“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
Beginnings and Endings. It is your ending and my ending that mark the beginning of this new season and that we remember on Ash Wednesday.
The reality of our ending is always before us. This past January I turned 70, a milestone moment of my journey of life. I am seeking many more. Yet, I am much closer to my ending than I am my beginning. Everyone of us, if life is kind, reaches this awareness sooner or later.
That this life does not last forever does not diminish life’s value, it gives it value. The temporality of life means that this one moment, this now, is priceless. There will never be another moment like this one.
“These days are golden, they must not slip away.” – Dougie MacLean
The question that this day is asking, is about your life before death. What do you want to do with your life? How do you want to live? Do you have life before death? How is it with your soul?
At the heart of the Ash Wednesday Liturgy, I find the way to continued grace and engagement with the gifts of life through these words from the Gospel reading, words of transforming wisdom from Jesus.
These are words of Jesus’ vision of fully human life, from the Sermon on the Mount. Scholars have pointed to this passage over the centuries as Jesus’ primary directive to his followers to pray contemplatively, beyond words or thoughts or feelings, as the way to connect with, attune to, and be transformed by Divine Presence:
“But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:5-6
Prayer. We are always beginners. Prayer is simply the medium through which we communicate and commune with God. The practice of prayer is learning to set aside dedicated time to intentionally be with God, in order to become like him and partner with God in the world.
Lent invites us to practice living from a Contemplative Center. Life is like a breath. We must be able to live in an easy rhythm between give and take. If we cannot learn to live and breathe in this rhythm, we will place ourselves in grave danger. —David Steindl-Rast,
The ultimate aim is not to “pray more” or “pray better.” It’s what ancient Christians called union with God. As Julian of Norwich said long ago, “The whole reason why we pray is to be united into the vision and contemplation of him to whom we pray.” It’s to live each day more and more aware of and deeply connected to our Father; to be transformed into the likeness of his Son, Jesus; and to be filled with the fullness of his Spirit, to do what he made you to do in the world.
May I invite you to consider the words of Jesus that call us not only to speaking prayer, but wordless prayer?
For me, Wordless Prayer, Centering Prayer, has been a very treasured friend in practicing my engagement with God. Start slowly. Five minutes daily. Then increase to ten minutes daily. From there you will find your sweet spot, maybe twenty minutes once or twice a day.
Find silence. Be still. De-noise. Deepen your awareness in daily life. Resist reacting from a defensive, over-attached, or fear-driven fight/flight posture. If we want to change at a fundamental level, if we want to rid ourselves of the unconscious psychological baggage that often triggers us and gets in our way of living, we have to actually engage in a practice of being in silence and solitude with God.
Practice contemplative prayer this Lent!
If you would like to see a full written reflection and prayer guide for contemplative prayer, click this link to my Substack Post: Substack Post and Prayer Guide
Come, Holy Spirit, And show us our Father, Our life source, Our longing, Our home.
With you on The Journey and The Way,
Rob+
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Rob, One of the gifts of the pandemic was discovering a weekly zoom Centering Pray community which continues. A virtual community sounds oxymoronic, but we have become community.
Your meditations consistently speak to me in a meaningful way. Thank you for your continuing ministry. Happy Lent – my favourite liturgical season.
Thank you so much Diana. So wonderful to hear of your centering community and practice. I too enjoy Lent and continue to find contemplative prayer essential to the journey. Blessings and love.