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A celebration of beauty, truth, and goodness, and, of course, love...and perhaps a little nastiness 
My Buddy, ONION"I agree with about 99% of what you blog" Johannes Paulus II "This is my favorite blog and wish it were mandatory reading for all" Joseph Ratzinger "I even read your blog from heaven" Mother Teresa "I wish I were alive to publish every word you write in The Catholic Worker" Dorothy Day A Catholic Page for Lovers Praise of Glory *Great* Books Center Some Catholic Blogs: "St Blog's" MY BLOG HOMEPAGE email Gerard N.B. Many of the images posted will be removed after a few weeks; the text will remain as is. Archives 
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Saturday, November 16, 2002
Advent-Christmas Resources One of the finest resources for the upcoming Advent and Christmas season is the website of Richard and Charlene Fairchild, A Holy Christmas 2002. Richard is an ordained minister of the United Church of Canada and Charlene is a relatively new convert to the Catholic Church. I post this now just in case some are looking already for good resources for this most beautiful time of the year. New New Year November 16, 1621: The Papal Chancery adopts January as the beginning of the calendar year, instead of March. THE TRUE "PLACE" OF THE POPE IN THE CHURCH The Church's iconography can be a wonderful source of theological reflection In the apse mosaic of the Roman Basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls we glimpse a profound vision of the true role of the Pope. I post, too, words spoken by Pope Paul VI at the Second Vatican Council referencing this iconography in theological-spiritual terms.  "We see Ourselves represented in that so humble of worshippers, Our predecessor Honorius III who, featured so small and almost annihilated, prostrate on the ground, in the splendid mosaic in the apse of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, kisses the foot of Christ; Christ being of gigantic dimensions who, in an attitude of regal majesty, dominates and blesses the assembly gathered in the Basilica, which is to say, the Church." (Paul VI to the Fathers of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Vatican Basilica of Saint Peter, September 29 1963). Yes, one image can often be worth thousands of words.... Friday, November 15, 2002
Never underestimate Mother! "Your Eminence, what part of "no" don't you understand?" From John Allen's latest The Word from Rome "Speaking of my book Conclave, I recently received a letter from the EWTN television network concerning an event I narrate involving their legendary founder, Mother Angelica. I wrote in the book that after Mother Angelica criticized the Eucharistic teaching of Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles on the air in 1997, “Mahony forced her to sign a retraction and a promise not to do it again. Cardinal John O’Connor of New York, a Mother Angelica supporter, was delegated to personally take it to her in Alabama for signature.” This version was based on information given me by a source very close to the events. William Steltemeier, however, chairman of EWTN, wrote Oct. 30 to offer the following correction: “It is true that Cardinal O’Connor of New York met with Mother Angelica at EWTN in March 1998 in an attempt to obtain a signed retraction, but the retraction was never proffered to her, since it was clear from the cardinal’s conversation with Mother Angelica that she would not in any event sign such a document.” Steltemeier attests that he was present at the meeting. I checked this with my source, who was not present at the meeting, and who had simply assumed that O’Connor was successful in obtaining a signature since he never heard anything about it again. Hence I am prepared to accept Steltemeier’s word that no such signature happened, and will make the correction in further editions of Conclave. But rather than wait, I wanted to get the word out here." There is hope for even me (and you!): "Any soul, even laden with sins, captive in its vices, held by its pleasure, imprisoned in its exile, locked up in its body, nailed to its worries, distracted by its concerns, frozen by its fears, struck by manifold sufferings, going from error to error, eaten up by anxiety, ravaged by suspicion, a stranger in a strange land, and counted with those who go down to hell - every soul, I say, in spite of its damnation and despair, can still find reasons not only to hope for forgiveness and mercy but even dare to aspire to the nuptials of the Word: as long as it does not dare to sign a covenant with God, and to place itself under the yoke of love .... For the Bridegroom is not only a lover: he is Love. You will say: yes, but also is he not honor? Some affirm this: as to myself, I never read anything of that kind. I have read that God is Love" - St Bernard of Clairvaux Saint Albert the Great: Doctor of the Church  While a great saint and theologian in his own right (and one who contributed greatly to medical science as well), Albert the Great is known perhaps even more because of his relationship to his student, Thomas Aquinas. The famous story has it that as fellow students of Thomas had nicknamed him "the dumb ox" and when Albert learned this he said: "You call him a Dumb Ox; I tell you that the Dumb Ox will bellow so loud that his bellowing will fill the world." Here Albert was a prophet as well! May teacher and student both pray for