Category: Lectio Divina

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Benedictine Spirituality Divine Office Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Saints

A generous heart.

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The sixth word in my Lent lexicon is:

GENEROSITY.

One of the three pillars of Lent practice is almsgiving. It’s a call, not only to share what we have, but to do it to with an open and generous heart. Today we’re celebrating one of our congregational saints, St Frances of Rome.

She brought up a large family and did a great deal to help the poor and the sick of Rome, sharing her resources of time and money with generosity and sensitivity. She is one of a very small number of married women who are saints.

Her generosity is obvious in her almsgiving, in the hospital she built, in the priest she funded to visit plague victims and in her generous almsgiving. But I see it most clearly in the way she cared for the poor. After she washed and mended their clothes she wrapped them in lavender before returning them to their owners:

“These she washed and mended with care and thoroughness, as if they were to be used by the Lord himself, then she folded them carefully and put them away in lavender.”

This small detail acknowledges that generosity is not just about meeting material needs, but about recognising and honouring the humanity of those who have less than us. Frances recognises this. The gospel for the feast is the story of the prophetess, Anna. Luke tells us that:

“She never left the Temple, worshipping day and night with fasting and prayer.”

Frances also spent time in prayer. It is this that enables her to develop the open hearted generosity that touched so many lives.

Where are you learning to be generous this Lent?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Scripture

In the wilderness.

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The fifth word in my Lent lexicon is:

TEMPTATION.

We all know temptation. We experience it in ways that can be life changing. We also experience it in ways that seem so small as to be insignificant. The source of their power is that they begin by seeming attractive and appealing. This attraction can distract us from or true purpose and even our true desire.

In today’s gospel we see Jesus led by the Spirit into the wilderness:

“Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit through the wilderness, being tempted there by the devil for forty days.”

Jesus is tempted by the devil in ways that touch the most basic of human desires. As he struggles with hunger, the devil tempts him to turn stones into bread. As Jesus becomes aware of his weakness in the wilderness the devil offers him power.

At the end of a long period of solitude the devil tempts him to force God to rescue him. Jesus turns away from them all, seeing beyond the surface attraction of each. Eventually it’s the devil who gives up and leaves Jesus alone.

It can be hard to turn away from the attraction of our temptations, often we give into them before we even notice we’ve done it. It seems to me that what enables Jesus to dismiss his temptation is his focus.

He manages to keep sight of the bigger picture and so he can see that the temptations will distract him from that. He invites and challenges us to do the same when we face temptations.

What is helping you to turn away from your temptations this Lent?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Scripture

Holy Ground.

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The 4th word in my Lent Lexicon is

HOLY GROUND

I’m reflecting on the encounter between God and Moses at the burning bush. There are certain places that we think of as “holy”. There are places we go to deliberately to seek God. It might be a church or a prayer room, or a corner of our house that we use as a prayer space. There can also be places outside where we feel it is easier to connect with God. We sometimes call these “thin places”, they are often places of great natural beauty.

Moses is in the midst of a very ordinary activity on an ordinary day. He’s not in any place that’s officially marked as holy or religious or anywhere particularly beautiful. It’s in the ordinary that God reaches out to Moses, using his curiosity about the “strange sight” of the burning bush to draw him into a conversation. As soon as Moses draws close God call out to him:

“Take off your shoes…for the place on which you stand is holy ground.”

We too stand on holy ground. Whatever we are involved in we’re in the presence of God. Lent gives us the opportunity to reflect on what that means in today’s fragmented world. God offers Moses a promise and a challenge. The promise is that God will be with him whatever he faces. God also challenge him to go out of his comfort zone in ways he could never have imagined. We also receive that promise and are challenged to move beyond the boundaries where we feel safe and comfortable.

Where are you being invited to discover the promise & challenge of holy ground in your life this Lent?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Divine Office Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Rule of St Benedict Scripture Uncategorized

Fasting, a Lent challenge.

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The third word in my Lent lexicon is:

“FAST”

Often the first question anyone asks us about Lent is “what are you giving up? Fasting carries a heavy weight of history and of personal experience. This can make it a particularly sensitive issue. It can be an area that’s open to judgement and misinterpretation. It’s a word I find challenging and I’m coming to it with some trepidation.

I find St Benedict’s chapter on Lent helpful in facing the challenge. Instead of prescribing a particular fast for everyone he gives a list of things that we might fast from, food, drink, sleep, talking, idle jesting. He openly acknowledges that people have varying needs and capabilities. He knows that what might be manageable for one isn’t possible for another. His words carry a call not to judge ourselves or others harshly, allow people the freedom to choose the “fast” that will most help them on their spiritual journey.

In today’s first reading the prophet Isaiah gives another perspective on fasting:

“Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me – it is the Lord who speaks –to break unjust fetters and undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke, to share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, to clothe the person you see to be naked and not turn from your own kin? Then will your light shine like the dawn and your wound be quickly healed over.”

While this is deeply challenging it is also helpful. It reminds me that our spiritual practices have to have a knock-on effect in the way we live our lives. They are not just for our personal benefit.

They are to draw us out of ourselves towards our neighbour, to help us become kinder and more compassionate. It seems to me that as Isaiah calls us to fast from the thoughts and behaviours that would harden our hearts to those around us.

How are your Lent practices helping you to become kinder and more compassionate?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Scripture Uncategorized

Choosing Life.

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The second word in my Lent lexicon is:

LIFE

I have to confess that “life” has never been the first word that comes to mind when I think about Lent. Yet, the the Anglo-Saxon root of the English word “Lent” can be translated as “spring” and that brings to mind all the new life connected with that time of year. Already when we start our Lent journey new life is pushing its way up through the earth.

We are surrounded by spring flowers and the beginnings of new growth wherever we look. On another level the whole purpose of Lent is to prepare our hearts to celebrate the joy of the resurrection, and there is no more a life-giving gift than that.

Today’s first reading echoes the theme of “life” as Moses offers the people a choice. He says to them:

“I set before you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life then, so that you and your descendants may live in the love of the Lord your God, obeying his voice, clinging to him; for in this your life consists…”

In many ways his words sum up the purpose of Lent. All our Lent practices aim to bring us back to God, the source of all life so that we can live in God’s presence and shape our life by God’s love. The gift of life however does not come automatically.

As Moses points out we have to actively choose what is life-giving. On the surface that seems easy, but it is not always that straightforward. Often, at the outset at least the life denying choice appears easier or more comfortable, while the life-giving choice can feel harder and more challenging.

Our Lent practices help us discern what is truly life giving. They can help us decide what we have to let go of so that the things that are truly life giving can find the space to flourish and grow.

How are your Lent practices helping you to choose life this Lent?

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Ash Wednesday Benedictine Spirituality Christ Cross Divine Office Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Scripture Uncategorized

Ash Wednesday

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One of the most helpful books I’ve read is “Amazing Grace, a vocabulary of faith.” By Kathleen Norris. She describes it as “an exploration and record of some of the words in the Christian lexicon that most trouble and attract me.”

The book reminded me of an important Benedictine principle, that words matter. They shape us, form us, challenge us and help us grow.

So this Lent I’ve decided to make myself a Lent lexicon. I’m going to explore some of the words we commonly hear in Lent. I’ve chosen words that attract and sometimes scare me. They also both shape and challenge my experience of Lent.

Ashes

Ashes mark the beginning of our Lent journey. With a small, but significant physical sign we give a powerful message about the significance of this time. The Ashes seem to me to be a signal of intent for the season of Lent. There are many ways that intention could be stated, it will vary from person to person and from year to year. But whatever variations it has I generally find that this verse expresses them all:

“O that today you would listen to his voice, harden not your hearts.”

It’s the first thing we sing on Ash Wednesday, and whatever Lent practices I choose this verse sums up their purpose and intent. Lent practices help us to move away from the clutter that disguises our hardheartedness. They invite us to allow our hearts to become vulnerable and open to receive the Word of God.

Ashes remind us of that intention and of our limitations. As we receive the ashes we hear one of these verses:

“Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel.”

Or

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.”

Our Lent journey starts with high hopes. These verses bring us back down to earth. We are created from the stuff of the earth, that is both a humbling and liberating thought. In a world that sets impossibly high standards it allows us the freedom to accept our limitations.

As we journey through Lent our good intentions will get battered and even fall by the wayside. The ashes are a reminder that this is simply part of being human. We can fall, and get up and try again.

How are you being called to open your heart to God’s voice this Ash Wednesday?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Lectio Divina Saints Scripture Uncategorized

Keeping hope alive.

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We’re living in times that could easily tempt us to give up. The principles that underpin our societies seem to be shifting. Things that we thought were certain and essential for the smooth running of our communities and nations appear to be dissolving before our eyes. We’ve no idea how things will develop, but there’s a general feeling that outcomes are less than likely to be positive. We’re living with seemingly ever increasing levels of uncertainty and anxiety.

