Reconciliation conjures many images. …Two persons making their peace; the sacrament of confession; or, discovering another route to encounter God. The prayer of silence, Centering Prayer, brings you to all these and more.
The inability to quiet the mind offers a challenge to one practicing Center Prayer. Yet because of this, the prayer bears fruit and opens up the possibility of creating other channels for reaching God. None is more loving and uplifting than the prayer of gratitude. Initiated by the spirit, and in the quiet of the prayer, you find countless ways to say “thank you Lord.”
The annoying tingling sound of the ice cream man all the way down the street, makes you cringe and hope it goes away. Then suddenly your heart says, “thank you.” Why? Because all the way up to the 45th floor of a condominium unit, with the windows sealed, you realize that you hear the bell. You hear it clearly. The sound then becomes friendly.
Lamenting the galloping of years when the heart is weary and is greying like the rest of you, suddenly you praise God that you can still walk, climb, dance, paint, travel, and suddenly, everything about you becomes bright. You whisper, “thank you God, I am alive and able, albeit slightly limited! But alive and loving life!”
Fearing the loss of a beloved can be crippling, and useless, because the person is still around and well. How liberating it is to enjoy the moment over dinner, a scrumptious ice cream, a stroll in the mall, and a movie. Simply say “thank you we still have each other.”
It is endless because there is just so much to be grateful for. If the only prayer that springs from your heart is “thank you Lord” you will need no more. Centering Prayer brings you there. The Language of God is Silence, and in the Silence you hear God’s laugher every time you praise and thank Him! You feel an embrace, a peace, a comforting feeling because you are reconciled with God. Your eyes moisten and vision blurs and you find yourself saying “thank you God for the gift of tears” and the silence follows.
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