Tags
Jan Phillips, John, meditation, No Ordinary Time, Peace, safe from danger, Spirit of God, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wars
Here’s what has happened in the last half hour – in addition to the struggle of getting my computer to do what I want – rather ironic to the topic at hand:
- I read the gospel for today and what kept repeating itself, as it always does, was the section in which Jesus promises his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” (JN 14:27)
- I thought: “Wars everywhere…obviously we will not be seeing peace any time soon in the world. What about the interior kind of peace that Jesus is talking about…?”
- My hand went right to No Ordinary Time by Jan Phillips which fell open to Tuesday lauds (prayer at sunrise).
- Here is what I read. Meditation: This can be practiced in just a few minutes, so try to incorporate it as part of your daily life. Come into a comfortable seated position on the floor or in a chair. Sit with the back flat, crown of the head lifted. Shoulders relaxed and chest open. Rest your hands in the lap or on the knees. Close your eyes, deepen the breath and release thoughts from the mind. Gently repeat the following out loud or in your mind: May I be safe from all danger/May I be held in the arms of God/May I be strong in spirit and body/May I be true to my heart and my soul. Repeat the phrases again, changing “May I” to “May you” while you think of a specific person, or a group of people, or of the whole planet. Finish with a few slow, deep breaths, feeling compassion, love, and kindness flowing through your body. Take a moment or two before moving on with the rest of your day.
- I gave thanks for the Spirit of God present in so many ways among us – reminding us that peace is possible right now.
