Saint Bonaventure:
Just as you see that a ray of light entering through a window is colored in different ways according to the different colors of the various parts, so the divine ray shines forth in each and every creature in different ways and in different properties.
The path to self-awareness in the Christian wisdom and contemplative traditions is one that involves a rhythm of practice. Committing ourselves, in community to regular practices that open us up to our inner journey. I am going to mention just four.
- Silence, centring prayer – a time to observe our thoughts, to get some distance from our frantic mind, to know that we are not our thoughts. See: https://www.contemplative.org/contemplative-practice/centering-prayer/
- Welcoming the present moment – often known to us by our emotional reactions and our bodies felt sense. See: https://www.marymrozowski.com/blank
- Processing our experience of home – the hard moments, the good moments, the people we can’t be around, the people we still need in our lives. Spiritual direction and counselling are two helpful tools for this. See: https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/news/spiritual-direction-referrals-in-the-diocese
- And lastly I have found the Enneagram a helpful tool to see that my way of seeing is only one way. Nine different temperaments, motivations, spiritual and emotional pathways to growth. Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/discover-the-enneagram-episode-1/id1130747626?i=1000371813594
