Eve’s Wishes for Christmas

It is early morning on Christmas eve, and for me as I am sure, for many, there is still so much to do. Let us not forget the reason for all our activity.

Merry Christmas to you all. Thank you for your support over this past year. May the New Year that awaits us be another of divine unfolding as we walk together, as faithful companions.

6 Tips on Prayer in a Digital Age

How’s your prayer life?

…The body of Ignatius’ writing does not seem to advocate any one form of prayer. He was not concerned whether a prayer form was more ‘advanced’ but whether it was authentic for an individual and a wellspring of integrity and service. | Katherine Dyckman, et al., The Spiritual Exercises Reclaimed: Uncovering Liberating Possibilities for Women (2001)

Bearing this in mind, here is an extract from an article by Carole A. Crumley, in the Huffington Post, which recognises the difficulties that can come up in our digital age:

There are many ways to pray, many ways to open to God’s living presence and nurture an awareness of the sacred in daily life. Whether you are just beginning on a spiritual path or seeking to deepen your spiritual practice, here are some ways to begin or begin again.

6 Tips on Contemplative Prayer

1. Establish a daily set-aside time when you can honor your desire to open to God. We recommend 20 minutes of silent prayer time daily. For some that might seem like a long time. For others, it may be way too short. The exact number of minutes is not that important. Start with what is right for you. The important thing is doing it daily.
2. Create a set-aside place, a space that honors your intent, where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for your prayer time. This might be a prayer corner or even a prayer chair. If a chair, just make sure it is different from the one you sit in to watch television, work on your computer or take a nap. A different chair will help you be more alert and attentive in your prayerful listening. You might also place a candle or flower or image in your prayer space, something that helps draw your focus to God’s presence.
3. Begin with stretching and releasing any physical tensions. We carry the tensions of the day or night in our bodies. Notice the places in your body that are tight or constricted. Stretch into those places, hold for a moment or two, and then relax the tension. Sometimes a gentle body-stretching practice is all that is needed to quiet the mind and prepare the body for opening in prayer.
4. Notice your breath. Your breath is a spiritual tool that you always have with you. It is your most intimate connection with God. Sense your breath as a living instrument of God’s spirit, ever cleansing and inspiring. At any time or place, you can notice your breath. Is it rapid or slow? Shallow or deep? Just noticing and slowing your breath can quiet the mind and draw you deeper into the heart of God. It is the most fundamental practice in the spiritual life.
5. Open to God’s living presence, keeping your desire for your own and the world’s fullness in God before you in prayer. No words are needed. Simple, quiet openness and availability are enough. Trust that God’s healing, transforming power is at work whether you know it, you believe it, or not.
6. Find support for your spiritual life. Support can come in many forms. Listen to music that stirs your soul. Go to a museum and feast your eyes on great art. Walk in nature. Read some of the great classics by contemplative authors. Study the lives of the saints. Find a spiritual director who listens with you to the movement of the Spirit in your life. Attend worship services that nourish your spiritual heart. Seek out others who share a similar desire and join with them for dedicated times of prayer.

For the full article, click here.

Our Sisters are compassionate listeners with experience and qualifications in the ministries of chaplaincy and spiritual direction. If you would like to explore this further, or make initial contact, please do not hesitate to get in touch via: email or Facebook.

 

Be the Silence the World Hates

In an article published about our new Pope Francis in the Washington Post, the following is said:

The Jesuits [of which Pope Francis is one] —the shorthand name for the society—are men who are formed by silent, disciplined prayer.

Their worldwide leader, Father Adolfo Nicolas, recently said that the Jesuits and their companions ought to “be the silence the world hates.”

| Christopher Hale

What does that mean, to be the silence the world hates? It means stopping the noise of our busyness. Unplugging from the unnecessary. Unplugging even, from what is normally depended on for a few minutes, placing complete trust instead on God’s embrace.

It means going deeper, being present to yourself, to others and to the world around you, the world of which you are a part. And this world is a living organism, despite its brokenness.

In asking, then leading the people in a prayer of silence, Pope Francis showed us the way of prayer preceding action. From there can the work be sustained. And in silence is the voice of God, gentle as a whisper but always calling, always inviting, always welcoming us to closer union with him.

What’s more is the mutuality of Francis’ request: at once venerating the majesty of God, but also recognising our need for each other.

For the complete article I refer to, please click here.