Fr. Albert Haase - Catching Fire, Becoming Flame: A Personal Guide for Spiritual Transformation

CATCHING

FIRE

BECOMING

FLAME

OTHER BOOKS AND MEDIA

BY ALBERT HAASE, OFM

ENKINDLED:

Holy Spirit, Holy Gifts,

coauthored with Bridget Haase, OSU

INSTRUMENTS OF CHRIST:

Reflections on the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

COMING HOME TO YOUR TRUE SELF:

Leaving the Emptiness of False Attractions

LIVING THE LORDS PRAYER:

The Way of the Disciple

THE LORDS PRAYER:

A Summary of the Entire Gospel (Five CDs)

THIS SACRED MOMENT:

Becoming Holy Right Where You Are

THE LIFE OF ANTONY OF EGYPT

by Athanasius, A Paraphrase

2013 First and Second Printing

Catching Fire, Becoming Flame: A Guide for Spiritual Transformation

Copyright 2013 by Albert Haase OFM

ISBN 978-1-61261-297-3

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture references are taken the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition copyright 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved

Scripture references marked THE MESSAGE are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Websites cited in this book were active and accessible as of November 30, 2012.

The Paraclete Press name and logo (dove on cross) are registered trademarks of Paraclete Press, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Haase, Albert, 1955

Catching fire, becoming flame : a guide for spiritual transformation / Albert Haase, OFM.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-61261-297-3 (trade pbk.)

1. Spiritual life--Christianity. I. Title.

BV4501.3.H324 2013

243--dc23 2013000185

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published by Paraclete Press

Brewster, Massachusetts

www.paracletepress.com

Printed in the United States of America

Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, Abba, as far as I can, I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?

Then the old man stood up and stretched his hands toward heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he said to him, If you will, you can become all flame.

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

GODS PASSION, OUR ENTHUSIASM

M y friend Helen is the mother of two daughters. Shes a retired executive assistant for a senior partner in a global financial services firm. Shes a good wife, an honest woman, and a faithful friend. Shes also dedicated to her faith and committed to working on her relationship with God. I nodded in agreement when I heard someone say, You can feel her fire in everything Helen says and does.

Helen is an ordinary person who enjoys babysitting her grandchildren, raising African violets, and meandering down the grocery aisle looking for bargains. But in her enthusiasm, I think shes extraordinary. Her love for God moves her to pause and pray at the site of a beautiful sunset over the oceanand drives her presence when volunteers are needed for the annual church cleaning. Her passion for the homeless fuels the care and concern she exudes as she pours an extra ladle of meat sauce on spaghetti at the local soup kitchen. Her gratitude glows in the many thank-you notes she deliberately handwrites every month to friends and neighbors.

Eight hundred years before Helen, Francis of Assisi was also consumed with a godly enthusiasm. His love for God burned so ardently that he became a living image of the crucified Christ, branded with the five wounds of the stigmatasomething rarely experienced among us today. But, much like my friend Helen, he showed what happens when a person responds to Gods longing for us.

Throughout history hundreds of thousands of people have known the fiery passion God has for being in a relationship with us. The sparks from Gods longing catch fire in their lives, and by engaging and responding to it, ordinary people like Helen and Francis become beacons of light who blaze by day and shine brightly by night.

Catching Fire, Becoming Flame: A Guide for Spiritual Transformation gives you the practical tools and time-honored techniques to do the same. It shows you how to respond to Gods fiery passion, how to engage it, and, most important, how to be changed by it. Each of its chapters is purposely short and concise, allowing you ample time in one convenient sitting not only to read it, but also to reflect on its questions or practice the presented technique.

Each chapter concludes with a Go Deeper section. Thats where youll find additional resources about the chapters topic that I recommend based on my thirty years of experience as a spiritual director and student of Christian spirituality. These resources will deepen your appreciation and understanding of the specific topic.

This book is designed to be a handy resource for expanding your knowledge and practice of ancient and contemporary spiritual practices. It will fuel your creativity and appreciation for myriad ways to fall in love with Godwhich, in the end, is what being on fire is all about.

As you practice the spiritual methods of Catching Fire, Becoming Flame and make them your own in a distinct way, you will find the flames of godly enthusiasm leaping up in your own life as they do in the lives of all holy people. You will also find yourself gradually transformed into your truest identity: a little Christwhich is what the word Christian literally meanssent to respond lovingly to the unmet need or required duty of the present moment.

Albert Haase, OFM

Feast of Pentecost

THE

SPARK

FROM

GOD

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

God initiates the process of spiritual transformation by throwing a divine spark into our lives. God then waits for our response.

CHAPTER 1

A PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATION

Sr. Elena is eighty-seven years old, blind, and spends her days in a wheelchair. I didnt notice her when I began preaching the week-long retreat at the retirement home where she resides. But on the afternoon of the second day, she asked someone to push her to me.

Father, I have a secret to tell you, she said.

I leaned over and she whispered in my ear, God l-o-n-g-s to turn you into a saint! Her face lit up as she added, If you respond to Gods yearning, youll be amazed at what happens.

A Lifelong Process

Though its been more than a decade since I heard Sr. Elenas secret, I can still feel the ardor and passion that accompanied her revelation. In one short moment, Sr. Elena taught me that Gods longing to be in a relationship with us spreads like wildfire in the hearts of people who respond to it. They cant contain what becomes like a fire in the belly, a burning in their bones (see Jeremiah 20:9). No wonder their devotion is memorable and contagious.