LENT WITH CARYLL HOUSELANDER

 

 

In these troubled times in our country- our world- I find that the writings of the English mystic, Caryll Houselander, to be very relevant. She had much empathy for all suffering humanity, and at the same time saw Christ in everyone she encountered.  She had a great love of the sacraments, living a life transformed by the love of Jesus.

She has been called a “divine eccentric,” an “apostle of loneliness,” and a “prophet of Vatican II.” She suffered greatly during her own life, from poverty,  frail health, and from neuroses. She had a deep and tender bond with traumatized children, and loved teaching them how to draw, paint, and carve small animals out of wood.

In her book: “Guilt” (1951) she wrote:

The most striking characteristic of the age in which we are living is psychological suffering,” she begins. “I have named this ego-neurosis. Ego-neurosis is a disease of the soul, a spiritual rather than a psychological ailment.  This written 75 years ago, could not be more true for our day and age.

For this Lent we will focus on her "Stations of the Cross", as she leads us to Jesus' resurrection.

"The Stations of the Cross are not given to us only to remind us of the historical Passion of Christ, but to show us what is happening now, and happening to each one of us.  Jesus did not become man only to live His own short life on Earth,  but to live each of our lives.  He did not choose His Passion only to suffer it in His own human nature, but in order to suffer it in the suffering of each one of His members through all ages, until the end of time." 

May this be a Lent where we all can be aware of the suffering of others, especially those we do not know, that the love of Jesus may enter their hearts..

Icon: Joseph Malham