dekhomai

silence

everyday monastery

Last week I went to Burford Priory on a retreat for the first time ever. Burford is a Benedictine monastery where guests are invited to join the community for their services and meals eaten in silence. It is a beautiful place and I found it challenging to spend four days hardly talking to anyone. Coming back home I have wondered how I can maintain some of the rhythm of prayer that I found so helpful. I realised that I had got into really bad patterns of work - submitting to the tyranny of email and allowing myself to be easily distracted. Since I got back I have found it helpful to light a candle to define my working space - when I look at the flame it reminds me to focus! And I've tried praying at the beginning, middle and end of each day. Today I'm using this prayer adapted from one by David Adam

Father
in the awareness of your presence
beneath the shadow of your wings
in the closeness of your love
may I work and abide

Jesus
in the fellowship of your saints
in the communion of the faithful
in the church called to mission
may I work and abide

Spirit
in the power of your love
in the fulness of your gifts
in the guidance of your wisdom
may I work and abide

Ma-ra-na-tha

Maranatha is an ancient Aramaic word that means 'Come Lord'. It is used as a mantra in mediation as it can easily be divided into four equal syllables: Ma-ra-na-tha. The idea is that you find a comfortable place, close your eyes, sit still, breathe deeply and begin to repeat the word over and over again as a mantra. It was used in ancient Christian meditation and has been rediscovered recently by the World Community of Christian Meditation.

I wondering what other words can be used as mantras? It's often helpful to have a word that is in another language as then you have no associations with that word already. I thought of possibly using the word 'Ephphatha' which means 'be opened' - it can, again, be broken down as: Eph-ph-ha-tha. Jesus used this word when he opened the ears of the deaf man but i think that we can use it as a mantra to open our soul to the spirit of God. What other words can you think of that could be used as mantras?

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Retreating

When life is busy and stressful, finding time and space to stop can be difficult.  If you suspect that things could be different but don't know where to begin then The Retreat Association might be of help.  My own experience of taking time 'in retreat' is that, although not always easy, it is invariably a life-enhancing experience.  It has been the place where I have discovered and rediscovered that love is the mystery at the centre of the one I call God.  You could just watch it on TV, but I tend to think that reality is only discovered for yourself. I have added a link in the dekhomai links in the side bar for future reference.