*Grace, Glauco Ulcigrai, Flickr
* * *
God has no religion.
*Mahatma Gandhi
* * *
The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.
*William Wordsworth
* * *
*Touch, Mattia Notari Foto, Flickr
* * *
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
*I Peter 3.8 (NIV)
* * *
Some old men went to Abba Poemen and asked, "If we see brothers sleeping during the synaxis [common prayer], should we wake them?" Abba Poemen answered, "If I see my brother sleeping, I will put his head on my knees and let him rest." Then one old man spoke up, "And how do you explain yourself before God?" Abba Poemen replied, "I say to God: 'You have said, First take the beam out of your own eye, and, then, you will be able to remove the splinter from the eye of your brother.'"
* * *
Spiritual Prayer opens me to my Heart, which is our Heart, which is the Heart of Life. Then, I am not so much trying to act graciously, but Grace, which is gracious, is working within and through me. I am not so much giving Grace, as Grace and I are giving in a Union of Loving.
This Grace is quietly transforming me into Grace. I find, then, a spontaneous expression of Grace. This is apart from the effortfulness that once characterized my efforts at trying to be kind and forgiving to others.
Prayer is a drawing near Grace by Grace, a surrender to being transformed by Grace. I discover my essential nature is to be Kind, for the Center from which my life arises and returns is Love. And Love is Grace, and Prayer finds it wellspring and inspiration in Love. Surrender is not surrender to being weak or playing weak to please others, but to Love to love others and, thereby, discover together who we truly are in and through God.
* * *
*Kindness, Jan Lakey, Flickr
* * * CLOSING BLESSING * * *
Grace and Peace to All
The Sacred in Me bows to the Sacred in You
*You are welcome to contact Brian at briankwilcox@yahoo.com .
The presentations at this site cover a long time period. Each one represents part of an on-going Pilgrimage, and the writer's ideas, practices, and experience have changed over time. This change is the quality of any living Journey. Please read with this in mind, allowing the inner Teacher to speak to you as you need at this particular time in your own living Journey. Thanks!
