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If we want to learn more about Christ,
if we want to experience Christ more deeply in lives,
then we have to be open to things that might seem alien,
threatening to us.
*Terence Grant. The Silence of Unknowing.
Wisdom Story
A woman dreamed she walked into a shop in the marketplace. To her surprise, she found Jesus behind the counter.
She asked, "What do you sell here, Jesus?"
"Everything your heart most deeply desires," said Jesus.
Hardly daring to trust what she heard, the woman asked for love, joy, and peace.
Jesus smiled, saying, "I think you've got it wrong, my dear. We don't sell the fruits here, but only the seeds."
Comments
There are innate capacities of virtue in all persons that unfold like any seed in nature. This means that development of inner capacities follows the same natural, universal laws as other growth.
The fruits of contemplation arise from practice. Practice is co-operation with the divine Energy of God. If you want to be a spiritual Christian, you do the inner work of spirituality ~ even with Grace, there is no short-cut. But with Grace all spiritual effort, rightly applied, leads to Christlikeness.
Of course, along the way, as we grow more into Christ, we grow more into the challenges of facing comfortable ideas and ways that must be dissolved in Love to keep moving onward into the Light.
Reflection
What Christlike qualities do you discern growing in your life? What are you doing to nurture that development?
Brian will respond to requests pertaining to seeking a Spiritual Mentor. He offers retreats, workshops, and classes in such subjects as Contemplative Prayer (he trains in Visualized Praying, Centering Prayer, Christian Meditation, The Jesus Prayer, ...), Contemplative Living, A Spiritual Understanding of the Lord's Prayer, and Spiritual Use of the Scripture. See any major on-line bookseller for his book An Ache for Union.
*The story is adapted from Anthony de Mello. Taking Flight.
For submission of replies and biographical information, see next page:
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