"Remain here, and keep awake."
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 14: 32-42
They
went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here
while I pray.” He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be
distressed and agitated. And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to
death; remain here, and keep awake.” And going a little farther, he threw
himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass
from him. He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this
cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” He came and found them
sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep
awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of
trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went
away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came and found them
sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to
him. He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking
your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands
of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”
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.
In
describing Jesus’s death, perhaps more than anything else the Gospels want us
to focus on his aloneness, his abandonment, his being a stone’s throw away from
everyone. It is from within that utter aloneness that Jesus has to continue to
give himself over to trust, love, forgiveness, and faith.
It’s
easy to believe in love when we feel loved; to forgive others when they are
gracious toward us; and to believe in God when we feel strongly God’s presence.
The difficulty, the “test,” comes when human love and divine consolation
collapse, when we find ourselves surrounded by misunderstanding, abandonment,
distrust, hatred, and doubt – especially at our loneliest hour, just at the
moment when life itself is eclipsing. . . .
. . . . Jesus’s agony in the Garden was not so much an agonizing as to whether
he would allow himself to be put to death or whether he would invoke divine
power and escape. He recognized that he was going to die: Could he continue to
surrender himself to a God and to a truth he had previously known when this now
seemed to be belied by everything around him? Could he continue to trust? What
kind of spirit would he hand over at the end? Would it be gracious or bitter?
Forgiving or vengeful? Loving or hate-filled? Trusting or paranoid? Hope-filled
or despairing?
That
will be our test too at the end. One day each of us will also have to “give
over” his or her spirit. On that day, will our hearts be warm or bitter?
--Ronald Rolheiser, The Passion and the Cross, 21-23.
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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 Richard and Linda Hall, Contemplative Outreach of Maryland and Washington, DC]
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