On this, her liturgical memorial, we implore: St. Cecilia, virgin and martyr, pray for us. The martyrs show us the ultimate purpose of practicing spiritual discipline in imitation of our Master, Jesus Christ.
All holy men and women, pray for us
Monday, November 22, 2010
Master, discipline, disciple
"A discipline won’t bring you closer to God. Only God can bring you closer to Himself. What the discipline is meant to do is to help you get yourself, your ego, out of the way so you are open to His grace." ~James Kushiner
On this, her liturgical memorial, we implore: St. Cecilia, virgin and martyr, pray for us. The martyrs show us the ultimate purpose of practicing spiritual discipline in imitation of our Master, Jesus Christ.
On this, her liturgical memorial, we implore: St. Cecilia, virgin and martyr, pray for us. The martyrs show us the ultimate purpose of practicing spiritual discipline in imitation of our Master, Jesus Christ.
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Wonderful quote.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many people trying too hard and there is almost a smugness about spiritual practice creeping in - e.g going on a retreat has almost become a fashion accessory these days or whether you have a spiritual director; have you been on a labyrinth prayer evening etc.
Some of these reterat places in the UK cost a fortune. The poor could never afford them. There is an elitism about spirituality which can be sickening.
Thank you. Blessings and Happy St Cecilia's Day !
I think you're quite correct, Philomena. Besides, if you don't simply incorporate spiritual discipline into your daily life, then what use are they? Indeed, I find the whole Eat, Pray, Love phenomenon very off-putting. If all it becomes all about you all the time, then it isn't Christian spirituality you're practicing.
ReplyDeletePraying, fasting in its various forms, and giving sacrificially are what have constituted Christian praxis from the time of Christ. We must never lose sight of why we do these things in order to avoid fooling ourselves into thinking that what we do is what matters the most.
Thanks for your prayers and blessings.