A Buddhist on the way to Carmel

At a recent OCDS meeting we got to discussing retreats and how they helped in our spiritual development.  One member observed that her journey to Carmel had actually begun with a retreat in which she became aware of her spiritual hunger.  Another member spoke about attending ‘really severe’ Buddhist retreats (fasting and solitude) in the days before she became a Catholic.  She recalled how these retreats focussed on helping individuals to go inwards and face up to the violence in themselves.  I found this very interesting because I have long felt that the problem with many radical reformers of society is that they have a ‘them and us’ outlook.  They think they are the virtuous reformers who are facing this or that evil oppressor ‘out there in the world’.  Our faith however teaches us to start with ourselves, to recognise that sin is not confined to any particular category of individual, for we ourselves are part of the general problem of sin in the world so that our first task is to draw closer to God ourselves.  Lent can be viewed as a small part of that journey inwards – on which our St Teresa of Avila wrote so eloquently in the Interior Castle.   

Intercessions:

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Jacqui, Theresa K, Fr Jon Bielowski (Plymouth Diocese), Catherine, Alex (43 with five children), Marie

Illness:  Katy Keeling

Siena, Elara – sick children

David OCDS – housebound

Sophia – blind infant

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Lucia – Overwhelmed by weariness

Mark – brain infection

Michael – youngster with occult influences

Defence of the unborn and the elderly

RIP Connor Calleja (20 yrs old, funeral 25 Feb)