Editorial

Spiritual Life, Spring 2005 by O'Donnell, Edward

WITH THIS ISSUE OF spiritual life, we celebrate the completion of 50 years of publication. We are 50 years old! We ask you to join us in this celebration, for spiritual life has stood as a faithful witness to the enduring value of Christian spirituality throughout these five decades and has nourished many people, like yourselves, with articles and other writings that have cultivated and advanced the life of Christ within each one of us. For this, we are both proud and grateful. Also, we are indebted to the many Carmelites who have contributed to the success of spiritual life's mission to be a valued companion for those who are seeking intimacy with God.

As we now begin another period in our history, we look at the world around us and realize that the message of Christ-his command of unconditional love for God and for one another-has yet to be fully rooted in the hearts of all men and women. There are many shining examples of unselfish love in our cities and countries, people who toil for the poor, the sick, and the outcast. These people are truly the "light of the world." But we also know that there is still darkness in our world. We see it manifested in war, homelessness, poverty, and hunger, and also in the ravages of natural disasters. Such darkness often challenges our faith in our God: how can a loving Creator God tolerate so much seemingly needless and painful suffering?

Without offering simplistic answers to the existence of evil and darkness in our world-the Book of Job is always my point of reference when this challenge is stated-I do believe all of us can be instruments of Christ's love to our world. Edith Stein and Titus Brandsma-two Carmelite saints and writers who suffered death in the concentration camps of Europe-remind us that love can flourish in the most horrific of circumstances. They both witnessed to their unconditional love for God's people and gave of themselves to those in great need. Their lives had value and meaning in the midst of such suffering. They affirmed the truthfulness of the following statement of Alfred Delp, SJ, who also suffered death at the hands of the Nazis:

When through one person a little more love and goodness, a little more light and truth come into the world, then that person's life has had meaning.

That is all that is asked of us: to bring a little more love and light into our world.

And lest we forget that the work we are about-bringing light into a darkened world-is not ours alone, we need only reflect on the words Jesus spoke to his disciples:

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who lives in me and I in him will produce abundantly, for apart from me you can do nothing.... If you live in me, and my words stay part of you, you may ask what you will-it will be done for you.... This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. (Jn 15:5-7, 12-13)

Editor's note: With this issue we welcome Br. Joseph Girouard, our Promotion Manager, as our Associate Editor.

Edward O'Donnell, OCD