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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260114
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UID:14504-1768348800-1768435199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - Office for the Dead
DESCRIPTION:LOVE AND HATE \nFrom “New Seeds of Contemplation” by Thomas Merton \n◊◊◊ \nThere is in every weak\, lost and isolated member of the human race an \nagony of hatred born of his own helplessness\, his own isolation. Hatred is the \nsign and the expression of loneliness\, of unworthiness\, of insufficiency. And in \nso far as each one of us is lonely\, is unworthy\, each one hates himself. Some of us \nare aware of this self-hatred\, and because of it we reproach ourselves and punish \nourselves needlessly. Punishment cannot cure the feeling that we are unworthy. \nThere is nothing we can do about it as long as we feel that we are isolated\, \ninsufficient\, helpless\, alone. \nOthers\, who are less conscious of their own self-hatred\, realize it in a \ndifferent form by projecting it on to others. There is a proud and self-confident \nhate\, strong and cruel\, which enjoys the pleasure of hating\, for it is directed \noutward to the unworthiness of another. But this strong and happy hate does \nnot realize that like all hate\, it destroys and consumes the self that hates\, and not \nthe object that is hated. Hate in any form is self-destructive\, and even when it \ntriumphs physically it triumphs in its own spiritual ruin. \nStrong hate\, the hate that takes joy in hating\, is strong because it does not \nbelieve itself to be unworthy and alone. It feels the support of a justifying God\, of \nan idol of war\, an avenging and destroying spirit. From such blood-drinking \ngods the human race was once liberated\, with great toil and terrible sorrow\, by \nthe death of a God who delivered himself to the Cross and suffered the \npathological cruelty of his own creatures out of pity for them. \nIn conquering death he opened their eyes to the reality of a love which \nasks no questions about worthiness\, a love which overcomes hatred and \ndestroys death. But men and women have now come to reject this divine \nrevelation of pardon\, and they are consequently returning to the old war gods\, \nthe gods that insatiably drink blood and eat the flesh of others. It is easier to \nserve the hate-gods because they thrive on the worship of collective fanaticism. \nTo serve the hate-gods\, one has only to be blinded by collective passion. To serve \nthe God of Love one must be free\, one must face the terrible responsibility of the \ndecision to love in spite of all unworthiness whether in oneself or in one’s \nneighbor.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-office-for-the-dead-24/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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