When Words Are Not Enough

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flame of love, Fr. Thomas Keating, interior silence, pause, prayer, presence, silence, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I just picked up an issue of the Contemplative Outreach News (12/18) that I brought with me to this 2-week marathon gathering of Sisters of St. Joseph. Much of the issue was in homage to Fr. Thomas Keating who left this world last October but is still very present in the hearts of people the world over. Father Thomas was very skilled at articulating what was deepest not only in his own heart but in the hearts of all who listened to him as well. It was not just his words, however, that ignited the flame of love but his presence and his quiet enthusiasm for the love of God that burned in him and caught us up into a deeper place.

When I saw the above title in the newsletter this morning, I understood that whatever description was to follow in the article about Fr. Thomas, it could not capture the depth of the man or his love. I was not disappointed when I read the concluding paragraph.

In my ongoing work to fight homelessness, words are necessary. We connect with the suffering of our brothers and sisters through words. We change policy through words – spoken and written. We deepen our commitment to social justice through writing, reading and conversation. And yet, I will always be drawn back to Fr. Thomas’ teachings on the power of interior silence as the root of prayer and the foundation for our work in the world. (Jeff Olivet)

Yesterday the seven women who sat around our table in the midst of the 100+ Sisters wrestled mightily with the effort of expressing what is deepest in our lives: the meaning of our commitment to God, to one another and to our “dear neighbors” near and far. Several times during the session one of our two excellent facilitators called a “pause” to re-gather ourselves. Each time the silence in the room was profound and each time we began again, sometimes to struggle but also to know the presence of God in our midst as the meaning of all this holy work.

Fan the Flame!

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ask, beggar, clarity, embers, flame of love, Jesus, Luke, restored, Revelation, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

There is a caution in this morning’s first reading, taken from the beginning of the Book of Revelation – a book that is filled with symbolism and “apocalyptic” language. The section of which I speak this morning, however, is easily understood and calls me to self-reflection. It says, in part: “You have endurance and have suffered for my name and you have not grown weary. Yet…you have lost the love you had at first.” (REV 2:1-5, italics mine) The image that comes to me is that of a fire that has been burning for a long time. There are still smoldering embers but unless someone comes to stoke what’s left, allowing some air to circulate, the fire is likely to go out. Sometimes it seems that there is nothing of life left in that situation, but the reality is that with a little help the heat and beauty can be restored.

In the gospel this morning (LK 18:35-43) the crowd passes a beggar who has been told that the commotion around him is because Jesus is coming. The beggar calls out to Jesus to have pity on him which causes Jesus to ask the question, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Please let me see!” the man answers, and so he does. I am gratified by this reminder that we need only to ask for clarity of sight in order for it to be given. Perhaps then, to assure that the flame of love remains alive, I need only to add one sentence to my morning practice: Lord, please let me see today!