Scythian in origin, that is to say, Romanian, Cassian received a solid classical training. Young, he went to Bethlehem, where he became a monk and lived 10 years in the Fathers of the Egyptian deserts. He went to St. John Chrysostom in Constantinople, where he was ordained deacon. Then he stayed in Rome. Around 416, he settled in Marseilles, and founded a monastery of men ( Abbey Saint Victor) and a nunnery.
Whoever takes into account the former agrees to recognize themselves in a situation of need. Placed face to himself, he gave to look with nostalgia the ideal of self lost. It cries out to God who alone can save him. His heart, as stung by the thorn of suffering, fills with compunction: the tears gush. But this soothes pain. For in the hollow of being, in what seemed like an abyss, a void, is it enters into a relationship of trust which we depend.
Every experience of our impotence, just to shout from the depths of our misery: "God come to my aid! . Gradually, trust in God becomes the lever of our existence, a platform where we're building:
"To keep you always in remembrance of God, here's the formula you propose prayer constantly," God Come to my help, Lord, come quickly to my rescue! "It is not without reason that this short verse was chosen specifically in all the Scriptures. For it is proper to express all diseases whose soul is susceptible, and it is admirably adapted to all states and all temptations. It shows the invocation of God against all sorts of dangers, the humility of a sincere confession, the vigilance that produce a constant fright and fear, the consideration of our weakness, hope of being heard and trust in the goodness of God that is always present and close to us. For he who constantly invokes his patron is assured that it is always present. Finally we see the fire of fervent love, the apprehension of the pitfalls that surround us, the fear of enemies who besiege us night and day, whose soul recognizes that it can be supplied only by the help of his lawyer (...).
I am sometimes attacked by greed, I want foods that the desert does not produce a bitter and lonely I feel the smell of meat that appear on the table of kings, I am led to the desired What can I do then to say: "God, come to my assistance Lord, make haste to help me! (...).
I apply myself to reading to set my thoughts, I feel sore head that prevents me, or at the third hour, drowsiness knocked my head on the sacred page, and I am forced to exceed the time for rest, or to prevent, violence sleep I can not defeat me will intersect the canonical psalms and prayers of our meetings. I still have to scream the same: "God, come to my assistance Lord, make haste to help me! (...) ".
I am tempted to vainglory and pride, and I feel in my mind some secret complacency, thinking of the warmth and neglect of my brothers; How can I repel a temptation so dangerous, if not saying with deep contrition of heart: "God, come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me! "If I got the grace of humility and simplicity, abandoning any swelling of pride in incessant compunction of spirit, I must exclaim with all my strength," God come to my aid O Lord, make haste to help me! "So that" the foot of the proud will come closer to me and overtake me the hand of the sinner. " Because I'd be more deeply wounded the pride of my victory.
sleep That you close your eyes in meditation on this short verse, until your soul is so owned, it will say it again, even during the night. Whether it's the first thing, before any other thought, you come into mind when you wake in the morning. It makes you out of bed to his knees on the floor, and then lead you to actions in action throughout the day. Finally, any time that this verse with you everywhere, " Cassian, Coll., X, 10.
The poverty of this verse is beneficial. It places the praying in a position of begging in relation to God, Ps 39, 18 . And God himself will answer. It is not without reason that the Liturgy of the Hours is the verse of Scripture on our lips at the beginning of each office.
Sr Mary Ancilla, op, seek God with the Desert Fathers and their heirs, 1996, Source of Life.
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