TEN THINGS I DON’T CONTROL, so… I DON’T WORRY ABOUT THEM.

Here is a blizzard of confused ideas about what, I have no idea, but they were part of my Lectio Divina. You tell me.

When I look out over the YouTube universe, especially those wonderful Walking Korea tours, and see the tragic Philippines slums or India slums walking tours, and realize that God loves each and everyone, despite the evident oblivion they have to authentic Christianity, I am humbled by thinking that they bless the Lord by who they are and their struggle to just put food in their mouths.

When I see what is going on between nations, the duplicity, lack of truth, and supremacy of lies, the wars, and the justification of evil in the name of nationalism or territorial heritage hundreds of years ago, I realize that this is part of original sin and that, if I was there I might well be one of those on either side shouting slogans of patriotism in my favor.

When I look at my church struggling to come to terms with making new wineskins (never an easy process), to be able to hold the new wine of each age, I think of how the Holy Father alone is chosen by the Holy Spirit to guide the believers forward in justice and truth, I am conscious of original sin and the story of Genesis. Humans, be careful what you wish, like the Protestant Reformation, you have unintended consequences of reducing each person to a pope with his own magisterium.

When I see all those who are atheists and agnostics who rail against there being no God, I am always grateful that they are using their intelligence to make use of their human reasoning but sad with their conclusion. I pray for those I know to realize that Catholicism is a sign of surrender of physical and mental self to the much larger cosmic way that has movement and always more and more complexity. My assumption is that they all seek what is true, as I do.

I realized about ten years ago that my life was a complete failure as I was leading it. I thought I was spiritual, and probably was shallow and never ventured deeper into the mystery of my humanity to explore the mystery of Faith. Having replaced my own selfish interests as my center with that of Christ (Philippians 2:5), I slowly began to know, love, and serve others as I thought Christ would. I ceased to judge others and use the Scriptures as ways to prove others wrong. Rather, embracing John 20:30-31, I just abandoned (as much as my prideful self would allow each day) every that was right in favor of what was easy, as St. Benedict says in Chapter 4 of the RB 10 and 20. “Renounce yourself to follow Christ and discipline your body,” and again, “Your way of acting should be different from the world’s way; the love of Christ must come before all else.” I don’t worry about the Church, the Pope, or the conflicts going on within it. My sole focus is to center myself on “Having in me the mind of Christ Jesus.” by being present to the Holy Spirit in Lay Cistercian practices and charisms (rooted in the Cistercian Strict Observance interpretation of the Rule of Benedict.

Like the widow’s mite, as explained to me by the Late Aidan Kavanaugh, O.S.B., in Sacramental Theology class at St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana, in 1963, “Mrs. Murphy, a little, old lady, sitting in the back of a darkened Church, eyes lowered, head bowed, praying her rosary but saying the words, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner,” as she sits in the upper room of her inner self. That person knows more, loves more, and is more dynamic that all the theologians who just talk “about” God. St. Thomas Aquinas also said it best, “One day when Thomas Aquinas was preaching to the local populace on the love of God, he saw an old woman listening attentively to his every word. Inspired by her eagerness to learn more about her God whom she loved so dearly, he said to the people: It is better to be this unlearned woman, loving God with all her heart, than the most learned theologian lacking love.” https://www.azquotes.com/author/490-Thomas_Aquinas

These days, any Lay Cistercian Practice I do, public or private prayer, is in the context of silence and solitude, just waiting for the Lord.

Worry can never lengthen your days, but it may shorten them.

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