Laurence Freeman, OSB

The man healed in the Gospel story (John 5:1-16) complains that no one has helped him to get into the magic pool while the angel was stirring the waters.

Even when we have faced the truth and given up false hope, there remains a pocket of desperation where the dream of a miracle never dies.

The truth is not just what you say. You can wait for your lawyer to give you the oily words that will get you off the hook.

The mind likes dualities because there’s always a winner and a loser. But, as God and the meditator know, dualities are only two-thirds of the story.

Because we are so bombarded today with messages and demands, and our attention is being pulled in many different directions, we like the idea of simplicity.

“Are you with me?” It’s a question we might ask an audience to make sure they haven’t gone off to sleep while we were talking.

When we see hypocrisy—the enemy of integrity—we are cautious. If we condemn it—as Jesus and the great teachers did—we expose ourselves to attack.