#basil pennington

[scobbe]

“For hope is the vibrant, inner tension that holds us at his Feet to receive each life-bearing word that it may be seeded for eternal life. ‘Lord, it is good to be here’— but the here is not so much a place, even this very holy place, but a state of attentive hope filled with yearning love which is already in some way a fruition.”

- Father Basil Pennington, writing on the Feast of the Transfiguration in O Holy Mountain! A Journal of a Retreat on Mount Athos

[garymillar]

A father is delighted when his little one, leaving off her toys and friends, runs to him and climbs into his arms. As he holds his little one close to him, he cares little whether the child is looking around, her attention flitting from one thing to another, or just settling down to sleep. Essentially the child is choosing to be with her father, confident of the love, the care, the security that is hers in those arms. Our prayer is much like that. We settle down in our Father's arms, in his loving hands. Our mind, our thoughts, our imagination may flit about here and there; we might even fall asleep; but essentially we are choosing for this time to remain intimately with our Father, giving ourselves to him, receiving his love and care, letting him enjoy us as he will. It is very simple prayer. It is very childlike prayer. It is prayer that opens us out to all the delights of the kingdom.

B. Basil Pennington Centering Prayer: Renewing an Ancient Christian Prayer Form

[communioncommunitycreation]

Place, time, posture are important, for we are incarnational people, and all is sacramental of the Presence of Creative Love.

Basil Pennington, discussing how we sit for Centering Prayer in his book of the same name.

[philipchircop]

A CLASH OF WILLS

  As you journey through the season of lent, here are some words of wisdom from spiritual guides who either have journeyed the same path before us or, still alive, co-journey with us today. Here is a short article by Basil Pennington : 

How often have we prayed: "Our Father, who art in heaven . . . thy will be done. . . . " We have watched the ultimate expression of our Lord's own struggle as he sweat blood in Gethsemane's garden and in his anguish cried out: "Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me, but not my will but yours be done."

We know the anguish ourselves, in varying degrees: the sudden death of a loved one, a crippling accident, an unplanned pregnancy. It is not what we want. We have heard-and struggle to believe-that for those who love God all things work together unto good. But deep down in us something cries: "No! It is not what I want. My will be done." We usually do not have the audacity to say it right out to the Lord. But we sure do not like what he seems to be saying or doing or allowing to be done. And we do not want to say: "Thy will be done."

If only we could realize how much we are loved. Then we could fairly easily believe that for those who love God all things work together unto good. If only we had the humility to realize that the all-knowing Father of infinite love does always know what is best for us. God does not want bad things to happen, but God has given us freedom. God respects the freedom he has given us. Thus God does allow bad things to happen to good people. At the same time God knows that the power of divine love is far greater than any evil. The all-encompassing compassion of divine mercy is infinitely greater than any sin.

At times we do really need to crawl to Gethsemane, to see, to hear, to enter into and let the Lord enter into our own struggle: "If possible, let this pass, but not my will but yours be done." Yes, many times in our life we glibly pray: "Thy will be done" But that deep transformation of our all-too-human spirit needs those moments or hours or days of anguish before our original-sin "My will be done" is replaced with the communion of self-giving love that is expressed so succinctly: "Thy will be done."

Basil Pennington, A Clash of Wills, in US Catholic

SOME OF  BASIL PENNINGTON'S  BOOKS FOR YOUR REFLECTIVE ENJOYMENT 

Centering Prayer: Renewing an Ancient Christian Prayer Form

True Self/False Self: Unmasking the Spirit Within

Lectio Divina: Renewing the Ancient Practice of Praying the Scriptures 

Centered Living: The Way of Centering Prayer

Who Do You Say I Am?: Meditations on Jesus' Questions in the Gospels

Journey in a Holy Land: A Spiritual Journal 

A Place Apart: Monastic Prayer and Practice for Everyone

Thomas Merton My Brother