"The Advocate ... will testify on my behalf."
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 15: 26-27; 16:4b-15. Jesus
said to his disciples, ”When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from
the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my
behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the
beginning.
“I did
not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now
I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for
if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send
him to you.”
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 more open we are to the Spirit, the more
the Spirit takes over our lives...Three stages frequently occur in action that
is prompted by the Spirit. The first is that you feel called by God to do
something that requires great effort, and sometimes the project is initially a
huge success. The next stage is that your initial success fails. You feel that
you made a mistake and are humiliated. You resolve never to take a similar risk.
Finally, there is the triumph of grace, often totally unexpected. Those three elements
almost always go together...All you have to do is to take the first step. Thomas Keating, Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit, 63, 68.
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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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