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Fr. George Herbert describes prayer thus:
The land of spices; something understood.
There is an utterly wonderful meditation on this at Malcolm Guite’s marvellous site. His comment on the second line is so profound, and so fitting the case of a friend who needs prayer that I cannot resist quoting it here for him and for us all:
This line invites us into a very early tradition of prayer and meditation rooted in a reflection on the image of breath and breathing in the Bible. To understand this line we need first to remember that Hebrew, Greek and Latin all use a single word to mean both ‘breath’ and ‘spirit’. ‘God’s breath in man’ evokes that primal image in Genesis of God breathing the breath of life into humanity, the moment of our wakening as living beings, a moment of tender closeness to our Maker. But after that inspiration comes the equally decisive moment of expiration. We have to trace our history through fall and alienation pain and sin and death at last to the foot of the cross where a Second Adam, one in whom also the whole of humanity is bound and involved, stretches out his arms to embrace the pain of the world and breathes back to God that gift of life.
The Holy Spirit breathes upon us. In the Orthodox Church the catechumen being received is breathed upon. In stillness and in meditation upon God (and that is what my Rosary is to me) we can enter into that quietness where the soul is soothed and the dizzy brain is calmed. Sometimes, because of some of the associations of ‘meditation’ we think of it as something to do with ‘eastern mysticism’ and therefore to be distrusted. But the true eastern mysticism is that of Christ, who is the all in all, and he taught us how to pray. For those who find the Rosary too ‘busy’, there is the prayer of Jesus which the Orthodox pray: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner’. Whatever brings calm and comfort and is of Jesus, we should take it as part of the rich banquet Our Lord has prepared for us.
I don’t know how many of you know the Sacred Space site, but for those of us with busy lives which involve computers a lot, it is a marvellous oasis from which to refresh us and feed the soul’s blood.
So, as we go through today, my friends, can I ask simply we pray each for the other, with a special prayer for DR, over whom the Blessed Virgin has cast her mantle of protection, and who needs to remember, always, the words of Mother Julian:
St Bosco said:
Ah, how wonderful
And we can all take refuge and relax at cherrybombcoutour.blogspot.com
Come in and find peace for your soul
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theophiletos said:
George Herbert is amazing! I had a poetry professor once, not a Christian, who maintained that Herbert was the best poet in the English language so far. I’m partial to Herbert’s “Love (III),” myself, which I may post on my blog if I find the time.
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JessicaHof said:
So glad to find another two fans – I agree. I can’t decide though between him and Eliot – Little Gidding is amazing – and of course, has overtones of Herbert. I do hope you can find time 🙂 xx
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theophiletos said:
You precisely identified the disagreement between my professor and I. I always took Eliot’s part in the contest for absolute best, though at the time I only knew “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and “The Wasteland.” “The Four Quartets” have grown on me over the last couple years, but I still have a soft spot for Murder in the Cathedral. The fourth temptation scene there moves me powerfully.
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JessicaHof said:
Hurrah! Another vote for Eliot. I agree about MiC. I went to Little Gidding a couple of years back – such a moving and powerful experience.
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St Bosco said:
Do you really believe Jesus told this Julian lady that all will be well?
These are false prophets that speak smooth words to the people.
Jesus said himself that he comes to bring a sword and set son against father.
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JessicaHof said:
Ah, I can see you have not Googled her. She almost died, but the Lord brought her through, and through her gave us all a great vision of what was, is and will be. You should read more on her Bosco – a marvellous woman who walked with the Lord.
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St Bosco said:
She lied about getting a talk from Jesus. I don’t want to learn about frauds. I waste enough time as it is. Sorry to bust your bubble. All these private revelations are false. Im telling you this as a friend.
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JessicaHof said:
Now what makes you say that when you know nothing about her, Bosco?
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St Bosco said:
Jesus don’t come privately to people and tell them things to tell others. I don’t have to know her. I know Jesus myself. And that aint him talking. That’s how I know. Sorry.
Its a war out there for our flesh and souls. People will be in the lake of fire in their bodies.
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JessicaHof said:
But I thought he had come to you, Bosco, so I am puzzled.
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newenglandsun said:
Boscow said:
“Jesus don’t come privately to people and tell them things to tell others. I don’t have to know her. I know Jesus myself. And that aint him talking. That’s how I know. Sorry.”
Is this because Jesus came to Bosco privately? Inform us unenlightened folk, please–wait, Jesus didn’t come to Bosco privately so how would he know?
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