Sunday, October 16, 2011

Prayer: Rejuvenation

The first step towards rejuvenation begins with accepting where you are and exposing your poverty, frailty, and emptiness to the love that is everything. Don't try to feel anything, think anything, or do anything. With all the goodwill in the world you cannot make anything happen. Don't force prayer. Simply relax in the presence of God you have believe in and ask for a touch of folly.

The Indian poet Tagore puts it this way:

No, it is not yours to open buds into blossoms.
Shake the bud, strike it; it is beyond your power to make it blossom.
Your touch soils it, you tears its petals to pieces and strew them in the dust.
But no colors appear, and no perfume.
Ah! It is not for you to open the bud into blossoms.

He who can open the bud does it so simply.
He gives it a glance, and the life-sap stirs through its veins.
At his breath the flower spreads its wings and flutters in the wind.
Colors flush out like heart-longings, the perfume betrays a sweet secret.
He who can open the bud does it so simply.

From "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning
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3 comments:

  1. claire bangasserOctober 16, 2011 at 6:19 AM

    Ah, another of your post to keep :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Blue Eyed EnnisOctober 16, 2011 at 1:18 PM

    Poor man left the priesthood and then his marriage broke down and he is a recovering alcoholic. Knows a lot about the anawim.
    Blessings

    ReplyDelete
  3. John Predmore, S.J.October 17, 2011 at 8:37 PM

    Thanks, Phil and Claire. You are right. He is a very good man who exhibits Christ-like compassion.

    ReplyDelete