Episode 7 -- Treatise on Peace of Soul c7.1 -- Tears, Gentleness, Waiting on the Lord

How do we both wait on the Lord and seek the Lord? 

In this episode we read about the need to wait on God to show Himself to us. Before he discusses the use of understanding in searching for God, Fr Scupoli describes and encourages the practice of what can rightly be called contemplative prayer, that is, an infused wanting of God and loving attention to the Lord. We have to make time for Him. We have to “waste time” with him. But we cannot force this mysterious gift of prayer. Let us ask the Lord for it and welcome the loving awareness of His presence that he sends us. The path to finding God, however, is not one of exaggerated human effort. We should not try to make ourselves feel His presence by our own efforts. We should not try to force ourselves to weep. We must seek him in reading and meditation. We must do his will. We must not refuse Him and ask for the grace to follow his will.

One of the things God wants of us is to love our neighbour. Two nights ago, we read all about the need for prudence in guiding our love for our neighbour. We must love our neighbour as ourselves. This means we must have true love for ourselves. You and I, individually, must want to praise God, to enjoy Him in heaven, and to follow His will. If you and I imprudently try to help others when God is not asking this of us, we run the risk of losing our own spiritual lives. Fr Scupoli gives some good advice in this area.