down. Now, at first I thought "oh great, a heart attack," but when it stopped and my neck started hurting, I realized it was just one more sign of the deterioration of the cervical vertebrae. When I mentioned it to Fr. James after mass, he jokingly said, "Maybe you're getting the Stigmata." While it is obvious that I am not a stigmatic, it did start me thinking about the saints who had the Stigmata.
St. Francis of Assisi had it, and got in a very dramatic way. The following is from A Treasury of Catholic Reading, ed. John Chapin (Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, 1957). Taken from this page.
Francis was kneeling outside his hut. His prayer quivered in the silence of the night. Dawn was near. It was bitingly cold, and the stars were shining brightly in the sky. And then, as the first glimmer of light appeared in the dark, what he had lived for all his life happened.
All of a sudden there was a dazzling light. It was as though the heavens were exploding and splashing forth all their glory in millions of waterfalls of colors and stars. And in the center of that bright whirlpool was a core of blinding light that flashed down from the depths of the sky with terrifying speed until suddenly it stopped, motionless and sacred, above a pointed rock in front of Francis. It was a fiery figure with wings, nailed to a cross of fire. Two flaming wings rose straight upward, two others opened out horizontally, and two more covered the figure. And the wounds in the hands and feet and heart were blazing rays of blood. The sparkling features of the Being wore an expression of supernatural beauty and grief.
It was the face of Jesus, and Jesus spoke.
Then suddenly streams of fire and blood shot from His wounds and pierced the hands and feet of Francis with nails and his heart with the stab of a lance. As Francis uttered a mighty shout of joy and pain, the fiery image impressed itself into his body, as into a mirrored reflection of itself, with all its love, its beauty, and its grief. And it vanished within him. Another cry pierced the air. Then, with nails and wounds through his body, and with his soul and spirit aflame, Francis sank down, unconscious, in his blood.
During mass a pain in my side made me sit down. Now, at first I thought "oh great, a heart attack," but when it stopped and my neck started hurting, I realized it was just one more sign of the deterioration of the cervical vertebrae. When I mentioned it to Fr. James after mass, he jokingly said, "Maybe you're getting the Stigmata." While it is obvious that I am not a stigmatic, it did start me thinking about the saints who had the Stigmata.
St. Francis of Assisi had it, and got in a very dramatic way. The following is from A Treasury of Catholic Reading, ed. John Chapin (Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, 1957). Taken from this page.
Francis was kneeling outside his hut. His prayer quivered in the silence of the night. Dawn was near. It was bitingly cold, and the stars were shining brightly in the sky. And then, as the first glimmer of light appeared in the dark, what he had lived for all his life happened.
All of a sudden there was a dazzling light. It was as though the heavens were exploding and splashing forth all their glory in millions of waterfalls of colors and stars. And in the center of that bright whirlpool was a core of blinding light that flashed down from the depths of the sky with terrifying speed until suddenly it stopped, motionless and sacred, above a pointed rock in front of Francis. It was a fiery figure with wings, nailed to a cross of fire. Two flaming wings rose straight upward, two others opened out horizontally, and two more covered the figure. And the wounds in the hands and feet and heart were blazing rays of blood. The sparkling features of the Being wore an expression of supernatural beauty and grief.
It was the face of Jesus, and Jesus spoke.
Then suddenly streams of fire and blood shot from His wounds and pierced the hands and feet of Francis with nails and his heart with the stab of a lance. As Francis uttered a mighty shout of joy and pain, the fiery image impressed itself into his body, as into a mirrored reflection of itself, with all its love, its beauty, and its grief. And it vanished within him. Another cry pierced the air. Then, with nails and wounds through his body, and with his soul and spirit aflame, Francis sank down, unconscious, in his blood.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
A Clearer Mind
Today I learned that it is possible to stand firm against something that threatened what little quietness of mind, I have. When it became obvious that feelings of betrayal and anger were about to overtake me, I did the only thing that I know how to do, and called on Jesus to not let me get angry and forget that my life is not about how I feel. More important was the lesson that what I had assumed to the case, was not the case at all. Had anger gained the upper hand, deeply regretable things would have been said to a close friend, and all of it a huge mistake on my part.
In the end the misunderstanding was cleared up, a long and close friendship was saved, and I learned that what prevented the whole thing was fear of letting my focus slide away from God.
