Matthew under the arm 28
It feels as if we have only started this pilgrimage - and yet it's being going on for ages! Columba's got me saying the Divine Office with him every day. As for the little silent moment of prayer and meditation, I just don't know what to do, except think about where the next sandwich is coming from. Yet another 'Magnificat' at the end of a long day's walking does not fill me with glee! "Come o Columba! I want something a little more exciting and energising to pray with..." "Well. What do you want?", he replied with a slight irritation in his voice. "I want to have that sense that you have, Columba - the intensity of your commitment, the closeness you seem to have with God. Actually, I want to be like you..." Columba's face fell. "Today", he said looking intently into my eyes, "You will walk by yourself. You lead the way. You know the route. I'll follow two miles behind you."
Matthew 7:13-20….
Going through a 'narrow' gate demands concentration. You will have to go through it by yourself! The contemplative life demands that we have courage and trust to enter the darkness of prayer. No one else can make that decision for us. It is the entry into the kingdom, the culture of God’s love that is Christ-shaped – death and resurrection. If I give myself over to others to do the work for me then I turn them into false prophets and there’s not enough room through the gate.
Matthew 7:13-20….
Going through a 'narrow' gate demands concentration. You will have to go through it by yourself! The contemplative life demands that we have courage and trust to enter the darkness of prayer. No one else can make that decision for us. It is the entry into the kingdom, the culture of God’s love that is Christ-shaped – death and resurrection. If I give myself over to others to do the work for me then I turn them into false prophets and there’s not enough room through the gate.
Be aware of My Truth and live in My Way each day
Asking for guidance from others is important as long as you recognise that you are the one who must work in prayer. Trying to be others because you admire them, or because you ought to do what they suggest, is to constrict your way through the ‘gate’. You've put on too much weight! So, recollect someone who has given you important guidance in prayer and the Christian life. Then let them go and let your gaze be on Christ. This is important because only you can take responsibility for life. This demands courage, discipline and brings with it freedom and strength.
Asking for guidance from others is important as long as you recognise that you are the one who must work in prayer. Trying to be others because you admire them, or because you ought to do what they suggest, is to constrict your way through the ‘gate’. You've put on too much weight! So, recollect someone who has given you important guidance in prayer and the Christian life. Then let them go and let your gaze be on Christ. This is important because only you can take responsibility for life. This demands courage, discipline and brings with it freedom and strength.
+Martin
Argyll and The Isles
posted by Martin at 11:00 am
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