Week
12 Daily Dose of Love
(#78) 3/19
The
Lords Prayer - Give us our Daily Bread
Matthew 6:11
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
Luke 11:3
“Give
us each day our daily bread.”
Jesus tells us to ask for “daily bread.” He also said “I am the bread
of life” and “Take this and eat, all of you, for this is my body.” We need to make contact
with Jesus each day so that we have the spiritual strength and sustenance to keep our hearts open in spite of whatever distractions
or challenges we may face. In this part of the Our Father, we ask God
to provide us with what we need, one day at a time. Love cannot be stored or saved. We
can’t make reservations to be with Jesus at some future date. Asking God to give us what we need
today implies that we trust him to give us what we need tomorrow and every day after that. Our Father has given us Jesus. He loves us for who we are to the depth of our being.
This is given whether or not we ask for it. Asking God for our daily bread is a request for him
to help us be open to what he has promised us and aware of obstacles that might limit our relationship with Jesus.
Maintaining ongoing contact with Jesus keeps us open to God’s love, which is all the bread we need on any given
day.
Reflection/Discussion:
When in our day do we particularly need
the daily bread of God’s love?
Principles of Love:
Opening; Vision; Learning
Pray through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
(#79) 3/20
The
Lords Prayer - Forgive Us
Matthew 6:12, 14-15
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you
do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Luke 11:4a
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone
indebted to us.
Forgiveness is freedom. Forgiving others frees us from resentment and tension that restricts how we see and
respond to life. Forgiving others frees them to recognize their mistakes by taking away the need
to deny, defend or justify how or why they might have harmed us. It is only when we are free
that we can fully appreciate and receive God’s love. God can only enter an open heart. Forgiveness
cleanses our hearts of resentment, blame, and judgment, which block our capacity to receive God’s love and respond to
his will.
Forgiveness makes room for love
in our hearts and in our lives.
Reflection/Discussion:
How are we different when we are able to forgive?
Principles of Love:
Forgiveness; Opening; Acceptance; Decision; Commitment
Pray through the Day:
Lord Jesus Christ
Have mercy on us
(#80)
3/21
The Lord’s Prayer - Lead Us Not
Matthew 6:13
And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil
one.
Luke 11:4b
And do not bring us to the time of trial.”
Traditionally when we say this part of the Our Father, we say “Lead us not into
temptation but deliver us from evil”. Temptation involves something that is attractive or inviting
that pulls us in a harmful direction. The strength of attraction can overpower the perception of potential
harm. Our vision narrows as we allow ourselves to be pulled in until everything seems OK within high walls
that block awareness of the lasting effects of our actions. Resisting temptation involves seeing clearly from a long-term perspective.
Sin is not so much a matter of breaking rules as it is a decision that causes us to turn away from love.
Every sin ultimately leads to destruction that hurts us and those around us. Sinful acts often bring
short-term, superficial power, pleasure, esteem, or security. If we clearly grasped the underlying effects
and long-term consequences of our actions, we would recognize that love is preferable to sin in every instance. In this part
of the Our Father we are asking God to help us see, not what we want in the short term, but what he wants for us throughout
eternity. The common phrasing of this part of the Lord’s Prayer may sound like we are begging God
not to lead us into temptation. But if we think about the nature of temptation and what we know about God,
we are asking for help in seeing, not what the world has to offer, but what God has to offer. In today’s
language, we might say “God, please help me keep my eyes and heart open and not be pulled away from your love” Every evil act is a selfish act. To deliver us from evil to is deliver
us from seeing ourselves as separate from the rest of creation. We don’t catch evil as if it were
the flu or get buried by it as if it were an avalanche. The only way we become evil
is to by making choices that block God’s love or harm what he has created. In asking God to rescue
us from evil, we ask him to help us transcend our selfish desires and recognize our connection with all of creation.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we learn to see more clearly when
temptation starts to narrow our vision?
Principles of Love:
Vision; Learning; Decision; Commitment
Pray through the Day:
Open our eyes
To deepen our love
(#81) 3/22
The
Lords Prayer (As a Whole)
Matthew 6:9-15
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your
kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring
us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Luke 11:1-4
“When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be
your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And
forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time
of trial.’”
