A birth, a death, and a birth and death

I know God does not give us more than we can handle. But it has been a very trying month. My older half-sister (same biological father, different mothers) informed me that, after 36 years of marriage (she married the year after I was born), she was getting divorced. They had agreed on how to split everything, so it would be quick. And it was. 3 weeks later they were divorced. 2 days after the divorce was final, our younger sister gave birth to her first child and 2 days after that, our older half-sister’s mother died. So, there was a birth, a death and a birth and death. Isn’t that what divorce is? a birth into a new life (even if it’s not wanted) and a death? The actual divorce date, the birth of my niece and the death of my half-sister’s mother all happened within a week.

Then, I was informed that a childhood friend was diagnosed with Leukemia. He is 42 years old. His wife just had a baby in March. His mom and my mom have been best friends for 45 years. Lord, have mercy.

My younger sister had a difficult pregnancy and birth. It also took her years to get pregnant. At 35 years old, this may be her only child. May God grant Meghan Jewell many years!!!

Remember

My goal today is to keep remembering this quote.

” Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.
Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset”

St Francis de Sales

Do Not Judge

Words from St. Seraphim of Sarov:

You cannot be too gentle, too kind. Shun even to appear harsh in your treatment of each other. Joy, radiant joy, streams from the face of him who gives and kindles joy in the heart of him who receives. All condemnation is from the devil. Never condemn each other. We condemn others only because we shun knowing ourselves. When we gaze at our own failings, we see such a swamp that nothing in another can equal it. That is why we turn away, and make much of the faults of others. Instead of condemning others, strive to reach inner peace. Keep silent, refrain from judgement. This will raise you above the deadly arrows of slander, insult and outrage and will shield your glowing hearts against all evil.

Speaking of beauty

From Father Stephen Freeman:

There is much in our life and culture that pushes us away from beauty. Mass production and the nature of our economy (marked by a level of productivity unknown in human history), are driven by questions other than beauty. Beauty has value as it can be marketed, but too often is absent in any depth from much of our experience. […]

Deeply distressing is the drive to “utility” in our lives. Value is given to that which is “useful.” Beauty thus becomes an avocation, a luxury not seen as useful or necessary to our existence. Of course, this is a deep miscalculation of the nature of human existence. Human beings do not exist well without beauty — and in most of human culture throughout most of human history, beauty has been valued beyond many of the things which we think of as “useful.”

Usefulness and Beauty

Canticles of Ecstasy

Such beauty. It’s good for the soul.

Hildegard von Bingen

God’s will

When I was an evangelical Protestant, I remember being very concerned with doing God’s will. ie: Where does God want me to work? Where does God want me to live? etc…I drove myself a little crazy, obsessing over these details.

What does it mean to do God’s will? St. Theophan the Recluse sums it up:

Is someone seeking help?
Help him.
Does someone ask something of you?
Give it.
Has someone offended you?
Forgive him.
Have you offended someone?
Rush to ask forgiveness and make peace.
Does someone praise you?
Do not be proud.
Does someone scold you?
Do not be angry.
Do you have struggles and sufferings?
Be patient.
Is it time to fast?
Then fast.
Is it time to work?
Then work.
Your Father in Heaven is Holy and Loving. Strive to be holy and loving like Him.

Stability

What is it then to be stable? It seems to me that it may be described in the following terms: You will find stability at the moment when you discover that God is everywhere, that you do not need to seek Him elsewhere, that He is here, and if you do not find Him here it is useless to go and search for Him elsewhere because it is not Him that is absent from us, it is we who are absent from Him..This is important because it is only at the moment that you recognize this that you can truly find the fullness of the Kingdom of God in all its richness within you; that God is present in every situation and every place, that you will be able to say: ‘So then I shall stay where I am.’

-Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

To fill all things with thy glory, thou hast gone down into the nethermost parts of the earth; for my person that is in Adam has not been hidden from thee, but in thy love for man thou art buried in the tomb and dost restore me from corruption.

-Byzantine liturgy

Quotes from Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict, by Esther de Waal

Theosis

Al McGee (see link on blogroll on the left) kindly sent me this article on theosis by Mark Shuttleworth. It’s an excellent article, and a good one to send to Protestant family/friends. There’s even a quote from C.S. Lewis from his book, Mere Christianity.
Theosis: Partaking of the Divine Nature

I think that we often forget what an opportunity we have to experience reality. We are constantly distracted and our life is passing us by. But we can live a whole life, this very moment, full of joy, as we pray for theosis.

Stillness

An excellent post on an excellent blog.

Stillness is a spiritual discipline and like all disciplines its purpose is to make a space in our lives for the Lord to act. Stillness is not an attitude but rather an intentional determination to make the Lord our only joy and trust that He will give us the desires of our hearts. (Psalm 37:4) Therefore, stillness is not something that happens to us it is something we do. Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) We need to be like the Psalmist who had to keep telling (commanding, reminding) his soul to bless the Lord. We put ourselves into stillness so that prayer can grow in our hearts.

You can read the whole thing here. My Holy Mountain

More quiet

I won’t be posting or have internet access for a few days. I’ll be back online on Monday.

Love in Christ.