us, so in need of the truth, enflamed by love, these days. Greek Orthodox Seminarians Decrease BOSTON, November 2, 2002 (NH) -- Findings of a confidential report prepared by the new dean of the Holy Cross School of Theology, Rev. Emmanuel Clapsis, have alarmed the archdiocese and members of the executive committee of the school's board of trustees. The report reveals that the number of admitted seminarians who come from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and are studying for the priesthood is considerably lower than previously thought. Contradicting previous accounts that the number of new students for the current academic year was 45, Fr. Clapsis' report reveals that there are only 34 students admitted to Holy Cross, and that only 14 of them are seminarians from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese who will serve the Greek Church in America. According to the dean's report, a copy of which has been obtained by The National Herald, "The number of full time students admitted to the School of Theology for the 2002-2003 year is 34, 10 students in the MTS Program, five in the Th.M Program and 19 in the M.Div. Program (14 GOA, three Antiochian, one Bulgarian, and one Melkite). We also have 24 special students (one exchange student, eight BTI and 15 part time). According to the report, from the 14 students of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese "six or 42.8 percent are converts," while the "average age of incoming students is 31.5." According to Fr. Clapsis, the number of Greek Orthodox seminarians admitted in the last eight years was: 10 in 1995, 26 in 1996, 16 in 1997, 14 in 1998, 10 in 1999, 19 in 2000, 28 in 2001, and 14 in 2002. In his report, Clapsis states that "The numbers indicate that we do no have any significant increase in GOA seminarians. The low number of Greek Orthodox seminarians and the increasing number of converts, who apply for the priesthood are no different from what other Orthodox and Christian seminaries in this country are experiencing. It is urgent for the archdiocese and the local dioceses, in cooperation with the school, to develop pastoral strategies which cultivate the priestly calling among the young people in the parishes." ..But the Herald has also learned that George Behrakis, one of the most prominent members of the executive committee of the school, who, on October 10, learned for the first time the actual number of new students to the school, told the committee that "it is a shame not to be able to attract students from our Greek American community." Eastern bishops seek to remind U.S. church of 'two lungs' WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Eastern-rite Catholic bishops in the United States often need to remind their Latin-rite brethren - who far outnumber them - that Pope John Paul II has said the church "breathes with two lungs, the West and the East." It was a familiar theme during the Nov. 12 meeting of the Eastern bishops, according to their president, Bishop Robert M. Moskal of the Ukrainian Diocese of St. Josaphat, based in Parma, Ohio. The two-lungs analogy applied even to the bishops' debate on the "Essential Norms" on clerical sexual misconduct and the related "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" during their Nov. 11-14 fall general meeting in Washington. Archbishop Stefan Soroka of the Ukrainian Archdiocese of Philadelphia had urged his Latin-rite counterparts to include the proper references to the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches alongside the Latin-rite Code of Canon Law in Nov. 12 remarks from the floor. In response, Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., one of four U.S. members of a joint U.S.-Vatican commission deputed to modify the norms, said the applicable Eastern canons would be included. PRAYER FOR HOLY PREACHERS by Saint Alphonsus Liguori I just posted this on The Feast of All Saints website and share it here as well.  O SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, who art little known and loved less by the world, especially through the fault of Thy ministers; Thou who didst give up Thy life for the salvation of souls - I beseech Thee through the merits of Thy Passion, to enlighten and inflame so many priests who might convert sinners and sanctify the entire earth if they preached Thy Word with humility and simplicity, as Thou and Thy disciples preached it. But, alas!, they do not do so; they preach themselves and not Thee, and thus the world is full of preachers and in the meantime hell is crowded with souls. O LORD, repair this mighty ruin which preachers cause in Thy Church, and if it be necessary, humble, I pray Thee, as an example to others, by some visible sign, those priests who for their own glory adulterate Thy holy Word, that they may amend, and they may not thus obstruct the spiritual profit of the people. Thus I hope, thus I pray. Amen. Thursday, November 14, 2002
