26/02/07 week of 1st Sunday in Lent
[Please remember this is a sort of "menu" from which to select. No one has to pray it all]
If you would like these meditations to come directly to your in box, please click here:
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Collect
Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Today's Scripture http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/
Psalm 41, 52;Psalm 44; Deut. 8:11-20; Heb. 2:11-18; John 2:1-12
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From Forward Day by Day: http://www.forwardmovement.org/todaysreading.cfm
John 2:1-12. On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples.
The Prayer Book mentions this story at every marriage service, reminding the congregation that it was Jesus' first miracle and that it was at a wedding reception.
"Don't be Bridezilla," someone said to my daughter when she was planning her wedding. No danger of that. And I wasn't Momzilla, either. Everyone had a wonderful time and nobody hated anybody else by the end of it. I think that's not always the case.
Still, you do care. You want things to go well. Some people allow their self-worth to ride on whether their weddings are perfect, forgetting that nothing is perfect and that a wedding presents the perfect opportunity to introduce this useful truth to anyone who hasn't already grasped it.
It's touching that Jesus chose a party for his first miracle. He knew how important it is to the host that everything be wonderful. This urge isn't our finest one, but it's one everyone recognizes: we want to look good, want to give a good party, want to be respected, want to have friends. Jesus will give up all these things before he is through, but he begins solidly on the same page with all the rest of us.
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Today we remember: http://satucket.com/lectionary/Calendar.htm
Today is a feria, a free day.
PRAYER OF ST. EPHREM ( http://www.byzantines.net/feasts/lent/lent-hearMyPrayer.htm )
(It is suggested that this prayer be recited several times throughout the day.)
O Lord and Master of my life, keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power and idle chatter.
Instead, grant to me, Your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love.
O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brother; for You are blessed now and ever and forever. Amen.
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Today in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Diocese of Michigan (Prov. V, U.S.)
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/index.cfm
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40 Ideas for Lent: A Lenten calendar http://ship-of-fools.com/lent/index.html
5. WALK AND WATCH
MON 26 FEB
Walk the streets of your home town. Don't plan to do anything, just watch people. If they look laden down with shopping, offer to carry some for them. If they look stressed and hassled, pray for them (just in your head, unless you're really brave).
Idea by: The Great Gumby
Lent quote: "There is more to life than merely increasing its speed." – Mahatma Ghandi
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A Celtic lenten Calendar
http://www.oursanctuary.net/celticlent.html
Encounter with God
5. "God is encountered in the ordinary. "Like the ancient Hebrews, the Celts were earthy people who led simple lives. Believing God was involved in all ordinary events of their lives, they prayed constantly asking God to bless whatever they were doing. They had no hesitation in asking God to bless them with successful crops, good food and drink, safe homes and warm fires, and even good sex. These prayers often asked for a particular grace for the one praying as evidenced in this prayer accompanying the kindling of the hearth in the morning: 'Kindle in my heart within a fire of love for my neighbor. May the light of love shine out to my foe, my friend and my kindred.'
For a Celtic Lent: "Surround the routine things of your life with a prayer. As much as possible follow Paul's advice to 'pray constantly,' lifting each thing you do and each person you meet to God for blessing. Bless your children as they leave for school, your colleagues as they work, other commuters on the road. Say a blessing each day for one of the common, everyday things in your life, and ask that as you are blessed, you may in turn be a blessing" to all you come in contact with this Lent, as the days lengthen into Easter.
"Almighty God, your Son fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are but did not sin. Give us grace to direct our lives in obedience to your Spirit, that as you know our weakness, we may know your power to save; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen." (Prayer of the Day, First Sunday in Lent. Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church, USA).
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Carmelite.com: Reflections http://www.carmelite.com/spirituality/reflection.php
In returning to God and resting, you will be saved. In silence and trust will be your strength.
Isaiah 30.15
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Reading from the Desert Christians http://www.cin.org/dsrtftin.html
It was said of Abba Ammoes that when he went to church, he did not allow his disciple to walk beside him but onlly at a certain distance; and if the latter came to ask him about his thoughts, he would move away from him as soon as he had replied, saying to him, 'It is for fear that, after edifying words, irrelevant conversation should slip in, that I do not keep you with me.'
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The Merton Reflection for the Week of February 26, 2007 ( http://www.mertoninstitute.org/ )
Christian asceticism is remarkable above all for its balance, its sense of proportion. It does not overstress the negative side of the ascetic life, nor does it tend to flatter the ego by diminishing responsibilities or watering down the truth. It shows us clearly that, while we can do nothing without grace, we must nevertheless cooperate with grace. It warns us that we must make an uncompromising break with the world and all it stands for, but it keeps encouraging us to understand that our existence in “the world” and in time becomes fruitful and meaningful in proportion as we are able to assume spiritual and Christian responsibility for our life, our work, and even for the world we live in. Thus Christian asceticism does not provide a flight from the world, a refuge from stress and the distractions of manifold wickedness. It enables us to enter into the confusion of the world bearing something of the light of Truth in our hearts, and capable of exercising something of the mysterious, transforming power of the Cross, of love and sacrifice.
