Sometimes
our Lord has the most unique way of touching us. It is in the
quirkiness of these experiences which I find myself laughing
aloud.
What follows, it is anticipated, some will simply chalk up to coincidence and claim that I am aloof, reading my own adolescent wishes into an empty scenario. Daft as I may be in regards to spiritual matters of the heart, a response appears compelled. Jesus, when addressing the disciples, offered the following nugget of wisdom: "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3 RSVCE). For the purposes of this discussion, emphasis is given more so to the "becoming like children" component than that of "heaven." In the very next verse our Lord speaks of humbling ourselves like children. An innocence, if you will, when approaching the divine. Of more significance, God being omniscient, all knowing, it is probable that he would be aware of how I would perceive the following accounts; thus, either endorsing or squashing the event altogether! As for the capricious naysayers: How my heart aches that you are too sophisticated in your faith to enjoy simple encounters which draw attention to the Holy Spirit. And, if I am indeed mistaken in my perceptions, what harm has been done (Pascal's Wager)! So, without further ado....
Standing before a large window in the Faith Dormitory while praying the Liturgy of the Hours - Trinity Sunday, to be specific - a slight breeze had been enjoyed as it entered through the screen. Considering that the proceeding days were so sticky and dry, this reprieve was a pleasant change of pace before the suffocating heat rolled in and robbed all nuances of comfort.
My prayer proceeded as normal. Though, there was a new person in the community room when I entered (the space is typically void of people in the wee hours). To this I was unsure of the etiquette: So he would not freak out, should the interloper have been informed that I was about to begin my devotions or just let him figure it out on his own? Not to disrupt his day anymore than necessary, I embraced the chicken approach and opted for the later scenario! Mind you, out of respect for his proximity, my voice was kept relatively low.
In a curious turn of events, the devotions were significantly longer than normal. I was half way through prayers for Ordinary Time (the liturgical year is divided into seasons: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary, Lent, Easter, and it keeps cycling with other celebrations peppered throughout) when remembering this was the First Sunday after Pentecost. Oops! As mentioned earlier, this is Trinity Sunday. Fumbling, humbled before Jesus by my absentmindedness, I proceeded to backup and engage the proper prayers. Hey, it happens! Almost embarrassing, it was noticed that a number of people had quietly filed in. Thankfully, they were unaware of the hiccup!
Coming to the conclusion of my early devotions, it was thought that the coo of a dove had been heard. Looking up and simultaneously signing myself with the cross - "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" - there perched a dove before me. No kidding, a dove. A morning dove. In my heart I yearned for a third coo. By golly, there was a response. Yes, as if responding, another coo. Perhaps representing the Trinity on this day of solemnity - "and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove" (Luke 3:22). It was tempting to push my luck for an additional coo, but such would likely have diminished what moments before had happened. Vanity.
It is prayed that I have not crossed the threshold into the murky waters of religious subjectivism?
That part of the prayer in which the first coo was heard is telling: "You reveal yourself in the depths of our being, drawing us to share in your life and your love. One God, three Persons, be near to the people formed in your image, close to the world your love brings to life" (Christian Prayer 647). Whoa!
It should be noted, too, dove sightings are rare in this particular locale. Yeah, now your beginning to connect the dots!
"At the end of forty days Noah...sent forth a dove from him...but the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned...to the ark" (Genesis 8:6, 8-9). Approaching the threshold of an allegorical application, it is hoped that the Holy Spirit encountered an inviting place in my heart in which to perch - how tragic if there was no room because I was too mature and haughty in my faith!
Marana tha
What follows, it is anticipated, some will simply chalk up to coincidence and claim that I am aloof, reading my own adolescent wishes into an empty scenario. Daft as I may be in regards to spiritual matters of the heart, a response appears compelled. Jesus, when addressing the disciples, offered the following nugget of wisdom: "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3 RSVCE). For the purposes of this discussion, emphasis is given more so to the "becoming like children" component than that of "heaven." In the very next verse our Lord speaks of humbling ourselves like children. An innocence, if you will, when approaching the divine. Of more significance, God being omniscient, all knowing, it is probable that he would be aware of how I would perceive the following accounts; thus, either endorsing or squashing the event altogether! As for the capricious naysayers: How my heart aches that you are too sophisticated in your faith to enjoy simple encounters which draw attention to the Holy Spirit. And, if I am indeed mistaken in my perceptions, what harm has been done (Pascal's Wager)! So, without further ado....
Standing before a large window in the Faith Dormitory while praying the Liturgy of the Hours - Trinity Sunday, to be specific - a slight breeze had been enjoyed as it entered through the screen. Considering that the proceeding days were so sticky and dry, this reprieve was a pleasant change of pace before the suffocating heat rolled in and robbed all nuances of comfort.
My prayer proceeded as normal. Though, there was a new person in the community room when I entered (the space is typically void of people in the wee hours). To this I was unsure of the etiquette: So he would not freak out, should the interloper have been informed that I was about to begin my devotions or just let him figure it out on his own? Not to disrupt his day anymore than necessary, I embraced the chicken approach and opted for the later scenario! Mind you, out of respect for his proximity, my voice was kept relatively low.
In a curious turn of events, the devotions were significantly longer than normal. I was half way through prayers for Ordinary Time (the liturgical year is divided into seasons: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary, Lent, Easter, and it keeps cycling with other celebrations peppered throughout) when remembering this was the First Sunday after Pentecost. Oops! As mentioned earlier, this is Trinity Sunday. Fumbling, humbled before Jesus by my absentmindedness, I proceeded to backup and engage the proper prayers. Hey, it happens! Almost embarrassing, it was noticed that a number of people had quietly filed in. Thankfully, they were unaware of the hiccup!
Coming to the conclusion of my early devotions, it was thought that the coo of a dove had been heard. Looking up and simultaneously signing myself with the cross - "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" - there perched a dove before me. No kidding, a dove. A morning dove. In my heart I yearned for a third coo. By golly, there was a response. Yes, as if responding, another coo. Perhaps representing the Trinity on this day of solemnity - "and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove" (Luke 3:22). It was tempting to push my luck for an additional coo, but such would likely have diminished what moments before had happened. Vanity.
It is prayed that I have not crossed the threshold into the murky waters of religious subjectivism?
That part of the prayer in which the first coo was heard is telling: "You reveal yourself in the depths of our being, drawing us to share in your life and your love. One God, three Persons, be near to the people formed in your image, close to the world your love brings to life" (Christian Prayer 647). Whoa!
It should be noted, too, dove sightings are rare in this particular locale. Yeah, now your beginning to connect the dots!
"At the end of forty days Noah...sent forth a dove from him...but the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned...to the ark" (Genesis 8:6, 8-9). Approaching the threshold of an allegorical application, it is hoped that the Holy Spirit encountered an inviting place in my heart in which to perch - how tragic if there was no room because I was too mature and haughty in my faith!
Marana tha
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