Oh how BEAUTIFUL is this? And timely. I'm so sorry you've been going through the ringer - I can relate. And your footnote about the trash compacter scene is spot-on and describes me well, haha!
Thank you for this. I've been wondering currently over my own role in what I can now name as soul building. It is one thing to denounce buying the land and gathering precious stone and metals to build, but it is another thing entirely to clear out the existing garden of the mind and build God's house in ones mind. It can be difficult to remember that all things material have immaterial beginnings; that faith is the evidence of hope and that that hope is for today.
Oh Grace, this piece languished far too long in my Inbox--I'm so glad I saved it! How wonderful to hear about your podcast interview on The Habit with Jonathan Rogers--I will have to give that a listen for sure.
I am in awe of your medieval knowledge--goodness. However, I'm grateful for your inclusion of a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar, more 'contemporary' ish. Thank you. My Substack post next week will include a poem by Phillis Wheately, an African American whose work I happened upon a number of years ago via a Jonathan Edwards biography of all things!
I do hope there is more peace reigning in your household--my, what a month you've had!
Thank you so much for this beautiful piece. I filed it in "Keepers"-- and that's a very select place! But I also kept the last paragraph in my vade mecum, along with Jesus's proclamation in John 6:29: "The work of God is to believe in the one he has sent." Thinking on that and reading you and Hugh on heart-building have enabled me to go forward.
Thank you for this beautiful reflection. I have always loved Hugh of St-Victor, and the passages you quoted from his reflection on Noah, together with the idea of enlarging our hearts, are a perfect way to begin Lent. Wishing a holy and renewing Lent to you all readers of this monthly blog.
I'm sorry to hear about all the bad events in your home. We have recently had a similar string of negative events in our household.
Hugh of Saint Victor is the best. Seriously changed my life when I discovered him and started reading him in earnest. I recently wrote my STM thesis on him and it was truly a rewarding project getting to spend that much time with him.
These quotes from Hugh of St-Victor are so encouraging; I copied them into a journal to continue thinking more on them. My church has been walking through a sermon series on "the way of Jesus" and the last few have centered on prayer and hospitality. These quotes feel very much in line with those ideas, of opening your heart to the Lord in prayerful hospitality, letting Him in to dwell.
Grace, I am sorry about the way life has been hammering at you recently. It does have that tendency but I can tell you are equipped with the right mix of humility, fortitude and books plus God's grace. This will get you through. I hope this comment plus my prayers for you and your family do not sound patronising - they come from personal experience of such things. Fantastic Mr Fox was a firm favourite of my kids and they used to quote bits from the book on CD a lot. As soon as you started discussing St. Hugh and Jesus and enlarging hearts, my mind was on high alert! Sarah Clarkson had mentioned St.Augustine saying "My soul is like a house, I pray you to enlarge it" and I really understood that concept. She said that she thinks God uses books to enlarge the spaces of our hearts and imaginations, and I agree. It could be said as St. Hugh does that these are ways that Jesus helps us to build our soul and that our thoughts can do the building when we are exposed to books and change because of that exposure. I think people do it too. Your wise, learned and deeply thoughtful writing does this for me Grace. It is helping me to enlarge my heart. So thank you from me as we head into Lent and may you know that even your cluster cuss life is helping to build, that Jesus is using you and your grief to help me. Blessings! Cate
Oh how BEAUTIFUL is this? And timely. I'm so sorry you've been going through the ringer - I can relate. And your footnote about the trash compacter scene is spot-on and describes me well, haha!
Thank you for this. I've been wondering currently over my own role in what I can now name as soul building. It is one thing to denounce buying the land and gathering precious stone and metals to build, but it is another thing entirely to clear out the existing garden of the mind and build God's house in ones mind. It can be difficult to remember that all things material have immaterial beginnings; that faith is the evidence of hope and that that hope is for today.
Oh Grace, this piece languished far too long in my Inbox--I'm so glad I saved it! How wonderful to hear about your podcast interview on The Habit with Jonathan Rogers--I will have to give that a listen for sure.
I am in awe of your medieval knowledge--goodness. However, I'm grateful for your inclusion of a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar, more 'contemporary' ish. Thank you. My Substack post next week will include a poem by Phillis Wheately, an African American whose work I happened upon a number of years ago via a Jonathan Edwards biography of all things!
I do hope there is more peace reigning in your household--my, what a month you've had!
Thank you so much for this beautiful piece. I filed it in "Keepers"-- and that's a very select place! But I also kept the last paragraph in my vade mecum, along with Jesus's proclamation in John 6:29: "The work of God is to believe in the one he has sent." Thinking on that and reading you and Hugh on heart-building have enabled me to go forward.
Thank you for this beautiful reflection. I have always loved Hugh of St-Victor, and the passages you quoted from his reflection on Noah, together with the idea of enlarging our hearts, are a perfect way to begin Lent. Wishing a holy and renewing Lent to you all readers of this monthly blog.
Beautiful poem. Thank you
I'm sorry to hear about all the bad events in your home. We have recently had a similar string of negative events in our household.
Hugh of Saint Victor is the best. Seriously changed my life when I discovered him and started reading him in earnest. I recently wrote my STM thesis on him and it was truly a rewarding project getting to spend that much time with him.
These quotes from Hugh of St-Victor are so encouraging; I copied them into a journal to continue thinking more on them. My church has been walking through a sermon series on "the way of Jesus" and the last few have centered on prayer and hospitality. These quotes feel very much in line with those ideas, of opening your heart to the Lord in prayerful hospitality, letting Him in to dwell.
Grace, I am sorry about the way life has been hammering at you recently. It does have that tendency but I can tell you are equipped with the right mix of humility, fortitude and books plus God's grace. This will get you through. I hope this comment plus my prayers for you and your family do not sound patronising - they come from personal experience of such things. Fantastic Mr Fox was a firm favourite of my kids and they used to quote bits from the book on CD a lot. As soon as you started discussing St. Hugh and Jesus and enlarging hearts, my mind was on high alert! Sarah Clarkson had mentioned St.Augustine saying "My soul is like a house, I pray you to enlarge it" and I really understood that concept. She said that she thinks God uses books to enlarge the spaces of our hearts and imaginations, and I agree. It could be said as St. Hugh does that these are ways that Jesus helps us to build our soul and that our thoughts can do the building when we are exposed to books and change because of that exposure. I think people do it too. Your wise, learned and deeply thoughtful writing does this for me Grace. It is helping me to enlarge my heart. So thank you from me as we head into Lent and may you know that even your cluster cuss life is helping to build, that Jesus is using you and your grief to help me. Blessings! Cate
Dear Grace, I am excited for this email. Just read it and for walking thru Lent with you. Thank you so much. Cheryl N.
Just recently read Laurus too and loved it!