Seasons of Celebration [SC]. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1950: 131-132
Thought to Remember:
The Holy Spirit never asks us to renounce anything without offering us something much higher and much more perfect in return. Self-chastisement for its own sake has no place in Christianity. The function of self-denial is to lead to a positive increase of spiritual energy and life. The Christian dies, not merely in order to die, but in order to live
SC: 130
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Daily Meditation (Henri Nouwen) http://www.henrinouwen.org/home/free_eletters/
Facing Our Mortality
We all have dreams about the perfect life: a life without pain, sadness, conflict, or war. The spiritual challenge is to experience glimpses of this perfect life right in the middle of our many struggles. By embracing the reality of our mortal life, we can get in touch with the eternal life that has been sown there. The apostle Paul expresses this powerfully when he writes: "We are subjected to every kind of hardship, but never distressed; we see no way out but we never despair; we are pursued but never cut off; knocked down, but still have some life in us; always we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our ... mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:8-12).
Only by facing our mortality can we come in touch with the life that transcends death. Our imperfections open for us the vision of the perfect life that God in and through Jesus has promised us.
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From the Principles of the Third Society of St. Francis:
Day Twenty-Six - The Second Note (Cont.)
Therefore, we seek to love all those to whom we are bound by ties of family
or friendship. Our love for them increases as our love for Christ grows
deeper. We have a special love and affection for members of the Third Order,
praying for each other individually and seeking to grow in that love. We are
on our guard against anything that might injure this love, and we seek
reconciliation with those from whom we are estranged. We seek the same love
for those with whom we have little natural affinity, for this kind of love
is not a welling-up of emotion, but is a bond founded in our common union
with Christ.
God, you are always pleased to show yourself to those who are childlike and
humble in spirit: help us to follow the example of our blessed father
Francis, to look upon the wisdom of this world as foolishness, and to set
our minds only on Christ Jesus and him crucified; to whom with you and the
Holy Spirit be all glory for ever. Amen
>From : http://www.oursanctuary.net/sundance.html
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
I am bending my knee
In the eye of the Father who created me,
In the eye of the Son who purchased me,
In the eye of the Spirit who cleansed me,
In friendship and affection.
Through Thine own Anointed One, O God,
Bestow upon us fullness in our need,
Love towards God,
The affection of God,
The smile of God,
The wisdom of God,
The grace of God,
The fear of God,
And the will of God,
To do on the world of the Three,
As angels and saints
Do in heaven;
Each shade and light,
Each day and night,
Each time in kindness,
Give Thou us Thy Spirit.
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Upper Room Daily Reflection http://www.upperroom.org/reflections/
SELF-SCRUTINY is part of Lent’s process, but we do not observe Lent for the sake of self-scrutiny alone. To sit too long with the guilt and shame of our misdeeds would, in fact, go against the gospel message. Christ’s message is one of new life and forgiveness, so Lenten self-scrutiny must serve this purpose.
To arrive at newness of life, we first name the parts of our lives that are shrouded in darkness, the parts of ourselves where life does not flourish. We walk through some muck so that we can leave it behind us and find Easter joy beyond.
- Sarah Parsons
A Clearing Season
From page 9 of A Clearing Season by Sarah Parsons. Copyright © 2005 by Sarah Parsons.
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Richard Rohr's Daily Reflection
http://cacradicalgrace.org/getconnected/getconnected_index.html
"There Is No Promised Land"
Moses' story contains one of the ironies of history: Moses did not get to the land of Israel. He saw it from the distance, as he looked over the River Jordan. It seemed that he did die, before the crossing over, so the biblical writers later looked for a theological significance for that. We were told that he failed in faith in the desert, that God punished him. No doubt, though, Moses was already experiencing his Promised Land in the journey. Walking, leading the people, was already a real joy for him, a full life for him. We don't have to see his fate as some great divine punishment on the part of God. The journey was already the promise fulfilled. In this world there is no promised land. He didn't have to cross over the Jordan: He had fulfillment in the desert. Sometimes I don't want to see another teenager, and I wonder how I ever got into this, and I'd love to go running off to some Trappist monastery. What we love the most often brings us the greatest heartaches. No doubt this was true for Moses, too. His moments of religious experience, his moments in Sinai, were no doubt his greatest religious fulfillment. Yet for all the heartaches his people gave him, I'll bet he wouldn't have traded the journey itself for anything. I know I wouldn't.
from The Great Themes of Scripture
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From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.
http://www.artsci.villanova.edu/dsteelman/tradition/sources.htm
Manna
Our Lord Jesus Christ nourishes us for eternal life both by his commands, which teach us how to live holy lives, and by the eucharist. He in himself therefore is truly the divine, life-giving manna. Anyone who eats it will be exempt from corruption and will escape death, unlike those who ate the material manna. That type had no power to save, but was merely an imitation of the reality.
