The Will to Choose our Actions

"By their actions (they) have been turned into animals."     In my online contemplative community, we are reading through Cynthia Bourgeault's book, The Wisdom Jesus. The above comment referenced the crowd's sadistic cruelty against Jesus

in the mob scene on the road to Calvary. It is true that our actions lead us (and others).  I'm fairly certain we have all had the experience of joining in some kind of activity with others that carried us further than we intended to go.  What struck me with this phrase was a memory from Gerald May's Will and Spirit which we studied long ago in an earlier version of this community. Before the actions, we always have the choice of will to take such actions, or having taking action, we can exercise the will to stop such.   The power of our actions - both from our strengths and weaknesses - are mighty signs to others. This is where our praxis such as the Jesus Prayer, Guard of the Heart, or Divine Mercy chaplet can come to our aid in forming/containing/correcting our will to be that of God's.  So aligned, our actions will keep us like little lambs.... like the Lamb of God.   We know all too well the brutal bestiality of the Prince of Darkness who reigns across many lands and peoples in our world today as well as the past.  May we all hold strong to our inner responsibility. I read only this morning in St. Faustina's Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, of Jesus asking her to save a certain dying sinner by saying the chaplet He taught her.  She "saw the man dying in the midst of terrible torment and struggle.  His Guardian Angel was defending him, but he was, as it were, powerless against the enormity of the soul's misery. A multitude of devils was waiting for the soul.  But while I was saying the chaplet, I saw Jesus just as He is depicted in the image. The rays which issued from Jesus' Heart enveloped the sick man, and the powers of darkness fled in panic.  The sick man peacefully breathed his last.   When I came to myself, I understood how vey important the chaplet was for the dying. "

Time to Stop Being a Drip.

Drip.

We image God as if we created Him instead of vice versa.  We look for ways He is like us as parents look for signs of themselves in their children.  He tolerates all this.  He waits for us to shift our focus from ourselves to others, and ultimately to Him.

Drip.

We are afraid of love because it is so big.  We close ourselves off from it like a faucet on a sink.  When we get brave or curious, we turn the handle on our heart a tiny twist to open enough for a small drip into the world.

Drip. 

Drips can be annoying after a while. Drip.  Drip. Drip.  That's all most of us do.  Drip on one another.  You can't wash your face very well with a few drips of water nor soothe a parched soul or heart thirsting for love.

We need to collectively open our faucets and let the love within us - which God endlessly supplies - pour out upon the parched earth and all who live upon it.  We need a flood of love that will sweep evil off its feet with a current fast and strong to prevent it from being able to pull itself out.  The flood is coming. This time, it is water of life, not of death.  Be not afraid.  Open your faucets!  Open your heart! 

The land and its people are parched.  You can bring them refreshment.  Open and let the water of life pour over you and into the world.  The water and Word do the work.  You simply open your heart... and stop being a drip.