Slowly, but surely, I continue to work my way through Macrina Wiederkehr's Abide: Keeping Vigil with the Word of God. It's a devotional book for prayer and reflection, based on Scripture readings. There is so much in each small chapter that I need to take days, weeks, and even months to chew on it before I can pick it up again. The concept of lectio divina is applied to the reading of the selected Scripture for each chapter.
Last Wednesday I was overwhelmed with preparations for weekend #2 of my intensive ethics class and had lots of reading to do. I had hopes to finish a second book (and was able to!) before going up there on Thursday. But that was only a drop in the bucket to all the required reading. Because of my need to focus on my studies, I changed my schedule around Wednesday morning.
Before getting into my seminary readings, I picked up Macrina Wiederkehr's book and turned to where I had left off. I was in Chapter 3 "The Beautiful Struggle of Daily Life" and was at section 2 "Opening Your Eyes". The Scripture was Luke 24:13-32, the road to Emmaus passage.
After reading the Scripture, I read through Macrina's thoughts and reflections. Several things caught my attention from her writing.
She wrote: "There is much that I miss because I'm not present with authenticity." (97) Whew! I can relate to that. Though I try to be present with authenticity, I don't always accomplish that 100% of the time, 100% of the places. It is an area of awareness and work for me.
Another statement that caught my attention: "Whatever the cause of the obstacle, I know that healing can happen when I become open enough to pray with the root cause of my failure to see." (97) That is powerfully insightful and almost slips up on me and catches me off-guard, helping me realize that I'm not always open enough to pray and see the root cause of my failure to see. But, when I am, healing can happen. Good to know! Now, to put it into practice!
"...my heart is softened through listening to someone who is on the road with me." (97) Yes, this is often the case. As I, as we, listen to others who are on the road with us, we are softened to hear. As we share our journeys with one another, share our lives with one another, we are softened to hear one another.
Macrina notes that the recognition of Jesus by the men took place as Jesus broke the bread and handed it to them. She wrote: "I am grateful that this recognition took place around a table while sharing a meal. Amazing things can happen when we meet around a table." (98) AMEN! That is so true! Table fellowship time is such a powerful time... or it can be. I have had many wonderful times around tables and meals, even a cup of coffee. There is something about having that time around table fellowship that enhances the sharing and opening up of our eyes.
If I were to ask you to think of at least one time of meal sharing (table fellowship) that resulted in a special time of sharing and eye-opening in some way, what meal would come to mind? Would there be more than one? Maybe there is a flood of meals and different people flowing into your mind all of a sudden? I know that they come flooding in for me. I have been tremendously blessed with and by times of table fellowship (meal sharing) with friends, family, and even strangers who became friends. These are gifts of fellowship and community, times of sharing one another's lives. For me, these have often been times filled with holy conversation that have penetrated the blindness and darkness and helped me see into my life and journey.
I encourage you to contact a friend (or two) and get together for a meal. Reflect on this passage from Luke or simply share where you are on the journey and how you can encourage one another to continue growing and learning.
Macrina closes with this prayer:
O Christ of the Emmaus Journey,
Stay with us in the evening of our lives. Come to our table. The bread we break is the bread of your presence. It is the daily bread of our life experiences, lifted out of each day's beautiful struggle. It is the bread of compassion and joy, sorrow and courage. As we gaze into the bread of our own lives, we begin to realize it is you who have been journeying with us all our days. Stay with us as our daily companion. In moments of doubt, as well as moments of deep and enduring faith, companion us on this journey. It is because of you that we keep on rising to new life. Rise with us! Amen.
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May our eyes be opened as we travel this journey! May healing happen in our lives as our eyes are opened and our hearts are softened!
Debra
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