"One mightier than I is coming..."
We invite you to a few minutes of silence before we begin our prayer time together.
Take a deep breath and breathe in the breath of God, knowing by faith that God breathes into us the breath of life.
CONTEMPLATIVE / SILENT PRAYER
Our Centering Prayer sit is 20 - 30 minutes sounded by the chime/chant. At the end of the Prayer sit, we will linger in silence a few minutes, then follow by praying together the Our Father.
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LECTIO DIVINA: Listening to the Word of God with the ears of our heart [See Chopping Wood (or Carrots) Under the Gaze of God for a discussion of Lectio Divina].
First reading & silent reflection: Reflect in silence.
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LECTIO: Mark 1:1-8 As it is written in Isiah the prophet: Behold, I
am sending my messenger ahead of you;/ he will prepare your way./ A voice of
one crying out in the desert:/ "Prepare the way of the Lord,/ make
straight his paths."// John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And this is
what he proclaimed: "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not
worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of His sandals. I have baptized you with
water; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Second reading & reflection: What word or phrase catches your attention? Share or pass.
Third reading & reflection: How does this word or phrase touch your life? Share or pass.
Fourth and last reading & silent reflection: How is God inviting you to grow? We will reflect in silence for a few moments before we move from Lectio Prayer to the teaching by Father Keating.
Teaching: The coming of Christ into our
conscious lives is the ripe fruit of the Christmas-Epiphany Mystery. It
presupposes a presence of Christ that is already within us waiting to be
awakened. This might be called the fourth coming of Christ, except that it is
not a coming in the strict sense since it is already here. The
Christmas-Epiphany Mystery invites us to take possession of what is already
ours. As Thomas Merton put it, we are "to become what we already
are." The Christmas-Epiphany Mystery, as the coming of Christ into our
lives, makes us aware of the fact that He is already here as our true self--the
deepest reality in us and in everyone else. Once God takes upon Himself the
human condition, everyone is potentially divine. Through the Incarnation of His
Son, God floods the whole human family--past, present and to come-- with His
majesty, dignity, and grace. Christ dwells in us in a mysterious but real
way. Manifesting Christ, Father Thomas Keating.
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We now take some time to share our thoughts and reflections on our own spiritual journey and our prayer practice. Followed by brief prayers of intercession. Share or pass.
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Go in the name of Christ Jesus to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!
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[This is an adapted format courtesy of Martha Johnston, Contemplative Outreach of Maryland and Washington, DC]
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