Week 18 - Jesus Proclaims His Message

Welcome to this Friday evening meditation.

Theme:

I accept the authority with which Jesus speaks

and how He unambiguously points out His way.

What I may wish to ask for:

Peace!

We try to become silent, deep within ourselves.

We do this through our breathing: inhale calmly, exhale calmly.

And the quieter we become within ourselves, the clearer we recognise the presence of the God of Peace within us.

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Music: Taizé: "Da pacem cordium"
Lyrics: "Da pacem cordium" - "Grant peace in the hearts. Grant peace."

Spotify Link:

https://open.spotify.com/track/2JdGvxlZsuYahpVUJzh652?si=d77b862b3d3c45f1

YouTube Link:

https://youtu.be/YOSAx_gBTXc?si=XTPhd-Z5WskAo2-x

Matthew 5: 43 - 48

"You have heard that it was said: You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The way of Jesus does not always feel comfortable. Sometimes it seems to go against our very nature. The commandment to love your enemies might be seen as an example of such an uncomfortable calling.

Enemies can be abstract or concrete. Enemies may be far away or very close. Sometimes, the enemy resides within yourself.

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Who or what is my greatest enemy?

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How do I deal with that enemy?

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How would Jesus deal with that enemy?

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In the music, we asked God: da pacem cordium, grant peace to the hearts.

But perhaps it is Jesus who is asking us to grant peace to the hearts of others.

At the end of this meditation, we will listen to the music once more. Let’s now imagine that in the words of this song, we hear the voice of Jesus asking us: grant peace to the hearts!

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Music

We have come to the end of the meditation, but as long as we remain in this chapel, we strive to maintain our inner silence as much as possible.

There is now space for reflection, where you may bless another by sharing what you have experienced during this meditation. You may also bless yourself by simply listening to what others have experienced.

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