Tag: Casey
How to become Free
No matter how much we like the word “freedom” the reality can be a little frightening. “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.” To become free we have to allow all binding attachments to be loosed. Freedom is nakedness, according to the ancient maxim, “Naked to follow the naked Christ.” For much… Read More ›
We Cannot Control Prayer
We are passive in prayer because prayer itself is active. Prayer cannot be measured on a scale of success and failure because it is God’s work – and God always succeeds. When we believe we have failed at prayer, it is because we decided what shape our prayer should have, and are now frustrated that… Read More ›
Christ’s Love for Us
One of the qualities we find emphasized in the ancient accounts of the martyrs was their joy. There is no question of finding pleasure in pain. Rather it is the joy that comes when everything is lost but love perdures. We always suspect that love attaches itself to our good qualities and we fear that… Read More ›
The Importance of Lectio Divina
I consider that lectio divina is an important component of the mature and active years of the spiritual life; its absence diminishes the vitality of these years and may eventually lead to shipwreck. Our efforts to establish priorities in our life will be smoother, perhaps, if we recognize that lectio divina has the right to… Read More ›
Bonding to God
The heart will linger in the place where its most cherished possessions are to be found. Fundamentally, this is a spiritual connection that is not reducible to any particular experience, devotion, exercise, or activity—although it may subsist and express itself in any of them. What Saint John calls the inner anointing (1 Jn 2:27) trains… Read More ›
We are Fallible
Most of us would be a lot happier if we were to embrace the notion that human life is necessarily a trial-and-error reality. Its goal is eternal life. That is fixed. But the ways by which we attain that goal and the objectives we pursue en route are relatively flexible. We do not operate in… Read More ›
Live in Mindfulness
Although not much cultivated or esteemed today, the memory can be useful in our search for prayer. If, as Solzhenitsyn suggests, forgetfulness of God is the principal cause of all human woes, then remembering God becomes a significant step on the path to recovery.’ And if evil thoughts are the beginning of moral decline, thoughts… Read More ›
Commentaries on the Rule Of St. Benedict
Several Oblates have asked for suggestions on commentaries on the Rule of St. Benedict (RB). The list is too exhaustive to list. Commentaries can be broken into three primary groups; devotional, line by line (exegesis), and a combination of the two. But before listing various commentaries, please remember that there are also quite a number… Read More ›
“Religion” Cannot be a Substitute for Humanity or Community
We may often find that the text of the Bible comes alive in an atmosphere of love, community, and service. Conversely, its meaning is obscured when we allow ourselves to become isolated and concerned only with ourselves. “Religion” cannot, in God’s plan, become a substitute for humanity or community. Our familiarity with the Bible can… Read More ›
Never Doubt God’s Love or His Plans for Us
In the mind of Saint John Cassian, anger and sadness are two principal preventatives of prayer: “The disturbance caused by anger or sadness is, above all things, to be eliminated at its sources.” (Conferences 9.3) The reason for such emphasis is simple. Both anger and sadness represent a refusal on our part to accept a… Read More ›