Make a Dwelling

Lectio Divina

... and make our dwelling with him.

John 14:23

It is not enough for Jesus' followers merely to love others enough to live with them -- that is, to tolerate them. He asks us to do something greater -- to love others so fully as to let them live within us. Wow. I can't do that on my own. To let others who are in Christ, and all people of good will, live within me? My body? My sense of privacy, of an instinctive self-possessiveness kicks in right about here. But even my body is not my own: this is Christian poverty. My prayer is to let my heart be widened a little more every day so that I can assent to letting all others -- not merely the souls I like, not merely my neighbors, but also those I dislike, and even my enemies -- in with the welcome with which I would welcome Jesus himself.

Library

Continuing Johnson, Friends of God and Prophets, in the chapel. Breezed through America and Commonweal. I also have in hand the 80th anniversary issue of the New York Catholic Worker. I have plucked other books from our novitiate library, but I will not be able to get deeply into them until next week, once I send off the next novitiate newsletter and my self-evaluations. Be done, I say!

Log

Today, ministry at the federal prison in Lompoc. Lately we have seen a succession of departures or transfers of men to other compounds at other facilities. We rejoice over the shrinking of our incarcerated congregation; we pray for those who are headed to other complexes. I am reminded of the transience of human communities. But the kin(g)dom of God is forever.

This evening, faith sharing with the brothers. Still working on the May issue of The Caperone. Still working on the third and final evaluation. Be done, I say!

Weather

The fires are burning in Ventura County. But I am waiting for another kind of fire to sweep Santa Barbara County. It is hot and dry at San Lorenzo. All we need is a spark.