There are eight principal thoughts, from which all other thoughts stem. The first thought is of gluttony; the second, of fornication; the third, of love of money; the fourth, of discontent; the firth, of anger; the sixth, of despondency; the seventh, of vainglory; the eighth, of pride. Whether these thoughts disturb the soul or not does not depend on us; but whether they linger in us or not and set passions in motion or not -- does depend on us.
"The Eight Thoughts." Abba Evagrius
In the end the misunderstanding was cleared up, a long and close friendship was saved, and I learned that what prevented the whole thing was fear of letting my focus slide away from God.
There are eight principal thoughts, from which all other thoughts stem. The first thought is of gluttony; the second, of fornication; the third, of love of money; the fourth, of discontent; the firth, of anger; the sixth, of despondency; the seventh, of vainglory; the eighth, of pride. Whether these thoughts disturb the soul or not does not depend on us; but whether they linger in us or not and set passions in motion or not -- does depend on us.
"The Eight Thoughts." Abba Evagrius
Our Father
Today's gospel is Jesus giving the Our Father. St. Francis wrote an exposition worth reading on the prayer. The Divine Office of all Christian traditions include the Our Father. We say it during the eucharist. We say it privately. Jesus said many things, but this prayer he taught us is unique. Within the prayer is an entire school of prayer as it teaches us how to pray.
The Wikipedia has an interesting analysis of the prayer found here.
I have nothing original to add to this powerful prayer. Today my mind is like a blank slate.
Sola Dei Gloria
The Wikipedia has an interesting analysis of the prayer found here.
I have nothing original to add to this powerful prayer. Today my mind is like a blank slate.
Sola Dei Gloria
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Just When You Thought...
I have become used to the Gregorian melodies of mass at the Abbey. After spending a lifetime involved in rather grand church services with organ, choirs, brass quartets for Easter, you name it, the simplicity of the Cistercian mass is surprisingly satisfying. Many times in the past people would ask, "isn't it a little more like Broadway than church?"
Background. All my church experience was in the Anglican Tradition. The tradition places a high priority on the use of music in the liturgy. Indeed, church music is an art. The goal of all church musicians is to place before God their very best from the gifts that God has given them. A person must work exceptionally hard for many years to master the organ, or learn how to develop and lead a choir. It sometimes leads to exalted moments in worship.
The Cistercians do not do that. They specifically rejected polyphony back in their first century. I completely understand why they did it, and what they were trying to do. They felt the same as those who used to ask me if the worship music I participated so actively in, wasn't just a show or concert. Of course, they were right, but, I was right, also. When you have trained so much to master the pysical aspect of playing or singing with your instrument, the end result is bound to sound professional. When people offer then their art to God in worship, it can sound like a show. But are they not to offer it anyway? Isn't worship to praise God? Not to appease the congregation?
All of the above is preface to a simple observation: I, a classically trained musician, find that worship accompanied by Gregorian chant is also an exalted form of worship. So you can imagine my surprise today when the mass setting sounded ever so slightly Folksy! It wasn't a toe tapping setting, but it did have a lilt I'm unused to hearing there.
The subject of today's entry causes me to reflect on how beautifully the Cistercian liturgy, it's style, is the correct expression for those who follow the path of "God Alone." All styles of worship are valid, but if you are looking for a way to focus intensely in worship, then simple music is the way to go. There is no distraction in Gregorian chant. The absence of an Anthem during the Offertory -- replaced by silence -- is not missed. Silence is the means by which we can perceive the movements of God within us.
Because I have written this entry, I now see that grace has helped me to see through the illusions of worship, and into the heart of worship. Illusions are those things which distract the heart. A horrible choir singing a piece far too difficult for their skill level is a huge distraction to me. In those cases I have always preferred silence. But now, I have grown used to the silent type of worship. Long periods of no sound can be long periods of intense prayer.
Background. All my church experience was in the Anglican Tradition. The tradition places a high priority on the use of music in the liturgy. Indeed, church music is an art. The goal of all church musicians is to place before God their very best from the gifts that God has given them. A person must work exceptionally hard for many years to master the organ, or learn how to develop and lead a choir. It sometimes leads to exalted moments in worship.
The Cistercians do not do that. They specifically rejected polyphony back in their first century. I completely understand why they did it, and what they were trying to do. They felt the same as those who used to ask me if the worship music I participated so actively in, wasn't just a show or concert. Of course, they were right, but, I was right, also. When you have trained so much to master the pysical aspect of playing or singing with your instrument, the end result is bound to sound professional. When people offer then their art to God in worship, it can sound like a show. But are they not to offer it anyway? Isn't worship to praise God? Not to appease the congregation?
