Contemplative Haven

We’ll be heading out in a couple of days for our summer vacation (we left it a tad late, didn’t we) and then it will be right back into the school year and those glorious autumn days. So this post will wind things up at the Haven until sometime in early September. Your intentions will be travelling with me, and I’d like to leave you with a heartfelt wish, that you will “let nothing disturb you”. Ah, easier said than done, you say. Absolutely. But let’s all give it our best, with His grace.

The direct link to YouTube is: HERE for a beautiful interpretation of St. Teresa of Avila’s, “Nada te turbe”.

Let nothing disturb you;
Let nothing frighten you;
All things pass away;
God never changes.
Patience attains all
that it strives for;
He who has God
Finds he lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
(St. Teresa of Avila)

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Ave Maria (Benedictine sisters chant)

Excerpt from: “Handmaid of the Lord”,  by Adrienne von Speyr

“Thus, through the Assumption, the distance and difference between heaven and earth are as if bridged over and obliterated for the Mother.  For she who is now received by the Son into heaven is none other than she who received him on earth from heaven; and as her way expanded more and more, starting with the Son’s conception and going all the way to her present reception into heaven by the Son, so this reception also expands to its highpoint in the Son’s conception by her.  The two high points intensify one another and neither direction can be designated as the definitive one:  from earth to heaven or from heaven to earth.  It is an eternal circuit between God and man, heaven and earth, spiritual world and material world:  a circulation also between Mother and Son.  For, as the Mother had once said Yes to the Son and everything having to do with him, so today the Son speaks his great assent to the Mother.  This assent is divine and immeasurable and gives the Mother’s assent its whole heavenly limitlessness.  As long as the Mother was in the world, she was as limited as any human being, and she had to bear those limits in mind even when she tried to work in the Son’s cause.  From the moment of the Assumption on, she receives the power to be able to do what the Son wills, without limits.  She knows no more boundaries except those that we on earth set against her work.  Only our No can hold back her eternal Yes.”

Artwork:  The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (c. 1640)
Attributed to:  Bartolome Murillo

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While doing some reading on the Internet just prior to the feastday of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), I came across these lines, which were discovered shortly after World War II, written on a cellar wall in which Jews had been hiding:  “I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining.  And I believe in love, even when there’s no one there.  And I believe in God, even when God is silent.” 

This powerful message of hope and courage was used as the basis for the song, “Inscription of Hope”, which you can hear performed by the Northwest Girlchoir, on their CD by the same name.  Three of the songs on the CD were also performed in the musical memorial, “I Never Saw Another Butterfly”, dedicated to the 15,000 children who passed through the town of Teresienstadt on their way to Auschwitz. 

I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining.
And I believe in love
even when there’s no one there.
And I believe in God
even when God is silent.
I believe through any trial
there is always a way.
But sometimes in this suffering
and hopeless despair
My heart cries for shelter
to know someone’s there.
But a voice rises within me saying,
‘hold on my child
I’ll give you strength, I’ll give you hope
Just stay a little while.’
I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining.
And I believe in love
even when there’s no one there.
And I believe in God
even when God is silent.
I believe through any trial
there is always a way.
May there someday be sunshine,
May there someday be happiness,
May there someday be love,
May there someday be peace.

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Father Thomas Dubay, author of, “Fire Within”, as well as many other wonderful works such as, “Deep Conversion, Deep Prayer”, currently has a 13-part podcast on contemplation available for downloading or listening.  You will only be able to access it for a limited number of days, so please don’t wait too long. 

I cannot say enough about this holy priest.  Some of you may remember that I quoted him often last year, as we went mansion by mansion through St. Teresa of Avila’s, “Interior Castle”.   He is one of our finest interpreters of both Teresa and St. John of the Cross, and his mission in life appears to be to bring the knowledge of contemplation and contemplative prayer to the masses - to help us understand that deep prayer, contemplative prayer, is meant for everyone, that holiness is what we were born for, that union with the Divine is a very real possibility for all of us, including the Transforming Union.

I would really encourage you to take advantage of this series Father Dubay is providing.  You can get all the details concerning where to find it over at Catholic iPod.  Hurry! 

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Perhaps I am the last to know (big grin; as per usual!), but I have just discovered GodTube, and thought you might be interested in taking a look.

At least for the moment, I don’t think we can embed GodTube video at St. Blog’s because Wordpress doesn’t allow it (some other service providers do), but we can at least link to anything we’d like to share.

