Wisdom from the Desert

Wisdom from the Desert... 2

Martha and Mary

A brother once came to Abba Sylvanus, and when he saw the brothers working, he said "Do not work for perishable bread" (John 6:27); "Mary has chosen the better part" (Luke 10:42). The superior told them to give him a book and to bring him to an empty cell. When the ninth hour came, that brother watched the door for someone to summon him to dinner. Finally, he went to the elder and asked him: "Have the brothers eaten today?" The elder answered: "Of course." "Why have you not fetched me?" The elder responded: "since you are a spiritual man, you don't need this food. We carnal fellows must still eat, and so we work. You have chosen the better part, in that you read all day and do not wish to eat physical food." When the brother heard this, he fell at his feet and said: "Forgive me, Father". The old man said to him "Mary needs Martha. It is really thanks to Martha that Mary is praised."Abba Moses asked Abba Sylvanus "Can a man lay a new foundation every day?" The old man said "If we work hard, we can lay a new foundation every moment."

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Thank you!

Comments and observations to: vmalpan@gmail.com

To be humorous is to be human

Cloistered Carmel Convent Sembaganur - Kodaikanal India @@@@@@@@@@@@ Finding God in the Ordinary... "There was a crazy incident when I visited Grenada in the W. Indies. Imagine me at 5.00 in the morning. I'm dripping wet and wearing only a towel after a cold shower to wake me up for morning prayers and Mass. To my delight and surprise I saw an enormous crapaud -a toad the size of my fist -hopping down the corridor.

As I pursued it with my camera my twin brother, Peter, a fellow Dominican, sang, 'These foolish things remind me of you.' I bet that's not how you imagine us priests!Such foolish things also reminded me of an important truth. The great Dominican saint and scholar, Thomas Aquinas, wrote that having a sense of humour is a mark of being human.

No brute beast can laugh at itself or at life. It has no sense of the ridiculous. And however close a computer may resemble human intelligence it can't crack a joke or laugh at one. True, it can make me feel ridiculous when I can't work a simple programme any child can manage. But that's frustrating, not funny.At best a computer can produce amusing coincidences, resulting from the way a human being has programmed it. This is most likely to occur in the spell check. I used to have an Amstrad PCW. When this didn't recognise the name 'Bathsheba' it suggested 'bathrobe' -the very garment the lady wasn't wearing when king David ogled her while she took a bath! Perhaps my PCW was dropping her. a hint.

Incidentally, the alternative for my name is, 'Isotope Clack.'Since Jesus was fully human, he must have had a sense of humour. There's an example of this in his conversation with the Syro Phoenician woman. He seemed to delight in her witty argument that if dogs were allowed to eat the crumbs children dropped from the table, she, a pagan 'dog,' had the right to ask Jesus, a Jew, to cure her daughter.

The parable about a great banquet gives us another example of Christ's humour. One of the guests was so full of his own importance that he grabbed the most prestigious place at table. But to his embarrassment and everyone else's amusement his host asked him to move down and make room for someone more important. An exaggerated idea of our own importance only makes us appear ridiculous. Certainly God is not impressed by our posturing.

I bet Jesus told this story with a twinkle in his eye, and caused his listeners great amusement, as they knew who he was getting at. But then it could be you or me! Then I hope we would be able to laugh at ourselves.And what about my encounter with the crapaud?

Well, this reminded me that while I must take Christ seriously I shouldn't be too solemn about myself. We discover what it means to be a Christian, not only in prayer, but also in play. And we all know that a sense of humour can relieve many a tense situation -if we are not too pompous to admit that we are being ridiculous and can laugh at ourselves. Any way I have a good precedent in king David, dancing in his loincloth before the ark of the Lord. His very prim wife was shocked. God was not pleased with her!Thank God for my crazy encounter with the crapaud. Hopefully this will help to keep me sane! And if this foolish incident reminded Peter of me, it should also remind me to seek Christ both in the serious and amusing incidents in life. Incidentally, I have drawn this cartoon of a ridiculous elderly priest -me -meeting a crapaud early in the morning in the W. Indies. I'm not sure which of us is more bewildered! Me or the crapaud?"

In: My Way God's Way

by Isidore Clarke O.P.

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vmalpan@gmail.com

Personal Confession

Charles Davis Before Charles Davis left the Church, he wrote an article in the Review America which is really thought provoking: Summary of what he wrote in that article: "After Vatican II I was enthusiastic about the pros­pects for church renewal, for updating and changing structures. I offered wonderful new theology of Vatican II to huge audiences. There was so much enthusiasm in me about the new theology. But gradually it dawned upon me that the people who listened to me were not seeking a new theology; they were seeking God. They were not looking up to me as a theologian with a message, but they were looking up to me as a priest, who might be able to offer them God." "Then I would look into myself and realize with a sinking heart that I could not offer them God; I barely had Him myself! There was a great void in my heart- and the busier I was with things like church reform and updating structures, even with liturgical renewal, and scripture studies and pastoral methods, the easier it was for me to escape from God, to escape from the void in my heart." What a down to earth, personal, bold confession! ======= From Anthony de Mello, S.J., Contact with God (1990), pp.24-25.

Religiosity

It's in the Bible There was a religious lady that had to do a lot of traveling for her business, so she did a lot of flying. Flying made her very, very nervous, so she always took her Bible along with her to read as it helped relax her on the long flights. One time, she was sitting next to a man. When he saw her pull out her Bible, he gave a little chuckle and smirk and went back to what he was doing. After awhile, he turned to her and asked, "You don't really believe all that stuff in there do you?" The lady replied, "Of course I do. It is the Bible." He said, "Well, what about that guy that was swallowed by that whale?" She replied, "Oh, Jonah. Yes, I believe that, it is in the Bible." He asked, "Well, how do you suppose he survived all that time inside the whale?" The lady said, "Well, I don't really know. I guess when I get to heaven, I will ask him." "What if he isn't in heaven?" the man asked sarcastically. "Then you can ask him," replied the lady. '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' vmalpan@gmail.com

Picture Contemplation

Dear friend, You are welcome to enter into a prayer form called "Picture Contemplation". 1) -Spend a few moments in silence... a silence that re-creates you and energizes you with lots of hope. -Silence is therapeutic... When silence reaches the heart it purifies and heals you... -Silence is an inner power that opens you up to immense possibilities embedded in the day-today life... -Is not inner silence the experience of the Spirit of God? -The Holy Spirit of God is praying within you with sighs too deep for words... 2) In the name of the Father,and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 3) In imaginative faith, look at the pictures given below... -See the context and the content of the pictures... -Give a name to each picture... do not think too much... -Let the spontaneity in you take you over... -See the combination and harmony of colours... -Enter into a conversation with each one of the pictures... -If you are silent enough, you can listen to the vibrations coming from each picture... 4) In surrendering faith, just let the Spirit of God transform you... 5) Listen to the message the Spirit is imprinting in you right now... 6) Be grateful... 7) Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen. -------------- Have a nice day! Give each picture a name that vibrates with your present life-experience here and now...

What you see here can influence you positively...

We are pilgrims...

The crucified and risen Lord is in touch with us...

Be in touch...

May great things happen to you and through you!

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vmalpan@gmail.com