Let us fly low to go high! |
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I was taught a beautiful lesson this spring, which I would like to share with you. It has become a wonderful source of meditation.
It was Sunday morning, and when we arrived for Mass, the doors of the Church were wide open, to allow the warm sun and fresh spring breezes in. The first thing we noticed when we got to our pew, were a pair of sparrows that had found their way in as well. The poor creatures circled and circled, looking for a way out. Above the altar was a stained glass dome featuring the Holy Spirit, and they repeatedly fluttered and dashed themselves against it, until exhausted, they perched on the ledge beneath it. I found myself praying they would stop flying so high, and go low, so they would find the door, and the freedom they so heartily desired!
As I prayed, another picture grew within my mind… how so often we are like these birds. We are drawn to the sun as they are, this sun who is the Son of God, who’s Truth alone will set us free. We are called to come to Him, and we fly as high as we can. We think we can go no higher, and so we stop searching, thinking this is it. After all, it is really quite a nice place to be, Our Lord is there, and it is warm and we are protected from the elements. So we rest satisfied, assured we have gone as high as we can go. We look at the rest of creation with a sort of pity in our hearts, as they are so far beneath us… yet the truth is, it is we who are imprisoned!
What manner of barrier is this dome in our spiritual lives? It seems to me, that it is spiritual pride…vainglory. Beautiful souls called by God, who fly so high, who give up the things of the world to rest so near to Him, but yet, remain so far from Him! This wall of pride prevents them from entering into that Divine Kingdom He calls them to enter. It is so easy to do, because like the angels, they are endowed with such beautiful garments and gifts, it is easy to start admiring them, as Lucifer did, turning eyes to self instead of the Giver who is God. Thinking upon how special one is, to be treated with such favor, and forgetting that all is a gift, such souls begin to admire themselves, forgetting it is only because they are so poor, that they have merited the great love and compassion of the Giver.
Only when we fly low through that door of humility, remembering we are nothing without God, how cold and hungry we are unless He clothes us in His garments of grace, and feeds us His Precious Body… how unworthy we are to call ourselves Children of God, yet we are beloved by Him as such… only then can we be set free! Only then can we enter that Divine Kingdom which is so immense, it knows no bounds!
Oh dear brothers and sisters! Let us go high by going low! We can only become worthy to enter when we thoroughly realize we are unworthy. We must cleanse our souls through the means of grace God has given us, and take the last place at the supper table, knowing we are not fit for anything more. When we truly understand this, then the Master will come and taking us by the hand, invite us higher. Dearest Mother, show us the way! Amen.
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