Twelve Hour Challenge
Yesterday in the late morning, I felt as if God were asking me whether I was prepared to put my life entirely into his hands for the next half of the day, i.e. from 12 noon to 12 midnight. The challenge was to do nothing at all unless I felt that he was telling me to do something.
I accepted the challenge, and as a result had one of the most remarkable twelve hours of my life. What happened was that I spent virtually the entire period in prayer. The only specific actions I took were to eat two meals and wash up afterwards, make endless cups of tea, send one urgent email and read a few short passages out of “Humility of Heart”. That was it.
As far as the prayer was concerned, I said None, Vespers, Compline, Matins and Lauds out of the Divine Office at the appropriate times, but otherwise spent the whole time in an attitude of listening. At one point in the evening I got a bit distracted, but soon pulled myself back to the listening again.
Frankly before I did this, I would have said it was impossible for me to spend the greater part of twelve hours in prayer. But it didn’t seem in the least difficult at the time. In fact the Lord made it clear to me that the purpose of this half-day was to train me in hearing his voice. The essential first step in doing this was to train me in not responding to all my own impulses. I became very aware of how much unnecessary activity I am engaged in every day - how I jump from one thing to another - and also how easy it is to confuse religious activity with the true action that comes from listening to God’s will.
At the end of the day, I felt that God was challenging me to put myself in his hands for the whole of the next day (i.e. today). So far it has been very different. I’ll report on it tomorrow.
Si Fractus Fortis
in Daily Life, Prayer, Sanctity
|
3 Comments
View Printer Friendly Version
Email Article to Friend
Reader Comments (3)
Sounds not unlike the two poustinias I have made in the past year, minus the computer.
O | onionboy.ca (art & faith) | luminousmiseries.ca {faith & art}
P.S. If you like see:
http://www.madonnahouse.org/publications/doherty/poustinia.htm
Thank you Owen. I'd never heard of a poustinia until I read your comment.
It certainly sounds like the way my half-day turned out, but I had no idea it would be that way when I began. It was God who led me there.
A phrase from the Wikipedia "poustina" article struck a chord with me:
Ultimately, however, the poustinik's call is to the desert of one's own heart wherein he dwells with God alone, whether in the workplace or in a solitary locale.
It's been a long time since I read or heard the word Poustinia. I read Doherty's book w a a y back in the early 1980's and loved it.
In those days, it was easy to live that way when my husband was away at work, the youngest child was in High School, and I had the whole house to myself all day. Many days I didn't even have to be distracted by leaving the house on errands or obligations. (sigh)
The Poustinia is more difficult these days, but I should remember to access that desert in my heart. Thanks for the reminder Owen.
Thanks, Si Fractus Fortis, for another great post.