Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
“Put out into the deep water…”
At the close of the jubilee year, 2000, our Holy Father, St. John Paul II used these words in some of the first lines of his Apostolic letter, At the beginning of the new millennium. How often, in his other writings and talks, he said, “Do not be afraid!”
What we most need to not to be afraid of is our hearts!
The catechism tells us that the heart is,
the dwelling-place where I am, where I live; …the place “to which I withdraw.” … our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of covenant. CCC # 2563
But we can launch into the deep water of the heart only with the help of the Holy Spirit. He it is who leads us to this “place of truth”—‘somewhere—beautiful and wonderful! Yes, buffeted by storms and dark clouds and high waves. But through it all, a “hidden center” where we can choose life, and God and the self that the Father brought into existence out of love.
There are two virtues which must accompany this launch into the deep: courage and joy. They are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to pray in you so that He leads you into cultivating these virtues. Ask often of Him to pray in you!
The secret of prayer is perseverance! Stay put and never give up asking the Holy Spirit for courage and joy so that you may do the real work of your life: to discover and live from, your heart!
Reflection by Fr. Xavier Nacke, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections