In his book, Maria, Pope Benedict describes Mary after Jesus is taken down from the cross.
“And in her immaculate soul, she herself was to be pierced by the sword of sorrow thus showing that her role in the history of salvation did not end in the mystery of The Incarnation*, but was completed in loving and sorrowful participation in the Death and Resurrection of her son.”
*The moment God became man through the conception of Jesus through Mary.
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Imagery Narrative: Mary Remembers In Her Heart
Saint Augustine writes of Mary, “The divine motherhood would have been of no value to her had Christ not borne her in his heart, with a destiny more fortunate than the moment when she conceived him in the flesh.” Pope Benedict continues this idea with “And in her heart Mary continued to treasure, to ‘piece together’ the subsequent events of which she was to be a witness and protagonist, even to the death on the Cross and the Resurrection of her Son, Jesus.
Click Here For Audio Imagery: Mary Remembers After the Crucifixion
NOTE: There are pauses on the tape between each exercise. (The series ends with a single beep but does not say Breathe out and open your eyes. Sorry about that.)
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. Imagine yourself as Mary holding Jesus in your arms after the Crucifixion.
Breathe out one time. See, feel, sense and know Mary, as a young virgin bearing a child who is both human and divine.
Breathe out one time. As Mary, see, feel, sense and know yourself nurturing Jesus.
Breathe out one time. As Mary, see, feel, sense and know yourself growing in wisdom that unveils the destiny of you and Jesus.
Breathe out one time. As Mary, see, feel, sense and know how you endure the pain as you hold Jesus body in your arms. At the beep, Breathe out and open your eyes.
NOTE: The Mary Remembers After the Crucifixion Imagery series can also be done as single exercises on consecutive days. Or do them as a reading contemplation.
Now Go to The Burial and Resurrection of Jesus, April 6, 2012
This week is devoted to The Passion of Christ that began on Palm Sunday. Jesus, his mother, Mary, her sister, Mary wife of Cloepus, Mary of Magdala, Joanna, wife of Herod’s chief steward, Susanna, and Salome, mother of Zebedee’s two sons, other yet unnamed women, and the apostles are in Jerusalem for Passover. His entrance into the Holy City on a donkey was met with crowds of believers shouting and chanting Christ and Messiah, words typically used to designate anointed ones. He is also being called king of the Jews. There are many others who look on Jesus with suspicion. It is the power of the words King of the Jews and the passion of his followers that raises fear among the high priests for their own positions.
During the Passover meal Jesus prophesies that the apostles Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter will betray him. Nevertheless, Jesus goes on with the meal.
Jesus Performs The First Holy Eucharist
“The Eucharist is the sacramental celebration of the Paschal Mystery, the total event of Christ’s Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension. During the Eucharist the Holy Spirit is called down on the assembly that it might become the Body of Christ and the people of God,” states the Encyclopedia of Catholicism.
Instituting the first Eucharist, Jesus takes a cup, gives thanks and says, “divide it among yourselves for I tell you from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.And he takes bread, gives thanks and says, ‘This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise with the cup after supper, saying ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you.” (Matthew 26:20-25)
Treachery and Trial
After sharing the bread and wine, Jesus and the apostles go to Gethsemane where Jesus prays. When he rises from prayer, the apostle Judas Iscariot leans forward to kiss him. This is a sign arranged by Judas with the on-looking priests and captains in exchange for thirty pieces of silver. Jesus is captured and brought to the high priest’s house, followed by the apostle Simon Peter, who denies knowing Jesus three times, as prophesied. Jesus accusers find no corroborating testimony against him, so when morning comes, they bind him and take him to Pilate, the governor. (Luke 22:47-53)
After questioning, Pilate, finds no crime against Jesus and cannot come to a decision, especially since his wife had a prophetic dream in which she sees Jesus as a righteous man and warns Pilate not to harm him. When Pilate discovers that Jesus is from Herod’s jurisdiction, he sends Jesus there. Herod, too, can find no crime against Jesus and returns him to Pilate.
