"Come and see."
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 John 1: 29-42
The next day John the Baptist again was
standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he
exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples heard him say this, and
they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them,
“What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means
Teacher),“where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came
and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about
four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed
him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said
to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He
brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John.
You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
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 or another contemplative guide.
Teaching:
The chief thing that separates us from God is the
thought that we are separated from Him. . . . We fail to believe that we are
always with God and that He is part of every reality. The present moment, every
object we see, our inmost nature are all rooted in Him. But we hesitate to
believe this until personal experience gives us the confidence to believe in it.
This involves the gradual development of intimacy with God. God constantly
speaks to us through each other as well as from within. The interior experience
of God’s presence activates our capacity to perceive Him in everything else–in
people, in events, in nature.
~Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart, 44.
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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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