As we begin Lent with Ash Wednesday,
we want to encourage a conversation. Beginning Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, we will post a Question of the Day that will encompass a scripture passage and will seek to engage with our online audience over our social media platforms and on this page. We want to hear your thoughts and your reflections. This is your chance to engage with us and share your experiences. We hope that over the next 40 days of Lent, you will take the time to read and respond to each question, and share what is on your mind. Please share the questions with your social media friends. We look forward to this exchange.
In view of the daily ‘times of adversity’ over which I have no control, e.g. Ukraine, earthquakes, refugees world wide, violence in Haiti et al. my only recourse my morning prayer time, when I try to center and reset my life to what is important to me, joy each day, gratitude, hope for the future. One on my favorite quotes from Meister Eckhart: “If ‘thank you’ is the only prayer you ever say, that is enough.”
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I strive to focus and meditate on the bigger and wider picture. Images from the Webb telescope bring me to the wonders and glories of God’s creation in space and right here of which I am a small part. Adversity – this too shall pass!
I have a certain room for my daily prayers. I use the Magnificat booklet to read and reflect on the Prayers for the Morning and the Gospel readings for the daily Mass. I also pray for special intentions and then conclude with a Divine Will prayer. Each Wednesday I pray the Litany of St Joseph. Before going to bed I reflect on a few of the Prayers for the Evening and pray for the souls in Purgatory. Most nights I listen to Gregorian chants, usually while I am praying. As I lie down to sleep, I pray the Act of Contrition and/or Creed. I hope it doesn’t seem that I’m bragging. I am answering the Question of the Day, nothing more.
My prayer, 6 a.m . begins with the liturgy of the day and is followed by several authors (Rohr, O’Murchu, Chittister, various Scripture commentaries. The remaining time, 30 minutes or so, are devoted to what I call reflection on what I have read, sort of a lectio divino, trying to internalize my readings rather than continue to ‘recite’ wordy prayers.
“…cried out to God?” As a ‘follower’ of Michael Morwood’s avoidance of an “elsewhere God” up in heaven, I tend to seek and ‘cry out’ (dramatic!) for help here ‘below’, the God in creation, in other humans, in myself.
And “forgiveness” – I’m not sure what forgiveness means, in my day to day. Forgiveness for what? To whom? How? Need more information and understanding beyond a simple catchword.
…return to God with whole heart…For me, this is my daily 6 – 7+ time of reflection. This “return” is a daily blessing/chore/reminder. The General Chapter of 2000 ‘defined’ our charism as contemplatives who identify with the poor/marginalized (my wording). As such daily contemplation is part of the “daily bread” we request in the Lord’s prayer.
…Be ye perfect (as your heavenly Father is perfect). Many writers suggest “perfect” be replaced with “compassionate”, as a more accurate description of the Divinity, and one with which we humans can readily identify.
Day 13 – A rhetorical question? Perhaps we ‘share’ the gifts we are given by our daily lives and lifelong commitment to be available to others.
…practice humility? relating to others as true equals in speech and action and attitude and always “listening” The old saying: God gave us one mouth but two ears.
…”trust in the Lord…” may depend on one’s understanding of LORD. Does it describe/define a “person” up in ‘heaven’? Or the man of Galilee who spoke prophetically and the “Divinity” and the Kingdom? It may refer to the “trust” in one’s fellow man/woman who share the mystical life of what we call God.
…separate us from Christ? impossible, only our awareness and acknowledgement and choice!
have ‘eternal life? If we believe and live a life informed by the Spirit, we may be assured that when the body goes, the soul/spirit remains eternal.
In another matter: the past 3 liturgical readings spoke of Cain and Abel, Joseph and his brothers, the Prodigal Son (Father?). A reminder to me of our day to day relationship with all we meet, not ‘killing”, not abusing due to jealousy, not abandoning due to discontent with our life and associations.
Just a thought.
Dietreich
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, on the eve of his execution – “God is with us in the evening and in the morning and in each new day.”
bonhoeffer
Pope John 23 said that Catholics were not meant to be museum keepers whose responsibilities it was to prepare a beautiful harvest for a glorious future.
Liturgy for today (26) speaks of ‘light/darkness (blindness), a reminder that we are light and charged with “enlightening”, sharing our light with others. We are supported in Ps. 23 – “Surely goodness and mercy/love/kindness shall follow me all the days of my life.”
For me LIFE is a gift; Faith is part of the gift of people, of creation, of daily challenges, all parts of the gift of the SPIRIT which animates everything in the universe…
…my reaction to reflect on my “generous heart” pales as I reflect on the 130 mass shootings in my U.S. ‘community’ and witness the leading cause of death among our youth, 6 to 18, is from gunfire (suicide included). Where is the everywhere God among us?