“How good it is to center down!”
Psalm 46
“1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah”
Matthew 26:36-45
“36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand.”
Reflection:
“Remain here, and watch with me.”
It strikes me these days that God is the One who remains. God is the One who chooses to stay with us at all costs, bearing every disease that plagues us. Centering down into this moment is nothing less risky than accepting Jesus’ invitation to remain here with him:
Here where the earth gives way all around, where we are brought to shame by our incapacities and apathies--
Here where we face those whom we love and struggle with most, and where we are cut through by loneliness--
Here where the mountains of our security have crumbled, the ocean of our defenses parted to reveal our naked greed, hunger, fragility.
Here where we are unstable amid our craving for ritual;
Here where we are stubborn amid our need for motion.
How unsettling it is here, to watch days elapse, or trickle by perhaps, just out of our control.
Here is where Jesus invites us into intimacy. All of our “here” is welcome.
Recently, one of my favorite prayers has been the “Welcome Prayer” from the centering prayer tradition, written by Mary Mrozowski:
“Welcome, welcome, welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today
because I know it is for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons,
situations, and conditions.
I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection, esteem,
approval and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation,
condition, person or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God and
God’s action within.”
This prayer welcomes us into a retreat that is no escape, but a summons to share in God’s relational reality. It is not a spiritual “quick fix” or “improvement plan,” for there is no objective goal but to remain in relationship with our Divine Lover.
I think of Jesus’ identity as God’s Son as both an eternal and evolving reality. Over the course of his life on earth, I see him coming more and more fully into this identity until he gives himself entirely on the cross and “it is finished.” His grieved prayer in Gethsemane is a moment of deepest intimacy with his Abba, deepest becoming in their relationship, and yet he invites us in. He reveals his heart, and calls us now to welcome with him this mystery of plea and surrender: We beg that this cup called Covid-19 would pass, and yet if it is ours to drink for now, we surrender to how God’s Spirit might bear life through us in its midst.
It is tempting to fall asleep from the weight of the grief, the heaviness of our eyes. Likewise, it is easy to be swept up into the trembling of the mountains and the sea. It is easy to ride “high” or “low;” it is hard to stay awake. It is hard to be still and know that God is God.
Yet, with Jesus, we are called to reach out, reach up, and say, “Abba. Father.” We are simply called to be here with the One who Remains, who chooses to stay awake with us, whose Being inhabits this moment.
- Reflection by Gabriella Makuc.
Gabriella Makuc, 25, is Roman Catholic and from Massachusetts. She will soon begin Master of Divinity studies at Boston University School of Theology. It is her hope to bear witness to the essential giftedness at the heart of all things.
The Way of Beauty:
As we wait for the time to pass before we can re-enter physical spaces of worship again, imagine your favorite worship space that inspires beauty. Consider the physical space... is it the architecture, the colors, the feel of the wood or stone or dirt floor? Can you remember the scents and the temperature changes from walking from outside to inside and back out again? Soak in the sensory beauty of a photo or memory of a sanctuary that feels beautiful to you.
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church at sunrise in Kansas City, Mo.
(Charlie Riedel/AP) April 11. 2020 Washington Post.
The Contemplative Mystical Way:
Center down into this space in which God has placed you. Mindfully create a space for prayer and focus for the next 14 days. Perhaps it’s by a window, or on a small table. Lay a textural or special cloth on the surface, place a candle there, which you can light to bring honor and intentionality to your time of reflection and prayerful contemplation over the next 14 days. Perhaps a plant, growing and changing and thriving within the place in which it is planted, an invitation to think about our roots, and how we transform our environment by our simple existence. Place a cross, or stone that connects you to a place when you felt the Divine near you. Prepare your space as you prepare your heart, this is a time of deepening roots and deepening joy.
The Way of Practical Action:
As you begin this time of retreat start with action which will remain with you as you center down. Start a seed, or several, today. If you have the means you may want to start some to share with you neighbors. If you don’t have seeds handy you can cut up a fresh vegetable and pull a few out. You could also ask your neighbor if they would put a few seeds outside your or their door if you don’t have any fresh produce. If you don’t have potting soil and supplies, work out a way to get a mug of dirt from outside. Break up any clods in the dirt, and sew the seeds about twice as deep as they are wide. Pat the soil down to snug in the seeds and make sure the soil is moist. Put the seeds in some sun if you can and watch it begin in the coming days. You are a participant in a new birth, you and this companion for the retreat are centered down, beginning.
Prayer:
Abba, Father, we thank you for the opportunity to devote this time to you. We pray for a deepening sense of your presence, and for your Hand and Holy Spirit to guide this journey over the next two weeks. Help us to be open to the Beloved Community you are drawing us into, and continually call our minds, hearts, and bodies to return to you, our Beloved. Amen.
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