We're into week 7 now in the online retreat, and this week we're reflecting on our patterns of personal sin. It's not all that much fun reflecting on sin, talking about it, bringing it out into the open. But anyway, I just wanted to highlight a bit of Fr Larry Gillick's reflection for this week. Each week he provides some thoughts like these - and they are very insightful and inspiring.
A final image might help throughout this week, as we look at the photo of ourself, deep in prayer. We can imagine our lives like a house.
Our lives, like a house, often have nice front yards. We might even invest lots of money in presenting an impressive drive-by image.
Just inside our house, there is an entryway and living room, where we greet and entertain most of the people who get into our lives. People who are more intimately involved in our lives get invited farther in as dinner guests, next door neighbors or life long friends.
And, of course, there are the intimate places in our house - the bathrooms and bedroom - where only the most intimate parts of our life happen.
But, in every house - in every life - there is a basement (or attic or garage) where the less than presentable stuff is kept.
This week, we can imagine going down in that basement. Even if there has been a lock on that door and I haven't visited it in a long time.
I need not be afraid, because I'm going to go down there, accompanied by Jesus, who will show me all the stuff that is there.
There's old stuff there I wouldn't want to show anybody else. There's embarrassing stuff there, in hiding.
As I walk around it all, I can imagine Jesus telling me he loves me here, in this place. I can hear him tell me he loves all of me - the whole me.
You bring it all down to the nitty gritty in the last paragraph, Steve. Missed you at the meeting last night. Eight of us there, even a couple of Baptists. You, yourself, were there "in spirit". I brought along your post on prayer and took us into discussion from there. Hope you had fun with your boys. Boo!~.......
Posted by: Jim | November 01, 2005 at 07:40 AM
Jim - I did miss our usual discussion, but also haD fun chasing the boys around the neighborhood and talking with the other dads. Glad my earlier post was able to get things started!
Posted by: Steve Bogner | November 01, 2005 at 12:17 PM
I'm glad that I happened on your site. I've posted a link to the retreat on my own.
Posted by: Herb Ely | November 04, 2005 at 05:16 PM