Open Hands A funny word, I thought when I first read it. Not just a funny word for a topic for contemplative prayer, but a funny word just on its own. Period. Full stop. Wrestle? Of course, all I could think of was the very common use of it these days—and very common indeed in terms of the quality of life—the term, mud wrestling. So, I am sitting in contemplative prayer and wondering what in Heaven’s name does mud wrestling—or...
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Cleaning The Gutters Again—again after the last writing I did—what I saw in my prayer while focusing on the concept of “fast,” was parts. Parts of me that lie alongside each other, and between them are gutters. The gutters collect the runoff from the individual parts. And, for me, to fast means to keep those gutters clean. To keep the parts whole and on their own. Maintaining the integrity of the parts so that the whole...
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Mind, Body, Soul When I closed my eyes and prayed, using the word, simplicity, as my anchor—my rock to sit on during the prayer—what I saw was myself—my body—separated into three parts: my head my torso my hips and legs I kept looking at that image. It reminded me of that game we could play as children. A person—perhaps just his face—broken into three parts. Multiple faces, all broken along the same lines. All layered on top of...
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The Sneeze I sat down in my big, over-stuffed chair. I lit two candles: one on the mini-altar across from the chair, and the other on the little table by my hand where I keep my books for prayer time. I set the countdown timer: 20 minutes. I closed my eyes. I began immediately to feel that sensation that a part of my insides was melting, and part of me was starting to drip. Down. Down. Down. Deeper into contemplation. I was...
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The Face of God I stand before the stand of trees The wood The expanse before me And I see the shards of light— the asymmetric design of relief from the darkness and I think of God Of walking through— trying to walk through— the challenges laid at my feet. Looking out on the faces of mankind but knowing that, in truth, on that day, anyway, I am walking on the path of God; that can evaporate under my feet. Or lead me to a...
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