from a prayer within the text: “When the signs of age begin to mark my body (and still more my mind); when the ill that is to diminish or carry me off strikes from without or is born within me; when the painful moment comes in which I suddenly awaken to the fact that I am ill or growing old; and above all at the last moment when I feel I am losing hold of myself and am absolutely passive in the hands of the great unknown energies that have formed me; in all those dark moments, O God, grant that I may understand that it is you (provided only my faith is strong enough) who are painfully parting the fiber of my being to penetrate to the very marrow of my substance and bear me away within yourself.”

Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre. The Divine Milieu. Translated by Siôn Cowell. Portland, OR: Sussex Academic Press, 2012, pp. 50-51.

3 thoughts on “diminishment is growth”

  1. Kurt,

    That is such a beautiful quote. Needed that today!

    Best to you and Ann (and Soot, if he is still around), Mary ________________________________

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    1. Teilhard certainly does have a way with words, doesn’t he?

      Old man Soot is no longer with us. Well, he is, but he’s out under the hedgerow these last couple years. But since last January we have been cat people. Missy was a feral hanging around in our meadow who was enticed indoors — and really was so comfortable with the transition that I’m convinced she was an indoor kitty somewhere else before.

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      1. I’m glad Missy has a compatible new home with you all! Our kitty, Shalimar, is trying to work things out with our puppy (the trainer is scheduled to come over on November 13th, so we can help him learn that cats don’t like to play like dogs).

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