Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation

From the Center for Action and Contemplation

Summary: Week Fourteen

Reality Initiating Us:
Part Two 

April 5 - April 10, 2020

The larger-than-life, spiritually transformed people I have met have all died before they died. (Sunday)  
 
Life is hard, and yet Jesus says, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” –Matthew 11:28 (Monday)  
 
You are not important, and yet Jesus says, “Rejoice because your name is written in heaven.” —Luke 10:20 (Tuesday)  
 
It is true that your life is not about you; rather “your life is hidden with Christ in God.” –Colossians 3:4 (Wednesday)  
 
It is true that you are not in control, for “can any of you, for all your worrying, add a single moment to your span of life?” –Luke 12:26 (Thursday)  
 
It is true that you are going to die, and yet “neither death nor life . . . nothing can ever come between us and the love of God.” —Romans 8:38-39 (Friday)  

Click here to watch a special video or listen to the audio of Richard Rohr introducing Holy Week and this week's Daily Meditation theme on "Reality Initiating Us," addressing our current global crisis as a collective initiation experience which we are all undergoing. 

Practice: Prayer Ties

Before we share our practice, we invite you to join us in prayer for all those who are suffering as a result of COVID-19, those who have already lost their lives, and those who are healthcare workers attending to the sick. You can also dedicate your contemplative practice as a prayer for the benefit of all.   

God, we ask that all who are affected by this virus be held in your loving care. In this time of uncertainty, help us to know what is ours to do. We know you did not cause this suffering but that you are with us in it and through it. Help us to recognize your presence in acts of kindness, in moments of silence, and in the beauty of the created world. Grant peace and protection to all of humanity for their well-being and for the benefit of the earth.   

In a teaching from the desert fathers, “an old Desert Father was asked what was necessary to do to be saved. He was sitting making rope. Without glancing up, he said, “You’re looking at it.” [1] Just as so many of the mystics have taught us, doing what we are doing with presence and intention is itself prayer.

At this time of social distancing, I want to emphasize contemplative insights and practices that help us heal our sense of separation and isolation, promote connection and awaken a sense of creativity and responsibility for all beings.  

People in almost every faith tradition across the world have ways of hanging simple objects as expressions of prayer, sending forth love, courage and healing into the world. Many churches celebrate Advent and Lent by tying ribbons, banners or cloth around trees to enrich the celebration. As Easter approaches, perhaps this practice will help you in your embrace of new life and resurrection. The Lakota and Cherokee people use prayer ties (tobacco or cornmeal wrapped in cloth) as offerings of prayers, intentions, and gratitude, tying them to trees or leaving them in sacred places. All who come in contact with the prayer ties are blessed by the intentions and prayers. In Ireland, Scotland and Wales people tie strips of colored cloth called “clooties,” to ask for blessings. Buddhist prayer flags hold prayers blown by the wind to promote peace, compassion and wisdom.  

For this week’s practice, we invite you to create a version of prayer ties. The prayer ties can be tied to a favorite tree, bush, plant or other element. Although many indigenous traditions use tobacco and cloth representing the four directions, for your prayerful intentions you can use any fabric at hand and add offerings of seeds, special stones, written prayerful words, etc. We have permission to share this particular version with you from the First Nations website Dances for All People. We thank them and Sister Joan Brown for introducing us to this beautiful practice.  

To make prayer ties: 

• Gather alone or with family/community in a contemplative, devotional manner. 
• Cut cloth into small squares about 4 x 4 inches. 
• Place prayer intentions of gratitude, healing, wisdom, for those suffering, etc. in center of cloth.  
• Take string, yarn or strips of cloth to tie into a bundle.    
• With prayer, song and gratitude attach the prayer bundles to a tree or sacred place outdoors 
• Visit this place with prayer and gratitude often. [2] 
   

[1] As quoted in Gross, Rita M. and Terry C. Muck, ed. Christians Talk about Buddhist Meditation, Buddhists Talk about Christian Prayer, (Continuum: 2003), 76.    

[2] Adapted from Dance For All People: About Prayer Ties: https://danceforallpeople.com/prayer-ties/ 

Image credit: Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem (Entrada de Jesús en Jerusalén) (detail), Master of San Baudelio of Berlanga, Soria, Spain, 1125, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana. 

For Further Study:

Richard Rohr, Adam’s Return: The Five Promises of Male Initiation (Crossroad Publishing Company: 2004) 

Richard Rohr, Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self, (Jossey-Bass: 2013) 

Richard Rohr, Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality, (St. Anthony Messenger Press: 2008) 

Richard Rohr, The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope for, and Believe, (Convergent: 2019) 

Richard Rohr, Wondrous Encounters: Scripture for Lent, (Franciscan Media: 2011) 

News from the CAC

Illuman

In 2012 as Fr. Richard Rohr’s focus shifted to founding the Living School and recovering a Christian path to unitive consciousness, his male-specific work transitioned away from the CAC into Illuman, a US-based nonprofit partnering with organizations across the world that are committed to carrying on Fr. Richard’s work to recover traditional patterns of male initiation, affirm a path to masculine healing, reveal the true and false self, and honor the path of descent. They seek to form future generations of men who will restore these practices, serving to build a world that celebrates the beauty of all beings through the power of ritual, image, story, and council. If you’re interested in learning more about Illuman, you can sign-up for information on their next event, Soularize 2020: A Path to Masculine Healing, featuring Fr. Richard as a guest speaker.

Enneagram Mapmakers Podcast 

How can we lean into the Enneagram to experience hope and healing? Explore the interior landscapes of the ego as Christopher Heuertz, author of The Sacred Enneagram and The Enneagram of Belonging, interviews legacy Enneagram teachers such as Richard Rohr, Helen Palmer and Russ Hudson. Listen to Enneagram Mapmakers each week on our website or on your favorite podcast player. 

Turning to the Mystics Podcast 

Leaning into the lives of the mystics can be a gateway to hope, healing and oneness, especially during times of personal struggle and collective crisis. Join James Finley as he unpacks the wisdom of Thomas Merton in a way poignant and relevant to the times we live. New episodes of Turning to the Mystics release each week. 

Action & Contemplation

2020 Daily Meditations Theme

What does God ask of us? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. —Micah 6:8

Franciscan Richard Rohr founded the Center for Action and Contemplation in 1987 because he saw a deep need for the integration of both action and contemplation. If we pray but don’t act justly, our faith won’t bear fruit. And without contemplation, activists burn out and even well-intended actions can cause more harm than good. In today’s religious, environmental, and political climate our compassionate engagement is urgent and vital.

Click here to learn about contemplative prayer and other forms of meditation. For frequently asked questions—such as what versions of the Bible Father Richard recommends or how to ensure you receive every meditation—please see our email FAQ. Visit cac.org to explore other ways to connect with the Center for Action and Contemplation.

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Inspiration for this week's banner image: “Can any of you, for all of your worrying, add a single moment to your span of life?” (Luke 12:26)