Greetings,

"God is a consuming Fire. He alone can refine us like gold, and separate us from the slag and dross of our selfish individualities to fuse us into this wholeness of perfect Unity that will reflect His own Triune Life forever." ~ Thomas Merton New Seeds of Contemplation

My weekly note from Merton resounded deeply for me today. God as a consuming Fire that slowly burns away all the excess that holds me back from living for Him and with Him. The Refining Fire that purifies the dirt from the ore leaving gold. Or like the Church of Santa Scholastica outside Norcia the layers of fresco and facade need to fall away to reveal the original work of the Master.

The day we visited this decayed church commemorated to Saint Scholastica, we renewed our Benedictine Profession. It was both a joyous moment to rededicate myself to living the Benedicitne way, the promises that guide us out of ourselves and into community; and sad to see such a beautiful space with so much history connected to our life in such disrepair. Still, we only know the tender images of Scholastica are there because the other frescoes have slowly fallen away over the years.

So maybe I won't burn to perfection in a quick fire of purification...a slow letting go can also bring the beauty of God's work to the surface.

Blessings,

At this time, God is challenging me to let go of all I have done and move on to what I can do next. It is a difficult call, but I have a school full of freshmen and sophomores who remind me everyday that there is something more God has called me to, I just don't know what it is right now.