All of the above is preface to a simple observation: I, a classically trained musician, find that worship accompanied by Gregorian chant is also an exalted form of worship. So you can imagine my surprise today when the mass setting sounded ever so slightly Folksy! It wasn't a toe tapping setting, but it did have a lilt I'm unused to hearing there.
The subject of today's entry causes me to reflect on how beautifully the Cistercian liturgy, it's style, is the correct expression for those who follow the path of "God Alone." All styles of worship are valid, but if you are looking for a way to focus intensely in worship, then simple music is the way to go. There is no distraction in Gregorian chant. The absence of an Anthem during the Offertory -- replaced by silence -- is not missed. Silence is the means by which we can perceive the movements of God within us.
Because I have written this entry, I now see that grace has helped me to see through the illusions of worship, and into the heart of worship. Illusions are those things which distract the heart. A horrible choir singing a piece far too difficult for their skill level is a huge distraction to me. In those cases I have always preferred silence. But now, I have grown used to the silent type of worship. Long periods of no sound can be long periods of intense prayer.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Just Another Monastic Monday
RULE
Today's reading from the Rule of Benedict, says
The eleventh degree of humility
is that when a monk speaks
he do so gently and without laughter,
humbly and seriously,
in few and sensible words,
and that he be not noisy in his speech.
It is written,
"A wise man is known by the fewness of his words"
It's important to take the present moment very seriously, for when we do, we find that the encounter between self-and-other becomes something holy. Honoring the holy must, first of all, mean that we curb our speech.
We all enjoy a good laugh, and it is right that we should. Yet, how often is that laugh dependent on something that is not only hurtful, but rude? Or, laughing in places where people are being quiet. The only thing worse is a whispered conversation in a silent place. If you're not careful, your whisper will carry and sound like buzzing bees. Is a cutting wit the height of sophistication?
Speaking gently is a wonderful way of saying, use your speech to build up, not to tear down. It also means to take seriously our encounters with other people, so that we honor the God in them by not holding them at arms length with gossip or prattle. Remembering to speak gently will prevent us from responding with hurtful words when angry, or our feelings are hurt. By speaking gently, we can honor God "not only with our lips, but with our lives," something very much worth doing. It can be the first step we take on the path of conversion.
LECTIONARY
It's the Good Samaritan today. It seems to me that this is one of the most complex of the parables. A glance at the cast of characters in today's gospel seems to imply a wide variety of people. A priest, a levite, and a Samaritan, the three make up a virtual symbol of society, at any time in history: upper class, middle class, and lower class. It is also a triad of types: religious, political, and worker.
The distinction between a priest and levite holds some very meaty material. Perhaps it's an indictment of religious establishment, again, at any period in history. We have the ordained, the religious, and the unchurched. While the expectation should run that righteousness should come from the top down, in this gospel we find it comes from the bottom -- only. And that which comes from the bottom in today's gospel is compassion of the highest sort. "Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back."
To end this entry I offer the end of the gospel.
"Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Today's reading from the Rule of Benedict, says
The eleventh degree of humility
is that when a monk speaks
he do so gently and without laughter,
humbly and seriously,
in few and sensible words,
and that he be not noisy in his speech.
It is written,
"A wise man is known by the fewness of his words"
It's important to take the present moment very seriously, for when we do, we find that the encounter between self-and-other becomes something holy. Honoring the holy must, first of all, mean that we curb our speech.
We all enjoy a good laugh, and it is right that we should. Yet, how often is that laugh dependent on something that is not only hurtful, but rude? Or, laughing in places where people are being quiet. The only thing worse is a whispered conversation in a silent place. If you're not careful, your whisper will carry and sound like buzzing bees. Is a cutting wit the height of sophistication?
Speaking gently is a wonderful way of saying, use your speech to build up, not to tear down. It also means to take seriously our encounters with other people, so that we honor the God in them by not holding them at arms length with gossip or prattle. Remembering to speak gently will prevent us from responding with hurtful words when angry, or our feelings are hurt. By speaking gently, we can honor God "not only with our lips, but with our lives," something very much worth doing. It can be the first step we take on the path of conversion.
LECTIONARY
It's the Good Samaritan today. It seems to me that this is one of the most complex of the parables. A glance at the cast of characters in today's gospel seems to imply a wide variety of people. A priest, a levite, and a Samaritan, the three make up a virtual symbol of society, at any time in history: upper class, middle class, and lower class. It is also a triad of types: religious, political, and worker.
