Pilgrimpace's Blog

I’ve been away on retreat for the past week at Glasshampton Monastery, giving me a much needed space for prayer and reflection in the build up to Holy Week and Easter.  Thanks to Br Nicholas Alan, I’ve discovered the sixteenth century Spanish Franciscan mystical writers Francisco de Osuna and Bernardino de Laredo who in many ways paved the way for Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.  I’ve been slowly reading and praying Osuna’s Third Spiritual Alphabetwith it’s teaching on the prayer of recollection.  Maybe some quotes from this once I’ve pondered and read more.

In the meantime, this from Jean Vanier:

In L’Arche and in Faith and Light, we are beginning to see the truth of St Paul’s words about the choice of God – that God chooses the weak, the foolish, the lowly and the despised.  This does not mean that God has not chosen others who are wise and strong.  It means that Jesus, the God of love, came to give himself to those who feel lonely and pushed aside, and who cry out for love, who are open and vulnerable to love, who let themselves be led by love.  Jesus cannot give himself to those who are closed in on themselves and only want ideas about God.  The wise and rich must leave their securities, and their need for temporal and spiritual power and wealth, in order to discover Jesus, the lover.  They must recognise their needs and poverty enough to open the doors of their hearts to receive him, to be led and taught by him.