Essence of Prayer by Ruth Burrows

Author:Ruth Burrows
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Spirituality, Religion, Christianity
ISBN: 9781587680397
Publisher: HiddenSpring
Published: 2006-07-14T04:00:00+00:00

And when we shall have been brought to nothing, when our humility is perfect, then will take place the union of the soul and God, which is the highest and noblest estate attainable in this life.

(c.f. St John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel, II.vii).

Were it not for Jesus, the Mystery in which we are inescapably enfolded would remain for us an impenetrable darkness and our hearts an endless yearning. As it is, in him we see that the Mystery is absolute love, totally unconditional - how important that word, and how difficult for us to `realize'! - and that this love, unconditional though it is and something that will never be withdrawn, calls for an appropriate response. Jesus knew, as no other ever could, the immensity of love for humankind issuing from the God whom he called `Father'. His whole life and surrender in death was his passionate `yes' to this love - a love too great for his human heart to hold without breaking.

Therese of Lisieux entered deeply into the mystery of Jesus and lived out her short life surrendered to him, and was forever pondering on his words and deeds. However, there were two `moments' in Jesus' life that unveiled to her the inmost nature of love and that inspired and shaped her response: his infancy and his Passion. In both, the Son of God is defenceless, vulnerable, delivered up to human hands. Here was something that caught at her heart and on which she dwelt incessantly. Love can only be love and nothing else. It must offer itself nakedly and be received in its nakedness. Therese understood that the divine omnipotence is the omnipotence of love and only that. To be true to itself it must come to us with no false trappings of power but as what it is, pure selfgift that humbles itself, divests itself of `god-ness' (that is, of all the qualities that we attach to divinity) and `stoops to nothingness to transform that nothingness into love.'

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