Beauty surrounds us, but we usually need to be walking in a garden to know it - Rumi
I follow the Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living by Henri J M Nouwen each day. If you do not know Henri or his works I urge you to visit the Henri Nouwen Society website:
https://henrinouwen.org/resources/daily-meditation Recently the Society has encouraged followers to spread the word about Henri which I am delighted to do since his words though written a while ago are as relevant today as when first written. The Meditation for 21 June taken from his book Here and now and is reproduced in You are the beloved, published by Hodder and Stoughton Ltd., London 2017 is a prime example. To quote it in full might infringe the copyright and so I will try to synthesize Henri's words. Henri say that 'Compassion means to become close to the one who suffers.' Indeed we can be with the other 'only when the other ceases to be "other" and becomes like us.' He reminds us that we need to be in touch with our own feelings and sufferings,acknowledging our own handicaps. I see his words as echoing Jesus' comments about the motes and beams that obscure our vision. In other words, we need to be open and honest with ourselves before we dare criticize others. A simple prayer, since God does not need long winded prayer which tend to focus on me rather than the intended object of my prayer: Lord Jesus, fill my heart with compassion for my neighbour whoever he or she is, regardless of race, religion, gender or handicap,. Amen .
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AuthorI am an Authorised Local Preacher in an Anglo Catholic parish church, in the Diocese of Essex UK Archives
February 2022
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