Twenty-Eighth Meditation

(Ascent of Mount Carmel, book III: chapter 13-15)

"It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ (Jesus). Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus." (58)


Hope Beckons

The passive soul, emptied and stilled,
Receives the fullness of God's grace
With living hope and love it's filled --
The bride and Bridegroom interlace.

Her memories of love ignite
And fire love's longings once more;
Her soul recalls His love's delight,
And hope rings vibrant through her core.

This hope invites her Lord to dwell,
And fill the void found in her soul:
Indwelling of Emmanuel --
God and the soul dwell as one whole!

For hope, her faculties make room;
The bride's soul longs for her Bridegroom.

58. Phillipians 3:12-14


(c) Paul Buis, 2003