michal's musings

There is a need for balance between nothingness and "being-ness." Bede Griffiths is into something.  It is important in the spiritual life to experience nothingness. It creates freedom and humility. It fosters kindness and compassion. Before we can experience nothingness we need to acknowledge something-ness about ourselves. We go from something to nothing.  That something can be nothing e.g. i am not better or worst than others. I am not even different than others. I am who I am.  This is the nothingness that I practice.

“Step 11 emphasizes opening to God's will. Thomas Merton said, "The will of God is not a 'fate' to which we must submit, but a creative act in our life that produces something absolutely new, something hitherto unforeseen by the laws and established patterns. Our cooperation consists not solely in conforming to external laws, but in opening our wills to this   mutually creative act  [emphasis mine]." I wish someone had taught me that when I was young. God allows us to be in on the deal. God's will is not domineering but alluring and inviting, until it is somehow our will too. ” Adapted from Richard Rohr,   Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps   (Franciscan Media: 2011),   94-97, 102-103. The question of God’s will is one that has made me curious for a long time.  How can I know God’s will for me? What is God’s will? Can we have an access to God’s will? Is the access to God’s will possible? All of those questions are making me v

“Step 11 emphasizes opening to God's will. Thomas Merton said, "The will of God is not a 'fate' to which we must submit, but a creative act in our life that produces something absolutely new, something hitherto unforeseen by the laws and established patterns. Our cooperation consists not solely in conforming to external laws, but in opening our wills to this   mutually creative act  [emphasis mine]." I wish someone had taught me that when I was young. God allows us to be in on the deal. God's will is not domineering but alluring and inviting, until it is somehow our will too. ” Adapted from Richard Rohr,   Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps   (Franciscan Media: 2011),   94-97, 102-103. The question of God’s will is one that has made me curious for a long time.  How can I know God’s will for me? What is God’s will? Can we have an access to God’s will? Is the access to God’s will possible? All of those questions are making me ve

Brother David Steindl-Rast challenges my view on God. He makes a statement that God is a direction. He is a direction to find oneself in God. He quotes Thomas Merton by saying that we look for God insight of oneself and not outside of oneself. In some way our self is God. That self is the image of God in us. If this is our way of understanding God then we are able to experience God all the time.  That all the time means, when we connect with our self. St. Ignatius said that our deepest desires are the desires God has for us.  Anything that points into our deepest experiences is the experience of God. I am very happy I had teachers like St. Ignatius, Merton, Steindl-Rest, and many others. I am gifted with teachers. Now, I need to learn how to practice what I know. This is the best pilgrimage and journey I can make. 

Hanukkah is one of my favorite holidays. I love to light the candles and meditate about the Maccabees. It is a powerful story in the faith in humanity and in action. We don’t wait for a miracle. We actively participate in miracle. This is what I learn from the Maccabees. Happy Hanukkah!!! 

“The greatest suffering is to feel alone, unwanted, unloved.” These thought was expressed by Mother Teresa. I felt that more than once in my life.  The emotional suffering is very painful.  For years I was afraid of the physical pain. But, when I experienced the emotional pain the physical become nothing.  It is not totally true that the physical pain is nothing. The physical pain is much more visible. It is still a pain. However, the emotional pain is invisible. It comes and very often it cannot be cured that easily.