We are kept from the experience of Spirit because our inner world is cluttered with past traumas . . . As we begin to clear away this clutter, the energy of divine light and love begins to flow through our being.
We rarely think of the air we breathe, yet it is in us and around us all the time. In similar fashion, the presence of God penetrates us, is all around us, is always embracing us.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the constant presence of divine influence in our lives, much like the air we breathe, which we often take for granted.
Thomas Keating's quote draws a parallel between the ubiquitous nature of air and the omnipresence of God. Just as air surrounds and sustains us, often overlooked in our daily lives, God's presence is an ever-present force that nurtures and supports us, inviting us to recognize the grace that envelops us. This reflection encourages a heightened awareness of the spiritual dimension of existence, urging us to appreciate the profound connection we share with the divine.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a meditation session, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of spiritual awareness.
More from Thomas Keating
All quotes βThe acceptance of all that God has given us and the willingness to let it go - to give it back to him at a moment's notice - that's true human freedom.
Only when we can accept God as he is can we give up the desire for spiritual experiences that we can feel.
For human beings, the most daunting challenge is to become fully human. For to become fully human is to become fully divine.
To become who we are as creatures made in the image and likeness of God, we have to be nothing and everything at once, since this is what God is. ... If we accept who we are, we are manifesting God and radiating Christ. The latter unfolding of the divine life within us does not need to go anywhere _x000D_ or do anything special.
If you accept the belief that baptism incorporates us in the mystical body of Christ, into the divine DNA, then you might say that the Holy Spirit is present in each of us, and thus we have the capacity for the fullness of redemption, of transformation.
Similar quotes
For we are so preciously loved by God that we cannot even comprehend it. No created being can ever know how much and how sweetly and tenderly God loves them. It is only with the help of his grace that we are able to persevere in spiritual contemplation with endless wonder at his high, surpassing, immeasurable love which our Lord in his goodness has for us.
Adoration outside Holy Mass prolongs and intensifies what has taken place in the liturgical celebration and makes a true and profound reception of Christ possible. I . . . warmly recommend, to Pastors and to all the faithful, the practice of Eucharistic adoration
Prayer is the window that God has placed in the walls of our world. Leave it shut and the world is a cold, dark house. But throw back the curtains and see His light. Open the window and hear His voice. Open the window of prayer and invoke the presence of God in your world.
There is no need to get to a place of prayer; pray wherever you are.
We never need to feel that we are alone or unloved in the Lord's service because we never are. We can feel the love of God. The Savior has promised angels on our left and our right to bear us up. And He always keeps His word.
Church only benefits you when you participate in the presence of God.