When a man's intellect is constantly with God, his desire grows beyond all measure into an intense longing for God and his incensiveness is completely transformed into divine love. For by continual participation in the divine radiance his intellect becomes totally filled with light; and when it has reintegrated its passible aspect, it redirects this aspect towards God, as we have said, filling it with an incomprehensible and intense longing for Him and with unceasing love, thus drawing it entirely away from worldly things to the divine. (Maximos the Confessor)

Through continual participation with one another our hearts are opened. Once opened, the concerns and capacities of our hearts can grow.

To participate is to be in relationship. The Latin root - participatus - means to share, to take part, and to partner. We are to participate with God. We are to participate with our neighbors.

Jesus urges us to be whole-hearted, to be fully engaged, to be completely committed. We are to be active partners with God and neighbor.

My failure to be whole-hearted is most often the result of fear or distraction. I restrain my present participation to reduce my vulnerability or because I am preoccupied with some abstraction.

Help me gracious God to continually participate in your divine radiance.