Motion is a Sign of Life

During the first week of my semester abroad in Austria, I visited Stift Melk, a famous Benedictine abbey, with my classmates. I discovered the reflection below posted in one of the exposition rooms. It helps to reassure me when I'm feeling restless or uncertain of the Lord's will.

Motion is a Sign of Life
When I am in motion I see only one side, one aspect. Some things are unclear; I see only parts, not the whole.

When I am in motion, on my way, I am continually reaching new shores, getting to know the world, other people, and myself. I always have a new goal.

Being on the move causes unrest, but this unrest enables me to move, lets my heart grow wide.

Being on the move has a great destination. As long as I am moving towards this destination I am looking in a mirror and see only a dim reflection. When I arrive at my destination I shall be seeing face to face. "Now I only perceive incompletely, but then I will realize through and through, as I will also be realized through and through." (as per 1 Cor 13:12)

Although I do not perceive the whole truth when I am on the way, this very lack of perfection is a sign that I am still alive.

My staying in motion brings God's spirit to me: The spirit is what brings life.
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Time does not stop. It keeps moving forward. We can choose to be carried aimlessly through the passing moments, or we can move confidently onward in the direction of our destination.
As Christians, our ultimate destination is heaven, God, the beatific vision. If we keep our eyes fixed on this goal, this final reward, we shall not be lost. Of course, we may certainly wander, for life is a journey, and "not all who wander are lost" (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings).

TJTM,
V

Just a Bite

I discovered this wonderful poem while reading some posts in Dr. Daniel McInerny's blog, High Concepts, and I simply must share it with you.

"Artichoke" - by Joseph Hutchison

O heart weighed down by so many wings.

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Yes, ladies and gentlemen; a one-line poem.

We could all use a bit more clarity and simplicity in our lives. Not all expressions of beauty require a long explanation. Sometimes, words can be superfluous. Silence, a word, a phrase; these are perfectly proper value responses.

TJTM, 
V


[Citation, as per Joseph Hutchison's website:
“Artichoke” in The Poetry Home Repair Manual: Practical Advice for Beginning Poets, Ted Kooser ed. (University of Nebraska Press, 2005).]

Some widsom from St. Therese.

As today is the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux, I thought it fitting to share a short passage from her autobiography, The Story of a Soul.

"I had wondered for a long time why God had preferences and why all souls did not receive an equal amount of grace....Jesus saw fit to enlighten me about this mystery. He set the book of nature before me and I saw that all the flowers He has created are lovely. The splendour of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. I realised that if every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness and there would be no wild flowers to make the meadows gay.
"It is just the same in the world of souls - which is the garden of Jesus. He has created the great saints who are like the lilies and the roses, but He has also created much lesser saints and they must be content to be the daisies or the violets which rejoice His eyes whenever He glances down. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being that which He wants us to be."

St. Therese of the Child Jesus, 
pray for us!