Friday, April 25, 2014
The Scent
A mystic once said that with sin we lost the scent. What scent? Well, before Adam messed up, he was able to sit with all the animals and name them. He had a scent about him that said it was safe to be around him. It was a scent of unity among creation. I don't think he was eating meat yet either, but that is another story. Back to the scent. When we have a wholeness about ourself, a peace, no bad behavior or selfishness, we have a scent about us that other people, and animals for that matter, pick up. We are not only safe to be around, we are attractive. Meditation helps. So do friends, with reminders, should we forget how to do good behavior. As long as we stay connected to God and friends, there will always be a wisdom to direct us away from our silliness.
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Hi Father Terry--one of your new Catholics found your blog!
ReplyDeleteWhat a tender way to think about our divorce from creation. Yesterday, my daughter and I were talking about the creature-friendly gifts of St. Francis of Assisi and certain Buddhist and Hindu monks renowned for their ability to coexist with a wide variety of wild creatures. We wondered if it was as simple as having true humility, which happens when we encounter the eternal One and, through a variety of means, help our wills bend to his, right?
St. Benedict says in Ch.5, on obedience, that "the first step of humility is unhesitating obedience, which comes naturally to those who cherish Christ above all". In Ch.7, he then seems to challenge the earlier statement, saying that the first step of humility is that "a man keeps the fear of God always before his eyes and never forgets it."
In light of what you shared about wisdom and friendship, I wonder if you also see a place for obedience and holy reverence in the recipe for unity with creation.
Happy Easter! Christ is risen!