God sent down manna like rain from above, and ordered everyone to gather as much as necessary, those who shared a tent gathering together if they wished. Gather it, each of you, he said, with those who share your tent. Let none of it be left over till the morning. That is to say, we must fill ourselves with the divine teaching of the gospel.
Christ indeed gives us his grace in equal measure, whether we are great or small, and bestows life-giving food on all alike. He wishes the stronger among us to gather for the others, working on behalf of their sisters and brothers, lending them their labor so that all may share in the heavenly gifts.
Cyril of Alexandria, (~444), patriarch of Alexandria, was a brilliant theologian who combatted the Arian and Nestorian heresies. Cyril presided at the Council of Ephesus in 431 where Mary's title as Mother of God was solemnly recognized.
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Daily Readings From "My Utmost for His Highest", Oswald Chambers
http://www.myutmost.org/
INFERIOR MISGIVINGS ABOUT JESUS
"Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with." John 4:11
"I am impressed with the wonder of what God says, but He cannot expect me really to live it out in the details of my life!" When it comes to facing Jesus Christ on His own merits, our attitude is one of pious superiority - Your ideals are high and they impress us, but in touch with actual things, it cannot be done. Each of us thinks about Jesus in this way in some particular. These misgivings about Jesus start from the amused questions put to us when we talk of our transactions with God - Where are you going to get your money from? How are you going to be looked after? Or they start from ourselves when we tell Jesus that our case is a bit too hard for Him. It is all very well to say "Trust in the Lord," but a man must live, and Jesus has nothing to draw with - nothing whereby to give us these things. Beware of the pious fraud in you which says - I have no misgivings about Jesus, only about myself. None of us ever had misgivings about ourselves; we know exactly what we cannot do, but we do have misgivings about Jesus. We are rather hurt at the idea that He can do what we cannot.
My misgivings arise from the fact that I ransack my own person to find out how He will be able to do it. My questions spring from the depths of my own inferiority. If I detect these misgivings in myself, let me bring them to the light and confess them - "Lord, I have had misgivings about Thee, I have not believed in Thy wits apart from my own; I have not believed in Thine almighty power apart from my finite understanding of it."
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Today's reading from the Rule of St. Benedict http://www.osb.org/rb/
Chapter 20: On Reverence in Prayer
When we wish to suggest our wants to persons of high station,
we do not presume to do so
except with humility and reverence.
How much the more, then,
are complete humility and pure devotion necessary
in supplication of the Lord who is God of the universe!
And let us be assured
that it is not in saying a great deal that we shall be heard (Matt 6:7),
but in purity of heart and in tears of compunction.
Our prayer, therefore, ought to be short and pure,
unless it happens to be prolonged
by an inspiration of divine grace.
In community, however, let prayer be very short,
and when the Superior gives the signal let all rise together.
Commentary: http://www.eriebenedictines.org/Pages/INSPIRATION/insights.html
CHAPTER 20. REVERENCE IN PRAYER
Feb. 25 - June 27 - Oct. 27
Whenever we want to ask a favor of someone powerful, we do it humbly and respectfully, for fear of presumption. How much more important, then, to lay our petitions before the God of all with the utmost humility and sincere devotion. We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words. Prayer should therefore be short and pure, unless perhaps it is prolonged under the inspiration of divine grace. In community, however, prayer should always be brief; and when the prioress or abbot gives the signal, all should rise together.
The rabbis taught: "The first time a thing occurs in nature, it is called a miracle; later it becomes natural, and no attention is paid to it. Let your worship and your prayer be a fresh miracle every day to you. Only such worship, performed from the heart, with enthusiasm, is acceptable." The function of prayer is not to establish a routine; it is to establish a relationship with the God who is in relationship with us always. The function of times of prayer, then, is not to have us say prayers, it is to enable our lives to become a prayer outside of prayer, to become "pure of heart," one with God, centered in the truth that is Truth and the power that is Power and the love that is Love.
