Photography by Carmelite Sisters
By Sister Marie-Aimee, O.C.D.
Tall ladders, ski lifts, and narrow trails with steep drop-offs awaken a deep fear in me. I am not afraid of heights or even of falling. It is the conclusion of the fall, the inevitable rendezvous with the ground that worries me. Whether I like it or not, as long as I remain a resident of planet earth, my body is bound by the law of gravity.
Many of us spend the first years of our lives with the scrapes and bruises that give evidence of our experiential knowledge of this reality. We are not surprised when we learn its name in school, because it has been pulling us to the ground for years when we jumped off of swings and out of trees.
Refusal to conform our life to the fact that gravity exists can result in great bodily damage, even death. Walking off the edge of a ten-story building will kill you, whether or not you believe gravity is real.
There is a pull that is greater than gravity. It is the pull of Truth and it has a Name – God. Although we cannot see Him, our hearts know Him as surely as our bodies know gravity. Truth resonates with every age and culture because our hearts were made by and for God Who is Truth. Conformity is not a popular concept in our society; however, it makes much that is good in life possible. A simple game of basketball or a drive down the street would be impossible if people did not agree to conform to the same set of rules. Refusal to conform our lives to the reality of His existence will do greater damage to our souls than the ten-story fall will to our bodies.
If we saw someone standing too close to the edge of a cliff, we would not hesitate to warn them of their peril, yet how many of us remain silent in the presence of great sin? We are allowing strangers, acquaintances and even the people we hold most dear to commit spiritual suicide right in front of us. Fear of offending others, of imposing on them, restrains our tongues. Truth is a sharp blade and in the hands of an assassin it will kill; but we have forgotten that in the hand of a surgeon, it heals.
Conformity with the Truth gives life. In fact, it will set you free.
There is a Pull Greater than Gravity. It is the Pull of Truth.
“God is not only true, but Truth itself.” – Pope Leo XIII
“The ideals which have lighted me on my way and time after time given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Truth, Goodness, and Beauty… The ordinary objects of human endeavor — property, outward success, luxury — have always seemed to me contemptible.” – Albert Einstein
“Truth has no special time of its own. Its hour is now — always.” – Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) German theologian, philosopher, and physician.
“It is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter lies in the depth, where few are willing to search for it.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) German poet, novelist and dramatist.
To learn more about the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, read their biography in the left-hand sidebar and visit their website (link provided at the bottom of the bio).
They publish a beautiful print magazine, Spirit of Carmel, and we encourage you to support the work of the sisters with your prayers and through donations and subscriptions to the Spirit of Carmel.
If you are able to help them, please click on the image of their magazine to visit their subscription and donation page. And please share this article with your friends.
– ICL Editors
