A week and a half ago I was standing looking over Venford Reservoir on Dartmoor. As I surveyed the beautiful scene I was reminded of a comment made by Jean-Baptiste Chautard (a Cistercian abbot who died around 1935) in Soul of the Apostolate. In this beautiful book he speaks of how important it is as a Christian to develop the interior life. He uses the analogy of becoming a “living reservoir of the Holy Ghost”, in contrast with merely being a channel of the Holy Spirit. Venford reservoir looked very deep and wide as I leant on the bridge – I longed to have that kind of inner resource to see me through this spiritual journey. My approach is to commit to regular times of unspoken, silent prayer. It is so enriching and is vital for building the dam to hold this reservoir of the love of God in the silence.
On returning home, suitably inspired, I ‘googled’ to see if I could find out more about Dom Chautard and came across the writings of Fr. Ernest Larkin. I will try and figure out how to upload the particular pdf in which he writes about the Soul of the Apostolate, but for now here is the link.
I also learnt that Larkin finished a book just before he died and his life’s passion is summed up here in the product description for the book:
Product Description: Contemplative Prayer for Today: Christian Meditation gathers some of Fr. Larkin’s earlier scholarship and relates it to his own journey into Centering Prayer and Christian Meditation. He dialogues the spiritual heritage of Mount Carmel with these other contemporary ‘wisdoms of the Desert.’ He has helpful advice for those new to contemplation and reveals hidden depths for those on the way. This work is the swan-song of a life dedicated to God. Fr Larkin died soon after its completion. He felt that there was no greater service one could do than lead people to an encounter with God in their own hearts. This book is his legacy to us and shows the wisdom and love to which he is now fully united. He leaves us a rich inheritance.
Yes! I’m inspired – may this be my legacy too. Better keep building that dam!
Love this.
Am quite excited by the prospect of watching you/joining you on this journey in silent, contemplative prayer!
As I mentioned the other day, there is an issue for me that if my prayers are not spoken out, then I lose my focus and my mind wanders away from the matter in hand – cheese, burgers and so on!!! So any advice that you may have would be very gratefully appreciated!! As would any info on retreats for a day!
Any ideas on how to build a dam?!!?
Blessings!
Jamie, thanks for joining in. Great questions. Regarding building a dam – if we take the water in the reservoir to be the love of God (although I think it’s more like an ocean), then the containing wall within (the dam) is probably the development of the interior life. You inspired me to post about this, and no doubt it will become a reoccurring theme. It follows then that we need to look at the mind, and how to use it wisely; in particular to find the ‘off button’. Steve has touched on issues of the mind in one of his replies, so I reckon soon I shall get to work on some thoughts (ironic smiles) about the place of the mind and thinking in relation to the interior life.
Here are some links to retreat centres:
http://www.retreats.org.uk/
http://www.thegoodretreatguide.com/retreats/welcome/retreats%20uksouth.html
http://www.eden.co.uk/directory/christian_retreats_10.html
http://www.wccmretreatcentre.org.uk/
http://www.ammerdown.org/
http://www.quietwaters.org.uk/
http://www.ashburnham.org.uk/