Sunday July 30: In The Pocket Of My Own Heart

To Practice

• ‘God is closer to us than we are to ourselves.’ Perhaps with a hand on your heart, you’re invited to slowly re-read these passages aloud in the manner of Lectio Divina, hearing and feeling them in your body and senses. Gaze upon the image. What speaks to your heart centre? What is being called forth?
• Where thinking ends: Any sensation can be an invitation to rest more deeply. Silently say, ‘Who am I?’ Anything that arises, know this is simply a mental object. Release. Who am I? Let this question, this Who, fall back into its origin. Each word falls back into the space of origination. What is left? Remember, any thought that arises is an invitation to drop deeper than the body, deeper than emotion, or any word naming anything. What is here now in this spaciousness? Any insights that appear, welcome them and turn loose; these can return after your time in this silence. If being in this space of stillness creates restlessness or anxiety, do not force yourself to remain. Take a glimpse around the room, feel the weight of your body until you feel calm again. You may choose to return to the silence or take a relaxing walk for a few minutes before returning to the activity of your day.
• If you would like further exploration on this subject, view this Thomas Keating video, “Christian Non-Duality and Unity Consciousness” (9:50 minutes).

You may re-read this week’s full reflection here: https://mailchi.mp/coutreach/word-of-the-week-july30

On Friday, five of us gathered on zoom to celebrate the life of one of our contemplative sisters Nancy. She was present, said very little but listened intently. She has declined rapidly in the past two weeks. We each thanked her for all that she had offered of her wisdom. We offered a closing prayer and sang  “Sophia Wisdom”. When she departed the zoom room, the four of us remained, resting  in the silence, the Presence. We shared a bit about the experience, but some things could not be put into words. Over the past three years, we have shared both silence and conversation. But it was the silence that created the bond.

Just a thought from my many years of experience, mine and those I have accompanied. Were Augustine’s “fruitless years outside himself” actually fruitless? Another quote from Augustine’s writings would contradict this when he says: there are three kinds of present: the present of the present moment( my life as it is now), the present of the past( memory recall where healing and savoring are in the present of the present) and the present of the future ( my fears, my hope, my dreams, goals, not yet). Did not Augustine go from many words, to few words and from few words to one word and from one word into silence? Now in my own life, my dreaming time of my  real life, the Indwelling Spirit is washing up on the shores of my awareness, the shadow lingering’s  from the deep roots of my egoic happiness program begun now ever so long ago. Waking this morning as each element after another popped up (was revealed )from my dream time, I prayed the Welcome Prayer as I kept embracing this moment as it is. Now six hours into the awake time of my life, I feel freed. My mind is clear to welcome some difficult decisions that have to be made. I accept only what is my part in a corporate decision as I let go of the not yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gazing at the image, my heart center sees how broad and bright one small light can shine when illuminated by love. We may never know the impact of our prayers while here on earth. Trust we are impacting the cosmos for good, our small lights joined to God’s infinite Light and Love. <3 linda

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