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A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/26/2013

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Contemplative prayer as described by the Saints - Deep Delight and Peace

    St. Teresa of Avila says that this prayer is clearly seen through the deep peace, contentment and calm that one experiences (The Book of Her Life, Ch 15:5, p. 141).

    A French Jesuit, Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751) wrote Abandonment to Divine Providence.  This book describes how a person should live his life doing the will of God.  He abandons himself to God so that no matter what happens to him, he reacts, as best he can, in the way God wishes.  An experienced soul, in time of trouble, "will remain quite unmoved by all turmoil, indifferent to all noise and uproar.  Ignoring them all, it will stay peaceful and unmoved in that intimate peace where it benefits so greatly by the manifestation of its love.  This is the center where it rests."

    Paul wrote to the Philippians, "Always be joyful, then, in the Lord; I repeat, be joyful" (Phil 4:4).  He continues telling the Philippians, "Never worry about anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude; and the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7).

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Jean-Pierre De Caussade, Abandonment to Divine Providence.  Translated by John Beevers (New York:  Image Books, 1975) 88.

At Monroe prison, a prisoner was bringing several others into the RCIA class.  He was telling them of miracles in his life and inviting them to "come and see".  I asked him to tell me one of the miracles that happened to him and he said that his world has fallen apart, but he remains at so much peace inside him, that he knows that this peace is from God.

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A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/25/2013

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Contemplative Prayer as described by the Saints and Scripture - Infused Love

St. Paul's prayer for the Ephesians and for us is that we may know this love, that we may "have the strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; so that, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond knowledge, you may be filled with the utter fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18).

    This prayer moves you away from thinking of God as an object, into a state of constantly being in His Love.  It moves a person toward works of charity and of living your life for God.

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Teresa of Avila says that this spark of fire is a sign or pledge from God that He gives to a soul for He has now chosen it for great things and wishes to prepare it to receive them.

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St. Teresa of Avila, The Book of Her Life, ch. 15:5, p. 141.

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A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/22/2013

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Contemplative prayer as described by the Saints - Contemplative light / knowing

    St. Paul wrote to the Colosians:  "That is why, ever since the day he told us, we have never failed to remember you in our prayers and ask that through perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding you should reach the fullest knowledge of his will and so be able to lead a life worthy of the Lord, acceptable to him in all its apsects, bearing fruit in every kind of good work and growing in knowledge of God, fortified, in accordance with His glorious strength, with all power always to persevere and endure, giving thanks with joy to the Father who has made you able to share the lot of God's holy people and with them to inherit the light" (Col 1:9-12).

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St. Nil Sorsky, (1433-1508), a Russian Orthodox saint and monk, described the infused light of contemplation:  "When the soul undergoes such spiritual activity and subjects itself to God and through direct union approaches the Divinity, it is enlightened in its movement by an intense light and the mind experiences a feeling of joy of the happiness that awaits us in the life to come."

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George Maloney, ed., Pilgrimage of the Heart, a Treasury of Eastern Christian Spirituality (San Francisco:  Harper & Row, 1983) p. 145, quoting St. Nil Sorsky, Ustav, p. 28, cited from the critical text of M.A. Borovkova-Maikova.  Translation Maloney's).

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    Kathy

    Invite God into your heart to renew it and to instruct you.

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