 |
|
The truth of our identity, wrapped up in God, gives us a deep sense of radical okayness and yet humility about our fragility.
|
|
|
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation
|
|
The Desert Fathers and Mothers
|
Humility and Simplicity
Friday, May 8, 2015
|
Abba Poemen asked at every moment: "Who am I and who are You?" St. Francis would also spend whole nights praying this same prayer. Baron Von Hugel, in his classic study of mysticism, said this might just be the perfect prayer. It is through encountering the absolute safety of God that we discover our true self, and in finding our truest self, we find a God who is always and forever larger than we expected. The truth of our identity, wrapped up in God, gives us a deep sense of radical okayness and yet humility about our fragility. What a paradox!
Read these sayings and let them stir deeper questions and reflection. This is the power of these simple stories.
One day Abba Arsenius consulted an old Egyptian monk about his own thoughts. Someone noticed this and said to him, "Abba Arsenius, how is it that you, with such a good Latin and Greek education, ask this peasant about your thoughts?" He replied, "I have indeed been taught Latin and Greek, but I do not know even the alphabet of this peasant."[1]
Abba Anthony said, "A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, 'You are mad, you are not like us.'"[2]
Abba Isaiah, when someone asked him what avarice was, replied, "Not to believe that God cares for you, to despair of the promises of God, and to love boasting."[3]
I hope this brief introduction to the desert fathers and mothers has given you at least a taste of why their simple spirituality is so valuable for us today. If you are drawn to read more of their sayings, don't be surprised if you are quickly offended by some of their seeming lower stage thinking. But stay with them, in honesty and humbleness, and I'm sure they will teach you something of your own human nature and God's benevolence. In their irrelevance to our world, the desert fathers and mothers end up being amazingly relevant, precisely because their frame of reference is so utterly different than ours. We all need radically different frames to recognize our own limitations.
|
|
|
|
Gateway to Silence
Lead me into the wilderness of silence and simplicity.
|
|
References:
[1] Benedicta Ward, trans., The Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Cistercian Publications: 1975), 6.
[2] Ibid., 25.
[3] Ibid., 9.
|
| Join Richard Rohr & Gareth Higgins at the Movies & Meaning Festival
Albuquerque, New Mexico
May 28-31, 2015 This unique event aims to inspire with stories that reduce violence and heal the world. Movies and Meaning hosts big screen presentations of iconic films including THE TREE OF LIFE and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. The festival also hosts the U.S. premiere of LIFE MAY BE, a collaboration between northern Irish and Iranian directors. Enjoy conversations with Richard and Gareth, a performance by acclaimed poet Jessica Helen Lopez, and much more. Tickets are limited, so click here to register at a 10% discount
by using the code CAC2015. More information at moviesandmeaning.com/festival/ This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Action and Contemplation.
Please contact Movies and Meaning for further information. |
|
2015 Daily Meditation Theme
Richard Rohr's meditations this year explore his "Wisdom Lineage," the teachers, texts, and traditions that have most influenced his spirituality. Read an introduction to the year's theme and view a list of the elements of Fr. Richard's lineage in CAC's January newsletter, the Mendicant. |
|
Did someone forward this message to you?
Please do not reply to this email. For more info about:
* CAC Conferences and Webcasts, visit cac.org/events. * Online Courses, visit cac.org/rohr-institute-online-education. * Making a donation, visit cac.org/support-cac. * Living School, visit cac.org/rohr-inst. * Help with Daily Meditations, email techassist@cac.org.
Copyright © 2015 Center for Action and Contemplation
cac.org |
|
|
|
|
|
