MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK
Monday’s Reflection
PRAYER CAN BE LIKE descending into a deep well. Not content with a quick drink, we may become immersed in the pure, cool water of the depths of divine love. This can be profoundly gratifying. But it can also be frightening. Immersed, we are wholly absorbed in God. We lose sight of things that have been comforting. We lose touch with our normal securities and enter a place of pure faith and love.
Actually, divine light penetrates this place that seems so dark. We are bathed in the pure light of Christ. It seems dark because the brilliance blinds us, just as we cannot gaze directly at the sun without being blinded. In the deep darkness of total surrender, we are enlightened.
- J. David Muyskens
Forty Days to a Closer Walk with God: The Practice of Centering Prayer
From p. 62 of Forty Days to a Closer Walk with God: The Practice of Centering Prayer by J. David Muyskens. Copyright © 2006 by the author. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission of Upper Room Books. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question
Tell us — What is your prayer experience today? Share your reflections.
Today’s Scripture Reading
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
- Isaiah 42:1, NRSV
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for clarity amid confusion. Add your prayer to the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the most important week of the church year. At the other end of Holy Week is Easter, the most important day of the church year. For Christians, this is the big event! Read about Holy Week — The Big Event: Holy Week.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember John Baptist de la Salle (April 07).
- Lectionary Readings for Monday of Holy Week:
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Am coming into Holy Week after wandering in the desert for a short time. Re-found my prayerful center yesterday in the desperation of a friend. The enemy has worked hard in recent weeks to divide and conquer among us. It is good to feel God’s presence again, and hope to hold on through the storms of confusion in the week ahead.
Best part is, if I cannot hold on? God can. Always.
I think C S Lewis used a related immersion image (ocean rather than well) to describe how hard it was to get to the point of true conversion: working up the courage to let go the toehold on the sand, the illusion of control and self-direction we all work so hard to maintain–and simply be swept up in God. Equally terrifying, equally glorious.
You can tell I’m distancing myself from the question, because it’s embarrassing to admit that after all these years, deep surrender to prayer is something I’m bad at, even afraid of. My prayer, my terms–a pitiful thing, at best. I’m still learning.
Heidi, your words are comfort, because I know they’re true: He hangs onto us, even when we can’t.
There are many over the centuries who , like Muyskens, tell of the ‘dazzling darkness’. They describe times when we perceive darkness, feel lost and ‘out of touch with normal securities’, and afraid, even terrified, because we are blinded by the brilliance of the Light. This means that such dark periods are times when God is really close. Further, they suggest that , therefore, the times when we feel aware of God’s closeness are not the closest times at all.
I’ve found this incredibly encouraging and freeing. God IS at work even when I can see nothing but darkness and no way out of it. Perhaps, especially when I can see nothing.
Somewhere further along the track, God may show us what he has been doing and we can rejoice that he cares enough to remake us.
My prayer experience today? It seems to have run a fairly wide gamut. Focusing on Holy Week brings horror and heartbreak and also great joy. And the deep gratitude that God cares so much
and knows human pain too.
Had awesome God in charge Good Friday last year, driving in horrible snow and ice with two of my grandkids. Told God we both knew wasn’t capable of driving, we were on a major 4 lane highway in Wisconsin, ask him to drive. The traffic was bumper to bumper and then I noticed God had provided my area with a block of no one in front or in back of me. This continued the entire storm, even when I had to stop for the bathroom. He answered my prayer. Know now should always let God drive. Not easy to do.
Like Beth in fits and starts. Too easily distracted.
My prayers are often simple. Many come straight from the scriptures that I am led to through my morning devotions.
You God are my salvation; I will trust, I will not be afraid, for you God are my strength and my might.
Also today I wrote this–
Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way;though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.
Recently the Lord led me through a very dark valley. I cried, I prayed, but sometimes we need to pass through these dark valleys in order to climb the next mountain.
Today I am thankful that God is helping me to face my true self so that I may be transformed. The process is painful but as long as I trust him, he will continue to guide me through.
My prayer today is thanksgiving for answered prayer. Praising God because he is steadfast in his love for us, he is all-knowing, all-seeing, compassionate and his mercies are new every morning even to ‘us of little faith.’I was wondering why a family member was not helping us. I am disabled and my husband was diagnosed 2 years ago with prostate cancer. We were told it is slow-growing but his has been aggressive and his gleason score and PSA have increased. It is now time for surgery and the insurance we bought has high co-pays for in hospital stay. I thought of calling the family member and asking but I heard God say,”call on me.” God heard me and this morning I received a call from the exact family member and she volunteered to pay for the hospital co-pays. God is faithful, he sees us from the finished product and helps us get there in spite of ourselves. Give Him Praise!
My prayer today is in “fits and starts.” It’s being drowned out by fear and anxiety. I’m having to work harder at it than is described in today’s reflection. Maybe it’s just about right for a Monday in Holy Week.
Beth A. Richardson
Editor of Daily Reflections and upperroom.org
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