"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert."
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: John 1: 6-8; 23-27-- A man named John
was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all
might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the
light.//John said: "I am the voice of one crying out in the desert. 'Make
straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said." "I
baptize with water; but there is One among you whom you do not recognize, the
One who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
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: Jesus did not merely assume a human body and soul; He assumed the
actual human condition in its entirety, including the instinctual needs of
human nature and the cultural condition of His time.....'The Word was made
flesh' signified that by taking the human condition upon Himself with all its
consequences, Jesus introduced into the entire human family the principle of
transcendence, giving the evolutionary process a decisive thrust toward
God-consciousness...."To everyone who received Him, He gave power to
become children of God," that is, to know their Divine Source..../The joy
of Christmas is the intuition that all limitations to growth into higher states
of consciousness have been overcome. The Divine Light....presents us with
the Truth. To act out of the truth is to make Christ grow not only in
ourselves, but in others. The humdrum duties and events of daily life become
sacramental, shot through with eternal implications./The light of Christmas is
an explosion of insight changing the whole idea of God. Our childish ways of
thinking of God are left behind. As we turn our enchanted gaze toward the Babe
in the crib, our inmost being opens to the new consciousness that the Babe has
brought into the world. The Mystery of 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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