The distinction between a priest and levite holds some very meaty material. Perhaps it's an indictment of religious establishment, again, at any period in history. We have the ordained, the religious, and the unchurched. While the expectation should run that righteousness should come from the top down, in this gospel we find it comes from the bottom -- only. And that which comes from the bottom in today's gospel is compassion of the highest sort. "Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back."
To end this entry I offer the end of the gospel.
"Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Our Lady of the Rosary and Liturgical Thoughts
It's 6:44 in the morning and because I don't have a car today, I didn't go to mass. That's too bad, because I hate missing a morning mass. A habit has to be repeated regularly in order to stay strong. It's my goal that morning mass should be a habit for me. I have enough bad habits that this one good habit needs all the help it can get. But, enough about me.
Having come from a Protestant background it took years before I was able to say the rosary without feeling like a traitor. As my mind kept turning to the Virgin, I decided to start saying the rosary on a trial basis. I finally began a regular recitation of the rosary.
In the past few years I have become a devotee of the rosary. Nothing calms the mind so well, or lifts the heart. It can quiet the rage of temptation and stamp out the fires of lust. It's difficult to indulge wrong thoughts when you're repeating "fruit of your womb Jesus," hundreds of times. These days I tell everyone that will listen to pray the rosary at least once a day.
Do I believe that the Blessed Virgin gave the rosary personally? Sure, why not? As with all visions and events, there is more than one meaning at work. Meaning is a sliding scale, because no two people get the same meaning out of the same event. Visions! Good grief, what exactly counts as a vision? She didn't have to appear and give a blueprint to St. Dominic for me to believe it. It happened, it didn't happen: who cares? It happened. And, thinking about how Jesus said while hanging on the cross, "Behold your mother," I saw that it was the gift of his mother to me also.
One qualification. The Jesus Prayer is the most powerful prayer I use. The Rosary runs with it, not behind it. For that reason alone, it is worth a feast day. And, as always, here is the link to the Second Nocturne of Matins, for Our Lady of the Rosary.
LITURGICAL THOUGHTS
It seems to be a trend in my blogging to include a link to the old breviary as it's found at Breviary.net. I like the set up of the old style nocturnes and lesson. The responsories seem these days to have gone the way of the dodo bird, and that's too bad. Sure, I'm a very liberal person, liberal in my religion also, but more than anything I love the litury in all its various forms.
When Christian fundamentalism began to appear to me as heresy, the first liturgical books I found was a three volume set of the Divine Office, printed in 1948. I loved those books, and put in the time learning how to use them. Once I learned though, there was no turning back. Nothing had made such good sense to me as seven times a day stopping what I was doing to open the book and pray. Breviary.net saves the trouble of locating the books, since the whole thing is online.
Does it bother me that Breviary.net is a site supported by those who think that Vatican II was a heresy? Not really. "Don't throw out the baby with the bath water," occurs to me.
Do I think their view of Vatican II is wrong? Yes, I do.
But they are not the liturgy, and they don't represent anything for which I stand. Yet, they have put the old liturgy online, and for that I am grateful.
Having come from a Protestant background it took years before I was able to say the rosary without feeling like a traitor. As my mind kept turning to the Virgin, I decided to start saying the rosary on a trial basis. I finally began a regular recitation of the rosary.
In the past few years I have become a devotee of the rosary. Nothing calms the mind so well, or lifts the heart. It can quiet the rage of temptation and stamp out the fires of lust. It's difficult to indulge wrong thoughts when you're repeating "fruit of your womb Jesus," hundreds of times. These days I tell everyone that will listen to pray the rosary at least once a day.
Do I believe that the Blessed Virgin gave the rosary personally? Sure, why not? As with all visions and events, there is more than one meaning at work. Meaning is a sliding scale, because no two people get the same meaning out of the same event. Visions! Good grief, what exactly counts as a vision? She didn't have to appear and give a blueprint to St. Dominic for me to believe it. It happened, it didn't happen: who cares? It happened. And, thinking about how Jesus said while hanging on the cross, "Behold your mother," I saw that it was the gift of his mother to me also.
One qualification. The Jesus Prayer is the most powerful prayer I use. The Rosary runs with it, not behind it. For that reason alone, it is worth a feast day. And, as always, here is the link to the Second Nocturne of Matins, for Our Lady of the Rosary.
