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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250123
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UID:13039-1737590400-1737676799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:ON THE THRESHOLD \nOF CONTEMPLATION \nFrom a sermon by St Bernard of Clairvaux \n◊◊◊ \nMy brethren\, I beseech you\, be on your guard all the time\, for this is the \nhour of battle… Let us stand firmly at our post. Let us lean with all our strength \non the invincible rock which is Christ\, in accordance with these words from the \nscriptures: “He set my feet on a rock\, and ordered my goings”. Thus set up and \nfortified\, let us apply ourselves to contemplation: we shall see what is said to us \nand what we should answer to him who reproaches us. \nThe first stage of contemplation…is that we should ceaselessly consider \nthe Lord’s wishes as to what pleases him\, what he wants. For we all make many \nmistakes. Our want of simplicity bruises the honesty of his will\, and this \nprevents us from unifying ourselves\, from cleaving to him. So let us humble \nourselves beneath the mighty hand of the Most High God and hasten to lay our \nwretchedness before the eyes of his mercy\, saying\, “Heal me\, O Lord\, and I shall \nbe healed; save me\, and I shall be saved”\, and again\, “Lord\, be merciful to me\, \nheal my soul\, for I have sinned against you’. \nWhen the eye of the heart has been purified by this kind of thought we no \nlonger live with a heart full of bitterness but in the joys which are found in the \nSpirit of God. And now we consider no longer what is God’s will for us\, but what \nthis will is in itself. For God wills life\, and nothing is better or more profitable \nthan to conform to his will. That is why the eagerness with which we try to \npreserve our life should be directed\, as far as possible\, into never swerving from \nthe path which brings us to God’s will… \nLet us recall how gentle the Lord is\, how good he is in himself. With the \nprophet let us ask to see the Lord’s will\, let us ask him to bring us\, no longer to \nour hearts but to his temple\, “to behold the fair beauty of the Lord\, and to visit \nhis temple”. And in addition let us say with him\, “My God\, my soul is vexed \nwithin me: therefore will I remember you”. \nThese two things embrace the content of the whole spiritual life: at the \nsight of ourselves we are troubled and contrite\, and in fear of our salvation; \nwhile in contemplating God we find relief\, and the joy of the Holy Spirit brings \nus consolation. On one side\, fear and humility; on the other\, hope and love.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-258/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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