Hello friends, I am excited for this opportunity to reflect and share parts of my experience throughout the next nine months!
There is a lot I could write about and I’m sure it would tally up to more words than any of you are willing to read. For now, I’ll write a little on The Unification of the Body and Soul.
On Monday, Sept. 28, our Fellows class practiced lectio divina, silence and solitude and reflection with Mary Vandel Young. Today, Sept. 29, my workplace, The Study Center at State, had an event called Rooted where they also practiced lectio divina, silence and solitude, and reflection. Both sessions leaned on JourneyMates for the structure and supplemental material so they were very similar and it was neat to compare and contrast.
Something I have spent a lot of time reflecting on in the past week is the unity of the body and soul. As I was reading On The Apostolic Preaching by St. Irenaeus of Lyons, a quote of his stuck with me. It reads “Since humans are made up of both soul and body, we need to live through both…It remains beautiful and whole when truth stays constant in the soul and purity in the body.” During my times of silence and solitude, which were powerful, I realized my body and soul can often be found separate, yet they long to be unified. “We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (Rom 8:23) (The MSG reads really cool too!) A restored, redeemed, and unified being through purity is what I yearn for.
Our entire beings are also called to be holy. “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Pet 1:15-16) Holy in all my conduct? All as in body and soul? Yes, of course. Why? Because it all matters! Whether it be, Fellows classes, Neighbor to Neighbor, petting Boots, switching laundry, a bike ride, or a conversation over coffee at work, it all matters. I am so thankful to serve a God who values it all!
Hallelujah for Truth!
Samuel Sizick