This is a powerful and meaningful prayer that needs to be said with humility and conviction. Therese
of Lisieux acknowledged that she struggled when she tried to repeat the Lord’s Prayer over and over. She
said she found it more helpful to say it just once really slowly, to let the full impact of the prayer penetrate her soul. Leo
Tolstoy wrote, “ The Lord’s Prayer is nothing less that Christ’s whole teaching, stated in most concise
form.” He used the sequence of phrases of the Our Father as an outline when he wrote a summary of
the gospels into one story. In
introducing the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus tells us to “pray in secret” and reminds us that “your Father
knows what you need before you ask him.” If we take the time and effort to let the message of the
Lord’s Prayer penetrate our hearts, it becomes evident that a one word summary of the prayer might be to simply say
the name “Jesus.” Jesus lived the Lord’s Prayer. In many respects,
he is the Lord’s Prayer. One way to pray Our Father is to say it one time slowly enough to allow the meaning
to sink in and then continue praying by silently repeating the name “Jesus” with our eyes closed for ten to twenty
minutes. At various times we will be bombarded with thoughts or distractions. That is
a normal part of the process. Every time we are diverted from Jesus, we gently let go of whatever is distracting
us without hurry or pressure and return to slowly repeating his name. This can happens dozens or even hundreds
of times in one prayer session. Each time we let go of our worldly thoughts and return to Jesus,
we are strengthening a habit that becomes ingrained deep into our being - let go of worldly distraction and return to Jesus. This is called Centering
Prayer. This is a form of prayer that grew out of the spiritual explorations of the Desert Fathers - a
group of monks who lived in the desert in order to search for God without worldly distraction in the 4th and 5th
centuries. Thomas
Keating describes this prayer as “Divine Therapy,” which dissolves the “false self” which is a “master of delusion”
that seeks satisfaction from worldly security, sensation, and esteem. The “false self” is created
when we try to make ourselves safe, secure, or universally accepted and esteemed in the world. It easily
leads to spiritual pride which brings temporary satisfaction by creating the appearance of holiness. Centering Prayer brings us into God’s presence in an
open, receptive state which allows us to receive his love and let go of whatever might take us away from him - which is essentially
what we are saying when we recite the Lord’s Prayer. Reflection/Discussion:
What would it be like to live the Lord’s prayer on a daily basis?
Principles of Love:
Opening; Acceptance; Unity; Nature; Vision
Pray through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
(#82)
3/23
Fasting
Matthew 6:16-18
“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like
the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received
their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your
fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
It is impossible
for us to impress God. True love cannot be contrived or superficial. Emphasizing external appearances
is like locking a rough diamond in a shiny plastic box. We can’t clean or shape a diamond that’s
sealed in a box. We might even forget it was there. Fasting cleanses our body as it activates our
mind and spirit, re-directing energy that would have been spent on digestion. Focusing this energy on appearances that bring temporary
ego satisfaction makes us a “hypocrite” in God’s eyes and is an obstacle to spiritual development. Love looks beneath the surface to what is in the heart. Polishing the surface
creates a smooth shiny barrier that is hard for love to penetrate. Creating an image that may impress others
gives us temporary rewards that have no substance or lasting significance.
Love
that is real comes from God and lasts forever. Why bother with anything else?
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we deal with the temptation to
impress others (and ourselves) with our spiritual practice?
Principles of Love:
Humility; Vision
Pray through the Day:
Help us be humble
So we may love
(#83) 3/24
Treasures
Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also.”
Luke 12:32-34
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give
you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out,
an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also.”
It’s all about priorities. Success can be defined as living according
to clear priorities. Deciding what is important in our lives and using that awareness to focus decisions
ultimately leads us where we want to go.Accumulating worldly
goods cannot bring lasting fulfillment. It is not unusual for famous people and lottery winners to sink
into despair, addiction, or loneliness as they realize that acquiring more and more stuff is never quite enough. We determine our priorities by first by choosing them, and then by living them.
They are reflected in how we spend our time, energy and resources. It’s up to us to decide
what is most important in our lives. We can choose to emphasize earthly treasures which don’t last
or we can choose to love which deepens over time, lasts forever, and is the fulfillment of all that we were meant to be.
Reflection/Discussion:
When do we tend to make choices without
considering long-term effects and consequences?
Principles of Love:
Decision; Vision
ray through the Day:
Help us always
To choose love
(#84) 3/25
Sound
Eye
Matthew
6:22-23
“The eye is
the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your
whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
Luke 11:34-36
Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy,
your body is full of darkness. Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. If then your
whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with
its rays.”
How we view things determines how we understand and respond to them. We can learn to consciously
choose the frame and lens through which we view our world. Jesus is telling us it is important to make
this choice and, to choose carefully. Looking through eyes of judgment, blame, pessimism, or selfishness turns us away from
God toward darkness. Healthy eyes are compassionate, responsible, hopeful, and humble. They
help us see the light of God’s love throughout the universe as well as in the heart of every person we encounter.
Unfortunately, we cannot change our point of view as easily as we can put on a new pair of glasses. The
darkness of judgment, blame, pessimism, and selfishness is as much a part of our worldly culture as night is part of each
day. Compassion cannot be accomplished with a quick glance. It requires that we put ourselves in
the place of another, and then realize how things look from their perspective and what that feels like. Compassion
makes room for understanding and love. Responsibility avoids the easy slide into blame and resentment by
asking, not how things should be, but what we can do to improve them, by allowing God’s love to work through us to touch
the hearts of others. Hope requires that we step back and try to see the world as God sees it.
It opens our vision to opportunity, possibility, through the love of our creator. Humility demands that we set
aside our ego and personal desires to clear enough space so that we can receive and share the love that God has for each one
of his creatures. No matter how dark our world may seem, making a conscious
choice to view it through eyes of compassion, responsibility, hope, and humility brings a new dawn where the brightness of
God’s light guides us to the warmth of his love.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we become more aware of our limited vision?
Principles of Love:
Vision; Decision
Pray through the Day:
Open our eyes
To deepen our love
