Back From Vacation Boost
Back from vacation and, as if on cue, the weather turned hot and humid, then hotter and more humid. I could use a boost in weather like this. With last weekend's solstice (Sunday), everything's lined up for full summer-at-work action. That's where you know you've got to get the job done, but a part of you wishes everyone would just chill out, since it's likely the weather won't. And who feels fired up on hot humid days?
I could use that boost not just for my mind and body, but my soul as well. As with my mind and body, my soul can sort of get bogged down in the heat and humidity, leading to a kind of spiritual torpor if I'm not vigilant.
(Need I say I'm not a fan of heat and humidity?)
In any case, while I haven't found any long-term solutions to my mental and bodily response to hot humid days in the big city, I have found some solutions for my sometimes dragging spirit. And any time I find something that cuts through the thick humid air in my soul that drags my spiritual life down, I try to remember to share it with you. So here's the latest. It's a suggested prayer and meditation by Father Frederick T. Hoeger, C.S.Sp. He wrote a prayer book, Prayers and Devotions to the Holy Ghost. Inside he quotes Cardinal Mercier's "secret of sanctity." Generally, when you see something that says "The Secret of..." these days, it's usually a pitch for some product, a marketing phrase designed to catch your attention. It's usually best to not waste time on such stuff. But from a solid source like Father Hoeger, and on the subject of sanctity, I'll pay attention.
With that in mind, here's something that's not only worth your attention, but short and to the point. It will refresh and enlighten at the same time. As a busy man at work, a recommendation on how to strengthen your soul by improving your spiritual life should be given serious consideration. And that which refreshes even as it enlightens strikes me as perfect for summer. Forthwith:
“During one of his retreat conferences Cardinal Mercier offered to his hearers the following secret of sanctity: Every day, for five minutes, restrain your imagination and close your eyes to all earthly impressions so as to be able to withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul, the temple of the Holy Ghost, then address the Holy Spirit in these terms:
I could use that boost not just for my mind and body, but my soul as well. As with my mind and body, my soul can sort of get bogged down in the heat and humidity, leading to a kind of spiritual torpor if I'm not vigilant.
(Need I say I'm not a fan of heat and humidity?)
In any case, while I haven't found any long-term solutions to my mental and bodily response to hot humid days in the big city, I have found some solutions for my sometimes dragging spirit. And any time I find something that cuts through the thick humid air in my soul that drags my spiritual life down, I try to remember to share it with you. So here's the latest. It's a suggested prayer and meditation by Father Frederick T. Hoeger, C.S.Sp. He wrote a prayer book, Prayers and Devotions to the Holy Ghost. Inside he quotes Cardinal Mercier's "secret of sanctity." Generally, when you see something that says "The Secret of..." these days, it's usually a pitch for some product, a marketing phrase designed to catch your attention. It's usually best to not waste time on such stuff. But from a solid source like Father Hoeger, and on the subject of sanctity, I'll pay attention.
With that in mind, here's something that's not only worth your attention, but short and to the point. It will refresh and enlighten at the same time. As a busy man at work, a recommendation on how to strengthen your soul by improving your spiritual life should be given serious consideration. And that which refreshes even as it enlightens strikes me as perfect for summer. Forthwith:
“During one of his retreat conferences Cardinal Mercier offered to his hearers the following secret of sanctity: Every day, for five minutes, restrain your imagination and close your eyes to all earthly impressions so as to be able to withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul, the temple of the Holy Ghost, then address the Holy Spirit in these terms:
O Holy Spirit! Soul of my soul, I adore Thee.
Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me.
Tell me what I ought to do.
Command me to do it.
I promise to accept whatever Thou permittest to befall me.
Only show me what is Thy will!
Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me.
Tell me what I ought to do.
Command me to do it.
I promise to accept whatever Thou permittest to befall me.
Only show me what is Thy will!
“If you do this, your life will pass in contentment and peace. You will have abundant consolation even amidst troubles, for you will receive grace in proportion to your trials and strength in proportion to your burdens, until the day when you will reach the gates of Heaven weighted with precious merits. This submission to the Holy Spirit is the secret of sanctity.” (Fr. Frederick T. Hoeger, C.S.Sp.)
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