Although Pilate does not believe Jesus guilty, he lacks the will to defy the demands of the high priests and elders. To protect his standing with them Pilate takes advantage of a custom allowing the governor to release a prisoner of the crowd’s choosing on Passover: Pilate puts Jesus fate in their hands. The inflamed crowd calls for the release of Barrabas, an outlaw–and Jesus is left to be crucified between two criminals.
Imagery Narrative: Jesus Trial
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel, sense and know how it is to be Mary, Jesus mother, Mary Magdala, or any other of the women from Galilee (Jesus’ mother’s sister, Mary; Mary, wife of Cloepus, Joanna, Wife of Herod’s chief steward, Susanna and Salome) hearing Jesus is to be crucified. Breathe out one time and open your eyes.
Click on the line below for the Imagery, Jesus Trial
“Then the soldiers took Jesus into the palace. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him, a crown of thorns they put on his head…And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.” Matthew 27:27-31
After the rigors of the trials by Herod and Pilate and the abuse by Pilate’s battalion, Jesus is exhausted and weak. A man called Simon from Cyrene is commandeered to help carry the cross.
Imagery Narrative: 1 Jesus Carries the Cross
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel, sense and know the agony of Jesus as he walks with the cross toward his crucifixion. Breathe out one time and open your eyes.
Click Here For Audio Imagery: 1 Jesus Carries the Cross
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Veronica’s Veil
As Jesus struggles toward Golgotha, women mourn and lament Him. Among them is a compassionate woman who pushes through the crowd as in a trance, She comforts Jesus by wiping the sweat from his face with her veil. She later discovers that Jesus has left his image on the veil. This is said to be the only authentic picture of the face of Jesus. The woman’s true name is not known; but over time she becomes Veronica, from “vera icon, true image,” and is canonized Saint Veronica by the Catholic Church.
Imagery Narative: Veronica’s Veil
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel, sense and know how Veronica feels every step Jesus takes. Imagine yourself pushing through the crowd to comfort Jesus. Breathe out one time and open your eyes.
CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO IMAGERY: Veronica’s Veil
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The Crucifixion
…”They crucified him and divided his clothes among them…It was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read The King of the Jews.” Mark 15:33-41
Mary, his mother, her sister, Mary, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, Salome and the other Galilean women watch from a distance and pray.
IMAGERY NARRATIVE: The Crucifixion
NOTE: The Audio Imagery includes time between thoughts for you to experience the impact of the Imagery. These are marked in the narrative by (…)
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel sense and know how “there is darkness over all the land when Jesus cries out, with a loud voice, ‘My God. My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (…) After a moment, He cries again with a loud voice saying, ‘Father into your hands I commit my spirit.’ (…) Having said this he breathed his last breath.” Keeping your eyes closed, breathe out one time and wait until the next exercise begins in ten seconds. At that moment, an earthquake shakes the land, splitting rocks, opening tombs and raising saints who had fallen asleep. The will of The Father has been fulfilled by The Son. Breathe out one time and open your eyes. (Quotes from Matthew 27:45-56 and Luke 23:44-47)
Click Here For Audio Imagery: The Crucifixion
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Blessings, Barbarah
Next: Go to April 4, 2012 for Mary Endures Jesus’ Death
John the Baptist: Conceived to Pave the Way for Jesus
What begins in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, takes on its full meaning only when told in conjunction with Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist. John is first mentioned in the gospels of the Annunciation to Mary. While the angel awaits Mary’s “yes”, to the request that she become the mother of God, he tells her that her aged cousin Elizabeth has conceived a son and is in her sixth month, “for nothing is impossible to God.” After a few moments Mary replies, “You see before you the Lord’s servant, let it happen to me as you have said.” (Luke 38) She then asks the angel how this will be. The angel replies, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so your child will be holy and will be called Son of God.
Soon after, Mary journeyed to the hill country to be with Elizabeth. Upon hearing Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth gave a loud cry as she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Of Mary she said, “Of all the women you are the most blessed. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb…Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears the child in my womb leapt for joy,” a statement acknowledging a divine connection between Jesus and Elizabeth and Zebedee’s son to be called John, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah at a much earlier time.
