30-Minute School of Prayer

For the past several years, I have been offering an occasional series in the parish called the 30-Minute School of Prayer. This is the fifth post in the series. I will reflect on occasion about one particular aspect of prayer. There is no one place to begin nor is there a particular sequence of reflections that must be read in order. I simply invite you to rest in God as you have come to experience God. I invite you to reflect on practical matters and issues or ideas from the gospels. Take time to reflect on the text here then be still, calm your life and be quiet for 20- 30 minutes. So we begin.

Session Five:

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John…..” Luke 1:5-25

We all hold much fear in our bodies. We carry with us the burdens of past hurts and the affects of many disappointments. Our bodies ache with worry about tomorrow as we face the uncertain questions of today. Fear makes a home in our bodies and may rob us of seeing beauty or hearing the concerns of others. Fear may also be the birth place of God’s new life for us.

The promise of Emmanuel, God-with-us is tender and beautiful. Today, we hear from Luke’s Gospel that Elizabeth and Zechariah will give birth to John even in Elizabeth’s old age. The angel appears to speak of something greater than fear.

As this Advent journey comes to a close, our hearts, our bodies and our prayer become the place where God speaks and consoles. Our fear can be transformed in prayer. Our concerns can become a place where God consoles us, our attitudes, our failures and our hidden dreams. We all ache for new life. Allow God to receive your fear so love may be born within you.

Jesus, receive my fear so that…

Jesus, receive my tense body so that…

Jesus, be born in my fear so that…

So now I invite you into silence. Offer to God what you have, even if all you have is hopelessness.

Let us begin.

30-Minute School of Prayer

For the past several years, I have been offering an occasional series in the parish called the 30-Minute School of Prayer. This is the fourth post in the series. I will reflect on occasion about one particular aspect of prayer. There is no one place to begin nor is there a particular sequence of reflections that must be read in order. I simply invite you to rest in God as you have come to experience God. I invite you to reflect on practical matters and issues or ideas from the gospels. Take time to reflect on the text here then be still, calm your life and be quiet for 20- 30 minutes. So we begin.

Session Four:

Jesus said to his disciples, “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I tell you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.” Matthew 18:12-14

Advent calls us to create a new desire for God within our hearts. This seems to be the entire point of our four week preparation. So we look more attentively at our own lives, our own patterns of behavior and prayer. We gaze more deeply into our own lives so to be found in the compassion and consolation God has for us all.

This Gospel reveals God’s fidelity and acceptance for us all. My experience teaches me that most people think of themselves as being lost in some way. Most people are searching for a new relationship with themselves, with others and most especially with God. Find your self within this story as you begin prayer today. God pursues us as we are, not how we think we should be.

God also rejoices over us and we also rejoice for every person who discovers God’s care and love. Allow this feeling of acceptance and love to fill your heart this day in prayer.

So once again I call you into reflection and silence as we learn to listen to the Holy Spirit and learn to release ourselves from the clutches of all we cling to, of all that possesses our hearts that is not Christ Jesus.

Jesus, find me as I am so …

Jesus, find me and forgive me so…

Jesus, find me and love me so…

So now I invite you into silence. Offer to God what you have, even if all you have is hopelessness.

Let us begin.

30-Minute School of Prayer

For the past several years, I have been offering an occasional series in the parish called the 30-Minute School of Prayer. This is the third post in the series. I will reflect on occasion about one particular aspect of prayer. There is no one place to begin nor is there a particular sequence of reflections that must be read in order. I simply invite you to rest in God as you have come to experience God. I invite you to reflect on practical matters and issues or ideas from the gospels. Take time to reflect on the text here then be still, calm your life and be quiet for 20- 30 minutes. So we begin.

Session Three:

“Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” Mark 12

In these past weeks, the gospels proclaimed on Sundays teach us to orient our hearts to the Kingdom of God. As we reach the end of our liturgical year in a couple of weeks, the emphasis grows deeper from the message of the sacred texts that we are to place every aspect of our lives into the power of God’s grace and the glory of God’s Kingdom. The end of the liturgical year is a metaphor for the end of our lives and the end of time. In the present, we are to focus on the love God has for us in this day and age. We are to live with our feet planted firmly on the earth and at the same time our hearts become ablaze with love that God has for each of us in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The sacred image of the poor widow reveals to us that we all contribute to the work of the Kingdom on earth by giving our very lives to God. We are all poor on this side of the grave. We are all in need of God’s love and mercy in the mix of our lives and relationships. We are not in control of our possessions, our relationships, or even our futures. We come more deeply united in God’s fidelity through our prayer and silence. We long to discover God’s grace and our lives as pure gift. We offer back to God our entire beings, our hearts, our attitudes and everything we think we possess.