LITURGICAL THOUGHTS
It seems to be a trend in my blogging to include a link to the old breviary as it's found at Breviary.net. I like the set up of the old style nocturnes and lesson. The responsories seem these days to have gone the way of the dodo bird, and that's too bad. Sure, I'm a very liberal person, liberal in my religion also, but more than anything I love the litury in all its various forms.
When Christian fundamentalism began to appear to me as heresy, the first liturgical books I found was a three volume set of the Divine Office, printed in 1948. I loved those books, and put in the time learning how to use them. Once I learned though, there was no turning back. Nothing had made such good sense to me as seven times a day stopping what I was doing to open the book and pray. Breviary.net saves the trouble of locating the books, since the whole thing is online.
Does it bother me that Breviary.net is a site supported by those who think that Vatican II was a heresy? Not really. "Don't throw out the baby with the bath water," occurs to me.
Do I think their view of Vatican II is wrong? Yes, I do.
But they are not the liturgy, and they don't represent anything for which I stand. Yet, they have put the old liturgy online, and for that I am grateful.
Friday, October 06, 2006
St. Bruno
Today we remember St. Bruno, Father of the Carthusians. Fr. Allen celebrated mass, and he said that we should not ask is one vocation better than another, but how well are we living the vocation God has given us. The moment he said it I knew it would resonate with me the rest of the day.
As a probationary Lay Contemplative, it is encouraging to again realize that I didn't seek LCG out for something fun to do, God gave me the vocation to make a Plan of Life. It's important to remember this and to keep it absolutely clear that God has called each of us to this particular vocation.
If St. Bruno wasn't socially inept, then his vocation was powerful enough to sustain him in a community of hermits. His vocation drove him into a literal desert. He trusted his vocation, and trusted God enough to start something new, nearly a thousand years ago! And that's just one example of how powerful a vocation can be.
Can I, or any of the LCG, live out such a powerful vocation? Or, is it better to ask do we have a powerful vocation? When the two Michaels got together in the 80's, was that a powerful vocation? If the turn out for the annual retreat of 2006 is any indication, I would have to say, yes, it was a very powerful vocation.
So St. Bruno is a sign to me, and to all of us, that when we follow God's will for us, then we find the grace to keep us on the spiritual task. May the Divine Presence remain with us always.
As a probationary Lay Contemplative, it is encouraging to again realize that I didn't seek LCG out for something fun to do, God gave me the vocation to make a Plan of Life. It's important to remember this and to keep it absolutely clear that God has called each of us to this particular vocation.
If St. Bruno wasn't socially inept, then his vocation was powerful enough to sustain him in a community of hermits. His vocation drove him into a literal desert. He trusted his vocation, and trusted God enough to start something new, nearly a thousand years ago! And that's just one example of how powerful a vocation can be.
Can I, or any of the LCG, live out such a powerful vocation? Or, is it better to ask do we have a powerful vocation? When the two Michaels got together in the 80's, was that a powerful vocation? If the turn out for the annual retreat of 2006 is any indication, I would have to say, yes, it was a very powerful vocation.
So St. Bruno is a sign to me, and to all of us, that when we follow God's will for us, then we find the grace to keep us on the spiritual task. May the Divine Presence remain with us always.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Thunder and Lightning on Thursday in Ordinary Time
"The God of glory thunders."
It certainly was stormy for mass this morning. Fr. Seamus celebrated, and he said that the readings had a sense of urgency. That sense of urgency was magnified by vivid lightning and roaring thunder. Because my mind is not always obedient, I started to wonder what a tornado would do to that massive structure of the abbey church. Then I thought that were the walls to fall down and kill me right then, I would die a happy man.
Why happy? Because I am able to turn to God. So much of life is spent chasing one thing or another, whether money, power, sex, whatever, most of us spend a lot of time chasing "it." I am happy because God is quietly, but persistently, drawing me closer to God's self. In fact, God has chased me most of my life, and all the "it" that I chased was nothing more than an attempt to run away from God. Fr. James told me "the hound of heaven is after you." How true that is.
The hound is after all of us, and we can do one of three things: run from it, ignore it, or turn towards it. Running from God and ignoring God are easy to do, they are human skills. Turning towards God is not a human skill, it is a work of grace. I am reminded of Julian of Norwich, in the Fourteenth Showing of the Revelations of Divine Love.
"Our Lord shewed concerning Prayer.
