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- Sunday September 22: Receive the Child
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To Practice
- Pray these passages again in the manner of Lectio Divina, speaking them out loud to engage your senses and affirm them in your being. What do you hear for your journey now?
- Pick a prayer time that might be a good occasion to remember and recognise the presence of the graced child within you. If it helps, find a photograph of yourself as a child and put it in a prominent place in your room or on your altar if you have one. Address it. You don’t have to say anything– an acknowledgment of presence may be grace enough to begin a conversation of immensely transforming power.
If you wish, you may re-read the full email reflection here: https://mailchi.mp/coutreach/2024_word-of-the-week-sept22
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I have a photo of myself as a three year old: a big bow in my curly hair, holding a toy accordion and smiling. This was before the accordion became burdened by lessons, practices and recitals. I am reminded of how easy it is for me to make a thing of simple joy into something heavy with obligations and expectations.
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The image presented this WEEK was a challenge for me, a somewhat anoying one. until I consented to see as that child saw this child presented in this image. Then moments ago I attended a virtual Mass presided by a very elderly priest, who is rarely our celebrant now. I saw him as he was/is. These tweo bookends of life speak deeply into my life, with my new consenting presence. Then these words from Richard Rohr today enveloped me in a knowing, a precious kind of knowing:
“It’s taken me much of my life to begin to get to the second gaze. By nature, I have a critical mind and a demanding heart, and I am impatient. These are both my gifts and my curses. Yet I can’t have one without the other, it seems. I can’t risk losing touch with either my angels or my demons. They are both good teachers. A life of solitude and silence allows them both, and invariably leads me to the second gaze. The gaze of compassion, looking out at life from the place of Divine Intimacy is really all I have, and all I have to give, even though I don’t always do it.”
The gospel today from Luke was Jesus’ asking “Who you say I am” that was part of our WoW reflection a few Sundays ago, like an echo from our Wenesday C.P./Visio/Lectio Divina/Sharing, Again another profound experience. In addition I am truly grateful to those two teachers Richard is referring to, who are my great teachers. In order to engage I must also consent to descending into despair; but oh the delight of the ‘rising from’, and to engage in the messy situation where I find myself these days with great compassion for each one plodding through the messiness with total confidence in my evacuation SPIRIT.
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The short phrase “holy unknowing” speaks deeply to my journey of late. A major health crisis with my beloved husband thrust me headfirst into holy unknowing, trusting God and our health care professionals. All I could muster was “heart sight” – trying to see the situation from God’s heart. I can say from a vantage of three weeks later it is well, it is well with my soul. <3 linda
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Linda, bless you and your husband during this difficult time. Thank you for your dedicated practice and participation with this community. – Pamela
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