The function of prayer is to bring us into touch with ourselves, as well. To the ancients, "tears of compunction" were the sign of a soul that knew its limits, faced its sins, accepted its needs and lived in hope. That's what Benedict wants for those who live the prayer life he describes, not long hours spent in chapel but a lifetime lived in the spirit of God because the chapel time was swift and strong, quick and deep, brief but soul-shaking. Prayer is "to be short and pure," he says, not long and tedious, not long and majestic, not long and grand. No, Benedictine prayer is to be short and substantial and real. The rest of life is to be impelled by it. To live in church, as far as Benedict is concerned, is not necessarily a sign of holiness. To live always under the influence of the scriptures and to live in the breath of the Spirit is.
There are some who would look at the Rule of Benedict and be surprised that it does not contain a discourse on prayer instead of simply the description of a form of prayer. The fact is, of course, that Benedict does not theorize about the nature and purpose of prayer. All he does, with every choice he makes of the versicles and alleluias and Jesus Prayers and psalms and length of it, is to demonstrate it and steep us in it until the theory becomes the thing.
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Church Fathers Lenten Reading Plan
Read Excerpts from the Church Fathers during Lent
http://www.churchyear.net/lentfathers.html
St. Ignatius of Antioch: Letter to the Ephesians
If you are unfamiliar with Ignatius of Antioch, please allow me to encourage you to read his work. All of it is included in this reading plan. St. Ignatius wrote these letters on his journey from Antioch to Rome. He was a prisoner being hauled to Rome for execution. With the certain immediacy of his death before him, see how he struggles to turn it all to God. I turn to Ignatius whenever something horrible happens that is unfair and undeserved and I am tempted to say "If there is a God, why does He allow such things?" Because if ever a person didn't deserve what was happening to him, it was Ignatius of Antioch.
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SPIRIT AND GUT
My colleague heard I was leading a retreat on prayer, and that part of it was about prayer in discernment. How can prayer help us decide things? I feel like it's all about gut calls, he said, and I'm never comfortable playing the "sorry, but no" guy based on gut.
Well, yeah. Hitler made plenty of gut calls. So did Idi Amin and Josef Stalin. That something "feels right inside" is no guarantee at all that it really is -- this, when you stop and think about it, is a truly terrifying thought. We fool nobody as thoroughly as we fool ourselves.
What I have been thinking lately about prayer in discernment is that centering prayer is really the key. In its silence, beneath all words and worries, everything is cleared away -- including my important decision. To sit in silence at the moment when an urgent question tugs at the sleeve is an expression of trust in God, and God does not disappoint.
And so, centering: offering the important choice to God and then stripping everything away in silence and sitting in the silence. Then, when you "return," something has been added, something that is more than gut.
And so, you sit down with your urgent question. You place both feet on the floor. You close your eyes and make sure your clothes aren't binding you in any way -- if your belt is tight, you, loosen it. If you are cold, get a wrap. You turn your attention to your breath and mark it, and you continue to mark it throughout the prayer.
Starting with your feet, you relax the parts of your body, one by one, by tightening them very firmly and then releasing them. Both feet. Both calves, both thighs, your abdomen, your buttocks, both hands, both arms, your shoulders, your neck. You contort your face and then let it relax. As you tighten and relax each part of your body, it seems to disappear.
And, all the while, you mark your breath. In and out. The gift of God. Sustaining you your whole life long.
You begin to repeat your holy word, over and over. Your holy word is not chosen for its wealth of meaning, since this is prayer that goes beneath meaning. Save the really thought-provoking words for another time. Choose this one for the sound. If you can't think of one, you're welcome to use mine. It's "Holy God, holy and mighty."
Holy God, holy and mighty. Holy God, holy and mighty. Holy God, holy and mighty. Holy God, holy and mighty.
Just say it again and again, as you sit. Let it catch any distraction that comes your way: a sound outside, a physical sensation, a thought. Let it be like flypaper -- do people still know what flypaper is? -- and just let your distractions stick to it. After a time, the word will slip away, too, and you will be in silence. If a thought or a sound comes, just repeat your holy word until it passed.
You are still. Empty. Underneath everything, in a way. God can fill you now. Maybe this stillness is what God is like. You can stay as long as you like. Don't worry; you won't get stuck down there.
What happened to your big decision? It's still there, still waiting to be made. You still must make your choice. But you are different now. Something has changed in you, something you may not be aware of at all.
Sometimes all our prayer about things is just too frantic -- it's just worry, with an "Amen" at the end. Sometimes you have to stop and let God carry the load for a while, and then when you come back, the deciding is different. Maybe centering prayer is a little like restarting one's computer -- an old program isn't gone until you shut down, and the new one you installed isn't activated until you restart. Maybe centering prayer sweeps your spirit clean and gives God some room to move in you.
