The Heart of Matter: A Lenten Call
Tuesday, March 8th
“Lent is a time for living on the edge, poised for the next moment of life. We are invited to get out of our comfortable centers of security and live on the brink of the incomplete, the not-knowing, the open future, and to find comfort in the chaotic flow of life..”
—Ilia Delio, Lent: Poised for Action
“La Cuaresma es tiempo de vivir al límite, de estar dispuestos a asumir los nuevos momentos que nos trae la vida. Una invitación a dejar nuestros cómodos centros de seguridad para vivir al borde de lo incompleto, de lo desconocido, del futuro que se nos abre y a llegar a encontrarnos cómodos en el flujo caótico de la vida.”
—Ilia Delio, Lent: Poised for Action
Incarnational Practice: Discerning
“Discernment”, a spiritual practice of decision making, offers a way to see God’s call in the midst of all the decisions we make every day. The question is “What is it that God desires? What ‘open future’ is calling my name?”
A Prayer for Discernment from St. Francis of Assisi
Most high, glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my heart
and give me
true faith,
certain hope,
and perfect charity,
sense and knowledge,
Lord,
that I may carry out
Your holy and true command.
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What is being revealed? What is being moved? What is being asked?
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This prayer for discernment is old school that I have been weeding out of my prayer vocabulary for some time now, and that is not easy. True, certain perfect?? What is truth? I am opting for Heisinbergers uncertainty! As for perfect charity…. along with dualities, I have long since given up on concepts of perfection. And I am feeling more authentic and uplifted than ever in so doing.
We’re taught to give up something for Lent. I hope this doesn’t sound glib, but this Lent I’m working on giving up exclusivist thinking and outdated religious notions. I sincerely hope that I’m maturing on my faith journey, and I’m grateful for teachers like Sr. Ilia whom I believe are helping with that.
Sometimes I get discouraged when I see outright dismissal or derision regarding the thought of Teilhard. Honest criticism I can understand and accept, but rejection without really considering what he taught while clinging to an inaccurate understanding of the universe saddens me a little. But I am also hopeful, and thankful for those with the intellectual ability to build on his ideas in a convincing way.
On the Edge: A Chinese Catholic living in the Peoples Republic of China once wrote:“I think in our time,
we need people who can go beyond themselves,
to build bridges among people with
different faith traditions,
different ways of life,
different opinions on political issues,
to let go one’s sense of security
in a certain “belief” and “truth,”
to admit that my view is limited,
then to listen, and
to appreciate the other.
We can live in peace even if we are different in every way.”
With gratitude, Ilio; your faith through the Incarnational lens of life strengthens my spiritual journey,
Blessings and deep peace,
Elizabeth Stamp
Canada