Meditation Mk 23,1-12
Stand in God’s presence. God is present here and now, looking upon you with love.
Ask for the Grace: I will beg God our Lord that all my intentions and actions may be directed purely to the praise and service of His Divine Majesty
Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: See Jesus among the crowds and his disciples. Maybe you are there too. Maybe you all are in a square in the city. Take a look at all the characters, see buildings, streets, trees. Listen to what Jesus says about piety. How do the listeners react to Jesus’ words? How do you react?
Ask for the fruit of meditation: for a grace and thirst for a deep relationship with Jesus
1. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.These words were said by Jesus. Notice, that Jesus does not say to reject everything they say, if they behave differently, they are hypocrites. Jesus rather encourages us to look at, consider and search for what is good for me, which words feed me, give me Life. He does not encourage us to judge and criticize others, even if they preach, but don’t practice. Does not it happen to you, that you say one thing, but do the other thing, that you chastise the child for something you do? Look at yourself: how is your life consistent with your behavior and the values you profess? In which spaces of your life, situations are easier for you, and in which it is more difficult to preserve the unity in your acts and your speech? Look further, deeper: what is the coherence between your emotions, feelings, heart and intellect? What can you do day-to-day to make more integration of all your living spaces?
2. Jesus speaks of the piety of the scribes and Pharisees. About piety, that is about the external appearance of a relationship with God. Jesus accuses them of excessive attention to religious practices in relation to faith in the heart. And yet faith is not about being a theoretician of morality or a commentator of God’s Law. It is not needed for this. Nor it is the theathenai (compare Greek-Polish New Testament), or something like a performance in the theater, to win the applause of those who watch us, their admiration. Think about the piety of Jesus: how he behaved in the temples, during his prayer.
In this context, I also encourage you to reflect on your piety. How does the relationship between the outside sphere look like – the number of prayers and services, and the inner sphere – a deep relationship with God? What are your motivations in undertaking various religious practices, do you know why you kneel or sit during the prayer, why and how many religious symbols you wear (medallions, crosses, scapulars, rosaries)? What gives you participation in various retreats, and religious services: peace, new understanding, a greater desire for the closeness relation with Jesus or rather anxiety, fear? Jesus does not want you to widen (…) phylacteries and lengthen (…) tassels. What piety, then, is he about? What kind of relationship with you do Jesus desire?
3. Jesus invites us to be servants one for another. To serve means to share with other gifts, that we have received: a smile, a good look, a word, listening … What today have you shared with others, how have you served others? What good things today did you meet (say it in details, eg: sun or rain, a telephone call from someone, not late for work …)? Thank Jesus for that.
Meditation: St Ignatius encourages in The Spiritual Exercises No. 2 … Because not so much knowledge, but internal feeling and the taste of things please and saturate the soul, that is, we stay where we feel interior movement … and nervously do not try to go on.
The final conversation: Spend a little time at the end, being with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit….as you would with a good friend: sometimes talking, sometimes listening, sometimes being together in silence. Speak to God about your feelings. Remember that times when ‘nothing is happening’ can also be significant. When you’re ready, end your prayer by saying thank you or using words that are familiar,such as the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)–whichever feels right and comfortable. (The Spiritual Exercises No.54)
