Comments for http://www.jeleonard.com/blog Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:58:07 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on About by Leo Drioli http://www.jeleonard.com/blog/?page_id=2&cpage=1#comment-48 Leo Drioli Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:58:07 +0000 http://www.jeleonard.com/blog/?page_id=2#comment-48 Hi Jo, I'm an ECKist from Australia ... just read a chapter from "The Would be Saint". Dave Marcmann. a good friend of mine recently emailed it to me, I really enjoyed it. We publish a personal growth newspaper here in Oz and I'd be happy to review your book if you'd like to forward a reviw copy to me... see our website for more details. And, are you on Facebook? It would be lovely to connect. Much love, Leo Drioli Hi Jo, I’m an ECKist from Australia … just read a chapter from “The Would be Saint”. Dave Marcmann. a good friend of mine recently emailed it to me, I really enjoyed it. We publish a personal growth newspaper here in Oz and I’d be happy to review your book if you’d like to forward a reviw copy to me… see our website for more details. And, are you on Facebook? It would be lovely to connect.
Much love, Leo Drioli

]]> Comment on The Would Be Saint Diaries: PRAYING OR PLEADING by admin http://www.jeleonard.com/blog/?p=69&cpage=1#comment-5 admin Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:59:20 +0000 http://www.jeleonard.com/blog/?p=69#comment-5 Thank you, Peter, for taking the time to read my blog and to share your experience with me and my readers. Jo Thank you, Peter, for taking the time to read my blog and to share your experience with me and my readers.

Jo

]]> Comment on The Would Be Saint Diaries: PRAYING OR PLEADING by Peter http://www.jeleonard.com/blog/?p=69&cpage=1#comment-4 Peter Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:09:41 +0000 http://www.jeleonard.com/blog/?p=69#comment-4 How do we pray? Once, when I was in a state of intense spiritual desire, I asked this same question of a friend. My own tools didn't seem to be working--I felt I was missing some key ingredient. The question took my friend aback, and she demured from answering. I'm sure in time she forgot. But I never did. Just today, as I was sending a New Year's greeting card to her and her husband, I recalled my unanswered question of five or more years ago. And it's just occurred to me that, in a strange way, _that question_ was itself a kind of prayer. It was itself the answer I was looking for. I think the key ingredient was the sincerity with which I asked it: the willingness to listen, the recognition that I didn't know the answer, and the earnestness to find some means to bring me a step closer to God. And the trust I felt in my friend. Now, if I'd just approached my spiritual exercises and the Inner Master in the way I approached my friend...then there'd have been no problem. And so that's what my walk is these days: learning to be a friend to that Presence within. Thinking of my spiritual practice as a discipline, as something I 'should' do, didn't help me do it with the heart state needed to open the inner door. So now I just try to make a date with The Friend/The Beloved; I recognize the ways in which I was touched by love during my day; I let gratitude gently uncoil my heart; I listen; and then I let the love billow through me. How do we pray? Once, when I was in a state of intense spiritual desire, I asked this same question of a friend. My own tools didn’t seem to be working–I felt I was missing some key ingredient.

The question took my friend aback, and she demured from answering. I’m sure in time she forgot. But I never did. Just today, as I was sending a New Year’s greeting card to her and her husband, I recalled my unanswered question of five or more years ago.

And it’s just occurred to me that, in a strange way, _that question_ was itself a kind of prayer. It was itself the answer I was looking for.

I think the key ingredient was the sincerity with which I asked it: the willingness to listen, the recognition that I didn’t know the answer, and the earnestness to find some means to bring me a step closer to God.

And the trust I felt in my friend.

Now, if I’d just approached my spiritual exercises and the Inner Master in the way I approached my friend…then there’d have been no problem. And so that’s what my walk is these days: learning to be a friend to that Presence within.

Thinking of my spiritual practice as a discipline, as something I ‘should’ do, didn’t help me do it with the heart state needed to open the inner door. So now I just try to make a date with The Friend/The Beloved; I recognize the ways in which I was touched by love during my day; I let gratitude gently uncoil my heart; I listen; and then I let the love billow through me.

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