Journaling Archives - Page 42 of 68

I’ve heard it said many times before: Meditation or “emptying the mind” is not good because it makes room or allows the devil to creep in. In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. That is glass half empty mentality. I believe meditation and the emptying of your mind gets the devil out and makes room for God to come in! I’m a glass half full kind of gal.

Since I started my meditation practice I have noticed a positive change in my life and I have grown closer to God in ways I never thought possible. I have recommended the practice to many friends and family members but have been met with such resistance I can only hope that the seeds I have planted take root one day because I know whoever tries it will never be the same!

Today I came across this meditation by Richard Rohr and thought it was perfect to share. The lawyer in me wants to “make the case” for meditation. Consider this Exhibit 1:

Watching the River

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

To live in the present moment requires a change in our inner posture. Instead of expanding or shoring up our fortress of “I”–the ego–which culture and often therapy try to help us do, contemplation waits to discover what this “I” consists of. What is this “I” that I take so seriously?

To discover the answer, we have to calmly observe our own stream of consciousness and see its compulsive patterns. That’s what happens in the early stages of contemplation, which does not yet feel like prayer. We wait in silence. In silence all our usual patterns assault us. Our patterns of control, addiction, negativity, tension, anger, and fear assert themselves. When Jesus is “driven” by the Spirit into the wilderness, the first things that show up are “wild beasts” (Mark 1:13). Contemplation is not first of all consoling, which is why so many give up. Yes, the truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.

Most teachers insist on at least twenty minutes for a full contemplative “sit,” because you can assume that the first half (or more) of any contemplative prayer time is just letting go of those thoughts, judgments, fears, negations, and emotions that want to impose themselves on you. You have to become the watcher, where you step back from those things and observe them without judgment. You separate from them and you watch them “over there” until you realize that feeling is not me. I’m over here watching that over there, which means it isn’t me.

Thomas Keating teaches a beautifully simple exercise to use in contemplation. Imagine yourself sitting on the bank of a river. Observe each of your thoughts coming along as if they’re saying, “Think me, think me.” Watch your feelings come by saying, “Feel me, feel me.” Acknowledge that you’re having the feeling; acknowledge that you’re having the thought. Don’t hate it, don’t judge it, don’t critique it, don’t, in any way, move against it. Simply name it: “resentment toward so and so,” “a thought about such and such.” Admit that you’re having it, then place it on a boat and let it go down the river. The river is your stream of consciousness.

In the early stages of beginning a contemplative practice (and for the first few minutes of each new contemplative experience), you’re simply observing your repetitive thoughts. The small, ego self can’t do this because it’s rather totally identified with its own thoughts and illusions, which are all the ego has. In fact, the ego is a passing game. That’s why it’s called the false self. It’s finally not real. Most people live out of their false self, so “they think they are their thinking.” They don’t have a clue who they are apart from their thoughts. What you are doing in contemplation is moving to a level beneath your thoughts: the level of pure and naked being. This is the level of pure consciousness. This is not consciousness of anything in particular; it’s simply naked awareness.

You may be wondering what’s the point of such contemplation. The point is that if God wants to get at you–and my assumption is that God always does–if God wants to get through your barriers and blockages, God has the best chance of doing so through contemplative practice, quite simply because you and your limited mind are finally out of the way!

God bless you!

One step forward, two steps back! That’s what I think when I hear the news lately. The world has certainly come a long way when you think about where we are today with technology, health, education, etc. Yet I watch the news and immediately burst into tears when I hear of another black man shot dead for no apparent reason and the retaliation that killed innocent police officers simply doing their jobs. Why is it that we have enough intelligence and presence of mind to create things like a phone we can give commands to but we don’t know how or refuse to acknowledge our connection to one another?

I don’t know what the answer is. I even think sometimes I may be part of the problem with my judgments and flawed perceptions. What these reports make me realize is that WE, the human race, need to get our heads out of the sand. We need to start a conversation – with ourselves, with our families and within our communities. It should begin with an acknowledgment that there is a problem (regardless of whether we can relate to it or not). Our moral compass should tell us “this is not right!” Let’s not make excuses simply because we can’t understand what some people go through everyday. I started crying this morning watching the faces of all these young people who were killed in the past week. I think of the senseless murders, the pain of the families and worse – the hate that perpetrated it all.