John’s life work was to prepare the way for Jesus. Pope Benedict helps us see the difficulty surrounding this. It is a period of unrest in Israel: “The Holy Land is divided between princedoms dependent on the pagan Rome. The Kingdom of David is in ruins, the prophets no longer speak and God is silent, seemingly forgetful of the promises to Abraham and David. The Pharisees, with the greatest possible exactness to the instructions of the Torah, refuse to conform to this hegemony” (influence).
By their early thirties, Jesus and John have never met; however, Jesus was drawn to the River Jordan to be baptized by John. John was living an ascetic life in the wilderness. Wearing clothes of camelhair with a leather loincloth around his waist and his food being locusts and wild honey, he is a dramatic contrast to those of his time. It is his message of redemption through baptism and his direct criticism of the debauched behavior of the ruling class that rings a chord and many from Jerusalem, Judea and the Jordan district made their way to him. They confessed their sins as he baptized them in the River Jordan and he tells them of the one who was to come after him, “I am not fit to kneel down and undo the straps of his sandals: I have baptized you with water but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John’s message gives hope to people living through a dark period. (From the Apostle Matthew 3:13.)
Jesus Is Baptized In the River Jordan by John
As Jesus passes through Bethany, John the Baptist points him out to his disciples Andrew and his brother, Simon Peter, saying, “Look, there is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Soon after, Jesus arrives at the River Jordan to be baptized by John (From Isaiah in John 1:12-14.) During Jesus baptism, four epical events occur in quick succession: (1) As John performs his baptism ritual, the submerged Jesus takes upon himself all the sins of the world from the original sin of Adam and Eve forward. (2)As Jesus emerges from the water, the Holy Spirit descends upon him, signified by the sign of a dove in a cloud, and anoints Jesus, which carries with it the initiation designation of Christ and/or Messiah. (3) God the Father, looking down from the heavenly kingdom, in a thunderous voice calls out, “Today you are my son in whom I am well pleased.” (4) The blessed trinity, one God in three divine persons, God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit, is visibly at work and from this point on evolves until it become a doctrine of Christian faith.
Jesus Undergoes the Temptation in the Wilderness
The Holy Spirit then leads the newly initiated Jesus Christ into the wilderness. Jesus continues to sublimate his divine nature as he fasts in the desert for forty days and nights and is then subjected to the temptations of the devil. He quickly overcomes them, with His highly developed discernment in making choices in alignment with his divinity, which comes from a place of righteousness he learned from his earthly father, Joseph and mother, Mary.
Valentine Tomberg confirms in Christ and Sophia that Jesus chose to go through the baptism in the Jordan and the temptations in the wilderness as a mortal man, sublimating his divine nature. He encourages us to work silently with this event until we understand it from the perspective of God’s humanity, for that is what is tempted.
After the Baptism in the Jordan, Jesus hears of John’s arrest and withdrew to Galilee and settling in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee in Palestine and the surrounding countryside. On the way he again sees the two bothers Simon called Peter and Andrew, both fishermen. He invites them to follow him and together they go on. Soon he saw another pair of brothers, James, Son of Zebedee and John, also fishermen. These became the first four disciples. He continued traveling, teaching, healing and performing miracles while proclaiming the good news of redemption, which he soon encapsulated in the Beatitudes (the subject of a separate blog). Those who experienced as well as those who heard what he was accomplishing, began to call him Christ, Christ Jesus, or Jesus Christ. Other names attributed to him are King of the Jews and the Messiah, titles which ultimately triggered the fear of those in power and lead to his crucifixion.
Soon after, Jesus and a small group of family and supporters travel with Jesus to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Among them are Mary his mother, Mary Magdalene, Joanna and seven other women who are believers in Jesus heart-centered teachings. Referred to in the gospels as “the women who followed Jesus,” they are spiritually committed to Jesus path, are of independent means and support Jesus and the apostles as they travel and teach the word. In our time they would be called benefactors. The early apostles also join them.
