Love and calculation

‘When one loves, one does not calculate’.  My thanks to S, a Secular I saw last Saturday at the OCDS Central Regional Day, for this quote from St Therese.  It put me in mind of one of my favourite gospel stories, the drama of the lady who poured perfume all over the feet of Jesus.  ‘She learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she came there with a special jar of perfume. 38 She stood behind Jesus and cried at his feet. And she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair. She kissed them and poured perfume on them.’ [Luke 7:37-38] I had not noticed previously in what follows that according to Jesus this lady actually hadn’t stopped kissing his feet since he came in.  The only appropriate word for this is adoration, and I can see Therese in her, for Therese was consumed with this kind of passionate love for Jesus. At the same time the story is a picture of Carmel and what Carmel is all about.  We are to be consumed with a passionate love for Jesus, at the same time (according to the title of a book) letting ourselves be loved.  Perhaps the most fundamental reason I myself came into Carmel was to learn to love Jesus more, but I have also been taught the importance of letting myself be loved.

Intercessions:

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Jacqui, Theresa K, Fr Jon B

Siena, Elara – sick children

Wojtek – massive heart attack leaving him incapacitated

David OCDS – housebound

Sophia – blind infant

Joy Smith OCDS – seriously ill

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

Lucia – Overwhelmed by weariness

 Defence of the unborn and the elderly

 RIP Martin Gilham, Sue Burton, little Matthew (six years old, died of cancer) and prayers for his parents