Prayer is the Light of the Spirit
From a homily by John Chrysostom, 5th century
Prayer and converse with God is a supreme good: it is partnership and union with God. As the eyes of the body are enlightened when they see light, so our spirit when it is intent on God, is illumined by his infinite light. I do not mean the prayer of outward observance but prayer from the heart, not confined to fixed times or periods but continuous throughout the day and night.
Our spirit should be quick to reach out toward God, not only when it is engaged in meditation; at other times also, when it is carrying out its duties, caring for the needy, performing works of charity, giving generously in the service of others, our spirit should long for God and call him to mind, so that these works may be seasoned with the salt of God's love, and so make a palatable offering tot he Lord of the universe. Throughout the whole of our lives we may enjoy the benefit that comes from prayer if we devote a great deal of time to it.
Prayer is the light of the spirit, true knowledge of God, mediating between God and man. The spirit, raised up to heaven by prayer, clings to God with the utmost tenderness; like a child crying tearfully for its mother, it craves the milk that God provides. It seeks the satisfaction of its own desires, and receives gifts outweighing the whole world of nature.
Prayer stands before God as an honored ambassador. It gives joy to the spirit, peace to the heart. I speak of prayer, not words. It is the longing for God, love too deep for words, a gift not given by man but by God's grace. The apostle Paul says: We do not know how we are to pray but the Spirit himself pleads for us with inexpressible longings.
When the Lord gives this kind of prayer to a man or woman, he gives him riches that cannot be taken away, heavenly food that satisfies the spirit. One who tastes this food is set on fire with an eternal longing for the Lord: his spirit burns as in a fire of the utmost intensity.
Practice prayer from the beginning. Paint your house with the colors of modesty and humility. Make it radiant with the light of justice. Decorate it with the finest gold leaf of good deeds. Adorn it with the walls and stones of faith and generosity. Crown it with the pinnacle of prayer. In this way you will make it a perfect dwelling place for the Lord. You will be able to receive him as in a splendid palace, and through his grace you will already possess him, his image enthroned in the temple of your spirit.
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Saint Casimir
From a homily by our humble pastor
Wednesday we celebrate Ash Wednesday… the beginning of Lent. But, Wednesday is also, coincidently, the feast of St. Casimir. I think it’s a happy coincidence because there is something about St. Casimir and Lent that seems to go together.
Lent is a very strong and virile season. It’s not a season for delicate flowers. It’s a season for strong athletes and rugged individuals. That describes St. Casimir to a tee!
But I suspect that most of us don’t know very much about St. Casimir. First, he was a royal prince, the second son of the King of Poland during the golden age of Poland’s power and glory. Poland was rich and its kings among the most influential in the world.
It would have been very easy for St. Casimir under the influence of all his wealth and authority to become soft and lazy. But the opposite was true. He disciplined himself severely… rising early, eating sparingly and simply, dressing simply… working hard physically and intellectually, using his influence as the son of a powerful king to do good and right wrongs… in other words he was a man among men.
But that was not all. He truly practiced the ideal that we should develop not only our body but the mind and spirit as well. St. Casimir was an intellectual as well… he studied and read great literature and poetry and was knowledgeable in all the sciences and arts as well… and as for the spirit… He spent his free time in prayer and meditation often shunning sleep to spend time with his devotions.
St. Casimir, in Poland, is called the “Peace maker” because he refused to lead his father’s armies in an unjust war that would have placed him on the throne of Hungary. It was a difficult position to take, not only in those days, but even in our own. To be strong and yet to know that might does not make right!
So there he is… our own St. Casimir… the patron of Poland and Lithuania,,, and the patron of teenagers. His concern to develop all God’s gifts… body, mind and spirit… his unselfish and peace loving attitude… his concern for the underprivileged… those are good thoughts to enter Lent with. Those are good thoughts to imitate, because they are in imitation of Jesus!
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