"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
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 2: 13-22. The Passover of the Jews was
near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling
cattle, sheep, and doves, and the moneychangers seated at their tables. Making
a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the
cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their
tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of
here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered
that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said
to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them,
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
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: [A]nger is
usually thought of as a way of defending oneself or beating up other people or
having revenge. That’s the feeling of anger. But the energy of anger
is that powerful energy in the body that enables us to persevere in the pursuit
of the difficult good. And the difficult good is the spiritual journey
par excellence. . . . So the energy of anger should never be repressed, and
it often is in people because they don’t distinguish between their feeling of
anger which is so painful and the energy of anger which gives them the capacity
to fulfill their job with strength and energy and to serve others even when
they’re not receiving back any kind of reward or appreciation. ~Thomas
Keating, “Meekness and the Feeling of Anger vs. the Energy of Anger,”
Heartfulness Interview 22, web link: https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/video/meekness-and-the-feeling-of-anger-vs-the-energy-of-anger-2/
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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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