Have a look, if you’re not out in the garden (or earning your living). How about THIS ONE, for starters?

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I really only began to read about St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) last year, and did a post Here and Here. (I get nostalgic when I go to my old blog and read the comments some of you left on these two posts; unfortunately, comments didn’t get transferred when I changed sites). 

This year I’d like to share another passage from Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda’s book, a passage which spoke to me of what was at the root of St. Teresa Benedicta’s ability to embrace the Cross, and what must be at the root of all of our lives if we desire to be self-giving, if we desire to embrace that same Cross the way she embraced it:

“Perhaps one of Edith’s greatest legacies to the body of believers is her own devotion to prayer.  Edith understood every person’s need for still and quiet prayer.  “We need those hours in which we listen silently and let the divine word work within us,” she wrote (Daybook, 121).  After her baptism but before entering the Carmelites, even with her busy teaching and speaking schedule, Edith sought constant opportunities to pray.  It is precisely people with many obligations and who are fully involved, she argued, who need such communion with God in inner stillness.  Edith the scholar, the philosopher, the theologian, the spiritual giant, the feminist, and finally, the martyr, teaches us that we do not need to be in a church to be still with God in prayer.  We can - and need to - catch our breath spiritually anywhere, constantly.”

If you wish to read more about St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, we have some wonderful posts today at:

Aeternus
Catholic Geek (see Phil’s 2 posts)
Receiving Light

If you’d like some excellent audio, we have Part 1 and Part 2 of, “Edith Stein:  An Historical Perspective”, on the EWTN website, hosted by Father Charles Connor, of the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

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I am so surprised and pleased!  Albert, of twelve star productions, is the director of the documentary I told you about here, and he has left a comment on my post, giving us more information about the documentary on the Icons of Sr. Magnificat Macé.  Here is what Albert wrote: 

“My name is Albert. I am the director for the Sister Documentary. I just happened to randomly find that you had linked to the trailer. I was pleasantly surprised. I am sorry it is late, but I did just finish the docu. the other week. We will be looking to put it on EWTN and have the DVD available for purchase. Keep an eye on the website for info. Thanks for helping support our efforts. There are more projects coming!”

Albert, thank you so much for letting us know.  We’re really looking forward to it, and please feel free to email me with news or updates at any time (you can get my email address from my “About” page). 

Anyone who wants to find out more about this and other possible upcoming projects, you can also go to the website of Corpus Christi Watershed. 

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Excerpt from:  Abandonment to Divine Providence (Jean-Pierre de Caussade)

“It is true that a canvas simply and blindly offered to the brush feels at each moment only the stroke of the brush.  It is the same with a lump of stone.  Each blow from the hammering of the sculptor’s chisel makes it feel - if it could - as if it were being destroyed.  As blow after blow descends, the stone knows nothing of how the sculptor is shaping it.  All it feels is a chisel chopping away at it, cutting it and mutilating it.  For example, let’s take a piece of stone destined to be carved into a crucifix or a statue.  We might ask it:  What do you think is happening to you?  And it might answer:  Don’t ask me.  All I know is that I must stay immovable in the hands of the sculptor, and I must love him and endure all he inflicts on me to produce the figure he has in mind.  He knows how to do it.  As for me, I have no idea what he is doing, nor do I know what he will make of me.  But what I do know is that his work is the best possible.  It is perfect.  I welcome each blow of his chisel as the best thing that could happen to me, although, if I’m to be truthful, I feel that every one of these blows is ruining me, destroying me and disfiguring me.  But I remain unconcerned.  I concentrate on the present moment, think only of my duty, and suffer all that this master sculptor inflicts on me without knowing his purpose or fretting about it.”

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Well, I do feel rather badly that I’ve had anything to do with twisting peoples’ brains up like Pennsylvania pretzels, or having brought the impalers out from hiding!  So I decided, there is nothing quite like an old movie, a little song ‘n dance, to ease the tensions of the week.  Now, you really must watch this one until the very last second.  The ending is just so me.  

You Say “Tomato”, I Say “Tomato“

Direct to YouTube is HERE

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I’ve been reflecting on what a gift I’ve received. Knowing people such as yourselves, who will speak their minds whether in agreement or disagreement, offer different perspectives, correct, encourage and help bring me Clarity is a wondrous thing.

And don’t those croissants look good.

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