Thanks to the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pa I learned to do lectio divina with things other than Scripture. They brought to my awareness, through retreat, the possibility of doing lectio with nature, art and the news. So I sit with my sadness and think about why I’m so moved.

I’m moved with compassion. On one hand I’m grateful for the fact that in my 46 years of life as a Puerto Rican woman, I have never “felt” the sting of prejudice or discrimination (it may have been there but I didn’t feel it – by the grace of God I wasn’t privy to it). On the other hand, I am saddened by the fact that my darker skinned brothers and sisters haven’t had that privilege and worse – the same people who rob them of the privilege are the same people who can’t understand their dilemma.

I’m moved with guilt because although I tell myself that I’m not prejudiced, I too am guilty of unfair judgments. I’d like to think that I am not part of the problem, but I know that deep down inside I really am. So, I’m moved to change my thoughts and actions. I’m moved to take Mahatma Ghandi’s words to heart. I have to be the change I want to see in the world. No more judgments, no more ill-conceived perceptions. It’s time to start seeing with new eyes. It’s time to start seeing that the person right in front of me is my soul sister or brother, no matter their race, religion or nationality. It’s time to start seeing EVERYONE through the eyes of love.

I contemplate the reasons why this is all happening now and all I can come up with is FEAR. Fear, which we know, comes from the evil one. Fear because so much of the world has strayed from the Truth. We have convinced ourselves that we are in control of everything and nothing could be further from the truth. How can we weed out fear from our lives, from our communities, from our nation and our world? Turn back to God, turn back to love! Evil, hate and fear need to be transformed to goodness, love and courage. This transformation can only be done by including God in our daily lives. It’s not as simple as it sounds. It takes time and effort because with conversion comes temptation.

Before we decide we don’t have time for all this work, let’s be realistic. For one thing, we waste so much time researching technology, with the intention to be the first to get the latest devices and then we spend countless hours trying to figure out how to operate them. We wait on a line for hours and sometimes even days to be the first to purchase the latest craze for ourselves and for our children. None of this feels like a waste of time though.

Interestingly, we find it difficult to take the time to nourish our souls. Reading a good book, opening and discussing scripture and sitting quietly while we pray – THIS is what many people see as a waste of time. It’s time we start realizing we may have everything we want but what we need to truly survive is lacking. This truth is evident in what’s going on in society.

Everyone most certainly DOES have the time to put God first, many just don’t have the will. Do you see a connection between what’s going on in this nation today and the fact that we’ve taken God out of everything? Major League Baseball is even debating the possibility of not singing God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch of baseball games because it’s offensive to some. REALLY?

In my last post I wrote about a bible verse in the book of Baruch which basically says if we follow God we will live in enduring peace. It reminds me of the bumper sticker which reads No God, No peace. Know God, Know Peace. Following God means more than just saying you believe, although that’s a start. Following God means putting Him first. It means taking the time to build a stronger relationship with Him. It means realizing He is your rock, your refuge, your strength, your fortress and sooooo much MORE. It means talking the talk AND walking the walk, which leads me to my point – all the latest news reports should move us to an examination of conscience, the dialogue must begin with ourselves.

Our challenge for today: Think about the first thought that pops into your head when you see someone who is different from you (a different color, different nationality, tattoos, homeless-you get the idea). Be honest. Is it a thought that has manifested from fear or is it a thought manifested from love? Only you know the truth. Hopefully this examination of conscience will move us closer to the Truth, capital T, closer to true love! God Bless you!

ALL LIVES MATTER!

In memory of Michael Brown, Jr., Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Dontre Hamilton, John Crawford III, Ezell Ford, Dante Parker, Tanisha Anderson, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, Rumain Brisbon, Jerame Reid, Tony Robinson, Phillip White, Eric Harris, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Randy Nelson, Antronie Scott, Wendell Celestine, Jr., David Joseph, Calin Roquemore, Dyzhawn Perkins, Christopher Davis, Marco Loud, Peter Gaines, Torrey Robinson, Darius Robinson, Kevin Hicks, DeMarcus Simer, Willie Tillman, Ashtian Barnes, Jessica Williams, Michael Wilson, Vernell Bing Jr., Doll Pierre-Louis, Ollie Brooks, Antwan Shumpert, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile; and

Officers Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael J. Smith, Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Rafael L. Ramos and Wenjian Liu and many others not mentioned here who have died in the line of duty.

May the Divine assistance be always with us and may the souls of the faithful departed, by the mercy of God, rest in peace!