After the birth of compassion in the soul strange
visitors come from afar. Far-off ‘Magi’ - wise ones, magistri, the intellectual
faculties - are awoken by the birth of compassion and come to assist us. They
confront the negative ruling power of the soul and subvert it by intuition.
Moving swiftly and silently by night they are guided by nocturnal phenomena –
stars, comets, dreams – as they move from the Underworld to the source of all
consciousness. Once there they make obeisance, along with the natural instincts
of the soul – the beasts and shepherds who have already made their homage. And
once this happens – once the intellectual powers have made obeisance to the
Divinity born in the soul – then all the old things can now be put away: the
banners, baubles, tinsel and old Christmas cards. The last old left-overs can
be cleared away – and – as they depart again by night – we are left once again
in the gathering twilight of an early January dusk knowing that ‘we sleep but our hearts
are awake’.
We shall sleep no more for our hearts from now on will always be awake as we
are invited into eternity...
For today is a day of rededication as we remember all those who have gone before us to bring the light into the darkness of the world and remember our own duty and dedication to bring the light of truth to those around us.
I write this on a warm January night in Bengaluru where I am a guest of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI). Today I was welcomed at the ashram of Vidyavanam by Fr Francis Vineeth (you can see the picture with Fr Aidan from Tanzania below), Fr Francis drew my attention to the quote from the Upanishads with which I head this post. In a way he, and his ashram, represents the true spirit of today's feast... how we are called to go beyond the known and certain into 'the cave of the heart' where the unknown one rests. That may be an internal cave or, as so is increasingly the case today, an unknown and uncertain external future amongst strangers. Like the Magi we set out into the unknown guided solely by the star of faith, mindfulness and contemplation...
I wish you all a happy Feast day and from the great ocean of tradition that is India I will hold you in my prayer tonight.
best
Peter
For today is a day of rededication as we remember all those who have gone before us to bring the light into the darkness of the world and remember our own duty and dedication to bring the light of truth to those around us.
I write this on a warm January night in Bengaluru where I am a guest of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI). Today I was welcomed at the ashram of Vidyavanam by Fr Francis Vineeth (you can see the picture with Fr Aidan from Tanzania below), Fr Francis drew my attention to the quote from the Upanishads with which I head this post. In a way he, and his ashram, represents the true spirit of today's feast... how we are called to go beyond the known and certain into 'the cave of the heart' where the unknown one rests. That may be an internal cave or, as so is increasingly the case today, an unknown and uncertain external future amongst strangers. Like the Magi we set out into the unknown guided solely by the star of faith, mindfulness and contemplation...
I wish you all a happy Feast day and from the great ocean of tradition that is India I will hold you in my prayer tonight.
best
Peter
No comments:
Post a Comment