Lectio
“And so, wishing to remedy your great evils, I have given you the Bridge of My Son, in order that, passing across the flood, you may not be drowned, which flood is the tempestuous sea of this dark life.”
— Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue, “A Treatise of Divine Providence”
Meditatio
In this life of toil and torment, much of which is the result of our own choosing, our loving, merciful God has given us a refuge from the storms we have created and which are created by the brokenness of the world we inhabit. He has given us a space — a time — for rest, an eye in the storm of life within which we can find peace and comfort, even if only for a short while until the day comes when we are taken into the safety of His Kingdom forever. He has given us a place within which we may practice the stillness of divine trust now, as a foretaste of Heaven, as both a reprieve from our struggles in this world and a space for receiving Him who has given us everything.
Apart from Christ, in whom alone we find Sabbath, we are left to wade through the ever-rising waters of darkness alone, unassisted, relying on our own strength and our own bearing to arrive at the place of rest we are promised — left to navigate the storm without the very help God sent to guide us and carry us out. And worse, we are refusing that very gift, which is Godself, and proclaiming that we do not need Him, that we do not need the Bridge He has sent us, and that we value our storm more than we value His promise to help us escape it, and if we refuse the Lord, if we reject the very Spirit of love He has sent us, we place ourselves out of reach of His help because, in His love for our freedom, He will never force Himself upon us, even as His love continually pours out for us.
And yet His offer still stands. His hand remains extended. The Bridge across the waters of darkness does not recede simply because we do. All He asks of us is that we accept Him, that we receive what He gives — which is Himself — and, through Him, we will find rest for our bodies and refuge for our souls. We need Him so that we may keep going. We need Sabbath so that we may keep going because our race here is not yet run until we meet Him face-to-face in our Heavenly home where Sabbath is eternal and where our decision to receive His grace will be made permanent.
Oratio
Temporal Winds
winds rushing through
with a mighty roar
leaving nought unchanged
that the eye can see
wiping away
all sense of stillness
rattling perceptions
shaking comfort loose
yet a stillness remains
underneath
a constancy
a refuge
a deep silence
unmoved by the storm
Contemplatio
You do not have to reach the far shore on your own strength. The Bridge is already beneath you, holding, even in the wind. For a moment, stop bracing against the storm and let yourself be still — sit in the silence, consent, and let Him hold what you cannot.
Related Scripture
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
For Further Reading
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Lectio Divina: Slow Work Of God, which turns from the Bridge already crossing the flood to Teilhard de Chardin’s invitation to trust the slow, hidden unfolding of the rest we cannot rush into being.
Robert Van Valkenburgh
Grappling With Divinity.
Wrestling With God.
Returning To Love.
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