From the Pastor’s desk— June 23, 2024

For the last few weeks my thoughts have been going back to a book my spiritual director in seminary (the best director I have ever had) gave me called, “The Cloud of Unknowing.”  Written in the late 1300’s by an unknown author, it is dedicated to the art of contemplative prayer.  Like Paul’s letter to Theophilus, it is written to a student, to one who loves God.  This is a key insight for us to get the most out of life, the most out of this book, the most out of our present moment.

Managing our way through this transition requires prayer, lots of prayer.  And not just any prayer but what is called contemplative prayer.  This is different than our common forms of structured prayers (Our Fathers, Hail Mary’s, Rosaries, chaplets, etc) or spontaneous prayer (talking with God in a conversational way) Contemplative prayer is similar to meditation as both are reflective, but meditation focuses on understanding some truth about God whereas contemplation is an effort to focus on being silent before God’s loving presence/existence. 

The central image of this book is a cloud, or perhaps “the” cloud.  This seems like the metaphor of this moment for us as a place we cannot clearly see God’s hand or plans, yet that cloud is what leads us to a deeper experience of God.  For many, not being able to see what is ahead, not knowing what is next is very confusing and frustrating.  We naturally want to run away from this feeling, we want to be on the other side of the cloud with God yet, we fill our time with questions worries about the new pastor and we lose our peace.  But we don’t have to lose our peace in this transition if we are willing to step into the cloud.

We must be careful not to treat contemplative prayer as an intellectual challenge, as if I just learn all the right techniques, I will be successful.  This journey is a journey of the heart, and specifically to the heart of God, what we could say the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  We will find God first by stripping ourselves of thoughts and knowledge and seeking Him by longing for His love with our hearts- God can be loved not thought.  Love is what let’s us grasp Him. 

So the first step is putting thoughts and ideas, hopes and dreams, under the cloud of forgetting.  The author encourages us then to trample new thoughts and sinful stirrings (unkind thoughts or hurts about the past years), to push them down whenever they arise.  From there, one is ready to focus simply on God’s love, with nothing more than the word, “God.”  The simplicity of focus is key to moving beyond the cloud to God.

I do believe if we hold on to God’s love in this moment, we, as Claretians will have done what is ours to do, and we entrust you to that sacred love that is bigger than us and will be with you after we leave.

  

.

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

                     

 

With a heart for Mission,
Fr. Ray