Lectio:
“The more a person is drawn to God, the more he must go out of himself and give himself to the world.”
~Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), The Hidden Life
Meditatio:
Many times, the Gospels tell us that Jesus frequently withdrew from the world to be alone in prayer (Luke 5:16, Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:13, et al). After an exhausting day of ministry and healing, after being overwhelmed by large crowds, before feeding the masses or giving long sermons, at times of great sadness or worry, in times of discernment, or in preparation for the difficult circumstances he had to face, Jesus’s primary means of communing with God was to spend long periods of time in solitary, presumably silent, prayer. He tells us to do the same, saying in the book of Matthew, “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (6:6, NRSVCE).
While Jesus does say whenever we gather in his name, he is among us (Matt 18:20), it’s important to acknowledge that, when he tells us to pray, he doesn’t tell us to go to the temple, to prayer group, or a revival, but into our room, to be alone with God, to talk to him or listen to him in solitude. In Luke’s Gospel, we are given an embodied example of what this looks like in Mary who, instead of scurrying around fretfully, merely sat at Jesus’s feet to listen to God’s Word (10:38-42). It is very clear that Jesus wants us to slow down, to step away from the hustle and bustle of the world, and to make time to be alone with God.
While Jesus may have been filled with the Holy Spirit, when he felt depleted, saddened, or in need of clarity and courage, he retreated into private to commune with the Father who replenished, comforted, and encouraged him. However, as many times as Jesus withdraws from the world to pray, he never stays in solitude. Jesus’s life is not the life of an ascetic monk who has given up the world for a life of prayer. If it were, his story would have ended in the desert after overcoming the devil’s temptations (Matt 4:1-11). On the contrary, no matter how long Jesus spends in solitude, he always returns to the world to preach, heal, teach, and eventually to give his life for and to us, emptying himself out of the Spirit again and again, until finally giving up his Spirit for us and breathing it into us so that we may do the same for others (Matt 27:50, John 20:22).
Oratio:
Breathe your life into me
give me strength to carry on
I am weary and depleted
worn out from the world
as I sit here in the quiet
hear my heartfelt plea
without you I am lost
without you I am empty
I have nothing left to offer
I have nothing left to give
breathe your life into me
send me back into the world
grant me meaning
grant me purpose
grant me grace to do your will
emptying myself out for love
until I return to you again
to grant me rest in reunion
you are the Source of all
I am but a vessel
to be emptied and refilled
Contemplatio:
Where is God inviting me to step away in silence so I can return to others with a more loving heart?
Related Scripture:
“Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31)
For Further Reading:
If this post resonated with you, you may also enjoy Lectio: The Furnace Of Transformation
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