and reflection that a life of service can come and be sustained. Interiority is not a withdrawal but a spring from which flowing waters can come.
St. Ignatius once made the seemingly enigmatic remark: “He [or she] who has really grasped what Jesus said can appreciate his silence.”38 This can mean many things, but it does make an important connection between one’s interiority and one’s externalization. Put differently, behind the words or deeds of a person lies an inner reality that also needs to be understood and appreciated and needs to be nurtured. In fact, it is only when the latter is understood that the former can be appreciated.
In the case of Jesus, his words and deeds invite us to an intimacy of the Spirit. And being drawn to the inner person of Jesus—and into his silence—is an invitation into the very presence of a love that knows no bounds, is willing to suffer and to give its all.
The invitation for the Christian is not only to imitate the deeds of Christ, but to become like him in our inner being and in prayer and
silence. From such an inner life good fruit can come.
Thought
Entering into the silence of Christ opens a new world. This silence needs to become our own silence for which all goodness springs.
John 15:15
February 8
Friendship with God
We must never reduce our relationship with God to a glib
familiarity or an estranged distance. God is sovereign and Lord of our lives. But God can also be the great friend.
It is possible to think of God in images of distance. This is particularly so when we use the language of distance: omnipotent, sovereign, all
powerful. But there is also another language that we are invited to use. This speaks of intimacy and closeness: lover, healer, redeemer, friend.
Clearly both forms of language are appropriate. It usually depends on the way and the circumstances in which we seek to approach God. Being in a certain phase in our spiritual journey means that we will think of God in certain ways and use language accordingly.
St. Thomas Aquinas points out that “Charity signifies not only the love of God, but also a certain friendship with him.”39 And so it is. For if the love of God is in us, then the Great Lover is hauntingly close. If grace is given, then the Great Giver is at hand. If healing comes our way, then the healing presence of God is within and around us. The presence of love in the relationship of friendship with this awesome God means that we may call God “Father” and “Friend.”
The worship of God, while recognizing God as wholly Other, is also worship in the joy of friendship. The God of the Bible is hauntingly close, is the unceasing lover and the faithful friend.
Thought
God is so close. God is within us through the Spirit. God is always closer than we think or feel.
1 John 1:9
February 9
A Deeper Confession
There are sources of human goodness out of which I act that may not be immediately apparent to me. There may also be fault lines and ungoodness in my life of which I am not fully aware. A deeper self-reflection is, therefore, called for.
St. Augustine makes a seemingly strange confession: “I would therefore confess what I know about myself; I will also confess what I do not know about myself.”40 This is both a revealing and an appropriate statement.
Revealing in that this ancient church father knows something of the
psychology of the human person. Appropriate, in that since part of what we do lies below the surface, such a confession is always called for.
Confession should occur not only at the level of awareness of wrongs done. It lies much deeper. It also lies at the level of my intentions and
motivations. Actions of the hand find their source in both the goodness and dysfunctionality of the heart. But there is more to this story. Confession also has to do with what I am, not only with what I do. It has to do with my essential being. It has to do with ontology.
To acknowledge that I have committed a particular sin is one thing. To confess that I am a sinner is something that goes much deeper. The one has to do with an act; the other with who I am. And it is also at this deeper level that the grace and healing presence of Christ in the Spirit needs to be embraced.
Reflection
It is not only what I do, it is also what I am that matters. And the renewing work of the Spirit in making me a new person builds on the forgiveness that is found in Christ.
Psalm 61:5–6
February 10
Reflection
Ours is a world of busyness and we live with many
distractions. Our inner world is, therefore, restless and
preoccupied. In the midst of this, we are invited into the
practice of solitude and reflection.
Inwardly restless and outwardly preoccupied, ours is the journey of flight—away from ourselves and away from God. And thus away from an inner peace and centeredness. We are, therefore, both distracted and fractured.
God’s invitation however is one of homecoming—coming home to God’s grace and healing and coming home to accept God’s gifts and
calling. This calls us to stop running and to turn in the right direction. This also means that we come home to ourselves.
The spiritual discipline of silence, solitude, and reflection is an
important part of this homecoming. It helps us to see who we are, where we are, and where we need to be. Thomas à Kempis challenges us regarding these matters. He writes, “Set aside an opportune time for deep personal reflection and think often about God’s many benefits to you.”41
This simple advice poses a challenge for us. On the run, we are invited to stop. Ever planning, we are invited to reflect. Wanting to do things, we are called to pray. Ever restless, we are invited into the place of surrender.
As we reflect on ourselves and our world we are called to cling to the God who alone can make us whole and bring our world to peace. Thus, reflection will always call us to prayer.
Thought
Publicly, we are known by what we do. But God also knows us in the quiet places of the heart. These latter places should be the places where we are most truly at home.
John 10:10
February 11
Generativity
While some think that Christianity is all about doctrines,
rituals, and ceremonies, they miss the heart of the
