God's Self-revelation

The Self-revelation of God

The dialogue between God and humanity is the give-and-take of self-revelation and response. That's what's happening in every relationship, you can't understand the rules of prayer.
In prayer God is gradually disclosing himself, revealing herself. So revelation and faith are correlative. There cannot be faith without revelation. We cannot believe in a person who has not shared himself or herself with us. To the degree that person has shared with us, we can believe in that person.

It's the same way with God. When we waste time with the Lord and listen, we're allowing
God to reveal not information but Self. This is what's symbolized on the cross: God is totally disclosed, God is the totally given God. But it takes us a lot of scraping and converting to open ourselves up to that disclosure. If we are filled with ourselves, there is, quite simply, no room for the other, and surely not The Other.

excerpt from The Price of Peoplehood
Radical Grace, Daily Meditations
By Richard Rohr, O.F. M.

~~~~~+~~~~

And so it is, as I read this, thatmy prayertime this morning came to mind. Though I seemed focused on the prayers I was saying and the words upon which I was reflecting, I was doing all the talking...MY prayer should be, "Lord keep me QUIET." Perhaps my concern is that if I'm not talking, he won't be listening. Well, I couldn't be more WRONG. Can you sit and be quiet? Can you simply just SIT and be quiet. There are no lessons for this. There is no text with a lesson plan. I have to teach myself the art of QUIET! Will I ever learn!?! The funny thing is, only God will know!

+
~~+++~~
+

Thanks be to God!

Ten Minute MEME

Mount Rushmore
June 2007

I was tagged by A Catholic Mom in Hawaii to offer who I would like to spend 10 minutes with. Amazingly enough she and I have chosen three of the same. Who would have guessed?

10 People You'd Like to Spend 10 Minutes With:

~~Jesus

~~Pope Benedict XVI

~~Mary Higgins Clark

~~Scott Hahn

~~Martin Sheen

~~Madeline Albright

~~Matthew Kelly

~~Amy Welborn

~~Sister Julie from A Nun's Life

~~Richard Rohr, O.F.M.

Finally, I would like to do lunch with all those at Blarney Corner!

+++++++

Tagging, again, now that is the hard part. Here goes.

*Eileen on Him...At least I try!

*Prayer, Poetry and Praise

*Beyond Horizan3

*Christ's Rose

*La Dulce Vita: The Sweet Life With Three Sons

*Decrease to Increase

*Unexpected Journey

*Daily Grotto

*Contemplative Haven

*UOK's Place

~~~^j^~~~

Enjoy
and
Thanks be to God!

Funny story about me!

I just came from a visit with Mike at This I Do. It was all about waiting on the Lord and receiving answers in his good time. It really struck home this morning. When I pray, you know, being patient is not what I do best. But of late He has been asking me to do just that.

I can give you a personal illustration, and an image of how impatient I can be. Remember the YouTube video a few days ago titled "Alleluia by Randall Thompson"? Well, I tried to upload it directly on Monday, not once, but five times. Each time I would wait and check the blog and it was not there, so I'd do it again. Finally, I was able to use another process and I was successful. When I opened my blog this morning, much to my surprise, there were ALL five uploads. Now, I don't have any idea where these were for the last three days. Floating around in cyberspace, no doubt, and finally decided to land. I could only laugh at myself and at the zeal with which I wanted you all to experience my excitement.

Yes, this morning I see it as a lesson I must be taught again and again about being patient. And, I suspect, until I get it right. Only He knows when I will be even slightly successful.

Though this project did not have anything to do with prayer or being sure I am following his plan for me in my life at that time, it just goes to show that if I would just WAIT, there would be an answer. It doesn't mean I should stop praying, it teaches me that maybe I should not nag (uploading, uploading, uploading...). In three days I got the answer, not yesterday as I hope, but an answer nonetheless. And yes, I got it...in three days! As Mike says, "May we know His strength as we wait upon the Lord."

God is Good!!! All the Time!

~~~~~
Thanks, Mike, and thanks be to God!

"Listening as Spiritual Hospitality"

gina64's photos

When I visited Poetry, Prayer and Praise the other day, I was reminded of a wonderful book by Henri J. M. Nouwen call Bread for the Journey--A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith. I have used this book for reflection for a number of years and go back to it frequently. I'm not sure I ever finished it because like all books like this I tend to skip the calendar day I missed and go on to the present date. Well, I picked it up today and this was the reflection offered me. A reflection on "listening." That means, "Be quiet, Cathy, I have something to say!"

To listen is very hard, because it asks of us so much interior stability that we no longer need to prove ourselves by speeches, argument, statements, or declarations. True listeners no longer have an inner need to make their presence know. They are free to receive, to welcome, to accept.

Listening is much more than allowing another to talk while waiting for a chance to respond. Listening is paying full attention to other and welcoming them into our very beings. The beauty of listening is that those who are listened to start feeling accepted, start taking their words more seriously and discovering their true selves. Listening is a form of spiritual hospitality by which you invite strangers to become friends , to get to know their inner selves more fully, and even to dare to be silent with you.

I fear that I am not a very good listener. No, I so want to make my point that I fail to "hear" the inspirations of others...And silence to me is frightening. I feel the "need" to communicate something, anything instead of being silent.

So, at the risk to my pride, I ask for instruction on being "quiet" and being a good listener...PLEASE! It's never too late to learn.

~~~~+~~~~
Thanks be to God!