I have Come that you may have Life – Part 2

September 12, 2015 | Monastic Musings

Reflections from some of the nuns

A meditation in two parts

Part 2

God says

Today I offer life and death
Then
Choose life

Choose life entirely
Give your self unconditionally to the  abundant and generous life gifted you.

Consider the rich young man who turned sadly away – believing he had abundance and not knowing his poverty.

Consider the woman who loved much – filth in the eyes of the world, yet generous and abundantly rich in the love of her heart.

Jesus turns what we value on its head…

There is in God nothing, no thing, not one iota of any thing that is constrictive or destructive of life, loving, living or being.

Why do we fear so much to dissolve into the abundance of God?
Why do we cling so tenaciously to the illusions of what we think will make us whole, filled, happy – and do not.

Money, position, power, prestige, reputation…

What? Do we really believe that these will make us have life to the full? Are these things generous and abundant and loving? (Ah, the illusion says, but once I am there, secure in what I believe I have I will then be giving and loving – but truth be told – it is a never ending battle to maintain it, or achieve it or protect it – never quite getting that security of being…)

Jesus says that this is illusion and St Paul tells us of the wonder of paradox. When I am poor I am rich; you think me this, but I am that.

And the power of the peace and the ocean of grace
Feel the sacred presence deep within you
My peace I leave you
A peace the world cannot give

A peace within that is not dependent on anything that is of this world

This is a priceless gift enabling us to live life to the full.

But do we really believe Jesus when he says all this

It cannot be this simple can it?
To live in peace regardless of what is happening out there?
To live in abundance even when I may be hurt or hungry?

To surrender
To let go

To come alive
In LIFE

This is what Jesus did when he died in order to LIVE
To show us the truth
And the way

I have come so that you may have life
YES
And have it to the full.
So…

What is it that stops me
That closes me in
That has me fearing
And peering into darkness for a glimmer of light>

When all the time
I am held in abundance
When at my deepest
I know
I am held
In abundant peace and love.

All you have to do
Is to say yes

Come follow me
Yes

I have come
Yes

So that you may have life
Yes

And have it to the full
Yes

Let go
Yes

Say yes

Follow.

 

Sr Magdalen Mather osb