February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)

Nan Merrill

Winter: q quieting time to rest in the warmth of our heart's hearth. BLESSINGS TO ALL as we enter another new year, another new beginning to awaken ever more fully to Divine Loe at work in and through us. Each one of us is in need of true inspiration ... to have the indwelling FIRE reignited so that we can live with enthusiasm: a passion for Life, purpose, and jouy. FIRE: the Falme of Love that inspires the aspirations of our hearts!

What sets us on fire?

Jan Orel | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)

If we don't know in the depths of our being that God calls us "beloved," we need to. And if we do know it, and it hasn't set us on fire, then we don't know it well enough. Take time daily to be alone and silent before God. And an awareness of your utter belovedness will become a reality for you.

~ by Jan Orel

The world has little by little caught fire

Teilhard de Chardin | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)
Throughout my life, by means of my life, the world has little by little caught fire in my sight, until a flame all around me, it has become almost luminous from within. Such has been my experience in contact with the Earth. The diaphany of the divine at the heart of the universe on fire ... a fire capable of penetrating everywhere, and gradually spreading everywhere.
~ from HEART OF THE MATTER by Teilhard de Chardin

How to grow in being

Margaret Holmes | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)
As you develop spiritually, with increased sensitivity, you become more aware of God's creativity and ceaseless bounty. You value order, for you realize that this makes for harmony, and harmony is the keynote of the universe. You value time. Hours spent visiting someone are Love-filled hours. Above all, you value those most precious moments of the day when you withdraw from activity and experience contact with the Divine Fire of Love: source of all. When this is the most important thing in your life then you are indeed growing in being.
~ from GROWTH INTO BEING by Margaret Holmes

A living flame of love

William Johnston | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)

If we are in any way to solve the problems of our day, we must rely on the power of Another, not on our own power. It manifests itself in the human heart as a blind stirring of love, as a living flame of love. Sometimes, this inner fire drives people into solitude where they intercede for humanity and unleash a power which shakes the universe. But the same inner fire drives others into the midst of action with a passionate love for justice and a willingness to die for their convictions.

~ from THE INNER EYE OF LOVE by William Johnston

A blessing is the natural expression of the fiery love

David Spangler | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)
A blessing is the natural expression of the fiery love and inclusiveness of our inner spirit. It is the manifestation of a soul-fire, and each of us can be its hearth. Each of us, you and I, can be points of reconnection, points of remembrance, points of love. We can be blessings.
~ from BLESSING: the Art and Practice by David Spangler

An all-consuming, passionate love affair

Ursula King | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)

The story of the mystics is one of an all-consuming, passionate love affair between human beings and God. It speaks of deep yearning, of burning desire for the contemplation and presence of the divine beloved. Mystics seek participation in divine life, union, and communion with God. Their desire is kindled by the fire of divine love itself, which moves the mystics in their search and leads them, often on arduous journeys, to discover and proclaim the all-encompassing love of God for humankind.

~ by Ursula King

That sublime Beauty will flame out in your heart

Jami, Eryk Hanut, and Andrew Harvey | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)

Whether your destiny is glory or disgrace,
Purify yourself of hatre and love of self.
Polish your mirror, and that sublime Beauty
From the regions of mystery
Will flame out in your heart
As it did for the saints and prophets.
Then, with your heart on fire with that Splendor
The secret of the Beloved will no longer be hidden.
 

~ by Jami in PERFUME OF THE DESERT edited by Andrew Harvey and Eryk Hanut

My body of a sudden blazed

William Butler Yeats | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)

While on the shop and street I gazed
My body of a sudden blazed
And twenty minutes more or less
It seemed, so great my happiness
That I was blessed, and could bless.

~ by William Butler Yeats

Tend the flame

Nan Merrill | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)

Remain vigilant! Tend the flame, the Divine Spark,
that nurtures and guides your way!
Not for drugery or duty do you awaken;
rather to delight: to dance and play within creation's wonders.
Enlightened sould know the joy and power of humble service
offered freely, lovingly, and in harmony with the universal Song.
When the flame shines brightly,
who remembers the darkness?
Remain vigilant!
Even in lonely moments, remember to be mindful;
you are never alone.
 

~ from LUMEN CHRISTI...HOLY WISDOM by Nan Merrill

Spiritual hunger is a living, radiant fir

Abu Said Ibn Abi Khayr | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)
Spiritual hunger is a living, radiant fire put by God into hearts so that the ego can be burned; when it has been burned, this fire becomes the fire of longing, which never dies, either in this world or the next. There is no quicker way to God than spiritual hunger; if it travels through solid rock, water gushes forth. Spiritual hunger is essential for the Sufis; it is the showering of God's mercy on them.
~ by Abu Said Ibn Abi Khayr

The fire of contemplation

Gail Worcelo | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)

There is a realization taking place within me, as my eyes reach out through the skylight, that the deeper I go in prayer the farther out I go in the cosmos. Inner and outer are one. The mystics understood this as they went deeper into the inner experience of God. They experienced a harmonization of their lives with the greater rhythms of existence. They knew by faith what science knows empirically, that the universe is charged with the presence and reality of the Divine. These mystics allowed the fire of contemplation to transform them into a union of love with all creation. They understood that Divine Radiance floods the universe making all things holy.

~ by Gail Worcelo in "Earthlight," Issue 39. Fall 2000

Barriers are sundered by the Divine Fire

Vladimir Solovyov | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)

Barriers are sundered, fetters are melted
By the Divine Fire,
And the eternal dawn of a new life rises
In all, and all in One.

~ by Vladimir Solovyov (19th century)

No two hearts are on fire with God in the same way

Joyce Rupp | February 2002 (Vol. XV, No. 1)

No two hearts are on fire with God in the same way. We are all called to live this vibrant love of God in our own way, according to our own personality and temperament. In life's ups and downs, at times we will wonder if any fire remains in us. Because of our inner battles, we will at times resist the fire or fear its power. Yet, within us all, the fire of God continues to flicker even though we may not see its glow.

How do we keep the love of God aflame in us? We must stay close to the original flame of love, and draw near to the heat of God through daily prayer and through a continual yearning to be one with the divine presence. Each time we intentionally draw near to God, we light a candle in our heart.

~ from MAY I HAVE THIS DANCE? by Joyce Rupp