The Contemplative
Way in pursuing Christ also includes the following.
Detachment and
Desire
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for
you, O God. Psalm 42:1
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors. But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies-- make straight your way before me. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. Psalm 5:2-9
I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; Philippians 1:23
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:20
Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." Exodus 33:18
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors. But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies-- make straight your way before me. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. Psalm 5:2-9
I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; Philippians 1:23
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:20
Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." Exodus 33:18
Seasons of
Dryness and Darkness. One of the best
known writings on this comes from Saint John of the Cross and his book “The
Dark Night of the Soul. The importance is
to learn to embrace the cross.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:36
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:36
And lastly, before going on to the practice of sacred reading, let
me mention the limits of human reason.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not
fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7
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