Thou dost keep in peace men of constant mind, in peace because they trust in thee.
Isaiah 26.3

An earlier translation of this verse in the Authorized Version of the Bible is: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." The value of this translation lies not only in its greater power of expression, a tribute to the beauty of the language of an age long past, but even more pertinently in its juxtaposition of constancy of mind with contemplation of the divine reality, so that the person's attention never falls away from God no matter how far his or her concern may appear to diverge from religious matters. Constancy of mind is a state in which we are completely attentive to the demands of the present moment. There is a clarity of awareness that precludes all extraneous thoughts, all adverse emotions and all purposeless actions: This does not mean that thought, emotion and action are simply abolished so that we enter into a state of impassive trance. It means rather that all psychological and psychic energies are directed in dedicated awareness to God, even if the divine presence is not directly recognized.

St Paul, in Philippians 4.8, gives an essential clue: "And now, my friends, all that is true, all that is noble, all that is just and pure, all that is lovable and gracious, whatever is excellent and admirable - fill all your thoughts with these things." As our minds are filled with elements of beauty, truth and goodness, so the less admirable and more destructive thoughts and emotions, both from within ourselves and from the outside environment of human malice and fear, are quietly eased out of our lives. This is not crude "positive thinking" in which the less pleasant aspects of life are ignored and stifled by good thoughts that refuse to face the fact of evil and suffering. It is simply a condition of full self-giving to the present situation, with an awareness unclouded by negative thoughts and emotions that would pre-empt any possible good result even before the work was started.

In a state of constancy of mind all prejudices are transcended, and we are in direct communication with the source of all life, the Holy Spirit. This Spirit cleanses our emotions and ennobles our minds so that a warm love can flow through us and from us to the surrounding world. In this way the darkness of existence is quietly accepted and then lifted up to God for a blessing. Its negative emotional charge is so neutralized that it too can share in the divine radiance. One cannot be constantly aware of the present moment until one can trust God, otherwise one's mind will be continually roving around in disquietude. Once we are so constantly aware we are, in fact, rooted in God's presence. Conversely, "the practice of the presence of God" (the title of a lovely little book by Brother Lawrence) brings us to the requirements of immediate action, which we can then perform in an attitude of trust. This trust brings with it a peace beyond human reckoning: it is a state of union with God and with our fellow creatures in which there is the bliss of complete trust and unconditional acceptance.

When I know I am nothing in the world's eyes, I can identify myself with everything: nothing human, indeed no creature, is foreign to me. God is the supreme No-Thing, for no mortal concept can define, let alone contain, him. The constant mind is so transparent that it leaves us open to see and accept all that exists. This is true freedom: "poor ourselves, we bring wealth to many; penniless, we own the world" (2 Cor. 6.10). Indeed, though we have nothing for our own, yet we possess all things, for at last we can truly enjoy the gifts of God without wanting to appropriate them for our own support.

Teach me, Lord, so to trust the beneficence of life that even when encompassed by a sea of troubles, I can face the future with a clear mind, sufficient to do what is required of me as a responsible adult fashioned in your own likeness.