Our Amazing Pope! John Paul Makes First Papal Address to Italy's Parliament  "When he finished, even lawmakers who had not joined their colleagues in applauding during the speech rose to their feet to give him a standing ovation. That ovation was in part a tribute to the 82-year-old pope's physical perseverance. Earlier this year, he was often unable to move on his own and struggled to speak clearly; he has Parkinson's disease. But today, he walked into and out of the chamber with almost no assistance. His voice was crisper and stronger than it had been in months, and the trembling of his hands was less pronounced. The speech did not have the feel of unfinished business toward the end of a papacy that had repeatedly made history. Rather, it seemed like an assertion of continued vitality and relevance." Mobster Surrenders ROME, Nov. 14 (Reuters) — A fugitive mobster turned himself in to the police today, prompted, his lawyer said, by Pope John Paul's speech to the Italian Parliament on Christian values. The fugitive, Benedetto Marciante, 50, who has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder and 7 years for association with the Mafia, surrendered in Rome, where he was in hiding, said his lawyer, Roberto Tricoli. "The pope's words moved him so much, he immediately turned himself in," Mr. Tricoli said. "My client is a simple man, and the comments on family values and the importance of being a Christian really affected him in a kind of miraculous way." Holy Mass at my parish  Through Him (Jesus Christ), with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, almighty Father, forever and ever. Amen! The Name above all names  "But the name of Jesus is more than light, it is also food..... Every food of the mind is dry if it is not dipped in that oil; it is tasteless if not seasoned by that salt. Write what you will; I shall not relish it unless it tells of Jesus. Talk or argue about what you will, I will not relish it if it excludes the name of Jesus. Jesus is to me honey in the mouth, music in the ear, a song in the heart." - St Bernard of Clairvaux Amy Welborn's reflection on "The Situation" now after Bishops Meeting - Scroll down to What's done is done (specific link not working for me. Sorry). After some provocative reflections, Amy concludes (and I couldn't agree more!): "We've also seen that there's great work ahead. Yes, the bishops need to work to build trust, but the job of restoring the good name of the Church in America belongs to all of us. Look around. We live in a country in a time that is great need of the love of Christ. Forget the bishops - unless they need some fraternal correction - and just get on with it. The world needs Christ. Let's get to work." The Age of Google John Derbeyshire expresses, mutatis mutandis, much of my own experience of "the Age of Google". A Dream.... The US Bishops, on their knees, in the crypt church of The National Shrine, praying the Rosary, and having a day of prayer, fasting, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and a sermon preached by Father Benedict Groeschel...... and issuing not a single word afterwards but simply silence.... Today in Church history November 14, 565: Roman Emperor Justinian dies at 82. During his reign, he reunited the Eastern and Western empires politically and religiously, erected several new basilicas in Constantinople, and created the Justinian Code, which greatly influenced the development of canon law in the Middle Ages. November 14, 1976: The Plains (Ga.) Baptist Church, where then-presidential candidate Jimmy Carter was a member, votes to permit blacks to attend. November 14, 1990: British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge dies at 87. After editorial stints at the Manchester Guardian and Punch and years as a BBC commentator, the cynical and licentious Muggeridge quietly converted to Christianity. It was his reporting on Mother Teresa that first brought her to the public's attention. Muggeridge and his wife Kitty eventually joined the Catholic Church. Wednesday, November 13, 2002
Readings about "the Scandals" A survey of some of the recent books on the crisis in the Catholic Church. Bishops approve new sex abuse policy "Bishop Gerald Gettlefinger of Evansville, Ind., was among the few prelates who said he was opposed to the policy. He was upset that it does not allow bishops discretion to reinstate a priest who had only one offense and had rehabilitated. George was firm on that point. 'I think we have lost that discretionary authority,' he said.'" I watched this session on EWTN and after Bishop Gettlefinger expressed his opinion, Cardinal McCarrick said that "in my heart I agree with you, but we have lost that discretionary authority now and now it is a group not a personal decision" (quoting from memory). The Music of Heaven "Whether the angels play only Bach in praising God I am not quite sure; I am sure, however, that 'en famille', they play Mozart." - Karl Barth Today in Church history November 13, 354: Augustine of Hippo, the greatest of the Latin church fathers and author of Confessions and City of God, is born in Thagast - modern Souq Ahras, Algeria. November 13, 867: Nicholas I, one of the strongest proponents for Rome's primacy in the church, dies. Though a saint in the Catholic Church, he is not to be confused with the bishop of Myra who is also called St. Nicholas and was popularized as Santa Claus. November 13, 1618: The Dutch Reformed Church convenes the Synod of Dort to "discuss" the Arminian controversy. Of course, the synod's condemnation of Arminianism was a forgone conclusion - Arminians weren't even invited for another month. By April, 200 Arminian ministers (known as Remonstrants) were deposed by the Calvinist Synod, 15 were arrested, and one was beheaded for high treason. November 13, 1938: The Roman Catholic church makes Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, the first American saint. (Today is her feastday). November 13, 1996: Cardinal Joseph Bernadin, Archbishop of Chicago, died from cancer. With baited breath.. ...reporters ask Cadinal Law what the Catholic Church teaches about the nature of God and eternal life....  Tuesday, November 12, 2002
