Tuesday, March 07,
2017
Spiritual Reading:
I spent a delightful prayerful hour
yesterday perusing a collection of poetry (The
Enlightened Heart: an anthology of spiritual poetry, edited by Stephen
Mitchell) and I want to share some of its riches with you today and tomorrow.
First, to find a place from
which to read:
Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud
settles and the water is clear? Lao-tzu
(This is a great introduction to
meditation as well.)
Today’s excerpts are centered
around the concepts of forgiveness, purgation and healing:
“. . . in those who have cured themselves of
selfishness, I shine with brilliance.
(from the Bhagavad Gita 5th
to 2nd centuries B.C.)
Even murderers and rapists,
tyrants, the most cruel fanatics,
ultimately know redemption
through my love, if they surrender
to my harsh but healing graces.
Passing through excruciating
transformations, they find freedom
and their hearts find peace within them.
I am always with all beings;
I abandon no one. And
however great your inner darkness,
you are never separate from me.
(The Bhagavad Gita)
more from the same ancient
writing:
Let your thoughts flow past you, calmly;
keep me near, at every moment;
trust me with your life, because I
am you, more than you yourself are.
From Symeon the New Theoloian
(949-1022)
. . . and everything that his hurt, everything
that seemed to us dark, harsh, shameful,
maimed, ugle, irreparably
damaged, is in Him transformed
and recognized as whole, as lovely,
and radiant in His light
we awaken as the Beloved
in every last part of our body.
and finally, from Saint
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
Holy Spirit,
giving life to all life,
moving all creatures,
root of all things,
washing them clean,
wiping out their mistakes,
healing their wounds,
you are our true life,
luminous, wonderful,
awakening the heart
from its ancient sleep.
Tomorrow: Dante’s glimpses of
heaven
God bless you
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