Cooperate with the Divine: Life Lessons from a Trappist Monk#8
God’s desire is for all of us to use His Wisdom and His Love to relate and help each other. It is not a question of simply being passive while God does all the rest. He asks our active cooperation. –Brother Rene, excerpt from letter dated October 12, 2003
It is the end of a busy day, and I take a few minutes to reflect: How did I met you in my day, Dear Loving One? My intention for this day was to be generous, with my heart as well as in my actions, and now I look over my day through that lens.
I gently review my day. I remembered that in the morning, as soon as I pulled out of the garage, I wanted to call my sister and start complaining about an issue I was facing at work. It was a familiar pattern, so I pulled out my rosary to break the cycle. As I touched the round wooden beads, I focused on my breath, taking a slightly deeper inhalation and longer exhalation. After doing this for a few minutes, I prayed for an increase of faith, hope and love. Action 1: Create an alternative action to counter an habitual action. This is key to moving in another direction.
When I got to work, the energy was high, with hundreds of children scurrying to get to class as soon as the morning bell rang. Hello, Ms. Lafia, Hello, Ms. Lafia, I heard again and again in the hallways. I softly looked at the openness of the faces greeting me, and I received them with my heart and warmly smiled. Action 2: Look at those around you, meet them, and truly see them.
Lately, I have been drawing vessels in my daily spiritual journal. (The picture I posted today is one of them.) I am drawn to that image because it resonates for me on many levels. I am a vessel of the Holy, and the Holy is a vessel for me–containing me and carrying me through the day. So how can I stay connected to this relationship? During lunch, I sat in my car, meditated, and took time to withdraw from the crowd. I gave myself a few minutes to reconnect to my vessel. Action 3: Find a way to refresh your soul throughout the day.
Still, as I left work at the end of the day, a gray cloud came over me. I felt tired and weary, yet I remembered my intention to be generous today. I paused and remembered the joyful moments in my day, like when a fourth grade boy saw me in the hallway, and stopped to tell me, “I love the book you recommended.”
I asked myself: How could I be generous with myself right now? I had the need to slow down and allow silence to rejuvenate me. I needed to find that balance of action and contemplation. I decided to take a walk in the park, and as I became more and more quiet inside myself with each step, I could feel the generosity of spirit, like a fountain within, bringing me peace. Acton 4: Listen. Once, you understand where you need to say Yes, and where you need to say No, you can do your best to respond with faith, hope and love in your daily life.
When I was driving home, a prayer emerged: Dear God, Source of Generosity, I pray for the strength, energy, and grace to stay open to my life, and to manifest your desire for me in union with my desire for myself.
Practice:
• See if there is an intention to bring to your day–to be generous, patient, focused? What will bring you and those around you closer to the spirit of love this day?
• Create actions throughout your day that will bring you back to this invitation.
• See if a prayer emerges in your day, and say it out loud to yourself.
• Read the Compline as a practice to let go of the day and settle into the night. It’s a beautiful practice, inspired by the monks. At the monastery it is the final office of the day, sung just before the monks go to bed.
If you would like to read more from my correspondence with Brother René, check out my forthcoming book, which contains excerpts from our letters: Seeking Surrender: How my Friendship with a Trappist Monk Taught me to Trust and Embrace Life (Ave Maria Press, April 2015).