The Mustard Seed of Prayer

By -
‘Whoever
flees from prayer
flees all
that is good.’
St. John of the Cross
Prayer. We often think of prayer as something difficult, especially contemplative prayer. If we read the classics, written by the saints, it seems to take years of arduous training to pass through gradually ascending levels to reach the pinnacle of prayer, complete union with Christ where we can say with St. Paul,“No longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me.”
Yet after living with children for 34 years, I have good news, tidings of great joy for you. If I allow myself to relax and surrender control,  like a child trusting in her heavenly Daddy, I discover that it is God who heals, purifies and transforms me into His presence on earth. This process is all about Him, NOT me. My efforts, discipline, asceticism will not earn me union with God. This is not a competitive race to see who will succeed. This is a difficult concept to grasp for the modern Western mindset.
I experienced  an eureka moment this week. After an acquaintance discussed how difficult it was to climb the holy mountain, reaching the pinnacle only with hard work and determination, I suddenly realized that there is no mountain except in our puny minds.continue reading>

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