Scripture Moments

“Understand now what the four stages of this ladder are, each in turn. Reading, Lesson, is busily looking on Holy Scripture with all one’s will and wit. Meditation is a studious insearching with the mind to know what was before concealed through desiring proper skill. Prayer is a devout desiring of the heart to get what is good and avoid what is evil. Contemplation is the lifting up of the heart to God tasting somewhat of the heavenly sweetness and savour. Reading seeks, meditation finds, prayer asks, contemplation feels.”

Guigo II, Letter to Br. Gervase, “The Ladder of Contemplation”

Daily Wisdom

“The earth of which they are born is common to all, and, therefore, the fruit that the earth brings forth belongs without distinction to all”

St. Gregory the Great

St. Anthony Abbot

He is the founder of monastic life. He was born in Egypt in 251. One day in church, he listened to the words of Jesus in the gospel, “leave everything, give it to the poor and then follow me”, and he did just that. He went out into the wilderness to begin a life of penance, living in absolute poverty, praying, meditating and supporting himself by manual work. Disciples gathered around him, attracted by his wisdom, moderation and holiness.

Although living in solitude, he did not live apart from the world, but supported the persecuted victims of Diocletian, and helped St. Athanasius in his fight against the Arians. That text of the gospel, not only transformed his life but also changed the life of the Church. The same thing happened to St. Francis of Assisi. Upon hearing the same gospel, he left everything and founded the Franciscan Order.

A virus behaves only as a living thing when it is inside a life cell. In the same way, the words of Scripture can only “infect” the world when they become alive in human hearts that had learnt to listen and had allowed the words of Scripture to transform them.