Friday, August 03, 2007

Christ is in our Midst-V (letter 1)


I will not reprint the entire book. I am simply printing these pre-materials in order to better explain the work to the reader of this blog. With this information, the letters will make more sense.

I will print the entire first letter to set the tone of all the letters printed in this book that follow. From this point on, I will only post selected excerpts or selected entire letters. If all this interests you, buy the book!



"1

4 August 1939


I received your esteemed letter and I see from it that you have begun to take an interest in the inner spiritual life. May the Lord give you wisdom! You are right in saying that we should not expect anything from prayer. In prayer one should keep a sense of being very unworthy and if warmth and tears come, one should not think highly of oneself; let them come and go without any coercion, but do not be troubled when they disappear: it cannot be otherwise.


Prayer is the most difficult of spiritual exercises, and to our last breath it involves the labour of hard struggle. Yet the Lord in his mercy also gives comfort at times to the one who prays, so that he may not weaken. Set your own rule for private prayer according to the time available; there will be no arbitrariness in this. But I advise you not to take on much, so as not to be a slave to the rule, and in order to avoid haste.


By God's mercy all is well here for the present. We are living the usual monastic life.


May God bless you."

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