Sunday July 20: The Best Part

To Practice:

• In the manner of Lectio Divina, prayerfully re-read these passages as you listen to the voice recording to help engage more of your senses and feel the vibrations in your body. Gaze at the image. What do you receive for your journey now?

• In a 2016 conversation with Bob Mischke, Thomas Keating asserted that “If you do Centering Prayer and don’t bring it into active life – like the active prayer phrase, the Welcoming Prayer, and Guard of the Heart – you will have trouble.” Mischke was particularly interested in hearing more from Keating about the Guard of the Heart practice, a prayer that assists with “watchfulness” — remaining in God’s presence in the midst of ordinary daily activity or during times of emotional upheaval. To learn more about this powerful complement to Centering Prayer, read Mischke’s enlightening article, “Guard of Heart,” HERE.

• Do you find it difficult to set aside time for silence, rest, and spiritual nourishment? If your answer is yes, take a moment to invite Christ into your home, as Martha did, and share your worries and frustrations with the Compassionate Listener. Gently inquire into why there seems to be little time to “be still and know God” in your life. Are there activities or obligations that could be let go of to make more room for silence and Spirit? Invite the Holy One to reveal creative ways to carve out space for rituals of rest in your life.
• You may listen to today’s recording here (about XX minutes long). Comments and suggestions are welcome by replying to today’s email.

If you wish to re-read today’s email, you may do so here:

[behmadeline95]

Visio Divina  of the image by He Qi this week  has provided a rich source of  plumbing the depths this week’s theme. The robin egg blue of the left eye of the Christ down the left side of the nose, showing up between the nose and lips – now in my ripening years I see this as the path from intention to heart presence/action; my breath ( the Hebrew Ruah, my spirit{ true self} and the Holy Spirit) the connection to the “one thing necessary). My breath allows me to name the fear, the anxiety (Welcome Prayer) to the “better part”. Earlier in the week, it was Jesus’ hand upper right, like the stop sign, then to the right of the hand  consenting to the Spirit to descend to the depths of my self. I used to fear plumbing these depths, but now I trust the Holy Spirit. The Guard of Heart this week: Ps. 63: 2-9) the word. line chosen for me as my day/night unfold. The similarity and intense red of the lips of  Martha, Jesus, Mary, one LOVE radiating.

• This reply was modified 5 months, 1 week ago by behmadeline95.

I find myself drawn to Father Keating’ words, seen through a different set of lenses for my spiritual eyes. “Without contemplative prayer, action easily becomes mechanical, routine, draining and may lead to burnout. At the very least, it fails to perceive the gold mine that ordinary life contains. … the treasures of holiness in the most trivial and mundane events.”

Pain and loss are two powerful lens “foggers”. Only time, healing and great loving support clears the film. I can again find the holy treasures in the daily routine of a newly restructured life. Thanks be to God, this contemplative community and the next practical (hence holy) thing that needs doing. <3 linda

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