I have entered the enclosure door, crossed the threshold, taken the step. Like a potential nun having come into the cloister, I take a look at my surroundings. One of the first things I may do is glance back over my shoulder. I still see the outside world (or at least the foyer)… but now I see it through a grille.
The grille is a powerful symbol. I would go so far as to say that, in the cloistered heart way of life I’m describing, it is the important symbol. It is a place of separation and, just as importantly, it is a place of encounter. It is only through the grille that some cloistered individuals (in a number of communities) connect with the world.
And you know what? Every human being has been given, by God, a way to connect with the world. A way to see situations correctly; a way to interact with others appropriately.
God invites each one of us to view and respond to every person and every circumstance through His will.
We do not have to guess what that will is. God has revealed it to us. Scripture and the authentic teachings of the Church make up the bars of our grille.
Am I facing a hardship? I can face it through the grille. “God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him…” (Romans 8:28).
“We do not fix our gaze on what is seen but on what is unseen…” (2 Corinthians 4:18). In days to come, may God open us more fully to the grillwork of His will.
God invites each one of us to view and respond to every person and every circumstance through His will.
We do not have to guess what that will is. God has revealed it to us. Scripture and the authentic teachings of the Church make up the bars of our grille.
Am I facing a hardship? I can face it through the grille. “God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him…” (Romans 8:28).
“We do not fix our gaze on what is seen but on what is unseen…” (2 Corinthians 4:18). In days to come, may God open us more fully to the grillwork of His will.