Martha, Mary and Time for Meditation
Addiction to Routine
Luke 10:38-42
Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’
Jesus tells us in plain language: Only one thing is necessary, a deep friendship with Him; spending time alone with Him; talking to Him, listening to him in meditation, and just being with him in silence.
If you ask anyone what the bare minimum amount of time for a good conversation with a friend over coffee or a beer unanimously they say at least 30 minutes. If we want a friendship with Jesus we should give Him no less every day.
If we cannot, then we are addicts
If we will not, then we really don’t want a relationship with God.
I think the addictions to the routines of your life are preventing you. You can’t break these addictions in an instant. But you can make one small break in your routines which will free up the log jam and the next steps will follow. What is one small change you can make in your routine to enable you to have more time with Jesus in friendship: maybe go to bed earlier, get up earlier, spend less time on the phone or computer or TV and then spend that time in friendship with Jesus?
Friendship with God
Prayer is friendship with God: it is talking, listening and just being together. This corresponds to the three major expressions of prayer:
Vocal prayer - speaking to God;
Meditation – listening to God;
Contemplation – just being with the One who loves us
Now, it is not difficult to speak to God – but it is more difficult to listen to him. By listening we mean first, the prayer of meditation.
The Catechism suggests two forms of meditation: Lectio Divina (reading and reflecting on the Bible or some writing of a saint or spiritual author); and secondly, the Rosary
This Rosary Podcast is a great way to do daily meditation
Meditation is turn your attention to God
To think about what He has said or done
In order to understand it
To love God for the things He has said and done
Form firm convictions
That we will put into practice with the assistance of grace
The Great Teresa gives us a very simple method of meditation that anyone can do with a little practice, which is like having Coffee with a Friend
· Set a specific time and place conducive to a leisurely intimate conversation
· Talk and share
· Listen and understand
· Just enjoy the time together
Simple Steps of Meditation
Regardless of the Method all Meditation includes 3 Simple Steps
Read or Listen to something from the Word of God which means something from the Bible, or a saint, or a good spiritual writer
Reflect or Think about what struck you
Try to Understand the passage; observe what is going on or being said and ask questions.
Relate or apply it to your life
Draw conclusions that fit your life
Talk over all of this with Jesus in your mind and heart
Form a Resolution
Choose something practical and concrete to remember or to do today based on your meditation
Write down your resolution and keep it with you
Put it into practice
The Transforming Power of Meditation & Resolution
By the resolution
we turn our meditation into action
and live the meditation all day
and we are changed
We want to see Results
If we don’t see Results we tend to quit
The Result of our prayer is that
Over time we should change
W/O a Resolution we will not change
St Francis De Sales on the importance of a resolution:
The most important thing of all is that you cling firmly to the resolutions you have taken in meditation so as to practice them carefully. That is the great fruit of meditation, without which it is often not only useless but harmful. Why so? Because the virtues upon which we have meditated but not practiced sometimes puff us up so much in mind and heart that we think we are already what we are resolved to be which no doubt is the case if our resolutions are solid and ardent. But when, on the contrary, they are not practiced, they are useless and dangerous. (Introduction to the Devout Life, II Chap 8)
Examples of a resolution:
Today I will listen more than I speak
I will not gossip today
I complain too much,
today I will practice thanking God for everything
I am anxious
today I will replace that feeling of Anxiety
with an Act of Trust in God
What if I cannot find a resolution?
Then resolve to Remember your meditation all day long.
This remembrance will change the way you think
And the way you act
Responding to Our Lady’s Call
In the Reported Message of Our Lady in Medjugorje on July 25, 2019 she exhorts us to perseverance in Prayer
“Dear children! My call for you is prayer. Prayer will be joy for you and a crown that binds you to God. Children, the trials will come and you will not be strong and sin will reign but if you are mine, you will win because your refuge will be the Heart of my Son Jesus. Therefore children, return to prayer so that prayer becomes life for you, day and night. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
· If you persevere in prayer you will be strong and sin will not reign, if you do not you will stumble and fall. This is why Our Mother continuously calls us to persevere in prayer.