Contemplative Haven

May 11 2009

Listen For Your Name

Published by gabrielle at 2:02 pm under Discernment, Hope

Perhaps our new name will not be immediately understood nor last forever. Perhaps it will be ours for a season of our lives, and change again. We undergo many renewals during one lifetime, don’t we; with the graces we receive from God, He makes us capable of growing and thriving. He gives us a new name which our heart may only recognize as a different sort of energy, a new goal, a different vision (whether clear or sketchy), an impetus towards a particular way of being or a definitive mission.

By what name is God calling you now? Who is He urging you to be at this point in your life, for His greater glory, for the growth of your own holiness and in service to your brothers and sisters? Are the lines of communication full of static or fuzzy right now? This too shall pass. If we are determined to stay in His Light, Jesus has got us covered. We are part of His flock, and His sheep recognize His voice.

7 responses so far

7 Responses to “Listen For Your Name”

# annon 12 May 2009 at 3:18 am

At mass on Sunday our parish priest was talking about vines and branches in keeping with the gospel, and he said instead of asking ourselves what we weren’t doing we should name our fruit – that which is synonomous with our name as Christian or child of God.
This is why we take it so badly when evil things are done in the name of God or righeousness.
God’s actions in our lives should change us completely, our friends should begin to wonder where our other self has gone. We’re not the persons we used to be….and hopefully we are beter – much changed, but still in need of pruning from time to time – it does us no harm at all.
# Carolon 12 May 2009 at 1:53 pm

One never feels more alone than in the Godly static/fuzzy/remote.. That’s when one might dare the undared: We can go to His Tabernacle, whatever that is for any of us, and somehow lay our forehead against His sweaty one, as if praying-with in the terrible Garden. It is a learning solace, for (it seems to me) He was shortly about to bear us as His very crown. Thorns are actually mis-grown leaves, turned hard and sharp and dark instead of supple and green and delivering needed water to the thirsting of the Body. We can turn thorns to love, if we get close enough to hear His whisper. Our name might be “Waterbearer” now and then. I hope so.
# gabrielleon 15 May 2009 at 3:32 am

Ann, “our friends should begin to wonder where our other self has gone.” I think you mean this in the sense that our lives are quite radically changed and if we are truly following Christ that it will be apparent. This is very true, and I guess the other part of that reality is that, as we continue to move in a direction that our friends are not at all interested in, many formerly close relationships will die a natural death. This has happened to me, for sure, and is one reason why I’m grateful to have met so many wonderful, like-minded people online.

Carol, lovely. I didn’t know that about thorns.

Waterbearer. How beautiful. Can you even begin to describe where that came from? Perhaps it is yours, and not “ours”, and how can one’s name be for “now and then” – rather, for a season, or always…and when is it okay for “hope” to not be necessary in a certain sense…when one knows. I’m rambling, but is this not how the Spirit works? He speaks our name in an instant, or it comes into our awareness through a reflection, or He reveals it to us in some other way, but we recognize it and speak it ourselves, and our name is now our vocation or our mission, and our new relationship to Christ and the Body of Christ.
# Carolon 15 May 2009 at 10:34 am

Well, I’ve long thought we each have heard little terms of endearment, too, if not names we can repeat in words. I don’t know what it is to be the apple of an earthly father’s eyes, but one of my girls especially did. He would call her “Hey-McGinty,” “my little Punkinelli,” “Miss McGillicuddy” –you can’t imagine how our eyes rolled, lol– until one 3 yr. old day she said, “Daddy, my name is Maddi.” He said, “Yes, Maddi-Daddy’s-little-punkinator!” No doubt God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit come up with something even sweeter, all along the way and stages.. (And if not, that’s alright, too!)
# Carolon 15 May 2009 at 11:01 am

I’d love to hear “Waterbearer” in Aramaic, and perhaps no moreso than when I travel from here to Him one day hence, and it would be 100% gift if so, but, I believe that is a very personal collective endearment as well — I believe it is for all who do anything to allay His human Body’s terrible life-sapping thirsts.
# Cherylon 19 Oct 2009 at 9:34 pm

Cheryl, One day after daily Mass I asked our Lord what His name for me is. He said my name is Cherished One of God. This name resonated with my deepest knowledge of who I am. This communication from Our Lord is one of my many treasured gifts He has given to me.
# gabrielleon 22 Oct 2009 at 4:12 pm

Cheryl, that’s a beautiful name you have received, and a blessed experience to have heard it. So comforting, and reinforcing of a firm conviction that you are a child of God, beloved of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, from time eternal. Many thanks for sharing this with us.