Brother Richard

the very life that exists within us, the life of body, the life of mind and emotion, and the deep consciousness of the soul, the individual spark of life within us.

recognizing the parts of the soul that we have visited before, the vegetative that keeps biological life moving, the animal or desiring soul that allows us to look at longings, desires, the fulfillment of biological drives,

the rational soul with its powers of imagination, memory and will, the creative part and personality part of ourselves.

And arriving then at the awareness of the self that dwells always in the light of the divine now, we are aware of a perfect point of divine peace,

the point of connection, the point of the divine yes to our being.

We recognize this gift, this peace that is always present within us, the highest point of the soul, the apex mentis, as it was known within the tradition.

A place that can never be touched by any form of evil or any form of despair or doubt.

A place that can never be dragged down but always draws us up into the fullness of who we are.

A place of infinite light, infinite love, unconditional peace.

The place from which we exist.

The place to which we are going.

The point of absolute encounter with divine love.

And we rest in this place.

We open our heart, our mind.

We allow the light of the Divine Presence to permeate all of the other levels of soul, body, mind, relationship.

Conscious or unconscious of it, bidden or unbidden, it exists.

It is present.

It holds us in being.

It makes of us a temple, a sacred place,

wherein divinity holds the individual in being and allows the individual a path back into divine presence.