In his book Everything Belongs, Father Richard Rohr, OFM, offers a prayer to welcome reality, so we can experience the Reign of God, what he calls the Really Real.
Great religion seeks utter awareness and full consciousness, so that we can, in fact, receive all. Everything belongs and everything can be received. We don’t have to deny, dismiss, defy, or ignore. What is, is okay. What is, is the great teacher.
The purpose of prayer and religious seeking is to see the truth about reality, to know what is. And at the bottom of what is is always goodness. The foundation is always love.
Enlightenment is to recognize and touch the big mystery, the big pattern, the Big Real. Jesus called it the Reign of God; Buddha called it enlightenment. Philosophers might call it Truth. Many of us experience it as Foundational Love. Here is a mantra you might repeat throughout your day to remind yourself of this:
God’s life is living itself in me. I am aware of life living itself in me.
God’s love is living itself in me. I am aware of love living itself in me.
We cannot not live in the presence of God. This is not soft or sentimental spirituality; it ironically demands confidence that must be chosen many times and surrender that is always hard won.
“Come And Be” with the MMOC Contemplative Core Team ([email protected]) on August 3 from 10:30-11:30am in classrooms 1 & 2 – Share insights from your life of prayer in fellowship with others, and help us chart a course for our future! And don’t forget to take our survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CM9F62J, or find copies in the vestibule.