Weekly Contemplations to Ignite the Soul

No. 10: Passion for Life

Late one evening, while strolling in Rome, we came upon a church out of which came the most exquisite sounds that wafted through the piazza. The church was composed of men and women of all ages, swaying and singing to the music of a choir and waving their arms in the air with palms open to the heavens, giving themselves completely to their experience with a passion that was palpable. We could not help but join in with unbridled joy.

The following day we visited the famous Bernini sculpture, “The Ecstasy of St. Theresa”. This powerful sculpture depicts St. Theresa’s famous vision of an angel piercing her heart with a golden shaft, causing her both immense joy and pain. She is clearly overcome with divine rapture

Take up your abode with the holiest saints
Those sages whole lives are devoted to God
And learn by their conduct to live as you must
To see only One in this vast universe
—Atma Gita