Friday, July 10, 2020

No Ardor.

I live in a monastery where there are routines and schedules for doing certain things.  You would think a monk would have ardor for prayer, meditation, and ritual.  Not.  Ardor comes and goes.  If I only did things when I was all fired up, my spiritual practice would be spotty at best.  Mediocre.  Monks develop a disposition which is more than unthinking habit.  It comes from the heart.  It is a decision to surrender, to abandon oneself to a practice on a daily basis, and trust that the Divine, The Presence, will make us bloom to our best self.  So it is with any life that wants to develop a spiritual root.  Even a physical exercise can have a spiritual root, but you don’t always have the ardor to exercise each day.  Yet you have the disposition to do it anyway.  You might love a partner but not with daily ardor, or a friend for that matter.  Do you go to your recovery meetings only when you want to, have a burning desire?  If so, you won’t be sober for long.  Ardor comes and goes.  Practice is daily.

2 comments:

  1. I am always very physically uncomfortable when I attempt to sit 20 minutes in contemplative prayer.

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  2. PJW start with just 5 min start in small steps
    When i climbed Everest my sherpa guide told just small steps one at a time wow yes it worked i reached the summit but by small steps

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