One of nuns in Cor Unum coined a phrase.
She has charge of the very newest, most tender and raw postulants. Her devotional hours are hard won. An hermetical nun by nature, she is providing an hermetic environment for her charges, sacrificing her own predilection for the sake of their protection, and she once responded to a Cor Unum “homily” with these words:
“Remaining before God for no reason . . . bliss!”
It is. Blissful. Nothing compares. It is He . . . pure Him!
Who are we, the busy worker ants of the earth, that we should lollygag in the Presence of God! There is so much to be done! The Scripture admonishes us be like the ants, who without guide, overseer, or ruler work diligently in summer to be well-prepared for winter.
Busy as ever we may be, we are first and foremost His Bride. What, my beloved inmates, what greater accomplishment could we ever gain than that we go out into our day FULL to overflowing with the Presence of God, in which we have soaked our souls in stillness . . . for a few moments not asking, not studying, not expressing even our gratitude, for it pales in comparison with His sufficiency. We will give thanks to Him, sometimes for half an hour or more all at once, and always in all things, but for a time each day, we don’t use our words to project ourselves in any way.
For a little while, never long enough, we will only imbibe His nearness, His nature, His beauties. As surely as morning follows night, we will with all of these gain His wisdom, too, and His understanding, His joy, His strength, His peace, His hope (this alone is valuable beyond estimation,) His compassion . . . and with them, His grace to walk in step with all that He imparts.
All this, and BLISS, too!
Dominican Cloister,
by permission
Cor Unum Abbey 