...All those people wanted to see and did not see. They wanted to see, and they held on to their own will. Evil resides in the will... Our own will covers our interior eyes like a membrane or a film covers the exterior eye and prevents it from seeing... So long as you stay within your own will, you will be deprived of the joy of seeing with your interior eye. For all true happiness comes from real abandonment, from being detached from our own will. All that is born in the depth of humility... The more a person is small and humble, the less does he have his own will... John Tauler (c.1300-1361), Dominican at Strasbourg Sermon 53

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The way to the Promised Land was through the desert, where all they had to eat was manna, manhu, which means “What’s this?” (Ex 16:15). No wonder they sometimes yearned for the good old days of slavery, anything rather than this “What’s this?” But the book of Deuteronomy tells us plainly what was in the Lords mind: before the people could be fit to enter the land of his promise, they must learn that man does not only live my nice safe intelligible bread, but “by whatever proceeds from the mouth of God” (Dt 8:3), received in the only way that it can be received, by faith.

This is always the shape of spiritual progress. We are led out of that kind of order which is built up on sin. That does not necessarily mean a situation of evident outrageous sin, but a situation whose fundamental principle is self-assertion, self-creation, which is therefore sinful at the root, however virtuous its branches may appear.

And one is led out into the desert, into the place of “What’s this?”, the place where we are fed and tended in a way that eludes our comprehension, precisely so that we may learn to live by faith, by trust in the living God. And so learn not to be God ourselves.

The whole world of our creating must be dismantled, so that all the various bits – all of which were, after all, created by God – can be reclaimed by God and built back into his creation, glorified yet further by the incredible new dignity of the new creation, that new order built up on the union of God and man in Christ. Then we come out from behind the bush where Adam fled in hiding, and God will no longer have to ask, Where are you?” We shall be in his world, visible to him, shining in the light of truth!

Father Simon Tugwell, O.P.


Taken from Magnificat, “Mediation of the Day” Saturday, February 7, 2009

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The more a man uses moderation in is life, the more he is at peace, for he is not full of cares for many things - servants, hired laborers, and acquisition of goods. But when we cling to such things, we become liable to vexations arising from them and are led to murmur against God. Thus our self-willed desire for many things fills us with turmoil and we wander into darkeness.

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AUGUSTINE writes of PRIDE: "The enemy of our true happiness therefore lies in wait for those of us who by reason of our official positions in human society must of necessity be loved and honored by our fellows. On every side he scatters popular plaudits to trap us, so that as we eagerly collect them we may be caught unawares, and abandon our delight in your truth to look for it instead in human flattery. So the affection and honor we receive come to be something we enjoy not for your sake but in your stead, and in this way that enemy who decided to set up his throne in the far recesses of the north wins cronies in his own likeness, not to live with him in loving concord but to be tormented in his company, slaves in darkness and cold of him who imitates you in his perverse, distorted fashion." Confessions (X, 36, 58 - X, 39, 64) The third great temptation: pride

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I desire mercy, not sacrifice, I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. (Matthew 9:13)

"...An overly formalistic approach to religion draws us away from God and makes the ritual into our god rather than the one whom the ritual is meant to honor. If we believe that we are righteous, we leave no place for salvation and mercy. Let us rather boast in nothing but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..." (cf. Gal 6:14) The Maginficat, Sunday, July 8, 2007 page 111.

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"...At its heart, Lent is not about fasting, saying extra prayers, or doing a bunch of good deeds. These are only the means to the greater end, which is coming into a deeper relationship with Jesus. Jesus fixed his eyes on the cross, and he invites us to do the same. He knows that as we do, untold blessings will flow into our lives: unbounded joy; peace in times of stress; freedom from sins; and best of all, intimacy with Almighty God himself. Who could have ever thought that so much good could come out of a call to die?" The Word Among Us, Daily Meditations for Lent 2007, page 32 3/07/07.

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From Deuteronomy 31:6 "It is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.":

Ever Abiding One,
They need you in their lives right now more than ever. Each day brings its own set of challenges for their vulnerable spirit and body. Help them to live with the conditions of their illnesses without giving in to discouragement or despair. Do not let the questions and the unknown drown out the voice of your tender presence. Guide the physicians to make good decisions. Give them courage and wisdom to make good choices in treating their illness. Teach them to embrace the gift of each new day and to give thanks for those who help them through the ups and downs of this process. Constantly assure them that you will not forsake them. You will be by their side, my Trusted Guardian. Help them to walk the delicate balance of hope and surrender. Amen.

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Hey Pam,

Nice seeing you in church. Thanks for putting these attachments up, it is nice to know where to find the prayer card for print out now. I did enjoy the interpreation about the magi and also the info on annulment, which was something i was not familiar with before.

Take care and thanks for putting these things up.

Renato

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