Companions on the Journey

      “There is a space formed by the particular shape of our life. It is meant for God Himself to indwell. This must be felt as a lack…and it comes about through daily circumstances. It may be caused by a cavern of a lonely heart, the ache of a lost one, the yearning that comes from ‘not yet being home.’ In truth we are to glory in this emptiness—for it is the price we pay for such an immense dignity. To wait in courage for God to fill our particular emptiness is one of the most profound of love's acts."        Ed Colin

Immense Dignity

     “There is a space formed by the particular shape of our life. It is meant for God Himself to indwell. This must be felt as a lack . . . and it comes about through daily circumstances. It may be caused by a cavern of a lonely heart, the ache of a lost one, the yearning that comes from ‘not yet being home.’ In truth, we are to glory in this emptiness – for it is the price we pay for such an immense dignity. To wait in courage for God to fill our particular emptiness is one of the most profound of love’s acts.”     
                                                                                                                       Ed Colin 


     Life, with all its’ bells and whistles, hopes and desires, people and possessions cannot truly satisfy us. There is an emptiness, a lack, or void, which only God can fill.  It presents itself to us as a powerful yearning. This emptiness occurs even when everything seems right and good; when all is well; when we are filled with the love of our newborn child, husband or wife, children, relatives and friends. This feeling is a mystery to us and when it makes itself known, we can be thrown into total confusion and unrest.

Hunger and Thirst for More

     “I was sure that it was better for me to give myself up to Your love than to give in to my own desires. However, although the one way appealed to me and was gaining mastery, the other still afforded me pleasure and kept me victim. I had no answer to give to You when You said, ‘Rise, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you.’ When on all sides You showed me that Your words were true, and I was overcome by Your truth, I had no answer whatsoever to make, but only those slow and drowsy words, ‘Right away. Yes, right away.’ ‘Let me be for a while.’ But ‘Right away – right away, was never now, and “Let me be for a little while’ stretched out for a long time.”                                                                                                                                        St. Augustine


     Reading these words of St. Augustine should give us encouragement and hope. His conversion was a journey – and a long one at that! He was held victim by many inordinate attachments. But through the prayers of His mother St. Monica, along with the acceptance of God’s grace, he became one of the greatest saints of the Catholic Church!

Embracing Emptiness

     “It is very hard to allow emptiness to exist in our lives. Emptiness requires a willingness not to be in control, a willingness to something new and unexpected to happen. It requires trust, surrender, and openness to guidance. God wants to dwell in our emptiness. But as long as we are afraid of God and God’s action in our lives, it is unlikely that we will offer our emptiness to God. Let’s pray that we can let go of fear and embrace God as the source of love.”                                                           Henri Nouwen



     When we feel emptiness, a restlessness full of uncertainty, within our deepest self, we want to act as quickly as possible and do something. Anything! We do not want to acknowledge it, let alone entertain or sit with it, because we do not know what will be asked of us. We try to avoid looking at it and pretend it isn't there. We keep busy; filling our time, hoping it will just go away!