July 08, 2020
by Mary Sellars Malloy
Question of the Week, July 5, 2020, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
During recent shelter-in-place days, I took time to reread a favorite spiritual classic, Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster. In suggesting practices for strengthening and enlivening the discipline of prayer and meditation, Foster proposes sitting quietly, resting our hands on our knees with palms upturned, and simply speaking with Jesus about anxieties, burdens, and things that are troubling our minds and hearts. “Jesus, here is what I bring to you in this moment, right now, today.”
After the burdens of mind and heart and body have been expressed, Foster invites us to place our hands palms down on our knees and to intentionally thank Jesus for taking all that we have expressed into his own hands, into his own heart. In this way, we let go and place our burdens in Jesus’ care.
I have intentionally practiced this form of prayer since mid-March, when most of us were first ordered to shelter-in-place. Into Jesus’ hands, into Jesus’ care I have released physical and emotional tiredness, concern for my husband’s safety at work and the safety of his coworkers, concern for unemployed family members and friends, even sorrow as we celebrated the first Mother’s Day and Father’s Day since the deaths of my parents.
These short and simple pauses for prayer have indeed refreshed me and strengthened me in spirit. Won’t you, too, heed Christ’s invitation in today’s Gospel to find your rest—and your refreshment—in him?
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on the topics of prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. In addition, Mary leads retreats and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their Catholic faith.
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