A word from us...
The Living Spirit - October 21st
Prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us. The important thing is not to think much but to love much and so do that which best stirs you to love. Love is not great delight but desire to please God in everything.
St Teresa of Avila, (remembered on October 15th)
From Psalm 24
"The Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence on my people. If my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place."
Prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us. The important thing is not to think much but to love much and so do that which best stirs you to love. Love is not great delight but desire to please God in everything.
St Teresa of Avila, (remembered on October 15th)
From Psalm 24
"The Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence on my people. If my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place."
The Living Spirit - October 14th
You never enjoy the world alright, till the Sea itself floweth in your veins, till you are clothes with the heavens, and crowned with the stars: and perceive yourself to be the sole heir of the whole world, and more than so, because men are in it who are every one sole heirs as well as you. Till you can sing and rejoice and delight in God, as misers do in gold, and Kings in sceptres, you never enjoy the world.
Thomas Traherne (remembered on October 10th)
From Psalm 24:
"The earth is the LORD'S and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.
For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? and who shall stand in his holy place?
He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, and has not sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD and righteousness fromthe God of his salvation."
You never enjoy the world alright, till the Sea itself floweth in your veins, till you are clothes with the heavens, and crowned with the stars: and perceive yourself to be the sole heir of the whole world, and more than so, because men are in it who are every one sole heirs as well as you. Till you can sing and rejoice and delight in God, as misers do in gold, and Kings in sceptres, you never enjoy the world.
Thomas Traherne (remembered on October 10th)
From Psalm 24:
"The earth is the LORD'S and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.
For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? and who shall stand in his holy place?
He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, and has not sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD and righteousness fromthe God of his salvation."
The Living Spirit - October 7th
"We receive this world as an inheritance from past generations, but also as a loan for future generations, to whom
we will have to return it."
Pope Francis
From 2 Corinthians 9:
"Now he who supplies seed to the farmer and bread to eat will also supply you with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest that results from your righteousness. In every way you will grow richer and become even more generous, and this will cause others to give thanks to God because of us."
"We receive this world as an inheritance from past generations, but also as a loan for future generations, to whom
we will have to return it."
Pope Francis
From 2 Corinthians 9:
"Now he who supplies seed to the farmer and bread to eat will also supply you with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest that results from your righteousness. In every way you will grow richer and become even more generous, and this will cause others to give thanks to God because of us."
The Living Spirit - September 30th
To be mindful is to live in the present moment, not to be imprisoned in the past, nor anticipating a future that may never happen. When we are fully aware of the present, life is transformed and the strain and stress disappear. So much of life is a feverish anticipation of future activity and excitement. We learn to step back from this into the freedom and possibility of the present.
Bede Griffiths
From the words of our Lord in Matthew 6:
"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
To be mindful is to live in the present moment, not to be imprisoned in the past, nor anticipating a future that may never happen. When we are fully aware of the present, life is transformed and the strain and stress disappear. So much of life is a feverish anticipation of future activity and excitement. We learn to step back from this into the freedom and possibility of the present.
Bede Griffiths
From the words of our Lord in Matthew 6:
"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
The Living Spirit - September 23rd
What is the use of praying if at the very moment of prayer, we have so little confidence in God that we are busy planning our own kind of answer
to our prayer?
Thomas Merton
From Phillipians 4:
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
What is the use of praying if at the very moment of prayer, we have so little confidence in God that we are busy planning our own kind of answer
to our prayer?
Thomas Merton
From Phillipians 4:
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
The Living Spirit - September 16th
Have you seen someone fall in love with his own shadow? That’s what we’ve done. Leave partial loves and find the one that’s whole. Where is someone who can do that? They’re so rare, those hearts that carry the blessing and lavish it over everything. Hold out your beggar’s robe and accept their generosity. Anything not coming from that will damage the cloth, like a sharp stone tearing your sincerity. Keep that intact, and use clarity; call it discernment. You have within you a deciding force that knows what to receive, what to turn from.
Rumi
From Romans:
"Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed."
Have you seen someone fall in love with his own shadow? That’s what we’ve done. Leave partial loves and find the one that’s whole. Where is someone who can do that? They’re so rare, those hearts that carry the blessing and lavish it over everything. Hold out your beggar’s robe and accept their generosity. Anything not coming from that will damage the cloth, like a sharp stone tearing your sincerity. Keep that intact, and use clarity; call it discernment. You have within you a deciding force that knows what to receive, what to turn from.
Rumi
From Romans:
"Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed."