"Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all."
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 9: 30-37.
Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he
asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for
on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He
sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must
be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it
among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one
such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but
the one who sent me.’
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 first Fruit of the Spirit is
Charity, or, in the Greek, Agape, which means self-giving love as opposed to
self-seeking love. Most of us know love as desiring something or someone. This
is the kind of love the Greeks called Eros, a powerful and necessary kind of
love but one that is meant to grow into the self-giving love that the Gospel
calls charity. Charity is not almsgiving. It is rather a participation in God’s
unconditional love...The growth of charity leads to self-surrender to God and
to the compassionate love of others. The quality of Christ’s love is the source
of its vitality; the continual tender and loving awareness of the presence of
God is its reward...Where does this charity come from? It is being infused into
us in the silent seedbed of contemplative prayer. Thomas Keating, Fruits and
Gifts of the Spirit, pp 16-18.
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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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