"Letters From the Desert" by Carlo Carretto
My prayer is serious, though it may be dry and hard, it eventually is sustainable by the hope, the voice, the yearning found in that place more than any other. Sometimes it is more than a prayer of barrenness in the dry heat of the desert, or the cold night alone. But, it is real and it is heard by the Most High God.
I just finished this most precious book, "Letters From the Desert," by Carlo Carretto. He is among the few who chose the desert experience in order to make a clean slate of his heart and mind and soul before God, that he may live for God alone, not distracted by the chaos of the world. He presents his experience on such realistic terms, that it almost seems possible for any of us to go to this desert at any time, to use our every day experiences as ways in which we can see, hear, and taste our God.
Many times I ask God questions such as, "What am I suposed to do here on earth? How should I handle this situation? Why am I here?" ...I end up waiting anxiously for an answer of some sort that will enlighten me for the rest of my days...hoping I will receive the words that will be enough for me forever. This has yet to happen.
As my husband and I were flying home from Connecticut, where we were visiting friends who seem to have the most perfect lives - so happy, well sustained, good family life, etc...I was again asking, "God, will I be this way? What is my job as Your steward? Do I have a purpose?" I opened this book and read the following:
"I can only say, 'Live love, let love invade you. It will never fail to teach you what you must do.'
Charity, which is God in us, will point to the way ahead. It will say to you 'Now kneel,' or 'Now leave.'
It is love which gives things their value. It makes sense of the difficulty of spending hours and hours on one's knees praying while so many need looking after in the world; and in the context of love we must view our inability to change the world, to wipe out evil and suffering.
It is love which must determine one's actions, love which must give unity to what is divided. Love is the synthesis of contemplation and action, the meeting-point between heaven and earth, between God and humanity.
I have known the satisfaction of unrestrained action, and the joy of the comtemplative life in the dazzling peace of the desert, and I repeat again St. Augustine's words: 'Love and do as you will.' Don't worry about what you ought to do. Worry about loving. Don't interrogate heaven repeatedly and uselessly saying, 'What course of action should I pursue?' Concentrate on loving instead.
And by loving you will find out what is for you. Loving, you will listen to the Voice. Loving, you wil find peace."
Two days later I found out I was pregnant. My whole world has already changed. These questions I had asked just a few days earlier seem so selfish, my life seemed to have been so self-centered, and these wise words of love seem to be the exact answer that will forever enlighten me.
I just finished this most precious book, "Letters From the Desert," by Carlo Carretto. He is among the few who chose the desert experience in order to make a clean slate of his heart and mind and soul before God, that he may live for God alone, not distracted by the chaos of the world. He presents his experience on such realistic terms, that it almost seems possible for any of us to go to this desert at any time, to use our every day experiences as ways in which we can see, hear, and taste our God.
Many times I ask God questions such as, "What am I suposed to do here on earth? How should I handle this situation? Why am I here?" ...I end up waiting anxiously for an answer of some sort that will enlighten me for the rest of my days...hoping I will receive the words that will be enough for me forever. This has yet to happen.
As my husband and I were flying home from Connecticut, where we were visiting friends who seem to have the most perfect lives - so happy, well sustained, good family life, etc...I was again asking, "God, will I be this way? What is my job as Your steward? Do I have a purpose?" I opened this book and read the following:
"I can only say, 'Live love, let love invade you. It will never fail to teach you what you must do.'
Charity, which is God in us, will point to the way ahead. It will say to you 'Now kneel,' or 'Now leave.'
It is love which gives things their value. It makes sense of the difficulty of spending hours and hours on one's knees praying while so many need looking after in the world; and in the context of love we must view our inability to change the world, to wipe out evil and suffering.
It is love which must determine one's actions, love which must give unity to what is divided. Love is the synthesis of contemplation and action, the meeting-point between heaven and earth, between God and humanity.
I have known the satisfaction of unrestrained action, and the joy of the comtemplative life in the dazzling peace of the desert, and I repeat again St. Augustine's words: 'Love and do as you will.' Don't worry about what you ought to do. Worry about loving. Don't interrogate heaven repeatedly and uselessly saying, 'What course of action should I pursue?' Concentrate on loving instead.
And by loving you will find out what is for you. Loving, you will listen to the Voice. Loving, you wil find peace."
Two days later I found out I was pregnant. My whole world has already changed. These questions I had asked just a few days earlier seem so selfish, my life seemed to have been so self-centered, and these wise words of love seem to be the exact answer that will forever enlighten me.
posted by KariBryant @ 10:37 AM
1 Comments:
At 9:06 AM,
Amy said…
I like that - "Worry about loving." It's so selfless unlike the many selfish me-focused prayers I pray. I think that pretty much sums up what the life of the Christian should look like - worry about loving God and others and the rest will fall into place. Good stuff!
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