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- Sunday December 10 – Fierce Light
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To Practice
– In Intimacy with God, Thomas Keating devotes a whole chapter on the rosary. The rosary is a contemplative practice for anyone who would like to engage more of their senses in a devotional way. He says, “Just as with Lectio Divina, there is an inherent movement from reflection to simply resting in God. … Moving beyond vocal prayers and beyond reflection when you feel the attraction to be still is the path to contemplation. … The whole purpose of the rosary is to lead to this deep experience of Our Lady, who together with Jesus breathes the Spirit into us … “ Experiment with praying the rosary in your own way; allowing what flows up from your heart before or after your Centering Practice to be your guide. If you want to become more familiar with the rosary, you can find many versions online. Perhaps your rosary prayer will be a poem or a painting.
– If it feels safe, take a walk outside in the wee hours of the morning or before you go to sleep. You could also sit somewhere inside your house with all the lights out. What does this feel like in your body? What do you notice that you don’t usually notice in the light? Do you feel more connected to your inner light?
If you wish, you may re-read the full email reflection here: https://mailchi.mp/coutreach/word-of-the-week-dec10
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I notice as I persevere in practice that more and more freedom opens up before me.In Thomas’ writing on the Rosary he suggests experimenting with the Rosary…” in your own way, allowing what flows up from your heart before or after your Centering practice to be your guide.”
I see that only I myself in private prayer, or my prayer in secret, can do that “allowing.”
I feel this way about my private practice of Lectio Divina.I find that I want to the reading, reflecting, responding and resting in scripture before centering. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised that I’ve returned to journaling after Lectio and Centering.
Thomas reminds us here that ” moving beyond vocal prayers and beyond reflection when you feel the attraction to be still is the path to Contemplation.In my personal, private prayer only I can decide to feel and respond to that attraction, and I am free to do that!
I am so grateful for Thomas’ teaching and his great respect for our individual uniqueness, our personal choice and freedom in prayer. It is so refreshing!
Peace,
Frank Pendola
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Good morning!
Well, I wouldn’t have this image across from my bed. It would scare me. But since it arises so much reaction in me, it stayed with me and I am mining it.
maybe, just for today, as Gerard Manley Hopkins put it, I will leave off thinking and give joy root room.
maybe that too part of her head, the thinking apparatus is in the process of blowing up , like another “big bang”. Too much entropy , to much overthinking, …The center can not hold.
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Continued-from William Butler Yeats, the Second Coming.
today, my intention is to metaphorically hold my hand over my heart, and to live from that heart space. Just for today, I don’t have to take responsibility for analyzing or thinking my way thru anything. My God will inform me which way to go, in the moment. If I choose wrongly, I will have done it with good will.I will be clear-eyed.
From another perspective, last night, I stood outside and felt drawn into that beautiful sky full of white clouds, and stars shining out of the darkness. This reminds me of “bright sorrow”, something that unexpectedly arises in the midst of a time of disconsolation.
i still find the image creepy,
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I am back again. My lectio this morning was “he will baptize with the Holy Spirit”. Did that ever land. The Holy Spirit is the engine of my life. I can trust this spirit within even as I lurch, every day , from prater time to prayer time. I , in my mind’s eye , put a cool washcloth over my brow, so overworked( to what end? )
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During these shorter days, I often take the short walk to the community patio and sit as the sun sets. Because of the buildings, I don’t actually see the sun set, but I can feel it. As the sky darkens, everything seems to settle down. The invitation is to rest, simply rest without reviewing the day or making plans for the next one. These moments are too precious to spend in my head. Instead, my body absorbs the stillness, remembering how to rest. As the chill sets in, I walk carefully back,, making my way through the big yellow leaves on the path until I feel the warmth of home Aaaahhhh
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During yesterday’s word of the week session, Helen described a dream that was incredibly moving. There is a detective series of three episodes that left me feeling the same way at the end. The main character had experienced early and irredeemable loss (seemingly) and a recent profound repetition of that loss. The final scene at the end of the story still brings tears to my eyes. The name of the series from 2015 was called :River.
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For someone who life has been marked by living into the “larger picture of life”, liminal womb time has been a struggle. This Advent 2023 time is not about “closing” week one, then week two…….I think Newell’s expression “liminal time between womb and birth, a time of recognizing and celebrating what is already here and always here the WHAT that births is being lived by me for which there aren’t any words just PRESENCE. My sleeping time of symbolic dreams, my participation in the Wednesday group, the presentations offered through the yearly SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST group, my chat with Rachel as she gives me a hair trim, listening/participating in the 5th-step of a thirty-five “womb time” of bruising, my walking/being walked with, with those of you who share here. In summary each breath ‘inhaling/exhaling” I am enveloped by the WHAT THAT BIRTHS . So as week two of Advent ends, I sit in this new aware ness that the border between closing and beginning, of womb and birth are blurring.
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Sitting in darkness upon my bed, I close my eyes and sense a warmth deep inside me. I open my eyes and gaze out a picture window framing my world. Deep waters of a river frame mountains in the distance, all bathed in soft moonlight. Peace, peace flows like the river in this dark stillness. <3 linda
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