Friday, September 30, 2011

In and among the circumstances of life

"Books," said St. Augustine after his conversion,
"could not teach me charity." We still keep on
thinking they can. We do not realize ... the utter
distinctness of God and the things of God. Psychology
of religion can not teach us prayer, and ethics
cannot teach us love. Only Christ can do that, and
He teaches by the direct method, in and among the
circumstances of life. He does not mind about our
being comfortable. He wants us to be strong, able
to tackle life and be Christians, be apostles in
life, so we must be trained by the ups and downs,
the rough and tumble of life.
- Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941),
The Light of Christ

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

This religious desire

This religious desire and effort of the soul to
relate itself and all its interest to God and his
will is prayer in the deepest sense. This is
essential prayer. Uttered or unexpressed, it is
equally prayer. It is the soul's desire after God
going forth in manifestation, ... --the soul
striving after God. This is a prayer that may exist
without ceasing, consisting, as it does, not
in doing or saying this or that, but in temper
and attitude of the spirit.
- Borden Parker Bowne (1847-1910),
Essence of Religion

Monday, September 26, 2011

Searching in Silence

"i looked for you in their stories,
and i couldn't find you there.
i looked for you in my own stories,
and i lost you there.
crying, i released all parts of you
and waited in silence.
a forever silence.
wondering if i'd ever see you again.
wondering if i'd ever touch you again.
slowly, you crept back into my being.
slowly, i understood you never left.
quietly i watched.
quietly i felt.
trembling, i stood in awe.
trembling, i bowed my head
as your presence filled me."

~terri st. cloud


If you have failings

If you have failings, ask God often whether it be
His honour and pleasure to take them away from you;
for without Him you can do nothing. If he takes
them away, thank Him; but if He does not do that,
you will bear it no more, however, as the defect
of a sin, but as a great trial with which you are
to gain merit and practice patience. You should
be content, whether or not He accords you His gift.
- Meister Eckhart (1260?-1327?),
Works of Meister Eckhart

Friday, September 16, 2011

Christ as a foundation

Whoever has Christ in his heart, so that no earthly
or temporal things--not even those that are legitimate
and allowed--are preferred to Him, has Christ as a
foundation. But if these things be preferred, then
even though one seems to have faith in Christ, yet
Christ is not the foundation to that person.
- St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430),
The City of God, v. II

Friday, September 09, 2011

Expand your awareness

"No matter what your spiritual condition is, no matter
where you find yourself in the universe, your choice
is always the same: to expand your awareness or
contract it."
-Thaddeus Golas

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Virtues of a more exalted mould

We do not very often come across opportunities for
exercising strength, magnanimity, or magnificence;
but gentleness, temperance, modesty, and humility,
are graces which ought to colour everything we do.
There may be virtues of a more exalted mould, but...
these are the most continually called for in daily life.
- François de Sales (1567-1622),
Introduction to the Devout Life

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Anywhere on earth

If there is anywhere on earth a lover of God who
is always kept safe, I know nothing of it, for it
was not shown to me. But this was shown: that in
falling and rising again we are always kept in
that same precious love.
-- Julian of Norwich

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Before you...

"Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think.
Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate.
Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive.
Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before
you die, give." —William A. Ward