Lectio
“The liturgy of the Church is but the symbolic representation of the liturgy of the world.”
— Karl Rahner, Theological Investigations, Vol. XIX
Meditatio
Every breath is a prayer. Every thought, word, and action is a communication to God that we have chosen to turn toward or away from his divine light, his indwelling spirit, and his call to love both him and one another. Everything we think, say, or do is an offering to either God or the world, either the Spirit or the ego, and a reinforcement of either our true selves in Christ or the false self we have constructed in fear.
The formal liturgy of the Church does not create the sacred; it names, explicitly and outwardly, the gospel of transformation already happening in our lives in Christ — first subtly and inwardly, but over time, flowing outward into all we do.
St. Ignatius Loyola encourages us toward a spirituality in and for everyday life, where everything we do is done with the discernment of the Spirit toward the will of God. In this way, like the Russian pilgrim in The Way of the Pilgrim, our lives become a quest for and modeling of the unceasing prayer that Paul describes in his letter to the Thessalonians. Through this everyday spirituality and unceasing prayer, we take upr our cross, we put on the mind of Christ, and, in baptism, we die to our old selves that, through him, we may live new lives with new purpose and a new spirit of sacrifice and worship.
Through and like Christ, our very lives become an offering to God. Through Christ, the no of Adam turns to the yes of Jesus in us. Through Christ, the rebellion and exile of Israel become submission to the Lord and a home in his Kingdom in our hearts. Through Christ, we are emptied of selfishness, fear, anger, and dishonesty, and we become faithful and joyful servants of truth and love for God and neighbor. Through Christ, our suffering becomes our redemption, and our crucifixion becomes our resurrection.
Through Christ, we become Christ.
This is the way to the Father. TThis is the way of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the way, the truth, and the life through which eternity is made manifest in the finite, and our lives complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (Colossians 1:24, NRSVCE)
Oratio
from dawn to dusk
dusk to dawn
I offer myself to you
my eyes open
my eyes close
just to look for you
every step
from rising to rest
I take to be with you
you are my reason
my first and final why
I exist to return to you
my very breath
from first to last
a gift received from you
Contemplatio
What would change if you understood every action, not just your formal prayers, as a participation in the liturgy of the world?
Related Scripture
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” — Romans 12:1 (NRSVCE)
For Further Reading
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The Tapestry of Life: Finding Joy Through Suffering With St. John of the Cross, which explores how suffering and redemption are woven together in a life given over to Christ — and how our crucifixions, like his, are never the final word.
Robert Van Valkenburgh
Grappling With Divinity.
Wrestling With God.
Returning To Love.
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