Moving on with the Long Obligatory Prayer
Passage Four!
Coming out of prostration, the performer stands up and speaks thusly.
Make of my prayer, O my Lord, a fountain of living waters whereby I may live as long as Thy sovereignty endureth and may make mention of Thee in every world of Thy worlds.
The clear companion to this passage is the opening invocation of the entire prayer.
....I beseech Thee....to make of my prayer a fire that will burn away the veils that have shut me out from Thy beauty and a light that will lead me unto the ocean of Thy Presence.
Whereas before one asks for fire. Now one asks for water. Clearly there is a contrast between these two images.
With the image of fire we have something that upsets the routine balance of the self. It is a singular moment of disruption that stands between two distinct states: one, a period of being veiled, blinded, and shut out, and the other, a period of vision, intimacy, and presence. This singular moment is necessary to make the transition from between states. Otherwise there is the mere repetition of what already is. But this singular moment is not a sustainable way of being in the world. In fact, it is the very disruption of any way of being in the world. It's merit is in it's vigor, spontaneity, and life not in its steadfastness. But it is steadfastness that is absolutely crucial to any human or spiritual undertaking.
The singlular moment of fire cannot complete the life of the spirit. This is why we need living waters whereby I may live as long as Thy sovereignty endureth. They are the power that makes possible a long term commitment to struggle. All great undertakings have their ups and their downs, those periods when one feels unstoppable, and those periods when failure seems inevitable. When external circumstances are no longer enough to guarentee success, one has to draw deep from one's inner resources to carry on. For this reason we must always take care to nurture and train our souls for struggle. Justice is waiting on us! We cannot let her down! This is why the performer petitions God to make of this prayer a fountain of living waters: so that God's grace and power may flow down into our souls and empower us to be steadfast in His path.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Greg- your comments on drawing from the flowing waters of God remind me of something Mother Teresa said: "we can do no great things, only little things with great love". if we try to live on fire alone, we're in danger of burning out quickly and walking away- i think you're right, it's the day to day drinking that keeps us going. God will supply the fire.
The Master commented on being baptized with water and with fire, both in SAQ and in Paris Talks. The latter would be particularly informative for this passage.
Post a Comment