Divinity waiting upon us

Morning moon

Walking early this morning, the sight of the moon partially hidden by clouds caught my fancy. I was thinking about monasteries, and how when the boom of applicants in the 50s was replaced by scarcity of applicants in the 60s through to today, life changed inside the monastery. Thinking of the influx of the 50s, I realized that it was sparked by the recent war, with death and suffering very present to the minds of the young. In the face of such thoughts, many looked for something deeper, more lasting, more eternal.

Why do we have to face death and suffering before we make God a serious part of our daily lives? For a death sentence strikes fear to those who know little of the Divine Being. And learning about God now brings peace and joy.

My thoughts go to a deathbed I witnessed in the monastery, where the rather young sister was dying of cancer. Death was not fearful for her. She greeted it with a joy so profound and a peace so deep it is hard to describe. This attitude affected me very much, as I was one of her caregivers, and saw her suffering, her quick decline, and her willingness to accept it all. She had made God her friend, and so she could welcome death because she believed she was going to someone she knew, someone she had thought about often.

We too should develop a friendship with the Divine, and not wait for suffering or death to force the issue.

Which brings me back to my walk this morning. Seeing the moon shining through the clouds, it occurred to me that living without an awareness of spiritual things is like walking in the moonlight. We can see, but in a dim way. Faith has always been called a light, a light so steady that no suffering or death can dim it. More importantly, there is so much joy to be had in building a spiritual relationship with the Divine it is a pity so few seek to develop one while life is going well.

Let's not wait for death to force spirituality upon us. Let us develop a relationship now, in the fullness of health.  Divinity is waiting for us.

Finding beauty in Waning Light

Upper Amherst Cove, Newfoundland

The waning light in nature can bring out colors we do not see in full sun light. We call them sunrises and sunsets. In our own lives, we need not have the fullness of light to enjoy the best of life. We need only be aware that darkness and clouds have their own gifts to bestow, and offer their own kind of beauty.

Role of Angels

Today is the Feast of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Archangels as we call them. All three are mentioned in scripture, and all three are popular.

Angels remind us of the "other" life that is out there, the spiritual life with battles to be won and journeys to be made. In times past, much was made of angels. We hear less about them now, though they have been popularized in literature and pop culture. What can angels really do for us?

I think the greatest role of angels is to remind us of the spiritual life we have, but oft forget. They are also someone to talk to, privately, someone who won't spill the beans or break your confidence. They are someone we can ask to protect us, to guide us, to lend a helping hand. Angels, though unseen, or no less real, if we take the time to development a friendship with them. And as this friendship grows, it is amazing the wonderful things that can happen to you in life, things only an angel would do.

And its always good to remember the verse from the psalm 91 (good to read the whole psalm!): For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

Can we ask for anything better?