Gentle Care of Souls

Generosity of the heart, availability of the mind, vulnerability of emotions and tranquility of the spirit best define the ‘gentle care of souls.’

Our sense of generosity leads us to think generously, speak generously and act generously, because it’s our hearts that move us, and in our hearts God dwells. Generosity can never come from feelings of pitiness or guiltiness. It is the fruit of our awareness and acknowledgment of God’s indwelling in our hearts. We are loved by His presence in us; thus, we are free and very much willing to share abundantly that experience of love to others.

Our sense of availability is rooted from that sense of generosity. We are available to others because we are generous. Our minds then are focused to giving. We want to give because we are blessed by God, and that act of giving is a clear manifestation that we made our minds available to the opportunity to share.

Vulnerability of emotions allows us to recognize the fruits of our acts of generosity and availability. We dare to face the challenges of being generous and available to others, and that decision to dare leads us to become fruitful in our spiritual journey to love, to believe and to trust.

Generosity of the heart, availability of the mind and vulnerability of emotions definitely give us tranquility of the spirit. We experience joy and peace because we focus our attention to what is essential – to follow Christ from our hearts. We experience inner quietude because we acknowledge the space in our hearts where God dwells. This moves us to be generous, available and vulnerable in all circumstances in life.

(From My Spiritual Journal, 13 September 2005)