Holy Imagination

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.  He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

                The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.  He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.  But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

                And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten Son from the Father.  (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’ ”) And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.”  John 1: 1-18

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” and the cosmos has never been the same.  All of creation cries out for joy at the saving act of Jesus.  He who is the light leads us out darkness so that we might not perish but know, love, and serve Him.  We are the children of God who seek deep, loving union with God.  We experience this union most especially in the celebration of the Church’s Liturgy, through the Church’s continual worship of God and the celebration of the Sacraments.  “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  The light shines to guide a path to the source, marking the pilgrim’s way to Heaven. 

I hope these writings may assist in that cause, guiding a pilgrim to Heaven.  Many months ago a religious introduced me to the phrase “the evangelization of the imagination”.  I have prayed with this phrase since.  I hope, in the coming months, to prayerfully consider God’s voice in the beauty of the world, to evangelize my imagination, and fall ever more deeply in love with He who first loved me.  Through a foundation in the Liturgy of the Church, I will use these pages to organize my personal prayer, reflection, and study; hone my craft of writing; and more deeply reflect upon the beauty of God made manifest in creation.  These pages are most importantly a tool in the pursuit of sanctity.

Let us pray.

Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen!