We,I, must always remember that there is no time and space in the spiritual realm. In a few short days and weeks we are making the our journey from our encounter with the Christ Child, in His first revelation ,in Bethlehem, to His on going Presence in our depths as he grows to become The Prophet,The Rabbi Jesus. Then we will journey as we do, NOW, into His Paschal Mystery. A Mystery which within which we, live move, and have our being. WE are on this journey alone in our uniqueness, yet at the same time we journey together, as a community of wounded human beings. Alone yet ALWAYS connected to the Power of Creative love.
Each person who encounters you IS encountering the contemporary Presence of Him, in whom all of creation lives and moves and have being. What dignity, what sacramentality has been gifted to us. This alone can feed our reflections for the rest of our lives. The sacramentality of each and every person's revelation of The Unknown,The Ineffable, Power of Love in the sacrament of the, now, in the sacredness of where we stand, where are feet are planted. Our dwelling place is a ,holy place. The consequences of what was just read will be real food for contemplative thought. Contemplative thought leads to real fruit-filled action, for, "the common good"
Where we are in this moment is where we are met by The Power of Love, that is unconditioned, unlimited, and unrestricted. How very sad it is when the real reality of the spiritual life is not owned or appreciated. That is why "an attitude of gratitude" is essential for a healthy spirituality. Thanks to The Creative Spirit this realization is real slow in becoming our gift. Then we have to deal with St.Paul who warns that all gifts are given NOT to feed our selfishness but to be shared with all who are placed in our path. The Gracious Creative Spirit works with all we surrender. Now that is so easily written, but is our ongoing moment to moment challenge. How often have I been faced with this reality, you do not really possess something, until you've given it away. (Another paradox to be added to that long list of stretching spiritual exercises.)
" Harden not your hearts", but we also hear the consoling words, "The Lord is close to the broken-hearted". We have this warning from the Irish Yeats, "the heart long neglected, a stone becomes". " Expectations are planned resentments"
The above provided us with great challenges as we approach Lent 2024. This will be my 61st year for me to journey with The Good Shepherd into the desert.Because we are with The Good Shepherd we are in the presence of infinite mercy-full, loving care. You and I will walk into harsh deserts, dark valleys where we will asked to confront the shadow within each one of us. There is ALSO a family, and parish shadow. We face those challenges under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that drove The Rabbi Jesus into the desert is the self same spirit WHO will in us, through , and always within us. The Spirit cannot, nor, will not desert us. " It is not that I love God, but that She/He loves me. Not that I give love, but, that I accept love". A love always working on us so we are moulded into the image Jesus,The Christ. The Historical Jesus became The Risen Christ,through suffering, death.burial,Resurrection and Ascension. The Holy Spirit was sent as the result of a promise. The divine is always true to what is promised. We are in for one heck of a journey. Love prayers and blessings, from the old, old grandpa.
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