Saturday, December 27, 2014

Great Expectations ... Not?

Roses Among Thorns: 
Simple Advice for Renewing Your Spiritual Journey
de Sales, St. Francis
 Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition. (2014-04-09).

"Those who arm themselves before the warning bell has tolled are always better off than those who, when the commotion breaks out, are running here and there looking for helmet and shield. We should say our goodbyes to the world when we have the leisure to do so and retire bit by bit from our attachment to creatures." (pp. 106-107)

Reminiscing together about Christmas family customs, my brother reminded me of one of Mom's great lines in her older years. When the question of who from our large family was coming home, what about food, beds and all came up, her response was: all that mattered was that she got to church on Christmas. "We should say our goodbyes to the world when we have the leisure to do so and retire bit by bit from our attachment to creatures."

One of my mentors, fifteen years my senior, could not stand St. Francis de Sales on botanical and zoological grounds. Truth to be told, when the saint talks about birds, bees, horses and trees, it all kind of sounds like a big fairy tale. I could never convince my mentor that this did not detract from a spirituality which was as "black-belt" as St. John of the Cross or St. Theresa of Avila and much more accessible to us mortals.

The editors of this little volume have rendered an incomparable service in presenting a marvelous "thought for the day" kind of book. "Roses among Thorns" belongs to my Kindle traveling library along with the Imitation of Christ, Spiritual Combat and a few others. It is another one of those greats which never disappoints. TAKE AND READ!



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