Word to the Wise
Thursday, October 23, 2014 - Thursday in the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
[Eph 3:14-21 and Luke 12:49-53]I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. [Ephesians]
This passage is one of the most powerful prayers in the New Testament! I use it as an opening scripture for retreat conferences on the subject of prayer. It goes to the heart of the human relationship with God. The desire to pray will lead to the encounter with God in faith and the result can be a presence that exceeds all we can imagine, if only we make that effort.
It is commonly thought that a "contemplative life" is available only to those who removedthemselves from "the world" and all distractions. This is not so. What IS necessary is an intention to be close to God and to live a life that is in accord with that intention. The effort can be challenging because of the possible distractions of all kinds, such as family, job, health, etc... When the great diplomat, Dag Hammarskjold, died, his ontemplative diary was discovered and published as MARKINGS. He was immersed in the difficult world of international diplomacy and yet had a contemplative life that continues to inspire.
St. Paul's prayer for us can be our prayer for ourselves and others. We can, indeed, be filled with Christ, imperfect though we are, if we give our attention to God as the source of life for our day. Everything else will take its meaning from that simple but challenging action. AMEN
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