US Bishops discuss liturgy Why do I always get a bit nervous whenever I hear I.C.E.L. mentioned? (International Commission on English in the Liturgy)? Even before the latest reorganization, the translations were, in general, getting better and more beautiful (even if not yet fully faithful to the Latin text). Now there is a new director who seems quite good. But I still get queasy hearing those initials: ICEL. I guess I smart still about the poor quality, in my opinion, of the earlier translations we are still stuck with (and for how long?). To get a glimpse of why I say the new director of ICEL, Father Bruce Harbert (a convert from the Anglican Church) is good, here are two of his essays on translations of the Eucharistic Prayers: Ancient Rhetoric and Modern Prayer: The Case of the Roman Canon Implementing Liturgiam Authenticam: A Case Study Reading these pieces makes me yearn for the days, hopefully not too far away, when ICEL will bring a surge of joy to my soul. Sour Sweet Days Ah, my dear angry Lord, Since thou dost love, yet strike; Cast down, yet help afford; Sure I will do the like. I will complain, yet praise; I will bewail, approve; And my sour sweet days I will lament, and love. - George Herbert Bishop Gregory's Opening Address to Bishops Conference  "Sadly, however, the unity and communion that Christ makes of his Church in the Eucharist is not perfectly mirrored in the daily experience we have with one another. Often enough in our history, but especially in our present time, unfortunately, we have witnessed greater fracture and discord than unity. This year, as we have sought to address the problem of sexual abuse in the Church, we have experienced serious fractures between bishops and the faithful, as well as between bishops and priests. We have also witnessed divisions among priests and among the faithful in determining the best way to respond to this tragedy. Moreover, we bishops ourselves have not been immune from disagreement and discord on this matter. Given that we are a Eucharistic community in Christ, we cannot and must never allow the particular positions that we have taken on such a serious issue or even the mistakes that we have made in understanding and addressing it to destroy our communion with one another in the Lord." Monday, November 11, 2002
Autumn Ends  Today had the feel, for me, of the end of autumn (even though it was very warm!). The leaves had come to peak and the color, in some areas, breathtaking. Here is a shot taken from the road - not the best colors we saw today but one of the easier shots to take. I post it in honor of a beautiful season, perhaps as beautiful as any I've ever known. I needed that! The last respectable prejudice One of Newsweek's Religion Editors, Kenneth Woodward, has some astute observations on The Catholic Thing and reactions in American society. Bishops Conference Lots of words, lots of documents, lots of bureaucracy - little prayer (noon prayer before lunch took about one minute). Just an observation as we go along.... FOR ALL VETERANS TODAY Prayer of a Soldier in France My shoulders ache beneath my pack (Lie easier, Cross, upon His back). I march with feet that burn and smart (Tread, Holy Feet, upon my heart). Men shout at me who may not speak (They scourged Thy back and smote Thy cheek). I may not lift a hand to clear My eyes of salty drops that sear. (Then shall my fickle soul forget Thy Agony of Bloody Sweat?) My rifle hand is stiff and numb (From Thy pierced palm red rivers come). Lord, Thou didst suffer more for me Than all the hosts of land and sea. So let me render back again This millionth of Thy gift. Amen. - Joyce Kilmer Charismatic Renewal Is Sign of Hope, Says Pope Message for 35th Anniversary of Its Birth VATICAN CITY, NOV. 10, 2002 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II encouraged those involved in the Catholic charismatic renewal to be "living signs of hope" witnessing to the presence of the Holy Spirit. The papal message, published Saturday by the Vatican Press Office, was sent to the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships, attending a congress in Rome, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the phenomenon. The congress runs through Wednesday. The Catholic Fraternity (www.catholicfraternity.net), as it is generally known, came into being in 1990 at the initiative of several charismatic communities of Australia and elsewhere. The Pontifical Council for the Laity has recognized it as a "Private Association of Faithful." It has some 50 communities with 30,000 members around the world. It is part of the Catholic charismatic movement, which today has some 80 million Catholic followers worldwide. "Your contribution to the life of the Church, through your faithful witness to the presence and action of the Holy Spirit, has helped many people to rediscover in their own lives the beauty of the grace given to them at baptism, the gateway to life in the Spirit," the Pope explained in the message written in English. "It has helped them to know the power of the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit conferred at confirmation," he wrote. "I join you in praising the Most Holy Trinity for the work of the Spirit who continues to draw people more fully into