Sunday 29 March 2009

End of the Devout Life!

I don't mean the seminary has suddenly become immoral, but that we've finished the Introduction to the Devout Life which we've been reading for the past four weeks. It's been a wonderful chance to read a spiritual classic as a community, and to see how it has become a part of our life here, whether it be in mealtime discussions or in priests' homilies. But more than that, St Francis has a greater knowledge of the human person, of what it is like strive in the way of Christ, and his advice is not high-flown or abstract, but suitable to our daily lives. I shall no doubt be returning to him in the future!

Here is last reading from St Francis de Sales:

Consider the eternal love which God has had for you; for already before our Lord Jesus Christ, as man, suffered on the cross for you, his divine Majesty foreknew you in his sovereign goodness and loved you infinitely. But, when did he begin to love you? When he began to be God. And when did he begin to be God? Never, for he has ever been God, without beginning and without end; and so he has always loved you from all eternity: and therefore he prepared the grace and favours which he has conferred on you.


Tomorrow we start a five day silent retreat before Holy Week. (Judging by the posts recently, you might think we're always on retreat, but Mount St Bernard's was just for the 2nd years - this is our annual Lenten retreat for the whole house.) It will be nice to be silent and reflect on what God has been doing in our lives. Inevitably, this means no blogging for a week... See you on the flipside!

1 comment:

Fr Paul Johnson said...

May it be a blessed and fruitful retreat. I keep you all, as ever, much in my thoughts and prayers. I'm sure those wonderful Jesuits will lead you all toward a most devout life! P