Copyright © 2007 Barbara Crafton - http://www.geraniumfarm.org
If you would like these meditations to come directly to your in box, please click here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KnitternunMeditation/
Collect
Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Today's Scripture http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/
Psalm 41, 52;Psalm 44; Deut. 8:11-20; Heb. 2:11-18; John 2:1-12
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From Forward Day by Day: http://www.forwardmovement.org/todaysreading.cfm
John 2:1-12. On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples.
The Prayer Book mentions this story at every marriage service, reminding the congregation that it was Jesus' first miracle and that it was at a wedding reception.
"Don't be Bridezilla," someone said to my daughter when she was planning her wedding. No danger of that. And I wasn't Momzilla, either. Everyone had a wonderful time and nobody hated anybody else by the end of it. I think that's not always the case.
Still, you do care. You want things to go well. Some people allow their self-worth to ride on whether their weddings are perfect, forgetting that nothing is perfect and that a wedding presents the perfect opportunity to introduce this useful truth to anyone who hasn't already grasped it.
It's touching that Jesus chose a party for his first miracle. He knew how important it is to the host that everything be wonderful. This urge isn't our finest one, but it's one everyone recognizes: we want to look good, want to give a good party, want to be respected, want to have friends. Jesus will give up all these things before he is through, but he begins solidly on the same page with all the rest of us.
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Today we remember: http://satucket.com/lectionary/Calendar.htm
Today is a feria, a free day.
PRAYER OF ST. EPHREM ( http://www.byzantines.net/feasts/lent/lent-hearMyPrayer.htm )
(It is suggested that this prayer be recited several times throughout the day.)
O Lord and Master of my life, keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power and idle chatter.
Instead, grant to me, Your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love.
O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brother; for You are blessed now and ever and forever. Amen.
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Today in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Diocese of Michigan (Prov. V, U.S.)
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/index.cfm
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40 Ideas for Lent: A Lenten calendar http://ship-of-fools.com/lent/index.html
5. WALK AND WATCH
MON 26 FEB
Walk the streets of your home town. Don't plan to do anything, just watch people. If they look laden down with shopping, offer to carry some for them. If they look stressed and hassled, pray for them (just in your head, unless you're really brave).
Idea by: The Great Gumby
Lent quote: "There is more to life than merely increasing its speed." – Mahatma Ghandi
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A Celtic lenten Calendar
http://www.oursanctuary.net/celticlent.html
Encounter with God
5. "God is encountered in the ordinary. "Like the ancient Hebrews, the Celts were earthy people who led simple lives. Believing God was involved in all ordinary events of their lives, they prayed constantly asking God to bless whatever they were doing. They had no hesitation in asking God to bless them with successful crops, good food and drink, safe homes and warm fires, and even good sex. These prayers often asked for a particular grace for the one praying as evidenced in this prayer accompanying the kindling of the hearth in the morning: 'Kindle in my heart within a fire of love for my neighbor. May the light of love shine out to my foe, my friend and my kindred.'
For a Celtic Lent: "Surround the routine things of your life with a prayer. As much as possible follow Paul's advice to 'pray constantly,' lifting each thing you do and each person you meet to God for blessing. Bless your children as they leave for school, your colleagues as they work, other commuters on the road. Say a blessing each day for one of the common, everyday things in your life, and ask that as you are blessed, you may in turn be a blessing" to all you come in contact with this Lent, as the days lengthen into Easter.
"Almighty God, your Son fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are but did not sin. Give us grace to direct our lives in obedience to your Spirit, that as you know our weakness, we may know your power to save; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen." (Prayer of the Day, First Sunday in Lent. Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church, USA).
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Carmelite.com: Reflections http://www.carmelite.com/spirituality/reflection.php
In returning to God and resting, you will be saved. In silence and trust will be your strength.
Isaiah 30.15
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Reading from the Desert Christians http://www.cin.org/dsrtftin.html
It was said of Abba Ammoes that when he went to church, he did not allow his disciple to walk beside him but onlly at a certain distance; and if the latter came to ask him about his thoughts, he would move away from him as soon as he had replied, saying to him, 'It is for fear that, after edifying words, irrelevant conversation should slip in, that I do not keep you with me.'
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The Merton Reflection for the Week of February 26, 2007 ( http://www.mertoninstitute.org/ )
Christian asceticism is remarkable above all for its balance, its sense of proportion. It does not overstress the negative side of the ascetic life, nor does it tend to flatter the ego by diminishing responsibilities or watering down the truth. It shows us clearly that, while we can do nothing without grace, we must nevertheless cooperate with grace. It warns us that we must make an uncompromising break with the world and all it stands for, but it keeps encouraging us to understand that our existence in “the world” and in time becomes fruitful and meaningful in proportion as we are able to assume spiritual and Christian responsibility for our life, our work, and even for the world we live in. Thus Christian asceticism does not provide a flight from the world, a refuge from stress and the distractions of manifold wickedness. It enables us to enter into the confusion of the world bearing something of the light of Truth in our hearts, and capable of exercising something of the mysterious, transforming power of the Cross, of love and sacrifice.
