True Love

Day 28.   Of True Love.   Blessed are those who would love their fellows as much as when they are ill and not able to assist, as they would love them when they are well, and are able to assist.   Blessed are they who would love and fear their fellow human, as much when they are from them, as they would when they are with them.   Who would not say anything about them, behind their backs that could not, with charity, be said in their presence?

True love is to love someone at all times no matter where they are or whether they are in sickness or in health.   So, do we love only as long as they are well enough to help us or do we love them no matter what?   Does absence make our heart grow fonder or are they out of sight and out of mind?   Do we take the advantage of their absence to gossip about them? Things we wouldn’t say in their presence?   True love has neither condition nor place loving all completely and fully. There being nothing  ill to say about them whether in their presence or not.

 

Know thyself'

 

Day 27.   Of True Humility.   Blessed are those servants who shall be found as humble among their subjects as if they were among their masters.   Blessed are they who always continue under the rod of correction.   They are “faithful and wise servants” who do not delay to punish themselves for all their offences, interiorly by contrition and exteriorly by confession and by works of satisfaction.

‘Know thyself’   Socrates' guiding rule was, "Know Thyself”1, and another says “Express yourself exactly as your are – and face the consequences”2   In knowing ourselves truly, of all our bumps and bruises, our bad habits, pride avarice – those things that always go before a fall. And we can be so mindful of other’s sayings about these things that we neglect to come to terms with ourselves.   So that we might be of one mind whether in the company of our teachers or our pupils we must offer ourselves to the scrutiny of our brother, the Christ. And so continue to carry our own burdens under Jesus’ easy yolk.   The EFO does not hold with corporal self-chastisement; rather we turn again to Christ for we can mend our ways as often as we break them. Christ will always forgive us and so we need to behave always in the knowledge that we are subjects of the Most High God. To be humble wherever we may be, to know our own worth.   If we know our own worth then we have no reason to boast to our subjects or impress our masters, with false humility.

1Well worth reading 2 For the quote rather than the content of the page.

 

Listen and Learn

Day 25. Of the Frivolous and Talkative Religious.   Blessed is that servant who does not speak through the hope of receiving a reward.  Who does not know everything, and who is not “hasty to speak,” but who wisely sees what they should say and answer. Woe to that religious, who does not conceal in their heart, the good things which the Lord has disclosed to them.  Who does not show them to others by the work they do, but rather seeks a reward by telling others about them.  These religious have already received their recompense, and their hearers take away little fruit.

They say ‘listen and learn’ and that is a useful maxim for those of us seeking enlightenment in a certain area. Ever been the little child, eager to show their worth through precocious talk and putting their feet right in the mire of a conversation too deep for little voices. Wisdom, the awareness of the moment in which to speak and the moment where golden silence speaks more eruditely than any teacher can teach.   In the world of the ‘Religious’ prudence, wisdom and economy of speech all assisted one in the steep climb of the stairway to heaven. It definitely does not pay one to brag or boast of anything, save one display one’s ignorance for all to see! Far better to do than to tell. Again it is facta non verba!

 

 

Joy or kill-joy

Day 24.   Of the Happy and the Vain Religious.   Blessed is that religious who feels no pleasure, or joy, save in most holy conversation and the works of the Lord. Who by these means leads others in joy and gladness to the love of God. Woe to that religious who takes delight in idle and vain words.  Who by this means, provokes others to laughter.

Joy or kill-joy?   It is to our credit when we spend time with the Lord, in our own room, even in our hearts if it is not possible to withdraw from our busy world.   St. Paul tells the Ephesians to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (and) With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18 NIV   And like our Saviour, we can teach others to pray, lead others to the joy knowledge and love of Christ brings. Yet does that mean that this is our only joy?   Do we not take joy in creation? Even though God created it and has given it into our charge. Are we not to be joyful at the birth of a new baby, or when we get top marks in a subject we find difficult?   Even those called to active lives in religion need to have fun otherwise we will not be healthy people, will not have balanced lives – and will be useless to others.   Do not kill joy, laughter is good medicine,   “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4: 8,9 NIV

 

The Talents

Day 22.   Of the Happy and Unhappy Servant.   Blessed are those servants who give up all their goods to the Lord God, for those who retain anything for themselves hide “(their) Lord’s money,” (See Matt 25 18) and that “which they think they, have shall be taken away from them.” (See Luke 8 18.)

Surrender ourselves to the Lord, keep nothing back and God can work wonders through us. Hiding our torch under the bed does no one any good, and indeed may bring harm to both to ourselves and others.   Matthew 25:18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.   Luke 8:18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”

Scripture with thanks from http://biblos.com/

 

Sticks and stones

 

Day 21.   Of Compassion toward one’s Neighbour.   Blessed is the person who bears with their neighbour according to the frailty of the neighbour’s nature as much as they would wish to be borne with by the neighbour, if they were like their neighbour.

Sticks and stones   We must all know this adage; that ‘sticks and stones may break our bones bit names will never hurt us.’   How untrue it is, broken bones heal – most of the time yet the unkind word or name callings can linger forever. Especially when we are not our usual selves.   When we are under the weather, sick in mind and heart we can ill bear the one who undermines our self-esteem and spiritual welfare by putting us down.   Let us always remember this when others are in the same  boat as we were.

 

 

Do not leave our pure hearts empty..

Day 19. Admonition 16   Of Cleanness of Heart.   “Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.” People are clean in their heart, when they despise earthly things.  Always seeking those of heaven, and who, with a pure heart and mind, never cease to adore and contemplate the Lord God Living and True.

I don’t know about you, I have a rather delightful image of a cherub sweeping out its heart, and polishing it to make sure it is clean.   Little eyes and little heart looking to heaven, adoration on their lips and bright shining faces, poised to do the will of the Lord.   In Francis’ time the Christian world was dichotomous - being clean of heart automatically implied despite of earthly things. Today we can fall into the same trap, wanting to divorce ourselves from anything to do with the everyday world so that we can purify ourselves and seek heavenly things.   We must do both, at one and the same time clean up our language and raise our thoughts, give ourselves high ideals and all the while adoring and contemplating God.   And think about this:   “When the evil spirit arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” (Matthew 12:44,45 NIV)   Do not leave our pure hearts empty.