the life of Christ and to render their bonds with the Church more perfect." Dorothy of New York  Today, in 1897, Dorothy Day was born. In the plan of God, Dorothy found her way to Christ and the Catholic Church and became an incomparable witness to the vitality of the Word of the Lord. Dorothy radiated Christ and His Love and through the works of mercy served countless poor, hungry, lonely, rejected human persons and found in them the face of Christ Himself. Oh if only she were alive to address the Bishops Conference today! I don't think, for example, that Dorothy would have rejoiced to hear the announcement made at the very beginning of the Bishops Conference, that the Ordinary of the Washington Archdiocese "commuted" the obligation of praying the Divine Office to the "public prayers prayed during the sessions." I think Dorothy might have made a connection between some of the current "situation" and an attitude like that shown in the "commutation" (and I suspect Dorothy might have asked for more prayer, not less!). At any rate, Happy Birthday, Dorothy of the Bowery! Bishops Conference EWTN'S USCCB COVERAGE OF THE FALL SESSION PREVIEW SHOW: Sunday Nov. 10, 8:00 PM Monday Nov. 11, 9:00 AM LIVE Monday Nov. 11, 2:00 PM LIVE USCCB MASS Monday Nov., 6:00 PM LIVE Tuesday Nov. 12, 9:00 AM LIVE Wednesday Nov. 13, 9:00 AM LIVE Wednesday Nov. 13, 2:00 PM LIVE Come, Holy Spirit! Sunday, November 10, 2002
Words that can change a life! I offer this as a Sunday reflection. For me more than for anyone. But hopefully others can take the time and read it through prayerfully. I realize I am a bit crazy to offer such a long post; but I am convinced that if you read it through, or even a paragraph or two, you will understand why I want to "get the word out." A Testament of Devotion by Thomas R. Kelly (1893 - 1941) from chapter The Simplification of Life And under the silent, watchful eye of the Holy One we all are standing, whether we know it or not. And in that Center, in that holy Abyss where the Eternal dwells at the base of our being, our programs, our gifts to Him, our offerings of duties performed are again and again revised in their values. Many of the things we are doing seem so important to us. We haven't been able to say No to them, because they seemed so important. But if we center down, as the old phrase goes, and live in that holy Silence which is dearer than life, and take our life program into the silent places of the heart, with complete openness, ready to do, ready to renounce according to His leading, then many of the things we are doing lose their vitality for us. I should like to testify to this, as a personal experience, graciously given. There is a reevaluation of much that we do or try to do, which is done for us, and we know what to do and what to let alone. Let me talk very intimately and very earnestly with you about Him who is dearer than life. Do you really want to live your lives, every moment of your lives, in His Presence? Do you long for Him, crave Him? Do you love His Presence? Does every drop of blood in your body love Him? Does every breath you draw breathe a prayer, a praise to Him? Do you sing and dance within yourselves, as you glory in His love? Have you set yourselves to be His, and only His, walking every moment in holy obedience? I know I'm talking like an old-time evangelist. But I can't help that, nor dare I restrain myself and get prim and conventional. We have too long been prim and restrained. The fires of the love of God, of our love toward God, and of His love toward us, are very hot. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and mind and strength." Do we really do it? Is love steadfastly directed toward God, in our minds, all day long? Do we intersperse our work with gentle prayers and praises to Him? Do we live in the steady peace of God, a peace down at the very depths of our souls, where all strain is gone and God is already victor over the world, already victor over our weaknesses? This life, this abiding, enduring peace that never fails, this serene power and unhurried conquest, inward conquest over ourselves, outward conquest over the world, is meant to be ours. It is a life that is freed from strain and anxiety and hurry, for something of the Cosmic Patience of God becomes ours. Are our lives unshakable, because we are clear down on bed rock, rooted and grounded in the love of God? This is the first and the great commandment. Do you want to live in such an amazing divine Presence that life is transformed and transfigured and transmuted into peace and power and glory and miracle? If you do, then you can. But if you say you haven't the time to go down into the recreating silences, I can only say to you, "Then you don't really want to, you don't yet love God above all else in the world, with all your heart and soul and mind and strength." For, except for spells of sickness in the family and when the children are small, when terrific pressure comes upon us, we find time for what we really want to do. I should like to be mercilessly drastic in uncovering any sham pretense of being wholly devoted to the inner holy Presence, in singleness of love to God. But I must confess that it doesn't take time, or complicate your program. I find that a life of little whispered words of adoration, of praise, of prayer, of worship can be breathed all through the day. One can have a very busy day, outwardly speaking, and yet be steadily in the holy Presence. We do need a half-hour or an hour of quiet reading and relaxation. But I find that one can carry the recreating silences within oneself, well-nigh all the time. With delight I read Brother Lawrence, in his Practice of the Presence of God. At the close of the Fourth Conversation it is reported of him, "He was never hasty nor loitering, but did each thing in its season, with an even, uninterrupted composure and tranquility of spirit. 'The time of business,' he said, 'does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.' " Our real problem, in falling to center down, is not a lack of time; it is, I fear, in too many of us, lack of joyful, enthusiastic delight in Him, lack of deep, deep-drawing love directed toward Him at every hour of the day and night. I think it is clear that I am talking about a revolutionary way of living. Religion isn't something to be added to our other duties, and thus make our lives yet more complex. The life with God is the center of life, and all else is remodelled and integrated by it. It gives the singleness of eye. The most important thing is not to be perpetually passing out cups of cold water to a thirsty world. We can get so fearfully busy trying to carry out the second great commandment, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," that we are under-developed in our devoted love to God. But we must love God as well as neighbor. These things ye ought to have done and not to have left the other only partially done. There is a way of life so hid with Christ in God that in the midst of the day's business one is inwardly lifting brief prayers, short ejaculations of praise, subdued whispers of adoration and of tender love to the Beyond that is within. No one need know about it. I only speak to you because it is a sacred trust, not mine but to be given to others. One can live in a well-nigh continuous of unworded prayer directed toward God, directed toward people and enterprises we have on our heart. There is no hurry about it all; it is a life unspeakable and full of glory, an inner world of splendor within which we, unworthy, may live. Some of you know it and live in it; others of you may wistfully long for it; it can be yours. Now out from such a holy Center come the commissions of life. Our fellowship with God issues in world-concern. We cannot keep the love of God to ourselves. It spills over. It quickens us. It makes us see the world's needs anew. We love people and we grieve to see them blind when they might be seeing, asleep with all the world's comforts when they ought to be awake and living sacrificially, accepting the world's goods as their right when they really hold them only in temporary trust. It is because from this holy Center we re-love people, re-love our neighbors as ourselves, that we are bestirred to be means of their awakening. The deepest need of men is not food and clothing and shelter, important as they are. It is God. We have mistaken the nature of poverty, and thought it was economic poverty. No, it is poverty of soul, deprivation of God's recreating, loving peace. Peer into poverty and see if we are really getting down to the deepest needs, in our economic salvation schemes. These are important. But they lie farther along the road, secondary steps toward world reconstruction. The primary step is a holy life, transformed and radiant in the glory of God. This love of people is well-nigh as amazing as the love of God. Do we want to help people because we feel sorry for them, or because we genuinely love them? The world needs something deeper than pity; it needs love. (How trite that sounds, how real it is!) But in our love of people are we to be excitedly hurried, sweeping all men and tasks into our loving concern? No, that is God's function. But He, working within us, portions out His vast concern into bundles, and lays on each of us our portion. These become our tasks. Life from the Center is a heaven-directed life. Much of our acceptance of multitudes of obligations is due to our inability to say No. We calculated that that task had to be done, and we saw no one ready to undertake it. We calculated the need, and then calculated our time, and decided maybe we could squeeze it in somewhere. But the decision was a heady decision, not made within the sanctuary of the soul. When we say Yes or No to calls for service on the basis of heady decisions, we have to give reasons, to ourselves and to others. But when we say Yes or No to calls, on the basis of inner guidance and whispered promptings of encouragement from the Center of our life, or on the basis of a lack of any inward "rising" of that Life to encourage us in the call, we have no reason to give, except one - the will of God as we discern it. Then we have begun to live in guidance. And I find He never guides as into an intolerable scramble of panting feverishness. The Cosmic Patience becomes, in part, our patience, for after all God is at work in the world. It is not we alone who are at work in the world, frantically finishing a work to be offered to God. Life from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It is amazing. It is triumphant. It is radiant. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time. And it makes our life programs new and overcoming. We need not get frantic. He is at the helm. And when our little day is done we lie down quietly in peace, for all is well.  You can order this classic of spirituality at Amazon now: A Testament of Devotion |