Guest guest Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Love in fact is the spiritual life, and without it all the other exercises of the spirit, however lofty, are emptied of content and become mere illusions. The more lofty they are, the more dangerous the illusion. Love, of course, means something much more then mere sentiment,much more than token favors and perfunctory almsdeeds. Love means an interior and spiritual identification with one's neighbor, so that he/she is not regarded as an " object " to " which " one " does good. " The fact is that good done to another as an object is of little or no spiritual value. Love takes one's neighbor as one's other self, and loves him with all the immense humility and discretion and reserve and reverence without which no one can presume to enter into the sanctuary of another's subjectivity. From such love all authoritarian brutality, all exploitation, domineering and condescension must necessarily be absent. Wisdom of the Desert by Merton ****************** Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, But have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbol. And though I have the gift of prophecy, And understand all mysteries and all knowledge, And though I have all faith, So that I could remove mountains, But have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, And though I give my body to be burned, But have not love, It profits me nothing. 1 Cor 13:1-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Both of these excerpts are beautiful and so appropriate, Dhyana! Thank you so much for sharing them! Blessings & love, Claudia --- novalees <Novalees wrote: > Love in fact is the spiritual life, and without it > all the other > exercises of the spirit, however lofty, are emptied > of content and > become mere illusions. The more lofty they are, the > more dangerous the > illusion. > > Love, of course, means something much more then mere > > sentiment,much more than token favors and > perfunctory > almsdeeds. Love means an interior and spiritual > identification with one's neighbor, so that he/she > is > not regarded as an " object " to " which " one " does > good. " > The fact is that good done to another as an object > is > of little or no spiritual value. Love takes one's > neighbor as one's other self, and loves him with all > > the immense humility and discretion and reserve and > reverence without which no one can presume to enter > into the sanctuary of another's subjectivity. From > such love all authoritarian brutality, all > exploitation, > domineering and condescension must necessarily be > absent. > > Wisdom of the Desert by Merton > > ****************** > > Though I speak with the tongues of men and of > angels, > But have not love, > I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbol. > > And though I have the gift of prophecy, > And understand all mysteries and all knowledge, > And though I have all faith, > So that I could remove mountains, > But have not love, > I am nothing. > > And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, > And though I give my body to be burned, > But have not love, > It profits me nothing. > > 1 Cor 13:1-3 > > > ______________________________\ ____ Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate in the Answers Food & Drink Q & A. http://answers./dir/?link=list & sid=396545367 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Oh yes, they are terrific! You always seem to find the right things to post. Sarita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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