The Shattered Lantern

I just finished reading The Shattered Lantern: rediscovering a felt presence of God by Catholic author Ronald Rolheiser. I posted on facebook that I was reading this and had several comments about the word 'felt', suggesting alternative fabrics. They had their fun. In fact, this was a great book to read. He has a clear, sort of no-nonsense writing style that I like. I could no longer resist using the sticky tabs that landed in my lap from a library book, and marked some favourite quotes, some of which I'll give here.

Imagine someone telling you: "I understand you. I've watched you grow up, I know your Myers-Briggs results...and I am familiar with the dysfunctions in your family background. Besides that, you are French, and I know the temperament of the French! And you are so perfectly your mother's daughter! Oh, yes, I understand you!" Would you feel very understood? No, I think you would not. You would feel reduced. But someone who says: "You know, I don't understand you at all! You are one rich mystery! I've known you for twenty years and you still constantly surprise me!" I suspect that would make you feel more understood and whole.

Do not try to capture God. 

Live in wonder.

Let your agnosticism be very very wide. 

Do not try to understand the infinite 

within the confines of finite experience.

For most of us, the dominant obsession of adult life is trying to guarantee our own preciousness, lovableness, meaning, immortality, and sanctity. We do not believe we can have these independent of our own accomplishments. And so we fabricate the lie, we try to make a mark for ourselves...

Let God give you preciousness, meaning, significance, and eternal life. Do not try to guarantee these for yourself. To let God be holy, and to let God's ways be above our ways, means that we must trust God to give us these things beyond our ways.

Be aware of what is gift in your life. Be alert to and searingly honest in accepting all that you find present in your experience and you will find that you are not a self-sufficient being but that at each second of your life you are being created, sustained, challenged, and redeemed by some absolute beyond you.

People listened to [Jesus] and the clay within them turned to wings.

(quoting Nikos Kazantzakis The Last Temptation of Christ)

Love is the eye.

(quoting Hugo of St. Victor)