"I have seen the Lord."
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 20: 1-18
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As
she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in
white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the
other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said
to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have
laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus
standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her,
“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be
the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me
where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her,
“Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus
said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the
Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and
your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to
the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these
things to her.
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:
Mariann Budde, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, recently wrote a
eulogy for Frank Griswold, former Episcopal Presiding Bishop. She cited portions
of his commencement address to graduate sat Virginia Theological Seminary in May
2004. Griswold said, “I have learned that resting upon notions of my own
competence is extremely dangerous…. It’s not that we shouldn’t strive to be
capable and skilled leaders. But beyond all our competencies there is a power
that comes from the Spirit of the Risen Christ. And only in moments of
powerlessness and uncertainty do we discover how true it is.”
“Knowing the inevitability of change and that the Spirit may well take you where
you had not imagined you might go, what are you to do? The answer is quite
simple, at least in its articulation. Be rooted and grounded in your own
relationship with Christ.”
Near the end of his address, Griswold said,“ You cannot proclaim resurrection
unless you have lived it, and you cannot live resurrection unless you have died.
The mystery of death and resurrection is at the heart and center of
companionship with Christ.”
--Bulletin of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, March 23, 2023.
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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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