Prayer Offering
by Kristy DiGeronimo

I would like to offer a straight-from-the-heart prayer occasioned by this reflection from Evelyn Underhill’s book, Mysticism:

“In the last resort, the doctrine of the Incarnation is the only safeguard of the mystics against the pantheism to which they always tend. The Unconditioned Absolute, so soon as it alone becomes the object of their contemplation, is apt to be conceived as Divine Essence: the idea of Personality evaporates. The union of the soul with God is then thought in terms of absorption. The distinction between creator and creature is obliterated and loving communion is at an end. This is probably the reason why many of the greatest contemplatives - Suso and Saint Teresa are cases in point - have found that deliberate meditation upon the humanity of Christ, difficult and uncongenial as this concrete devotion sometimes is to the mystical temperament, was a necessity if they were to retain a healthy and well-balanced inner life.” (Chapter 5)

My prayer:

“Divine Essence, without the rich, delicious flavor of the personality of God is nothingness-devoid of relationship. Where would I be without God’s hand of blessing on my head, His sense of humor, His healing, His leading, His graciousness, compassion, forbearance and great love? Where would I be without the image of the adolescent who stayed at the temple while His parents spent three frantic days searching for Him? The attender of weddings, feasts and fish breakfasts on the beach? The fisher of men?
Where would I be without the comfort of His hand in mine or the firm strength of His arm as He leads me in darkness? The smell of His skin, the dust on His feet? His pain and thirst?
Give me Divine Essence but never take away Jesus as the purveyor of that essence.
God Almighty, Savior, Friend-
Lover of my soul-
In Him (the person of God) we
Live
Move
Have our being.
The penetration into this lowly body, made of dust, by His divine Being, is what makes life on this plane whole, heavenly and real-
Ultimate reality, as best we can know it.

Blessings to you all!