"Jesus was led . . . into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."
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 Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the
wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights,
and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are
the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But
he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every
word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy
city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are
the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his
angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you
will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is
written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him
to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their
splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down
and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is
written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then the devil left
him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
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:
I see the three temptations as the primary and
universal temptations that all humans must face before they dare take on any
kind of power – as Jesus is about to do. They are all temptations to the misuse
of power for purposes less than God’s purpose. They are sequentially the misuse
of practical everyday power, the misuse of religious power, and the misuse of
political power. These are the constant tragedies that keep defeating humanity.
Jesus passes all three tests, and thus “the devil left him” because he could not
be used for lesser purposes. If you face such demons in yourself, God can and
will use you mightily. Otherwise you will, for sure, be used!
But
let me point out something we almost always fail to notice. We can only be
tempted to something that is good on some level, partially good, or good for
some, or just good for us and not for others. Temptations are always about
“good” things, or we could not be tempted: in these cases “bread,” “Scripture,”
and “kingdoms in their magnificence.” Most people’s daily ethical choices are
not between total good and total evil, but between various shades of good,
a partial good that is wrongly perceived as an absolute good . . . , or even
evil that disguises itself as good. These are what get us into trouble.
--Richard Rohr, Wondrous Encounters: Scripture for Lent, 23-24.
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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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