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| Christ of St. John of the Cross by Dali |
The scriptures for today are rich in food for reflection and prayer. Consider the second reading for Palm Sunday Mass:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
The lyrics of this ancient Christian hymn beautifully articulate Christ's emptying of himself for us
so that we might be filled with the life he won for us on the Cross...
What Christ did, we are to do, too: empty ourselves in service of others that we might be filled, not with ourselves, but with the One whose name is above every other name -- Jesus Christ the Lord!
When I pray today, I'll tell the Lord:
I come to you
with a heart I need to empty of my self, of my selfishness,
a heart I want to fill with you and with your love...
You showed me the way, Lord,
humbling yourself to the Father's will
and inviting me to humble myself
in the same way...
I don't find it easy, Lord, to empty my life
of what I want to keep and collect,
what I want to hold back and hold on to...
Sometimes I don't even find it easy
to let go my burdens:
sometimes my burdens have become my friends
and it's hard to let them go...
Teach my heart to know, Lord,
what to keep and what to lose,
what to hold on to and what to let go of,
what to treasure and what to throw away...
As I let go of what I don't need,
fill my heart with a hunger and thirst
for what truly nourishes me
and strengthens me to be the person
you created me to be..
you created me to be..
Give me joy in letting go,
even when I don't want to...
Give me peace in being filled
with your Word, your Spirit, your love...
Be still, my soul, and know that God is near...
Be still, my heart, and be emptied
of what is not of God, of what is not truly human,
of what keeps me from loving others...
Be still, my mind, and be emptied of confusion:
open and be filled with the wisdom and counsel
of the very Spirit of God
who comes to give me peace...
Be still... and know that God is near...
Are you new to "Praying 10 Minutes a Day in Lent" - or are you having trouble getting started? The first installment offers some thoughts on getting started, as do the subsequent posts in the series. So take a look and join us!
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Father,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your prayerful posts this Lent. I have found a peaceful and spiritual home on your blog. It is both enlightening and interesting.
I would imagine this ministry takes a good bit of your time. I would like to affirm for you that it is time well spent. God's blessings be upon you as you enter into this Holy Week as spiritual leader in the parish.