Seasons of Celebration [SC]. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1950: 131-132
Thought to Remember:
The Holy Spirit never asks us to renounce anything without offering us something much higher and much more perfect in return. Self-chastisement for its own sake has no place in Christianity. The function of self-denial is to lead to a positive increase of spiritual energy and life. The Christian dies, not merely in order to die, but in order to live
SC: 130
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Daily Meditation (Henri Nouwen) http://www.henrinouwen.org/home/free_eletters/
Facing Our Mortality
We all have dreams about the perfect life: a life without pain, sadness, conflict, or war. The spiritual challenge is to experience glimpses of this perfect life right in the middle of our many struggles. By embracing the reality of our mortal life, we can get in touch with the eternal life that has been sown there. The apostle Paul expresses this powerfully when he writes: "We are subjected to every kind of hardship, but never distressed; we see no way out but we never despair; we are pursued but never cut off; knocked down, but still have some life in us; always we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our ... mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:8-12).
Only by facing our mortality can we come in touch with the life that transcends death. Our imperfections open for us the vision of the perfect life that God in and through Jesus has promised us.
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From the Principles of the Third Society of St. Francis:
Day Twenty-Six - The Second Note (Cont.)
Therefore, we seek to love all those to whom we are bound by ties of family
or friendship. Our love for them increases as our love for Christ grows
deeper. We have a special love and affection for members of the Third Order,
praying for each other individually and seeking to grow in that love. We are
on our guard against anything that might injure this love, and we seek
reconciliation with those from whom we are estranged. We seek the same love
for those with whom we have little natural affinity, for this kind of love
is not a welling-up of emotion, but is a bond founded in our common union
with Christ.
God, you are always pleased to show yourself to those who are childlike and
humble in spirit: help us to follow the example of our blessed father
Francis, to look upon the wisdom of this world as foolishness, and to set
our minds only on Christ Jesus and him crucified; to whom with you and the
Holy Spirit be all glory for ever. Amen
>From : http://www.oursanctuary.net/sundance.html
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
I am bending my knee
In the eye of the Father who created me,
In the eye of the Son who purchased me,
In the eye of the Spirit who cleansed me,
In friendship and affection.
Through Thine own Anointed One, O God,
Bestow upon us fullness in our need,
Love towards God,
The affection of God,
The smile of God,
The wisdom of God,
The grace of God,
The fear of God,
And the will of God,
To do on the world of the Three,
As angels and saints
Do in heaven;
Each shade and light,
Each day and night,
Each time in kindness,
Give Thou us Thy Spirit.
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Upper Room Daily Reflection http://www.upperroom.org/reflections/
SELF-SCRUTINY is part of Lent’s process, but we do not observe Lent for the sake of self-scrutiny alone. To sit too long with the guilt and shame of our misdeeds would, in fact, go against the gospel message. Christ’s message is one of new life and forgiveness, so Lenten self-scrutiny must serve this purpose.
To arrive at newness of life, we first name the parts of our lives that are shrouded in darkness, the parts of ourselves where life does not flourish. We walk through some muck so that we can leave it behind us and find Easter joy beyond.
- Sarah Parsons
A Clearing Season
From page 9 of A Clearing Season by Sarah Parsons. Copyright © 2005 by Sarah Parsons.
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Richard Rohr's Daily Reflection
http://cacradicalgrace.org/getconnected/getconnected_index.html
"There Is No Promised Land"
Moses' story contains one of the ironies of history: Moses did not get to the land of Israel. He saw it from the distance, as he looked over the River Jordan. It seemed that he did die, before the crossing over, so the biblical writers later looked for a theological significance for that. We were told that he failed in faith in the desert, that God punished him. No doubt, though, Moses was already experiencing his Promised Land in the journey. Walking, leading the people, was already a real joy for him, a full life for him. We don't have to see his fate as some great divine punishment on the part of God. The journey was already the promise fulfilled. In this world there is no promised land. He didn't have to cross over the Jordan: He had fulfillment in the desert. Sometimes I don't want to see another teenager, and I wonder how I ever got into this, and I'd love to go running off to some Trappist monastery. What we love the most often brings us the greatest heartaches. No doubt this was true for Moses, too. His moments of religious experience, his moments in Sinai, were no doubt his greatest religious fulfillment. Yet for all the heartaches his people gave him, I'll bet he wouldn't have traded the journey itself for anything. I know I wouldn't.
from The Great Themes of Scripture
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From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.
http://www.artsci.villanova.edu/dsteelman/tradition/sources.htm
Manna
Our Lord Jesus Christ nourishes us for eternal life both by his commands, which teach us how to live holy lives, and by the eucharist. He in himself therefore is truly the divine, life-giving manna. Anyone who eats it will be exempt from corruption and will escape death, unlike those who ate the material manna. That type had no power to save, but was merely an imitation of the reality.
