For my Eucharist class we read an excerpt from the book; Our One Great Act of Fidelity. (I just ordered the book it to read in it's entirety so I'll keep you posted on how it is, but based on this excerpt we read, it just has to be amazing)! Anyways, the author shared a story about when he was a novice and his novice-master tried to teach the ideal of religious poverty. He had them write two Latin words, Ad Usam, inside every book. Ad Usam translates "for use". The idea behind this was that the books were given to you for use but you should know that you truly never owned the book.
Of course the point of this story wasn't about learning a couple Latin words or about books, there was a religious connection. The author explains,
"...everything comes to us as a gift, so that nothing can ever be owned as ours by right. Life is a gift, breath is a gift, our body is a gift, food is a gift, any love given us is a gift, friendship is a gift, our talents....We get to have them, ad usam, but we should never nurse the illusion that we own them, that they are ours, that we can claim them by right." (Rolcheiser 101).
Wow! Talk about surrendering control and letting go. Made me reflect about what things maybe I am holding on to a bit too tightly? Or what things I need to remind myself ad usam they are mine...but they are gifts and for that I should be thankful.
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