Combat Spiritual And Continual Prayer

Community of La Solitude

Our life hidden with Christ in God at the heart of the Cosmos Spiritual combat and continual prayer The scientific discoveries of the XXth century are opening up for us a new vision of the universe. We are challenged to expand the way we think about and respond to the life around us. Now, the Word of God, which nourishes our life of prayer, is taking on a cosmic dimension which we are only gradually beginning to rediscover. “Let us give thanks to God the Father… He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved Son… in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth…” Col 1. It is in the heart of this new vision of the Cosmos that we live our life hidden with Christ in God. Continual Prayer  We are called by vocation to a life of continual prayer which requires constant attentiveness in order to be ever more open to discover the presence of God in us and in the whole cosmos, to welcome his gratuitous Love, listen to his calls through all that is and respond to them. Continual prayer is communion with God, source of all that exists. The awareness that God is within the created world constantly “making all things new” and that we are interrelated with the whole of existence opens us to the wonderful mystery of our God. This helps us to have complete confidence in Him, a confidence that frees us from our ego…  Scientific discoveries show us that the „Creator Spirit‟ continues to work. God reveals himself in the intelligence of the human beings he created in his own image. We have been given the power and ability to hear God‟s call to live in relationship with the Divine, in the service of love. Through all and in all, life is springing forth with ever greater brightness and splendour. Indeed, all life becomes “adoration”, the covenant of God‟s Love. How amazing to know we live in an expanding universe, that creation continues, that everything in the cosmos is interconnected! And we participate in this act of divine creation more than any other generation before us was capable of doing. It is when we are truly free that we give place to God to do his work in and through us. The divine energy of the Holy Spirit is infinitely powerful and creative. It is God‟s work. Thus we pray at all times, no matter what we are doing, like Jesus and with Jesus.  Now, our fidelity to the times of personal and community prayer is not something imposed, or something we do, but a loving and intimate encounter with the Lord of all creation. As we become more conscious of the cosmic dimension of Scripture, adoration, praise and thanksgiving flow naturally from the depths of our being. Then, silence and solitude become an inner necessity – a letting-go of all, even our „image‟ of God, in order to surrender our lives entirely to God and be open to the Mystery which is revealed today. Spiritual combat:  The spiritual combat in our life is situated in this dynamic of a life with God and for God alone. We have been created in God‟s own image and likeness so that we can participate in his divine life! Since the beginning of creation the powers of evil have been at work bringing struggle, division and violence. The Bible is full of this… we find the combat in the psalms and Jesus also experienced temptations and shows us how to deal with them. Jesus gave his life “so that we would have life in abundance” and that all humanity find its unity again in the unity of God. In the Letter to the Romans (8:20) St Paul says that: the creation was subjected to futility in the

hope that it will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God… We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now.”  Personal combat: Jesus wishes to give us his love in abundance through the Spirit, and draw us into his relationship with the Father. Like Jesus, we are called to lay down our lives so that the Kingdom of God come today. This means surrendering our egos and fears, letting go to allow the Lord to take the whole place. This is the combat of each moment: a struggle against the powers of evil in us – our egoism, jealousy, and desire for power, feelings of grudge, comparison, and projection on the other, my sister… Prayer helps us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ. He shows us the way to conversion, to finding new life through the „combat‟, through the chaos in our hearts.… The entire universe is full of this mystery of “death and resurrection”.  We find this same combat in our community life, in our relations with others. We are different, but complementary, called “together” to take up the combat that leads to hope at the heart of the world, in communion with all our brothers and sisters in humanity and with the entire cosmos. At present we are confronted with a new reality: that of ageing, the limitations of health, being few in number, and, thus, the concrete questions about the future. It is a call to hope, for ourselves and the entire world. The present and the future are in God‟s hands. Together, we are called to overcome our fears and “choose life” in confidence, peace and serenity, living the present moment fully in union with God.  Humanity and the whole of creation struggle, are drawn into the combat for life, for liberation: so many people are living in situations of violence, war and hunger, the lack of love and understanding. There is turmoil within the Church and chaos in politics everywhere… Even nature is experiencing violence, disturbance (Tsunami – inundations – earthquakes – storms of all kinds… global warming, pollution… In how far are we challenged by this? Are we aware of our responsibility? It is not just a prayer that is formulated, but a continual prayer through our attitudes in every aspect of our life. The resurrection of Jesus can be the icon of new life for the individual, the nation and the Earth. St Paul encourages us in the Letter to the Ephesians: “Put on the full armour of God so as to be able to resist the devil‟s tactics… In all your prayer and entreaty keep praying in the Spirit on every occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all God‟s people…” (6:10-20). To sum up:  We can say that Prayer and Combat are closely linked.  Combat is a positive reality which leads to life – to the freedom of the children of God, to truth and communion.  But, it demands self-renunciation so that life can radiate the Glory of God. It is the Paschal mystery at the heart of daily life.  The combat, like continual prayer, embraces the whole of life with what it presents, interiorly and exteriorly.  Even our failings are a way of humility and truth: “Indeed you love truth in the heart” Ps 50  We continue the route our eyes fixed on Jesus. That is our contemplative vocation at the heart of the cosmos – in the Church, until the Lord says “Come”… When the Risen Christ will give the whole creation to the Father, when the entire cosmos is renewed: “a new heaven and a new earth… „Now God‟s home is among human beings! God will live with them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness or pain. Look, I am making all things new” (Rev 21). John of the Cross offers us insights about prayer and combat at the heart of the cosmos: “One dark night, fired with love‟s urgent longings – ah, the sheer grace! – I went out unseen, my house being stilled” John goes confidently from contemplative silence trusting the darkness.