Meeting ID: 815 0755 1772
To connect by phone dial: +1 646 558 8656
Listening
We must “obey God,” the Rule of Benedict says, “with the good gifts which are in us”— with all the good, all the love, all the talent, all the wisdom, all the care, all the concentration, all the abandon of the soul that is in us. We must obey the voices of life that are being drowned out around us but are, nevertheless, heard by God always. These are the voices that call to us to obey the needs of the world, the cry of the poor.
They call us to the consciousness of the power of God’s care for us, and the commitment to make that presence palpable in the world around us. There is no one in need within earshot of our hearts whom we may ignore— because in each of them is the living plea that we do the will of God It is by helping those who cannot help themselves that we do our part in the co-creation of the world. Amen.
The Monastery of the Heart: An Invitation to a Meaningful Life by Joan Chittister
Opening Song: The Cry of the Poor by John Foley, SJ
https://youtu.be/w_Q0FjuAUZY?si=1ax5zt4hIgtLuUrt
A Litany for Listening by Fran Pratt, July 11, 2016
Reader 1: The first word of the Rule of Benedict is “Listen.” The
Benedictine practice of listening is the heart of Benedictine spirituality, for not only are we instructed to listen constantly to one another in
community, to leaders, to guests, to the sick, to our inner selves, and most of all, to God, we must also “attend to [what we hear] with the ear of the heart.“ As Good Samaritan Sister Clare Condon writes, “Listening with the ear of the heart can be a scary experience because it can call me to radical change, to a transformation of my limited human perspective. This is not simply a change in my opinion or even in my ideological stance, but a much deeper change in my attitude, a real change in my way of being and doing.”
Reader 2: If we are going to keep praying for reconciliation among the
races; if we are going to keep praying for reconciliation between hetero
culture and the LGBTQ+ community; if we are going to keep praying for
reconciliation among differing religious paradigms; if we are going to keep praying for reconciliation among nations; then I wonder if we should start by asking for help with listening.
Reader 3: All this is from God, who reconciled us to God’s self through
Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;... So we are
ambassadors for Christ, since God is making their appeal through us; we
entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor. 5:18-20)
Reader 4: God, who so graciously speaks to us and is present to us,
Help us to be present to you, and to your people.
Reader 1: We confess that we are distracted and noisy people.
We confess that we have avoided quieting ourselves before you.
We confess that we’ve been afraid of what you might say to us.
We confess that we are often so busy speaking that all we hear is
our own opinions.
Reader 2: We turn now to you, knowing that you are love,
And that love is what you are always telling us,
Even when you are gently correcting us.
We need gentle correction now.
Reader 3: We confess that we have not listened to our neighbors.
We confess that we have not made time and space to hear their
stories and concerns.
We confess that we have allowed our differences to put us off.
We confess that by not engaging, we have stifled love.
Reader 4: Show us how to listen attentively,
And to love our neighbors near and far.
Show us how to open our ears and hearts
To those of different cultures, races, backgrounds, belief
systems.
Show us how to embody the mission of Christ:
To prepare a great banquet and invite everyone to feast.
At This Table by Idina Menzel, video by Denise Hackert-Stoner
https://youtu.be/n9Xf4cHOcwQ?si=-63UUy3uvpoWe7pf
Reader 1: May we make space in our lives to hear your voice and do your
good work.
May we know your voice.
May we overcome our fears of shame, and our reluctance to experience
awkward moments.
May we follow the promptings of your Spirit without hesitation.
May our hearts be big enough to hold the stories we hear.
May we live love loudly, and listen quietly.
Be near to us as we do the work of quieting our souls ,
That we may listen and learn from those around us. Amen
Closing Song: Love Large by Joyce Johnson Rouse - video by Deven Horne and Mary Theresa Streck
https://youtu.be/8ehQRPknqtg?si=7afVkmBky6rvNT0r
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.