A Meditation for Opening the Heart

You can access this as an audio file here https://www.durhammartyrs.co.uk/reflections

A Meditation for Opening the Heart

Imagine you’re encircled by people who love you.

Sit comfortably, eyes open or closed, and imagine yourself in the center of a circle made up of the most loving beings you’ve ever met. There may be some people in your circle who you’ve never met but have been inspired by. Maybe they exist now or they’ve existed historically, or even mythically.

Receive the love of those who love you.

Experience yourself as the recipient of the energy, attention, care, and regard of all of these beings in your circle of love. Silently repeat whatever phrases are expressive of that which you most wish for yourself, not just for today but in an enduring way. Phrases that are big and open, something like: May I be safe, be happy, be healthy. Live with ease of heart. May I be safe, be happy, be healthy. Live with ease of heart.

Notice how you feel when you receive love.

As you experience yourself in the center of the circle, all kinds of different emotions may arise. You may feel gratitude and awe, or you might feel kind of shy, like you would rather duck down and have all of these beings send loving kindness to one another and forget about you. Whatever emotion may arise, you just let it wash through you. Your touchstone is those phrases May I be happy. May I be peaceful… or whatever phrases you’ve chosen.

Open yourself up to receiving love.

Imagine that your skin is porous and this warm, loving energy is coming in. Imagine yourself receiving. There’s nothing special that you need to do to deserve this kind of acknowledgement or care. It’s simply because you exist.

Open yourself up to receiving love. There’s nothing special that you need to do to deserve this kind of acknowledgement or care. It’s simply because you exist.

Send loving care to the people in your circle.

You can allow that quality of loving kindness and compassion and care you feel coming toward you to flow right back out to the circle and then toward all beings everywhere, so that what you receive, you transform into giving. You give the quality of care and kindness that does actually exist in this world. That can become part of you, and part of what you express or return. When you feel ready you can open your eyes or lift your gaze to end the session.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4

Our Father...

Mary Magdalene: the mislabeled woman

Today is the feast day of Mary Magdalene here is a short reflection.

Peace

Peace

"The peace that the world offers us," the Pope said, "is a peace without tribulations. It offers us an artificial peace 'reduced to tranquility.' It is a peace that is only concerned about one's affairs and one's security, lacking in nothing."

"The world teaches us the way to anesthetized peace: it anesthetizes us from seeing another reality of life: the Cross. This is why Paul says that one must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven on the road with many tribulations. But is it possible to obtain peace amidst tribulation? From our side, no; we are unable to make peace that is tranquility, a psychological peace, our peace, because tribulations are there, whether pain, illness or death. But the peace that Jesus gives is a gift: it is a gift of the Holy Spirit; and this peace lasts through tribulations and beyond. It's not a sort of stoicism of the 'fakir.' No. it's something else."

Once you find God's peace, you will see it is a "gift that keeps on going."

"God's peace is real peace, that enters the reality of life, that does not deny life; that is life." Even through suffering and bad things the peace within "is not lost, but goes ahead bearing the Cross and suffering."

(Perhaps you could light a candle now.)

Pope Francis explained that even he gets angry and has moments where his heart is troubled. In these moments, he loses peace. "It is because I am not open to the peace of Jesus," because I am unable to "bear life as it comes, with its crosses and sorrows that accompany it."

We, as God's children, must not fall into the idea of quiet peace. We must learn how to ask for the grace to be able to ask the Lord for his peace.

https://www.catholic.org/