How Wonderful is my Soul With Sister Briege O'Hare, OSC

I write a lot here about the idea that God redeems us body and soul, and that to truly be spiritual is not about being disembodied, but means for our whole selves to be alive with and transfigured by the Holy Spirit. I wanted to share a bit of this same theology with the assistance of Sister Briege O'Hare and passages from Mechtilde of Magdeburg. This video is one of a series of meditations with the Poor Clare Sisters of Ireland. It is produced at the Monksland Hermitage. One of the images I love is that of God "losing himself in us", but I also love the correlative image of us, whole and entire, body and soul, immersed in the Holy Trinity like a fish immersed in the sea. Sister Brege's second song, Woman, based on Mechtilde's work, is also wonderful with its emphasis on the whole person alive in God and God in us.

I encourage you to listen to this when you have time to be quiet and allow it to speak to you. Sister Briege will introduce the meditation period. The entire period is about 30 minutes long. Other credits include: Poor Clare Monastery: www.poorclaresireland.org Monksland Garden Hermitage: www.cooleyparish.ie Song 1: How Wonderful Is My Soul by Briege O’Hare osc (Lyrics from writings of Mechtilde of Magdeburg) Background music: Flowing Light by Briege O’Hare osc Song 2: Woman by Briege O’Hare osc (Lyrics from writings of Mechtilde of Magdeburg) Singer: Marie Cox rsm Songs are available on iTunes. Read by Sister Marian Bell, OSC. The entire series of meditations is available on YouTube, and you may subscribe in order to get notifications of future meditations.

Sister Briege O'Hare, OSC: The Transformation of the Heart

 

My co-Director (Susan Blomstad, OSF) sent this on to me this morning. She really likes Sister Briege and, through her sharing over some years, so so I. This particular talk is wonderful. It resonates with so much of the theology I have shared here and in other places, and in the formative work I do with Marietta Fahey, SHF. This includes much that I have shared here on the nature of the human heart, the true self, the divinization of creation and incarnation of God in each of us, and the way Jesus' passion on the Cross is not the will of God but the inevitability of a life lived for others; a life lived with this kind of integrity is the work and will of God and allows God to bring good out of what is evil and inhuman. 

Sister Briege begins with two very different views of the heart (true and false hearts) and then moves on to explore what the transformation of the human heart is and how this comes about. At the same time, she shares why contemplative prayer is necessary and an integral part of our own giving birth to Christ within creation --- much as midwives help bring babies to birth. If we can understand the why, the how of contemplative prayer will largely take care of itself. One thing that is especially good about Sister Briege's presentation is the rich collection of quotations she provides on the topics involved.

I sincerely hope you will carve out some time to listen to Sister Briege O'Hare, OSC on the transformation of the heart.