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.
Friday, July 10, 2020
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I am always very physically uncomfortable when I attempt to sit 20 minutes in contemplative prayer.
ReplyDeletePJW start with just 5 min start in small steps
ReplyDeleteWhen 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