What is it that [the poor] teach us? They remind us of the impermanence of
this existence and how attached we are to what passes away. ” Taken from the beginning of day 12 of a 40 day email/e-course retreat at “Spirituality and Health”
We have so much,
and when confronted with people who have nothing — who are vulnerable,
helpless, and destitute — we receive their help in overcoming fear and
insecurity. The poor hold this power — the power of truth itself. When we
respond in love instead of fear, when we don’t ignore them but instead see
them and consider their condition, are we not reminded of our own fragility
and tentativeness as beings in this world?
— Wayne Teasdale in “A Monk in the World”
To Practice This Today: Reflect upon what you can learn from poor people in
your community. Then make a donation to an organization that works with them
as a gesture of your gratitude for what they can teach you.
For more information about this spiritual use of email visit http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/newsh/items/ecourse/item_6689.html</a.
This e-course, designed as a 40-day retreat, will dip into the immense reservoir of writing by Catholics who challenge us to encounter the Divine in devotion, grace, imagination, justice, peace, reverence, silence, and wonder. Each day we will send a thought-provoking quotation from a Catholic writer followed by a related practice to use during the day. This is not a course on the history of the Catholic Church or a summary of what Catholics believe. Rather, our emphasis will be on the everyday practices of this tradition that will enhance your experience of the sacred whether you are on this path or another.