So once again I call you into reflection and silence as we learn to listen to the Holy Spirit and learn to release ourselves from the clutches of all we cling to, of all that possesses our hearts that is not God.

Jesus, I offer you my entire life to the best of my ability, so please accept…

Jesus, you are asking me to let go of…

Jesus, you are asking me to embrace…

So now I invite you into silence. Offer to God what you have, even if all you have is hopelessness.

Let us begin.

30-Minute School of Prayer

For the past several years, I have been offering an occasional series in the parish called the 30-Minute School of Prayer. This is the second post in the series. I will reflect on occasion about one particular aspect of prayer. There is no one place to begin nor is there a particular sequence of reflections that must be read in order. I simply invite you to rest in God as you have come to experience God. I invite you to reflect on practical matters and issues or ideas from the gospels. Take time to reflect on the text here then be still, calm your life and be quiet for 20- 30 minutes. So we begin.

Session Two:

“Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money and let no one take a second tunic.” Luke: 9

As you begin your silent prayer, remember God has first called you to prayer. This is real grace. God initiates our desire to come before Divine grace as we are and not how we perceive we should be. God calls us into action first by receiving our hearts in love, consolation and purpose.

There are often many obstacles that we place before God that keep us from silence, from sincere recollection and even the joy that God desires of us. We cling to many things. We hold on to our illusions of wealth, education and even our opinions. We want to be ‘correct’ in all of our relationships, we hold on to notions of always being right. Our bloated egos carry many things that keep us from the simplicity of silence, of true daily prayer. Jesus invites us to let go of even the things that seem essential, walking sticks, food, money and luggage. We carry only the love that God has for us in our daily prayer.

I invite you to ponder the emotional objects you hold on to that seem to keep you from prayer. Selfishness, greed, pride, slander, or whatever holds you back from the choice to offer your complete life to God. You may cling to food, sex or alcohol addiction. You may hold back because you think you do not believe enough to follow Christ. Look again at the Twelve who were told they could cure diseases and even heal the sick. We can respond to God’s call today, in silent prayer and who knows what will happen!

Today, I am reluctant to offer my life and silence to God because…

Jesus, you are calling me to follow you and I …

So now I invite you into silence. Let us begin.

30-Minute School of Prayer

For the past several years, I have been offering an occasional series in the parish called the 30-Minute School of Prayer. I begin the series online now with this session. I will reflect on occasion about one particular aspect of prayer. There is no one place to begin nor is there a particular sequence of reflections that must be read in order. I simply invite you to rest in God as you have come to experience God. I invite you to reflect on practical matters and issues or ideas from the gospels. Take time to reflect on the text here then be still, calm your life and be quiet for 20- 30 minutes. So we begin.

Session One:

“At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil 2:10-11

We begin with our posture of prayer. Perhaps it has been awhile since you thought about the role of your body in prayer. I ask you to find a comfortable place in your home, your local church or in your back yard. Discover again a place that feels safe for you to rest your burdens, the conflicts of your heart.

You many want to try kneeling to begin a new commitment to daily prayer. On your knees, pray with your hands open. You may want to find a straight but comfortable chair to sit quietly. If you sit, close your eyes, rest your hands on your lap and breathe deeply, paying attention to only your breath. You may even want to stand, feeling the earth under your feet, closing your eyes and slightly bending your knees. Discover the body posture that suits you today to begin this prayer. You may want to use a different posture for different liturgical seasons or times of the year.

Once you have decided on your body posture, reflect on the this scripture passage. Remember that God is waiting for you. Listen with all your body, mind and heart. Relax in God. Discover today the beauty of your body not only for prayer but as prayer itself. Learn today a new gratitude for your earthly self.

So now I invite you into silence. Let us begin.