I read an article called ‘A Sacred Journey’ by Reverend Debbie Shields.

She talks about the book On Retreat with Thomas Merton by Basil Pennington.

She quotes, “First we must detach ourselves from things so that we can truly see them. When we do, we see God in them. Then we can begin the quest for God, leaving things behind, going into the darkness. When we find God, we find all things again in Him-the hundredfold. But, we have a job of letting go of things - especially of our own creations: our thoughts and images. We try to get God to fit within them. But any god who will fit into our thoughts and images will never satisfy our hearts. He is a false god, an idol that we have created. We have to have the courage to go beyond our thoughts and images where, at first, it is very dark… This is the initial experience in Centering Prayer: darkness—until the inner eye of the heart opens and adapts to the too brilliant light that is God. This eye is the penetrating eye of love. When it opens the heart is filled.”

She writes of taking a time of soul searching and honest reflection of our lives and allowing spiritual growth to take place that then prompts our working to make a difference in our personal lives, in our communities,and in our world.