In such times we can easily give in to despair. We can feel powerless and that everything is pointless and beyond our control. It can make even the possibility of hope seem, at best, naïve and unrealistic.

In his first letter to the Corinthians St Paul takes a different approach as he calls us to never give up. He writes:

“Never give in then, my dear people, never admit defeat; keep on working at the Lord’s work always, knowing that, in the Lord, you cannot be labouring in vain.”

St Paul was no stranger to adverse circumstances, nor were the Corinthians. Knowing some of the situations he faced I can imagine that he was also tempted by despair. He knew suffering, frustration & disappointment. Through them all he was able to keep his eyes firmly on Christ. He trusted that, however hard life was, however little effect his work seemed to have, Christ would bring it to fruition. In our challenging time his message not to give up has an added resonance. We too are called to carry on working to bring about the Kingdom in whatever way we can.

Where is Christ calling you to keep trusting his promise today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Rule of St Benedict Scripture Uncategorized

Taking risks

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We live with an almost constant temptation to divide the world into “them” and “us”. Although the criteria for each group might change according to circumstances we seem to have a natural tendency to want to stick with the people we perceive as being “like us” and distancing ourselves from those we think of as “other”.

This is especially true in challenging and unsettling times. When life feels threatening we tend to stay with what feel safe and to become more judgemental about anyone or anything that doesn’t fit our image of how things should be.

Today’s gospel sees the disciples falling into exactly this trap. When they see someone from outside of their group casting out devils in Jesus’ name and try put a stop to it. The response they get from Jesus is a surprise for them and for us. Instead of commending their diligence he says to them:

“You must not stop them: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.”

His words are a challenge for the disciples and for us. He invites us to expand our horizons, and to reach out beyond our comfort zones. It’s a call that’s at the heart of the gospel. It brings to mind St Benedict’s instruction to welcome guests as we would welcome Christ.

It’s a challenge to be openhearted and to give others the benefit of the doubt. It’s an invitation to discover the best in others. In these difficult and frightening times to call we need to respond to more than ever.

Where is Christ inviting you to move out of your comfort zone today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Scripture

Love and Compassion.

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Today’s gospel goes to the very heart of what it is to be a Christian, the call to love and compassion. We all know the importance of love, how it can shape and form us. We all have some experience of how it’s lack can undermine and damage us.

We know that love is not always easy, it requires us to put ourselves aside, to think first of what would be best others. To do that with those most intimately connected to us, our families, our friends, those who think and live like us can be hard and challenging enough. Yet Jesus tells us that to love those who love us is not enough. He tells his disciples:

“Love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High, for God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.”

It’s a call to love as God loves, going beyond our limited human ways. This seems to put the call to love into the category of almost impossible. If we struggle to love those who love us how can we ever learn to love those who would harm or hurt us? Jesus goes on to answer this question:

“Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned.”

It’s still a hard call, especially in our harsh times. In so many areas hate and mistrust seem to be gaining the upper hand in our communities and societies. In such times this call is even more important. “Be compassionate” Jesus says, calling us to risk being open, vulnerable, and giving others the benefit of the doubt.

Where are you being called to love your enemy today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Cross Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Scripture Uncategorized

Putting on the mind of Christ.

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There’s an undeniable tension between human thinking and God’s thinking. It comes up again and again in Scripture. From Isaiah to St Paul we hear a version of God’s word to Isaiah:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways…”

In today’s gospel we see this principle played out in practice between Jesus and Peter. Peter is horrified by Jesus’ teaching that the Son of Man was destined to be rejected, suffer, die and rise again. He takes Jesus aside and remonstrates with him.

We don’t really know what Peter’s motivation was. He may have been shocked that the image of the Messiah Jesus presented wasn’t the one he’d been expecting. He might have been scared about where this path might lead himself and the other disciples. He may have been worried about the reaction of the disciples to such a stark message.

We do know that Jesus’ response is a rebuke and a challenge:

“He rebuked Peter and said to him, ‘Get behind me, Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but the human way.’”

Jesus’ words challenge us as much as they do Peter. They remind us that, in following him we are to strive to align our hearts and minds with God’s way of thinking. It’s a call to be kind and compassionate, to give people the benefit of the doubt and not to judge. In these unsettling times that’s more important than ever.

What does it mean for you to “put on the mind of Christ” in your life today?