I am Ground of thy beseeching:
first it is my will that thou have it;
and after, I make thee to will it;
I make thee to beseech it and thou beseechest it"
In other words, the very desire to pray is in the first place an action of God.Clearly the ability to pray at all is God at work in us. This is especially helpful now that I'm finding it difficult to keep my mind quiet. The very fact that an unquiet mind disturbs me is encouraging, because it says that God has planted an alarm of sorts within me, to warn me that right now I need to cling for dear life to God, and only God. That is the source of my happiness.
It certainly was stormy for mass this morning. Fr. Seamus celebrated, and he said that the readings had a sense of urgency. That sense of urgency was magnified by vivid lightning and roaring thunder. Because my mind is not always obedient, I started to wonder what a tornado would do to that massive structure of the abbey church. Then I thought that were the walls to fall down and kill me right then, I would die a happy man.
Why happy? Because I am able to turn to God. So much of life is spent chasing one thing or another, whether money, power, sex, whatever, most of us spend a lot of time chasing "it." I am happy because God is quietly, but persistently, drawing me closer to God's self. In fact, God has chased me most of my life, and all the "it" that I chased was nothing more than an attempt to run away from God. Fr. James told me "the hound of heaven is after you." How true that is.
The hound is after all of us, and we can do one of three things: run from it, ignore it, or turn towards it. Running from God and ignoring God are easy to do, they are human skills. Turning towards God is not a human skill, it is a work of grace. I am reminded of Julian of Norwich, in the Fourteenth Showing of the Revelations of Divine Love.
"Our Lord shewed concerning Prayer.
I am Ground of thy beseeching:
first it is my will that thou have it;
and after, I make thee to will it;
I make thee to beseech it and thou beseechest it"
In other words, the very desire to pray is in the first place an action of God.Clearly the ability to pray at all is God at work in us. This is especially helpful now that I'm finding it difficult to keep my mind quiet. The very fact that an unquiet mind disturbs me is encouraging, because it says that God has planted an alarm of sorts within me, to warn me that right now I need to cling for dear life to God, and only God. That is the source of my happiness.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Ephraim of Syria and Ennegram 7
Perhaps one of the most moving things in all spiritual literature is the Hymn Against Bar-Daisan, by Ephraim of Syria. Anyone who knows me already knows that I love this hymn. They're probably sick of hearing me quote it, but how can I turn away from one of the most powerful images in Christian literature?
And as the water meets the fishes everywhere it goes,
So God meets everyone who walks.
And as the water touches the fish at every turn it makes,
God accompanies and sees every man in all his deeds.
Since I wrote yesterday about the Darkness that has tried to move in, this quote is particularly pertinent today. When the semi-physical perception of God fades, remembering the quote is my anchor. What makes the quote so powerful is that Ephraim had to be speaking of his own experience. Otherwise, why was it so effective against the Gnostic heresy?
Remembering is the key to mindfulness. There must be something to cling to when unfocused energies try to take over the spiritual life. They come cloaked as darkness, and can lead a guy into some serious mistakes. Trust me, I know. That is the greatest danger of the dark, because I always try to reconnect what appears to be disconnected. Sometimes the leads me down roads I am horrified to find myself travelling. Remembering that "as the water meets the fish" so is God meeting me, then I have a chance of holding true when it counts most.
I think the reason this is coming up for me is I'm considering some serious renunciations. God has been preparing me, in some way, to face the need for these renunciations. This is a crossroads I've come to and now it's time to make the choices. Naturally, the old-self does not want to do this. Being a Type 7 Ennegram, the enthusiast must change into the joyful; the fun seeker must change to the deeply grateful. The "fun seeker" in me isn't particularly interested in letting that happen.
And as the water meets the fishes everywhere it goes,
So God meets everyone who walks.
And as the water touches the fish at every turn it makes,
God accompanies and sees every man in all his deeds.
Since I wrote yesterday about the Darkness that has tried to move in, this quote is particularly pertinent today. When the semi-physical perception of God fades, remembering the quote is my anchor. What makes the quote so powerful is that Ephraim had to be speaking of his own experience. Otherwise, why was it so effective against the Gnostic heresy?
Remembering is the key to mindfulness. There must be something to cling to when unfocused energies try to take over the spiritual life. They come cloaked as darkness, and can lead a guy into some serious mistakes. Trust me, I know. That is the greatest danger of the dark, because I always try to reconnect what appears to be disconnected. Sometimes the leads me down roads I am horrified to find myself travelling. Remembering that "as the water meets the fish" so is God meeting me, then I have a chance of holding true when it counts most.