God sent down manna like rain from above, and ordered everyone to gather as much as necessary, those who shared a tent gathering together if they wished. Gather it, each of you, he said, with those who share your tent. Let none of it be left over till the morning. That is to say, we must fill ourselves with the divine teaching of the gospel.
Christ indeed gives us his grace in equal measure, whether we are great or small, and bestows life-giving food on all alike. He wishes the stronger among us to gather for the others, working on behalf of their sisters and brothers, lending them their labor so that all may share in the heavenly gifts.
Cyril of Alexandria, (~444), patriarch of Alexandria, was a brilliant theologian who combatted the Arian and Nestorian heresies. Cyril presided at the Council of Ephesus in 431 where Mary's title as Mother of God was solemnly recognized.
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Daily Readings From "My Utmost for His Highest", Oswald Chambers
http://www.myutmost.org/
INFERIOR MISGIVINGS ABOUT JESUS
"Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with." John 4:11
"I am impressed with the wonder of what God says, but He cannot expect me really to live it out in the details of my life!" When it comes to facing Jesus Christ on His own merits, our attitude is one of pious superiority - Your ideals are high and they impress us, but in touch with actual things, it cannot be done. Each of us thinks about Jesus in this way in some particular. These misgivings about Jesus start from the amused questions put to us when we talk of our transactions with God - Where are you going to get your money from? How are you going to be looked after? Or they start from ourselves when we tell Jesus that our case is a bit too hard for Him. It is all very well to say "Trust in the Lord," but a man must live, and Jesus has nothing to draw with - nothing whereby to give us these things. Beware of the pious fraud in you which says - I have no misgivings about Jesus, only about myself. None of us ever had misgivings about ourselves; we know exactly what we cannot do, but we do have misgivings about Jesus. We are rather hurt at the idea that He can do what we cannot.
My misgivings arise from the fact that I ransack my own person to find out how He will be able to do it. My questions spring from the depths of my own inferiority. If I detect these misgivings in myself, let me bring them to the light and confess them - "Lord, I have had misgivings about Thee, I have not believed in Thy wits apart from my own; I have not believed in Thine almighty power apart from my finite understanding of it."
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Today's reading from the Rule of St. Benedict http://www.osb.org/rb/
Chapter 20: On Reverence in Prayer
When we wish to suggest our wants to persons of high station,
we do not presume to do so
except with humility and reverence.
How much the more, then,
are complete humility and pure devotion necessary
in supplication of the Lord who is God of the universe!
And let us be assured
that it is not in saying a great deal that we shall be heard (Matt 6:7),
but in purity of heart and in tears of compunction.
Our prayer, therefore, ought to be short and pure,
unless it happens to be prolonged
by an inspiration of divine grace.
In community, however, let prayer be very short,
and when the Superior gives the signal let all rise together.
Commentary: http://www.eriebenedictines.org/Pages/INSPIRATION/insights.html
CHAPTER 20. REVERENCE IN PRAYER
Feb. 25 - June 27 - Oct. 27
Whenever we want to ask a favor of someone powerful, we do it humbly and respectfully, for fear of presumption. How much more important, then, to lay our petitions before the God of all with the utmost humility and sincere devotion. We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words. Prayer should therefore be short and pure, unless perhaps it is prolonged under the inspiration of divine grace. In community, however, prayer should always be brief; and when the prioress or abbot gives the signal, all should rise together.
The rabbis taught: "The first time a thing occurs in nature, it is called a miracle; later it becomes natural, and no attention is paid to it. Let your worship and your prayer be a fresh miracle every day to you. Only such worship, performed from the heart, with enthusiasm, is acceptable." The function of prayer is not to establish a routine; it is to establish a relationship with the God who is in relationship with us always. The function of times of prayer, then, is not to have us say prayers, it is to enable our lives to become a prayer outside of prayer, to become "pure of heart," one with God, centered in the truth that is Truth and the power that is Power and the love that is Love.
