“Our gracious Lord does not wish His servants to despair
because of frequent or grievous falling,
because our falling does not prevent Him from loving us.”
(Julian of Norwich)
Isn’t this the Good News?
Take heart
Michele’s story
Last night at Witnesses to Hope, Michele Hufnagel shared her very inspiring story of finding grace amid the many losses in her life, grace she found through the power of the rosary. (Unknown to me, I scheduled her for last night, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary with absolutely no knowledge of how significant the rosary is to her story.) If you want to listen, you can go here to find the links. Thank you, Michele, for your transparency and for being such a witness to hope!
“In that hidden corner of the soul”
I was really struck by this today from Contemplative Provocations by Fr. Donald Haggerty. I’ve been reading and re-reading it . . .
The psychologists are sometimes quick to remind us that forcing any painful experience into a forgotten corner of the soul is likely to do eventual harm. But if we have ignored this warning, it is good to remember that God entered that corner as well, and that he is still waiting there with an offer of his friendship if our soul wishes to meet him. Some people may only realize the extent to which God has been secretly giving himself when they perceive that his companionship has all along been present in that hidden corner of the soul.
Be still, my soul
Be still, my soul–the Lord is on thy side!
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide–
In every change he faithful will remain.
Be still my soul–thy best, thy heav’nly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul–thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past;
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake–
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul–the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.
Be still, my soul–the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be for ever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul–when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
~Katharina von Schlagel (Trans. Jane L. Borthwick)
The presence of Love
“There are souls for whom philosophical concepts are unintelligible, for whom theological words are hollow and meaningless, for whom the most logical arguments are unconvincing. Such souls must be put in the presence of Love.”
Isn’t that true for most of us? You can continue to read this beautiful reflection by Dom Mark Daniel Kirby here: “But quick-eyed Love drew nearer to me.”
Words from my friend
Celebrating her today . . .
Venial Stones
Venial Stones
Just a little stone that tripped me up,
unnoticed and unheeded.
Falling headlong,
my mind reeled,
seeking for cause.
On watch for larger rocks,
I overlooked this pebble,
petty in size,
powerful in prostration.
September 7, 1999
Our appointed lot
I’m on an Amy Carmichael role, can you tell?
1 Thess 3.3. (Weymouth): That none of you might be unnerved by your present trials: for you yourselves know that they are our appointed lot.
Have you difficulties? They are our appointed lot. Have you trials? They are our appointed lot.
Those five words were written to people who might any day find themselves in prison, tortured, lonely, oppressed. Her if we have to have a tooth out, we have an injection. There was no injection for the Christians of Thessalonica. Let us not forget that when we are tempted to fuss over trifles, and call things trials which are mere nothings.
Still, there are trials sometimes, and they may look very big. But they are our appointed lot–we were never promised ease. The early Christians were not taught to expect it. Don’t let us slip into the expectation of the easy. It isn’t our appointed lot.
But for us there is always another word (2 Cor 12.9): My grace is sufficient for you.
Psalms and hymns we know by heart
Amy Carmichael starts this piece by asking: “Do you ever find prayer difficult because of tiredness or dryness?” If your answer is yes, read on.
Ps 31.5 Into Your hands I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.
Do you ever find prayer difficult because of tiredness or dryness? When that is so, it is an immense help to let the Psalms and hymns we know by heart say themselves or sing themselves inside us. This is possible anywhere and at any time.
We can’t be mistaken in using this easy, open way of prayer, for our Lord Jesus used it. His very last prayer, when He was far too tired to pray as He usually did, was Psalm 31.5. Every Jewish mother used to teach her child to say those words as a good-night prayer.
Hymns, little prayer-songs of our own, even the simplest of them, can sing us into His love. Or more truly, into the consciousness of His love, for we are never for one moment out of it.
Witnesses to Hope 