"The
Name of the Lord is a strong tower; the just man runs to it and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)
There
is change in the air as a storm approaches.
The wind picks up, clouds gather, there may be a distant clap of
thunder. As lightning flashes around
us, we race for shelter.
Monastery
grounds and walls are as subject to storms as those of any other building. They get slapped with rain, pelted with
sleet, covered in snow. Inhabitants of
the cloister might find themselves standing at a window looking out, maybe with a touch of concern. What are those
chunks of hail doing to the roof? Are the windows secure against the wind?
The
monastery of my life is vulnerable, too.
I face storms, at times, of great magnitude. Sickness, sudden disaster, an unnerving news
report. It helps me then to remember
that I’m in the strongest cloister possible – the cloister of God’s loving
embrace. Everything that touches me must
first come through His hands, through His “permissive will.” I can do as St. Francis de Sales advised,
and say amid my contradictions: “this is the very road to heaven. I see the door, and I am certain the storms
cannot prevent us from getting there.”
“If
Christ’s love is the enclosure wall (and we know that it is, for He has said
that ‘My beloved is a garden enclosed), He encloses you; He IS the
enclosure.” (Mother Mary Francis PCC,
from “Walls Around the World”)
“Happy
is the soul established in God and in holy humility. The winds of the storm are powerless to shake her.” (St. Jane de
Chantal)
For
prayer and meditation:
“In
Him who is the source of my strength I have strength for everything.” (Philippians 4:13)
“Dismiss
all anxiety from your minds. Present
your needs to God in every form of prayer and in petitions full of
gratitude. Then God’s own peace, which
is beyond all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and minds, in
Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
(public domain photo, altered)
