"When you hear of ... rumors of wars, do not be alarmed."
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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First reading & silent reflection: Reflect in silence.
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LECTIO: from Mark 13: 1-8
As he came out of the temple,
one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what
large buildings!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not
one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’
When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives
opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell
us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about
to be accomplished?’ Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads
you astray. Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead
many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this
must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various
places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
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 Second Coming of Christ can occur in two
ways: with the end of time (only God knows when that is) or by our accessing the
eternal dimension within us. The latter is what the liturgy and the spiritual
journey are attempting to bring about. The values of eternal life are constantly
breaking into the linear dimension of chronological time and putting us in
contact with the Ultimate Reality. . . . In each moment of chronological time,
the divine value of each moment is available to us in proportion to our sensitivity
to the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit suggests what is to be done at each moment
in our relationship with God, ourselves, other people, and the cosmos. Thomas
Keating, Awakenings, 35-36.
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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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