The view from where we stayed on vacation made it impossible to ignore God. (Clicking on the picture enlarges it.) Every morning, facing this view, I sat in prayer. Centering prayer is a Lenten practice that spilled over to become a part of my daily life.
In 1979 I had overheard two priests talking about centering prayer. I made a retreat that fall in which the retreat masters recommended it. Then on an Ash Wednesday day of reflection in 1980, I was browsing in the retreat house bookstore and came across a book, Daily We Touch Him, which turned out to be about centering prayer. I surrendered! I read the "how to" chapter and started that day, determined to make it my Lenten practice. Centering prayer turned out to be the kind of prayer that suited me perfectly. I continued it beyond Lent. I studied it further. It has become as much a part of my daily life as eating and sleeping.
I think the best kind of Lenten practice is like that. We don't want to become more aware of God just for 40 days and then drift back into the way we were before Lent. During this season Jesus takes us with him up the mountain to pray. When we come down from the mountain he is more than willing to keep us with him in prayer.
No comments:
Post a Comment