Some reflections on Grace from one of my favorite Franciscans, Richard Rohr:

There is an “Inner Reminder” (John 14:26) and an “Inner Rememberer” (John 16:4) who holds together all the disparate and fragmented parts of our lives, who fills in all the gaps, who owns all the mistakes, who forgives all the failures—and who loves them into life. This is the job description of the Holy Spirit. S/he is the spring that wells up within us—and unto eternal time (John 7:38). This is the breath that warms and renews everything (John 20:22). These are the eyes that see beyond the momentary shadow and disguise of things (John 9); these are the tears that wash and cleanse the past (Matthew 5:4). And better, they are not only our tears but actually the very presence and consolation of God within us (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

You must contact this Immensity! You must look back at what seems like your life from the place of this Immensity. You must know that this Immensity is already in place within you. The only thing separating you from such Immensity is your unwillingness to trust such grace, such an utterly unmerited gift. It is an immense humiliation to the ego to know that it cannot earn love, achieve merit, or “get enlightened” by any technique or formula whatsoever. “You cannot get there, you can only be there,” as Eckhart Tolle so wisely says, repeating in modern form the wisdom of Eastern Orthodox spirituality. You surrender to love; you do not accomplish love by willpower.


Adapted from “Forever Young,” Sojourners, December 2007    

What does it mean to “being awake”?

We hear it many times: wake up, become aware, be alert, be attentive, be present. Yet we wonder how we can actually do this. What does it mean to “be awake”?

Does it mean being happy?
Does it mean thinking about things more?
Does it mean being grateful and appreciative?
Does it mean being helpful and useful with that is right in front of you?
Does it mean not wasting time and being more productive?
Does it mean trying harder and doing better?
Does it mean reflecting regularly?

While these may be the good results of being awake, they are not the essential insight.  Richard Rohr offers the following thoughts on being aware or awake:

Drop to a level deeper than the passing show
Become the calm seer of your dramas from that level
Watch yourself compassionately from a little distance, almost as if the “myself” is somewhere else
Dis-identify with our own emotional noise and no longer let it pull you here and there, up and down.
Stop thinking about this or that and “collapse into” pure consciousness of nothing in particular
You don’t get there, you fall there.

From Richard Rohr: The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See

Each moment of our life is unique. We often miss the moment we are in. Yet if we are fully present, we can experience each moment as unique and fresh with new eyes. They never happen twice so we must appreciate and celebrate each moment.

God seems to have hidden holiness and wholeness in a secret place where only the humble will find it.