This week is the most beautiful and the most important of the Church’s year. It is the drama of our salvation and our life and also a week of profound renewal. We renew our baptismal life because we see again the battle that God in Christ wins against all the powers of darkness and destruction in our world and in our lives. We know that our baptism makes us participators in his victory and so we have the courage to follow him on his journey and to contemplate the mystery of his love for us. Through this week, and especially as it breaks into the new life and light of Easter, we also renew our faith in Christ. We see that God’s way is not our way or the ways of our world. His power is not exercised through force or coercion or through ‘shock and awe’. His way is entirely different; it refuses to get caught up in all our traps and illusions. God’s way of saving us was the way we least expected; a shocking way – the way of weakness and humility; the way of powerlessness and foolishness; the way that is least comprehensible for us. The best way of praying this week is simply to follow it. All we have to do in our prayer is be open and receptive, content to follow and to receive what God chooses to give us. In this way our prayer enters into the way Christ lives it. He allows himself to be taken on a journey by the Father – ‘thy will be done.’ So, let scripture take you on this road. Be attentive to it; notice its details, entrust yourself to it. Don’t fill up your prayer with too many words or thoughts or petitions, ‘For your heavenly Father knows all that you need.’ Let each period of prayer begin simply by asking for the grace of this week: to be close to Christ as he does the will of the Father; to touch something of the mystery of his life and love. Try and get some sense of that as we hear this weekend’s Gospel Reading from Mark.
“Contemplation”
On Palm Sunday the crowd clamored for David’s Son, Messiah, to save them
from Roman oppression and restore their kingdom. Place yourself in the story.
Would you be caught up in the way the world thinks? Would you identify with self-righteous
religious experts of the law but who lacked union with God’s heart? Or would
you be seeking simply to be with Him-to know Him-to surrender all to Him-to
love Him and follow Him?
What question would you ask him if alone? How does He answer?
Plan silent moments to give Him-be with Him-receive His love:
His last hours with friends: John chapters 12-17; Mt 26:47-68; Mt
27:32-50
Helps and Hindrances:
- You might meditate on Hymns like “Were You There” or “O Sacred Head Now Wounded,” When I Survey Wondrous Cross”…
- Watch one of the “Jesus Movies,” attend a special service, write a poem or contemplation to give Him;
- Offer to Him weakness and disappointments…
- Pray in the Spirit and spend time in wordless prayer of the heart.
- Exchange offenses at God or others with forgiveness
- Exchange busyness with quiet stillness
- Exchange anxiety and hurry with His peace and perspective
- Exchange unbelief or hard hearts and heads with a new heart.
FEEDBACK: Has there been any profit for you who did these meditations or groups
to some degree? Write down
what you feel or experience. Share with others (and me). If you have received
some help through the last six weeks of prayer meditations please let me know.
If there is anything
you will carry forward-any new or renewed habit, or any fresh desire to know
and love and be united in likeness to Christ…
If there is a new
desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be His witness with love and the
power of the Holy Spirit…
If there is a growing
compassion and mercy to minister to those who are the most forgotten or
neglected (instead of “blessing the blessed and serving the saved or just
praying for the privileged)…
Please let me know
how Christ is helping you become “joyful for a change.”
Small groups will not meet on Resurrection morning but come early for
donuts and coffee fellowship. You are
invited to meet at Dwight and Barbara’s
Wednesday evening, 7 PM.
-PD
-PD
