Certain individuals are called by God to take to heart the words of scripture that they hear proclaimed to them and to live them out in a more intense way than the general population! Bruno of Cologne was one such person in the 11th century! It was his vocation to hear the call of the desert - the call of the heart of Jesus - the call of the way of perfection - and to live these out as a priest, as an educator and as a founder of the first Carthusian monastery, which was roughly based originally on the Rule of St. Benedict!
The Rule of St. Benedict is summarized in one word: LISTEN! Listen to the voice of God speaking - especially in the scriptures - and then respond as you would - respond by your joy, respond by your praying, respond by your singing, respond by your living for the good of your brothers and sisters, respond by your desire to “stay the course” of a life of seeking one thing only: the vision of the face of Christ - in eternity for ever!
Just as St. Paul told the Philippians in our first reading today that Christ was everything to him - that embracing the life and death of Christ in an imitative way was his sole purpose and occupation in this life - so to share one day in the fulfillment of the promise of eternal life in store for those who crossed the finish line looking straight-dead-ahead; so too Bruno and his brother Carthusians sought a life of intense knowledge of Christ and his ways - and a relationship with him as a person - to guide their every step.
In the gospel passage today, Jesus warns those who think that they might want to follow him that it will not be an easy thing: you will be “homeless” in many senses of the term, you will he required to “stay in training” all the days of your life, and you will have to “leave your family and friends behind” in a spiritual way - but the reward for doing such things will be unparalleled! You will enjoy a depth of joy, peace and love that you never thought possible!
Blessed are they who delight in the law of the Lord!: the law of faith, the law of hope, the law of love! for they shall never be disappointed!
And they shall flourish, like the palm tree, for ever!
No comments:
Post a Comment