the inner life

Feb 22, 2023

.

While the visible and external world of healthy religion is inspiring, a maturing faith requires an openness to the inner life.

The external practices and precepts of religion are signs that point us towards a deeper reality, a world where integrity is found, becoming ourselves in relationship with the divine.

This is the purpose of Lent and today’s Ash Wednesday’s scriptures highlight the generous and overwhelming love of God:

“turn to the Lord your God again,
for he is all tenderness and compassion,
slow to anger, rich in graciousness,
and ready to relent”

In the gospel reading Jesus calls us to nurture the secret life of the soul:

“go to your private room and,
when you have shut your door,
pray to your Father who is in that secret place”

In a world where everything is revealed and acted out in conversation and social media it is significant that both good psychology and good religion caution us against being motivated by what others think and say. Health professionals warn us against using any substance or practice to repress or run from our unique innermost realities.

Whenever we take time to, with Christ, face our own fears, something shifts. The burden eases. Our perspective broadens and positive possibilities appear and expand.

The secret is to take time to go to the secret and inner place,  Try it for one minute whenever you think of it, stopped at a red light, hearing a phone ring, experiencing a positive or negative thought, whatever the prompt, take one minute to practice the presence of God.

Perhaps todays second reading gives the nudge we might need. When should I begin to life one hundred percent in relationship with Christ…

…”Well, now is the favourable time;
this is the day of salvation.”

 

2 Comments

  1. Thanks John for this reflection. A lot of my readings lately have been pointing me to interior practice. This tells me the time is now.

    Reply
    • “both good psychology and good religion caution us against being motivated by what others think and say.” I should go to my interior place to pray with Jesus to consider how I am affected by what others think and say, perhaps? I should consider always before thinking, speaking and acting whether I am motivated by what others think and say or by what Jesus thinks and says, perhaps? Thanks for this guidance. May the Holy Spirit always guide us through the love of the Father.

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts

the gardener

the gardener

The question surprised me and the look in the young boy’s eyes let me know that he wanted more than a religious-cliche-response. I took a moment to think, pray, and think again and was surprised at the answer that came to me.

in the field

in the field

Such wise people have reflected on their life experience enough to know that while a peaceful and perfect day is welcome, we are most connected with others and therefore with God (we could also say most connected with God and therefore with others), when we live a struggle together.

FFF the book

FFF the book

Every day I am with people who may have once been baptised but now feel a distance between themselves and the Church and God. We are these people, as are too many of our family, friends, neighbours and workmates. This book therefore is for us.

church beauty

church beauty

We call things beautiful when they reveal to us their inner essence, their reality as understood in the mind of God

All Souls

All Souls

By looking at the graves, before which countless memories return, we remember how they lived, what they loved