Journey of Lenten Discipleship: Jerusalem! Jerusalem!

Lent is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for “new life” on Easter Sunday.  During the season of Lent we are invited to look deep within ourselves to consider our spiritual lives and how we fall short of what God intends for us.  Lent is a time when God seeks us and when we seek God.  Lent can be a time for concentrating on the Journey of Discipleship through contemplative/reflective prayer practices such as Lectio Divina, Breath Prayers, Centering Prayer and Walking the Labyrinth …

As our Journey of Lenten Discipleship begins let us breathe a gentle breath prayer.
Use this one or allow one to emerge from within your own spirit ...

                                     Breathe in … Lord God (pause)  
                                     Breath out … my heart seeks you (pause) 

When you are ready to move into the text, use Psalm 27:8 as a heart prayer ...

                   Come, my heart says, seek God’s face. Lord, I do seek your face!

Read Luke 13:31-35 (CEV) with the "ear of your heart" using Lectio Divina, during which you will breathe deeply and listen carefully to this disturbing exchange between the Pharisees and Jesus. Listen to Jesus cry out!  Listen to the anguished love that Jesus has for his people and the turn of a phrase that invites a feminine "motherly" image of God in the guise of a hen and chicks.  Listen as God speaks to your heart as you read.

1. Lectio (Read) the actual reading of the sacred text ... Read slowly and pay attention in order to "receive" a word or a phrase as you read. 

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “You had better get away from here! Herod wants to kill you.”  Jesus said to them: Go tell that fox, “I am going to force out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and three days later I’ll be through.” But I am going on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. After all, Jerusalem is the place where prophets are killed.  Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent to you. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you wouldn’t let me. Now your temple will be deserted. You won’t see me again until the time when you say,

“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”

2. Meditatio (Meditation-Reflect) reflecting or pondering upon the words of the sacred text.  Read the text again and when a word or phrase captures your attention, stop and sit with it.  Note: It may the same word but it also may be a different word.  Take the word and turn it over in your mind, think about where this word speaks to your life circumstances and your spiritual journey right now.

3. Oratio (Prayer-Respond) spontaneous movement of the will in response to reflections.  Read the text through to the end again.  How are you moved to respond to God?   Allow your prayers to flow from your time with God.

4. Contemplatio (Contemplation-Rest) resting in the presence of God... Simply be still.  Simply rest in the silence within yourself as long as it seems good to you.  

When you are ready to move on, pray this prayer adapted from Psalm 27:4

    One thing I ask from you, Lord —it’s all I seek—
    to live in your Presence all the days of my life,
    seeing your beauty and constantly adoring your temple.  Amen.
 

Close your time of praying with Scripture 

by listening to this popular Spanish hymn sung in Taize services ... Nada te turbe

The music is beautiful, the words in English are:

 Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten. Those who seek God shall never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten. God alone fills us.