The function of prayer is to bring us into touch with ourselves, as well. To the ancients, "tears of compunction" were the sign of a soul that knew its limits, faced its sins, accepted its needs and lived in hope. That's what Benedict wants for those who live the prayer life he describes, not long hours spent in chapel but a lifetime lived in the spirit of God because the chapel time was swift and strong, quick and deep, brief but soul-shaking. Prayer is "to be short and pure," he says, not long and tedious, not long and majestic, not long and grand. No, Benedictine prayer is to be short and substantial and real. The rest of life is to be impelled by it. To live in church, as far as Benedict is concerned, is not necessarily a sign of holiness. To live always under the influence of the scriptures and to live in the breath of the Spirit is.
There are some who would look at the Rule of Benedict and be surprised that it does not contain a discourse on prayer instead of simply the description of a form of prayer. The fact is, of course, that Benedict does not theorize about the nature and purpose of prayer. All he does, with every choice he makes of the versicles and alleluias and Jesus Prayers and psalms and length of it, is to demonstrate it and steep us in it until the theory becomes the thing.
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Church Fathers Lenten Reading Plan
Read Excerpts from the Church Fathers during Lent
http://www.churchyear.net/lentfathers.html
St. Ignatius of Antioch: Letter to the Ephesians
If you are unfamiliar with Ignatius of Antioch, please allow me to encourage you to read his work. All of it is included in this reading plan. St. Ignatius wrote these letters on his journey from Antioch to Rome. He was a prisoner being hauled to Rome for execution. With the certain immediacy of his death before him, see how he struggles to turn it all to God. I turn to Ignatius whenever something horrible happens that is unfair and undeserved and I am tempted to say "If there is a God, why does He allow such things?" Because if ever a person didn't deserve what was happening to him, it was Ignatius of Antioch.
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SPIRIT AND GUT
My colleague heard I was leading a retreat on prayer, and that part of it was about prayer in discernment. How can prayer help us decide things? I feel like it's all about gut calls, he said, and I'm never comfortable playing the "sorry, but no" guy based on gut.
Well, yeah. Hitler made plenty of gut calls. So did Idi Amin and Josef Stalin. That something "feels right inside" is no guarantee at all that it really is -- this, when you stop and think about it, is a truly terrifying thought. We fool nobody as thoroughly as we fool ourselves.
What I have been thinking lately about prayer in discernment is that centering prayer is really the key. In its silence, beneath all words and worries, everything is cleared away -- including my important decision. To sit in silence at the moment when an urgent question tugs at the sleeve is an expression of trust in God, and God does not disappoint.
And so, centering: offering the important choice to God and then stripping everything away in silence and sitting in the silence. Then, when you "return," something has been added, something that is more than gut.
And so, you sit down with your urgent question. You place both feet on the floor. You close your eyes and make sure your clothes aren't binding you in any way -- if your belt is tight, you, loosen it. If you are cold, get a wrap. You turn your attention to your breath and mark it, and you continue to mark it throughout the prayer.
Starting with your feet, you relax the parts of your body, one by one, by tightening them very firmly and then releasing them. Both feet. Both calves, both thighs, your abdomen, your buttocks, both hands, both arms, your shoulders, your neck. You contort your face and then let it relax. As you tighten and relax each part of your body, it seems to disappear.
And, all the while, you mark your breath. In and out. The gift of God. Sustaining you your whole life long.
You begin to repeat your holy word, over and over. Your holy word is not chosen for its wealth of meaning, since this is prayer that goes beneath meaning. Save the really thought-provoking words for another time. Choose this one for the sound. If you can't think of one, you're welcome to use mine. It's "Holy God, holy and mighty."
Holy God, holy and mighty. Holy God, holy and mighty. Holy God, holy and mighty. Holy God, holy and mighty.
Just say it again and again, as you sit. Let it catch any distraction that comes your way: a sound outside, a physical sensation, a thought. Let it be like flypaper -- do people still know what flypaper is? -- and just let your distractions stick to it. After a time, the word will slip away, too, and you will be in silence. If a thought or a sound comes, just repeat your holy word until it passed.
You are still. Empty. Underneath everything, in a way. God can fill you now. Maybe this stillness is what God is like. You can stay as long as you like. Don't worry; you won't get stuck down there.
What happened to your big decision? It's still there, still waiting to be made. You still must make your choice. But you are different now. Something has changed in you, something you may not be aware of at all.
Sometimes all our prayer about things is just too frantic -- it's just worry, with an "Amen" at the end. Sometimes you have to stop and let God carry the load for a while, and then when you come back, the deciding is different. Maybe centering prayer is a little like restarting one's computer -- an old program isn't gone until you shut down, and the new one you installed isn't activated until you restart. Maybe centering prayer sweeps your spirit clean and gives God some room to move in you.
Copyright © 2007 Barbara Crafton - http://www.geraniumfarm.org
posted by Gloriamarie Amalfitano @ 12:03 PM
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