My dear Grandma - Phyllis Melville Richards - died yesterday evening around seven. Thankfully we've been prepared for her death, and since she reached the impressive age of ninety-nine, the overwhelming emotion is one of thankfulness: for her long life and the years she's influenced our lives.
Death holds a different sort of sadness when someone has fulfilled their "allotted" time and lived a good number of years. But it's still sad when I think of her previous vibrancy and energy: I want to be able to return to some of those moments in my past and re-live them with her - to remember. It seems like a long time until I'll see her again.
God be in her understanding, in her eyes, in her mouth, in her heart and in her departing.
When I pray those words I see her blending with the colours of the sky, the earth, the sea and the sun... I see her soul soaring like a swallow into the blue, blue expanse of eternity. I feel like she knows I am here and she is there. Whether or not we are together - we are at least not completely apart. Whatever that may mean.
Thursday 22 November 2007
Thursday 1 November 2007
Listening prayer
That thing you said Si about prayer being more about listening than saying - that makes a lot of sense.
I once read a whole book on listening prayer. I remember it being brilliant but suggesting quite a time-consuming method of ensuring that one was praying in a listening manner - something to do with a ring-binder and writing lots down I seem to recall...
I think it's more helpful to use the simple structure of the 'Jesus' prayer or our 'God be' prayer like you suggest.
I'm currently reading another John O'Donohue book - Anam Cara - (which translates as 'soul friend'). It has a lot of lovely illustrations of how Celtic Christians did things like prayer - just the sort of thing we love at 'monks'. I might have to bring it along on Monday...
In the meantime. I'm going to keep praying and listening and drifting and listening and soaking and praying and thinking and listening. Hopefully some sort of rhythm will emerge out of the melange of meditation. One day.
Esther
I once read a whole book on listening prayer. I remember it being brilliant but suggesting quite a time-consuming method of ensuring that one was praying in a listening manner - something to do with a ring-binder and writing lots down I seem to recall...
I think it's more helpful to use the simple structure of the 'Jesus' prayer or our 'God be' prayer like you suggest.
I'm currently reading another John O'Donohue book - Anam Cara - (which translates as 'soul friend'). It has a lot of lovely illustrations of how Celtic Christians did things like prayer - just the sort of thing we love at 'monks'. I might have to bring it along on Monday...
In the meantime. I'm going to keep praying and listening and drifting and listening and soaking and praying and thinking and listening. Hopefully some sort of rhythm will emerge out of the melange of meditation. One day.
Esther
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