Meditation: Christ in you: the hope for glory

 

Readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Bringing to completion for you
the word of God, the mystery hidden
from generations past: it is
Christ in you, the hope for glory.

Colossians 1:25-27

  
We all know the story of Martha and Mary

and most of us struggle much of our lives

to find the meaning: to reach the balance.

Our early lives are full of business ...

   But Mary chose the better part: sitting, touching 

   the teacher, looking up through her eyes of Christ 

   to see God looking down in her friend Jesus.

Martha was busy - today it is preparing food,

yesterday cleaning, tomorrow helping her brother with his business. Busy - busy - busy and

secure in that, knowing she does all she can.

   But Mary chose the better part: sitting, touching 

   the teacher, looking up through her eyes of Christ 

   to see God looking down in her friend Jesus.

No rest for Martha - following the rules, maybe

a little house-proud. No weed dared show itself 

in her garden, no dust settled. Maybe even a little 

superior comparing herself to her dreamer sister!

   But Mary chose the better part: sitting, touching 

   the teacher, looking up through her eyes of Christ 

   to see God looking down in her friend Jesus.

So we rush through our lives, being significant, 

leaving our world a little better - until the day 

we grow to know that we too need to rest 

with Jesus: to listen, see, breathe, and know.

   For Mary chose the better part: sitting, touching 

   the teacher, looking up through her eyes of Christ 

   to see God looking down in her friend Jesus.

Suggestions for meditation

Always begin by offering your time to God and asking for the grace to grow closer: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time as I reach out to you, and ask that you guide me now, and each day, closer to you".

The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.

Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.

Listen for the personal message for you. There will always be one word or phrase that will reach into your heart. Think of it as the personal meaning God has for you alone!

If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation try Luke 10:38-42 from today's Mass ...

Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”

Re-read the passage or the meditation - maybe read it slowly aloud.

Is there a word or phrase that jumps out to speak to you?

Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.

Then spend 5, or 10, or 15 minutes with your word from Jesus, or the word LOVE or GOD.

You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention).

You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds.

After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen.

Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).

You may need a countdown clock.

At the end thank God, and return to your day.

Pilgrimage to Easter: Day 23

Meditation for Thursday 3 March
... from the readings of the day:

Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Luke 11:23

If I am not tuned to your station, I hear only static.
Living white noise, I am not my true self.

O my God, I try to live with you in my life
but I get caught up in busy-ness, in travel, in 
maintenance, and my awareness of you
fades away.

If I am not tuned to your orchestra, I am discordant.
Outside the harmony, I am not my true self.

My God, I am distracted by thoughts of revenge
and pay-back for imagined attacks. Even when I know
I over-react, I buy into the shame and slight and I
leave you out.

If I do not fly in formation, I tire and fall.
If I cannot soar, I am not my true self.

When I try to live without you in my life, I
quickly drift into day dreams of some rosy future
or bitter past: I waste my now replaying movies
where you are not.

If I do not work with you, my fruitless effort is hard.
Without joy, I am not my true self.

O my God, help me to touch your eternity in
each moment, to live in the silences between
the ticking of the clock. Teach me to live each
moment in you.

Whoever is not with you is against you,
and whoever does not gather with you, scatters.

Suggestions for meditation
Always begin by offering your time to God and asking for the grace to grow closer: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time as I reach out to you, and ask that you guide me now, and each day, closer to you".

The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.

Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.

Listen for the personal message for you. There will always be one word or phrase that will reach into your heart. Think of it as the personal meaning God has for you alone!

If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation, try this from one of today's readings, Jeremiah 7:23-24

Thus says the LORD: This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper.
But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.

Focus on a significant word or phrase in this passage or the meditation for a few moments.

Is there a word of phrase that jumps out to speak to you?

Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.

Then spend 5, or 10, or 15 minutes with your word from Jesus, or the phrase LIVE IN GOD.

You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention).

You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds.

After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen.

Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).

You may need a countdown clock.

At the end thank God, and return to your day.

Meditation: The kingdom is here - now (if we want it)

We read every day of murder abuse terror rape.
Our world seems full of violence and ego; but
while ego and violence scratch us all, many 
many lives are still lived quietly and in hope.

   Spirit am I, made in God's image, and
   only each of us can save the world:
   each one of us is the body of Christ.

The violence of hunger disease cruelty abuse:
people and creation used for quick gain - daily,
but daily too, lives of prayer and good works, people reaching to our Creator in hope and faith and love.

   Spirit am I, made in God's image, and
   only each of us can save the world: 
   each one of us is the body of Christ.

The kingdom is in us, and we are each priest prophet 
and king: blessing, healing, forgiving, protecting - 
waiting for the scales to move -  
the kingdom among us.

   Spirit am I, made in God's image, and
   only each of us can save the world:
   each one of us is the body of Christ.

But first we need more pray-ers, empty seekers,
willing to sacrifice and forgive, speak out, and shepherd.
That is me. It is you. The kingdom is here. Now.
But we must choose to see past darkness, pain, despair.

   Spirit am I, made in God's image, and
   only each of us can save the world:
   each one of us is the body of Christ.

Leaders must lead. Not to entrench power, 
but to create a new earth, a new kingdom.
Each of us must live fully: not to hoard for sham security, 
but to grow our being and our bond with God.

   Spirit am I, made in God's image, and
   only each of us can save the world:
   each one of us is the body of Christ.

Ego must be seen as the devil it is - 
only then will we notice, gently push it aside, 
and live wholly for each other, live wholly for love, 
live wholly for God.

   Spirit am I, made in God's image, and
   only each of us can save the world:
   each one of us is the body of Christ.

Suggestions for meditation

Always begin by offering your time to God: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time when I am reaching out to you" and then a few moments reminding yourself of some of the blessings God has given you - the clear signs of God's love for you. The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.

Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.

Listen for Jesus' personal message for you.

If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation try Luke 17, 20-24

Some Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. 

His answer was, “The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen. No one will say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ because the Kingdom of God is within you." 

Then he said to the disciples, “The time will come when you will wish you could see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, over there!’ or, ‘Look, over here!’ But don't go out looking for it. 

As the lightning flashes across the sky and lights it up from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 

Focus on this passage or the meditation slowly a couple of times.

What word of phrase jumps out to speak to you?

Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.

Then spend 5, or 10, or 20 minutes with those words, or the word KINGDOM or the word GOD. 

You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention). 

You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds. 

After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen. 

Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).

You may need a countdown clock.

At the end thank God, and return to your day.