Prayer in the Summer

 

PASSING OF TIME – SPRING

 

Lovely clear day – sunshine

is finally warm – winters

are long – we long for them

to end. Foliage is rich –

from much rain – snow.

First flowers are lovely – white

alyssums – blue bells.

It is delightful to sit in the garden –

just taking it all in.

We live in four seasons –

they come – go – start again.

Such is time –

such is life. Life is a big

mystery – where does it all go?

Life is a river – just flows on.

My life flows too – many

things happened to me – some good -

bad - others indifferent.

So my life flows on – mysterious

as the four yearly cycles.

Life in the world goes on –

painful to me – American Empire –

endless wars – bombing –

cover ups – lies – violence -

killing done in the name of

democracy – liberty.

I do not know when it will end -

God only knows.

So I sit in spring sun light –

garden – my life – life

of the world are beyond me.

I put all into Jesus’ hands –

hoping that the wheel of time

will some way be positive –

turn out good.

 

Robert Trabold

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QUIET IN THE SUMMER TIME

 

Robert Trabold

 

            In the hectic life we lead in the big cities, the summertime can be a time of slowing down. The warmer weather allows us to be outdoors and if we have a garden or live near the seashore or mountains, we can relax and enjoy the loveliness of nature.  Being in contact with God’s creation can have a calming effect on us and be an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the flowers, seashore, etc. I have a garden and do find that it is a place of meditation when I can sit in its quiet and be present to the flowers and trees. The ocean shore and the mountains have always been a contemplative experience where their beauty and quiet allow me to enter into the silence of God. The summer can be a less busy time because other people are away and some of our usual business slows down due to their absence. People look to take a break which helps us be free of some of our usual activities. New York City was particular hot this July and I had to stay in the air conditioned room a good part of the day and doing my chores or work in the morning and evening when it was cooler. This gave me more time to reflect on the silence of our contemplative prayer and where it should lead us.

            In our meditation, its quiet and the repetition of the mantra, we attempt to touch the presence of the divine, but not by thinking about God, conjuring up images or using many words. These are put aside and we try to be in the presence of the Lord who is. Our contemplative prayer is a journey to reach, know and love the unknown and transcendent one. Our faith teaches us that the divine knows and loves us and invites us to reciprocate the same. This is done in naked presence and we do not rely on many images, words or explanations. Our contemplative prayer is an exercise to develop the discipline of attentiveness to the divine who is, is personal and lives at our center and still point. There is a stepping out of our absorption with our self-importance, selfishness and involvement with the infinite cares of our daily life. The focus now is on the source of our life on earth and around whom we want to orientate ourselves.

            Our journey into contemplative prayer is an attempt to develop the discipline of presence.  We are present to ourselves and not running away from anything but through this self- presence, there is a touching of the Lord who is at the deepest part of our being. No one can be present to us as the divine at our center and still point. This is then the challenge of contemplative prayer. Through the years, we want to be faithful to this process which requires patience, faithfulness and discipline and putting aside our self-importance and sitting in our poverty. We are touching the infinite source of life – the ultimate mystery calling us by our name and wanting us to call his/her name in knowledge and love.

            Hopefully, the quiet and relaxing time we have in the summer will help us reflect on our journey into mystical prayer and realize what is involved. This extra time can be like a retreat where we deepen our experience of the Lord and renew our faithfulness to the discipline of meditation.

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