Dear brother Nick, – Thank you so much for all of your wisdom – my heart is broken – we remain in Christ
The final teaching
Jesus at the Home of Martha and Mary
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
(Jesus speaking of Detachment from the world
Luke 10-38-42)
- Meister Eckhart, On Detachment
(The Complete Mystical Works of Meister Eckhart. With Foreword by Bernard McGinn.
Translated by Maurice O’C Walsche, New York: The Crossroad Publ. Comp. 2009)
IV. ON DETACHMENT
I have read many writings of pagan masters, and of the prophets, and of the Old and New
Testaments, and have sought earnestly and with all diligence to discover which is the best and
highest virtue whereby a man may chiefly and most firmly join himself to God, and whereby a
man may become by grace what God is by nature, and whereby a man may come closest to his
image when he was in God, 1 wherein there was no difference between him and God, before
God made creatures. After a thorough study of these writings I find, as well as my reason can
testify or perceive, that only pure detachment surpasses all things, for all virtues have some
regard to creatures, but detachment is free of all creatures. Therefore our Lord said to Martha,
“unum est necessarium ” (Luke 10: 42), which is as much as to say, ‘Martha, he who would be
serene and pure needs but one thing: detachment.’ The teachers greatly praise love, as does St.
Paul who says, “Whatever things I may do, and have not love, I am nothing” (cf. 1 Cor. 13: 1).
But I extol detachment above any love. First, because, at best, love constrains me to love God,
but detachment compels God to love me. Now it is a far nobler thing my constraining God to me
than for me to constrain myself to God. That is because God is more readily able to adapt
Himself to me, and can more easily unite with me than I could unite with God.
Only Love is real (ACIM)
FINAL PRAYER
Lord Jesus,
Light of the world,
Beloved of my soul,
Lead me into the Kingdom within.
Strip away all that is false.
Reveal the radiance of the I AM You placed in my heart.
May I love as You love.
May I forgive as You forgave.
May I see the One Light in every being.
Let my life be an offering,
my heart a temple,
my breath a prayer.
Guide me,
transform me,
and awaken me
to the truth that
You are in the Father,
I am in You,
and You are in me.
Amen.
