“Enter Through Me” by Jim Bayne

“Enter Through Me” by Jim Bayne

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thus, says the LORD:  I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. (Is 66:18)

Brothers and sisters, You have forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children: "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges." Endure your trials as "discipline" (Heb 12:5-6)

Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. (Lk 13:23-24)

‘I am the door; the one who enters through me will be saved’ (John 10:9)

Piety

Collect: O God, who cause the minds of the faithful to unite in a single purpose, grant your people to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Study

From Richard Rohr’s daily meditation on Friday, August 16: In 1984 Father Thomas Keating invited a small group of contemplatives from eight different religious traditions—Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Islamic, Native American, Russian Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic—to gather at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado, to engage in what he called “a big experiment.”

The experiment was to see what would happen when meditators from different traditions meditated together and shared the spiritual insights they gleaned from their meditation. Within a few days it became clear to the attendees that while their religious vocabularies were different, their experiences were not. As one attendee put it:

I enter into meditation as a slice of American cheese: thick and solid; my egoic self intact and feeling apart from both God and creation. I return from meditation as a slice of Swiss cheese: thin and filled with holes. I know myself and all others to be a part of God. Indeed, there is no other at all, only the One, the Whole, the Ultimate Reality I am calling God. And with this sense of wholeness comes a sense of holiness, a sense of love from and for all beings.

The first reading today begins with the words I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.  I think Fr. Keating’s “big experiment” gives us a good idea of what can happen when people of every language gather to spend time in prayer focused on the Ultimate Reality or God.

Back in 2008, Diane and I decided to celebrate our fiftieth wedding anniversary by attending one of Thomas Keating’s Intensive 10-day Centering Prayer retreats.  It took us some years of experimenting with Centering Prayer before we decided we were ready to take the plunge. 

We were a group of about twenty men and women from all over the country. Our leaders told us that even though we would have few opportunities to talk, by the end of the ten days we would experience a close bond with each other.  And so, it was for us just as it had been for those who participated in the “Big Experiment.”  God truly was our focus and, in the silence, we did indeed feel a special bond with each other.  All of our differences faded into oblivion.

Needless to say, spending three hours per day in Centering Prayer and staying focused requires discipline.  By the third hour of sitting each day, one also may feel disciplined.  Some of you may recall having your parents send you off for a “time out.”

In the Gospel, Jesus tells his followers to enter by the narrow gate.  He, of course, is the gate; and the gateway is to live like he did, focused on loving God and loving neighbor. Our natural tendency is to focus on our needs and wants.

The main benefit of a practice like Centering Prayer is that it puts the focus on God instead of us and our wants and needs.  In Centering Prayer, it is our intention that matters.  The intent is not on accomplishing something, the intent is on simply being available to the presence of God.  The fruit of this form of prayer comes in a changed life after the prayer time is complete.  Over time they shall come and see my glory.

Action

Fr. Keating suggests that we spend 20 minutes twice per day in Centering Prayer.  Most of us can’t just jump in and do that right off.  Start small - say 10 minutes twice per day or even just once per day.  Some people can’t do two 20-minute sits so they do one 40-minute sit. The important thing is to make time to stop and be still whenever and wherever you can.  Time spent with God in silence is indeed “The Big Experiment” in our noisy world. But as you make time for God and grow more aware of His presence in your life, the narrow gate won’t seem quite so narrow.