"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
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: 7-11 -- This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me./ I have baptized you with water;
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."/ It happened in those days that
Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On
coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit,
like a dove, descending upon Him. And a voice came from the heavens, "You
are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
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: Today we are celebrating the
baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. Liturgy perceives this feast as a further
manifestation of the divinity of Christ. It is a revelation of the Word made
flesh. The Spirit descends upon Christ in the form of a dove as He submits to
John's baptism, revealing the Eternal Word of God in human form. The spiritual
meaning of the event is that all who have accepted the invitation to Divine
Union, and thus made the remote call proximate, participate in the anointing of
Christ by the Spirit. Its spiritual significance for us is that we participate
in the purifying waters of the Jordan, sanctified by Christ's touch, by
exercising our faith in all the difficulties of life within or
without./Epiphany is an anticipation of Christ's passion, death, and
resurrection (His decent into the waters of the Jordan and rising out of them).
It celebrates our experience of purification and the unloading of the
unconscious. It is our participation in the baptism of Jesus. We emerge from
the dark and tumultuous waters of purification into the permanent rest of the
Spirit. Reawakenings, 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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