dec 23

The Rule of Benedict lays out the four dimensions of humility that lead to contemplation. The first calls us simply to recognize the presence of God in our lives. God, the Rule says quite clearly, simply is. God is with us whether we recognize that presence, that power, or not. God is not bought or gained or won or achieved. God is the ground of life. the point is not that we arrive at God; the point is that we cannot remove ourselves from God. We can only ignore the impact and the meaning of God's presence within us. 'O God, come to my assistance,' we say at the beginning of every prayer period of the day in my community. Even the desire to pray, we acknowledge, comes from the God within us.

- The Illuminated Life