"We are travellers…not yet in our native land" – St. Augustine
I love to read, but I find it hard to carve out the time on a regular basis. However, I have about an hour a day which I spend commuting to and from work. I therefore use this time to catch up on podcasts and audio books. If you like the idea of listening to great works of Christian literature but don’t want to incur the cost of buying these audio books, I would invite you to check out LibriVox, where all the books are free…
Following the recent events in Charlottesville, Meg Hunter-Kilmer‘s latest podcast episode addresses the issue of racism. Meg talks with her little nephew about this very sensitive subject and tells some lovely saint stories along the way.
For those of you who have little kids, I think this is a really great way to talk with them about some of the things currently happening in the United States.
I recently set up an RSS feed for the full-length talks I’ve given in different places around the States. After a few issues, I’ve finally got that feed approved by iTunes. This means that you can now subscribe to the feed and listen to my back catalogue of talks from your Podcast app:
I’ve been listening to more Joe Zambon recently. This one of my current favouries, “I just want peace”:
Cause I woke up, in the city
and I woke up, my mouth dry
because I woke up, to my living
Good Lord, I’ve been dead this whole time
Cause the sunrise, did in me nothing
Cause I’ve laid in bed every day I knew
And I realised that I’m not living
unless Lord I rise with You
And I don’t want money
nor all the world, honey
Cause I see it as nothing now to me
Cause the world You wanted
gave you nothing of what you need
And I’ll trade it all
If I could just find peace
And I’ve tried to win the affection
from people who have never cared for me
Cause I thought they were what I needed
but they’re just as damn lost as me
so I marry countless lovers
whom I hope would fill the well that had run dry
but I’ll trade all for Your promise
a new life that wells up inside
And I don’t want money
nor all the world, honey
Cause I see it as nothing now to me
Cause the world you wanted
gave you nothing of what you need
And I’ll trade it all
If I could just find peace
all I want is to find peace
(more than the riches)
all I want is to find peace
(more than fine linen)
all I want is to find peace
(more than my addiction)
Cause I see it as nothing now to me
Cause the world you wanted
gave you nothing of what you need
And I’ll trade it all
If I could just find peace
Given that I attend an Eastern Rite Church, I suppose that it’s no great surprise that I love the Eastern Fathers of the Church. In light of this, I wanted to share a video of a presentation given by Joseph Heschmeyer (soon to be Deacon Joseph Heschmeyer), about the Eastern Fathers on the subject of prayer:
A couple of months ago, a friend shared with me this passage entitled “Be Satisfied with Me”, attributed to St. Anthony of Padua (I couldn’t find a citation). It’s really quite beautiful:
Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone,
To have a deep soul relationship with another,
To be loved thoroughly and exclusively.
But to a Christian, God says, “No, not until you are satisfied,
Fulfilled and content with being loved by Me alone,
With giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me.
With having an intensely personal and unique relationship with Me alone.
Discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found,
Will you be capable of the perfect human relationship,
That I have planned for you.
You will never be united to another
Until you are united with Me.
Exclusive of anyone or anything else.
Exclusive of any other desires or longings.
I want you to stop planning, to stop wishing, and allow Me to give you
The most thrilling plan existing . . . one you cannot imagine.
I want you to have the best. Please allow Me to bring it to you.
You just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things.
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am.
Keep listening and learning the things that I tell you.
Just wait, that’s all. Don’t be anxious, don’t worry
Don’t look around at things others have gotten
Or that I have given them
Don’t look around at the things you think you want,
Just keep looking off and away up to Me,
Or you’ll miss what I want to show you.
And then, when you’re ready, I’ll surprise you with a love
Far more wonderful than you could dream of.
You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have for you is ready,
I am working even at this moment
To have both of you ready at the same time.
Until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me
And the life I prepared for you,
You won’t be able to experience the love that exemplified your relationship with Me.
And this is perfect love.
And dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love,
I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me.
And to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty,
perfection and love that I offer you with Myself.
Know that I love you utterly. I AM God.
Believe it and be satisfied