I think the reason this is coming up for me is I'm considering some serious renunciations. God has been preparing me, in some way, to face the need for these renunciations. This is a crossroads I've come to and now it's time to make the choices. Naturally, the old-self does not want to do this. Being a Type 7 Ennegram, the enthusiast must change into the joyful; the fun seeker must change to the deeply grateful. The "fun seeker" in me isn't particularly interested in letting that happen.
St. Francis
Oh, how I love St. Francis. Without doubt my favorite of the St. Francis stories is the Wolf of Gubbio. I resist every effort to interpret the story because for me it is so rich and full of meaning that any interpretation is only a tiny part of the story. Is it about forgiveness? Grace? The power of God? The power of faith? It is about all of those things.
In the little chapel of San Damiano, St. Francis heard the crucifix speak to him. Christ told him to "rebuild my church." Francis thought it meant to rebuild the chapel, which was in ruin, so he set about rebuilding it. Little did Francis know that the church he was to rebuild was not a small chapel in Umbria, but the entire church on earth.
Francis has become a saint of the environment, he is the saint we should turn to for intercession for the environment. Go to this page and check out the section about St. Francis and the Environment. An interesting parallel to Gethsemani. Br. Rene told a retreatant a few weeks ago that Jesus was in the flowers. How beautiful is that? How very much like St. Francis.
In a heaven full of saints, St. Franis is the one that is full of joy. His joy was in creation, and in God. He perceived God in such fullness that eventually he was given the stigmata. Whatever the truth is behind the various stories, there can be no doubt that his faith was so strong, and his stigmata so real, that it is still a powerful witness of faith.
Because I am in love with Francis, and the Liturgy, I offer this link.
In the little chapel of San Damiano, St. Francis heard the crucifix speak to him. Christ told him to "rebuild my church." Francis thought it meant to rebuild the chapel, which was in ruin, so he set about rebuilding it. Little did Francis know that the church he was to rebuild was not a small chapel in Umbria, but the entire church on earth.
Francis has become a saint of the environment, he is the saint we should turn to for intercession for the environment. Go to this page and check out the section about St. Francis and the Environment. An interesting parallel to Gethsemani. Br. Rene told a retreatant a few weeks ago that Jesus was in the flowers. How beautiful is that? How very much like St. Francis.
In a heaven full of saints, St. Franis is the one that is full of joy. His joy was in creation, and in God. He perceived God in such fullness that eventually he was given the stigmata. Whatever the truth is behind the various stories, there can be no doubt that his faith was so strong, and his stigmata so real, that it is still a powerful witness of faith.
Because I am in love with Francis, and the Liturgy, I offer this link.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Illusions
A very positive aspect in my life this morning is the ability to observe, and notice the things that activate my old, preconditioned responses. This is a grace for which I've prayed all summer, and so far it seems to have come. A spiritual darkness has tried to descend. I say tried because the Grace for which I prayed is to be detached enough from my preconditioned responses to see that what descends as darkness, is really illusion. Mindfulness of God will dispel the illusion of the absence of God.
There is the Grace I've prayed for: to keep my faith detached from my inner states of mind. How I feel, or how I perceive, in the end have nothing whatsoever to do with the absolute Presence of God in every millisecond of life. Yes, I love the perceivable, but that's all it is, a perception. A perception is a mental act, and can not be thought of as experiencing the essence of God. At best, perception in the physical body, is like a birthday card from God. Just a way of saying hello.
The surprising thing is that a mental state comes with this darkness. It's a confused, and noisy mess. The shootings could have set off a rage about the condition of gun laws, or whatever. Or how bad schools are, blah blah blah. But, by holding fast to mindfulness, I was not sucked in. That's just one example. There are always plenty of examples. And that's another problem: the plethora of examples.
Mindfulness brings a greater sense of quiet to the darkness. It's not so dark with mindfulness holding top spot. My prayer has been, and continues to be, Keep me faithful.
Pray for us Holy Mother of God
Pray for me, friends.
There is the Grace I've prayed for: to keep my faith detached from my inner states of mind. How I feel, or how I perceive, in the end have nothing whatsoever to do with the absolute Presence of God in every millisecond of life. Yes, I love the perceivable, but that's all it is, a perception. A perception is a mental act, and can not be thought of as experiencing the essence of God. At best, perception in the physical body, is like a birthday card from God. Just a way of saying hello.
The surprising thing is that a mental state comes with this darkness. It's a confused, and noisy mess. The shootings could have set off a rage about the condition of gun laws, or whatever. Or how bad schools are, blah blah blah. But, by holding fast to mindfulness, I was not sucked in. That's just one example. There are always plenty of examples. And that's another problem: the plethora of examples.
Mindfulness brings a greater sense of quiet to the darkness. It's not so dark with mindfulness holding top spot. My prayer has been, and continues to be, Keep me faithful.
Pray for us Holy Mother of God
Pray for me, friends.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Krisit and Garrett
Baby boy Garrett is 8 pounds, 3 oz., and 21 inches long. Nearly two feet of baby!
His mother, Kristi, is still in the hospital. They delivered Garrett by C-section yesterday about 11.30 a.m.. Kristi's blood pressure is not yet stabilized, so she will remain in the hospital until Thursday.
May the Holy Mother of God pray for my niece Kristi.
His mother, Kristi, is still in the hospital. They delivered Garrett by C-section yesterday about 11.30 a.m.. Kristi's blood pressure is not yet stabilized, so she will remain in the hospital until Thursday.
May the Holy Mother of God pray for my niece Kristi.
Feast of the Guardian Angels
Guardian angels. Does one live with me? To be honest, I haven't given it much thought in the past. About three or four months ago I began to give them some thought. At various times I've wondered about the split-second, clearly perceived warnings that sometimes influence our actions.
Fr. Anton told a story this morning about a woman--niece of Br. Rene--who clearly perceived "people run red lights," and thereby her life was saved, as were her two small children. Those types of stories are not hard to find, and we have all had similar experiences. So, is it the work of our guardian angels? Reason says, "no." Faith says, "why not?" By believing in a God who loves us each, and individually, is it any great stretch to believe in a guardian angel?
Where does the guardian angel intersect with us? In our souls? Our minds? I suppose it is just another of the mysteries of faith. Because it is a mystery to me, I'm going to put myself in an open attitude to my guardian angel. Does he/she have a name? Do angels have gender differentiation?
The first thing that occurs to me is that we might invoke the guardian angel to be alert for specific things in our lives that we wish to handle in a different way. But isn't that confusing the creature (angel) for the creator (God)? It could be, but if kept in the proper perspective I think the danger is minimal. If the angel is there and ready to help, then the angel came from God.
Fr. Anton told a story this morning about a woman--niece of Br. Rene--who clearly perceived "people run red lights," and thereby her life was saved, as were her two small children. Those types of stories are not hard to find, and we have all had similar experiences. So, is it the work of our guardian angels? Reason says, "no." Faith says, "why not?" By believing in a God who loves us each, and individually, is it any great stretch to believe in a guardian angel?
Where does the guardian angel intersect with us? In our souls? Our minds? I suppose it is just another of the mysteries of faith. Because it is a mystery to me, I'm going to put myself in an open attitude to my guardian angel. Does he/she have a name? Do angels have gender differentiation?
The first thing that occurs to me is that we might invoke the guardian angel to be alert for specific things in our lives that we wish to handle in a different way. But isn't that confusing the creature (angel) for the creator (God)? It could be, but if kept in the proper perspective I think the danger is minimal. If the angel is there and ready to help, then the angel came from God.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Awaiting a Birth
My niece is in the hospital, hopefully about to give birth to a baby boy. This has been a worrisome pregnancy as my niece has a heart condition that makes her somewhat at risk. She went in Saturday morning and by the afternoon her blood pressure was so high they were considering giving her magnisium. What worries me about this is that the magnisium could cause her to have a seizure, but the high blood pressure could cause the same thing.
We've not heard anything through the night so all we can do is assume Kristi is okay. I have prayed a great deal for her safe delivery, and that of the little boy Garrett. At this point it is hard for me to think of anything else.
Pray for Kristi. Pray for Garrett.
We've not heard anything through the night so all we can do is assume Kristi is okay. I have prayed a great deal for her safe delivery, and that of the little boy Garrett. At this point it is hard for me to think of anything else.
Pray for Kristi. Pray for Garrett.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Places I Like
- Biblicalia
- Cantate Deo
- Science and Faith in Dialogue
- internetmonk
- Gethsemani Site
- The Hermitary
- OCSO website
- The Ironic Catholic
- Human Rights Watch
- dotCommonweal The Blog
- In Character: A Journal of Everyday Virtures
- The Hobo Journal
- Bryan's Blog!
- Michael Brown's Blog
- Benedictine Web Site
- The Cloud Society
- Universalis
