Coming back to the monastery
after time away is like slipping into a pair of comfortable shoes. The rhythm
of the life, which connects us to a regular prayer regimen, helps us to “switch
modes” gently but quickly, and settle into the life anew with renewed vigor.
I find it difficult—no,
impossible, to maintain my connection with God when I’m away for a length of
time. There are so many distractions in the “outside world,” and I generally
fall prey to them. I came away from vacation with a new respect for you who are
working at your spiritual growth and well-being in a world filled with “stuff,”
all stuff that makes it so easy to lose your connection with God, even for a
time. I pray that you have established some sort of anchor to hold your
day together, and to give you the peace which you long for—not the peace of the
world, but rather the peace of the spirit.
As I return
from vacation I decided I would like to do some simple reading, and I have
settled on a little booklet called Reflecting
on the Serenity Prayer by Philip St. Romain (Ligouri Press) for my lectio
for now. The book is simple, but also profound, and I found something right in
the beginning chapter to share with you about spiritual peace.
Spiritual peace is the experiential
realization that, amidst the pain and brokenness of our lives, all is well. Our
lives are unfolding as they should if we are seeking to walk in union with God.
Spiritual peace is the experience of our connection with God whose reign already
exists in heaven, even though it has not yet been fully established on earth.
Serenity is a taste of heaven on earth: through it, we experience the Spirit of
God dwelling in our hearts, giving us the energy to stand on our own two feet
and break free from the need to succeed, to impress, to gain power, or to have
security.
Such peace is the foundation of
true love and joy, enabling us to give of ourselves with no thought other than
the joy of seeing another grow. (p.
4)
The next few
reflections will be based on this quotation (God willing).
God bless
you!
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