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PALM SUNDAY:JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM AS PROPHESIED BY ISAIAH
Note: Where there are two exercises to be done together, there is a space of about ten seconds between them on the tape.
It is five days before the Passover. Jerusalem is over-crowded with tens of thousands of pilgrims. Before entering the city, Jesus sends two of the apostles to the nearby village of Bethany for a donkey and a colt, which they find tethered there. The animals are draped with clothing and Jesus rides the donkey toward Jerusalem.
The road is lined with crowds of pilgrims and curious on-lookers who have heard of Jesus teachings and miracles, especially the raising of Lazarus from the dead. They lay palms on the roadway as Jesus approaches, while chanting “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest heavens.” (Matthew 21:1-11) This fulfills the prophesy of Isaiah (Note: Rites using palms are still practiced in Christian churches on Palm Sunday, reminding us of Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem.)
Imagery Narrative: Palm Sunday: Holy Week 1 The Entry Into Jerusalem
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel, sense and know how it is to see Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, the road lined with on-lookers. Recognize how this is the beginning of events that set off a clash against Jesus among the high priests. Breathe out one time and open your eyes. Quietly wait for about ten seconds for the next exercise to begin.
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel, sense and know yourself traveling in Jesus’ party. How does the reality unfolding before you compare to the life chosen by those deciding to follow Jesus? Breathe out one time and open your eyes.
Click Here for Audio Imagery: Palm Sunday: The Entry Into Jerusalem
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Jesus Cleanses The Temple
After the procession in Jerusalem, the women left for nearby Bethany, where they were lodging. Jesus and the apostles stayed behind and when arriving at the temple, Jesus passed through merchants and money changers. He riled against them, forcing them out of the Temple so the people coming long distances to worship on this sacred Passover holiday would not be subjected to this disrespect for Divine Law.
“Take all of this out of here and stop using my Father’s house as a market.” “What signs can you show us that you should act this way? the merchants and money changers ask. Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” This statement is found inconceivable, since it took 46 years to build the temple.
Jesus often spoke in what seemed to be riddles. They actually were analogies, unrelated situations that held similar characteristics as they occurred. We see that when John tells us that while the conversation started out about the Temple, Jesus also was foretelling a sign in which his physical body was the temple to be destroyed and he would rise up in three days. When he rose from the dead three days after the crucifixion, his disciples remembered and understood what he had said.
Imagery Narrative: Jesus Cleanses the Temple Imagery
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel, sense and know your role in Jesus’ journey. Ask Jesus for his healing so you can do your part, if you choose to. Breathe out one time and open your eyes. Quietly wait for about ten seconds for the next Imagery Exercise to begin.
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel, sense and know the sound ringing from children’s voices singing “Hosanna to the Son of David.” Resonate for a long moment with this sound. Breathe out one time and open your eyes.
Click Here for Audio Imagery: Holy Week 2, Jesus In The Temple
Jesus & Mary Prepare For What Is To Come
For the next three mornings Jesus traveled to the temple to teach the crowds. In the evenings he returned to Bethany and walked to Mount Olivet with the apostles to prepare them for what is to come. (Luke 21: 37-38) People continue referring to him as the Messiah, King of the Jews. Mary prepares herself through prayer then soothes and prepares her companions for what is to come.
IMAGERY NARRATIVE 3: Jesus & Mary Prepare for What Is to Come
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel sense and know how Mary’s life is entwined with Jesus since His conception. Imagine how she feels knowing that His destiny to die for the sins of mankind draws near. Breathe out one time and open your eyes.Quietly wait about ten seconds for the next Imagery exercise to begin.
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel, sense and know how Mary prepares herself and the others for what is to come. Join her, if you choose. Know as Mary how Jesus future is written by God and accepted by Jesus. Breathe out one time and open your eyes.
Click Here for Audio Imagery 3 Jesus & Mary Prepare for What Is To Come
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You’ll find narratives and Imagery for the rest of Holy Week by going to April 2: Jesus Is Condemned to Death and The Crucifixion from Carrying the Cross onward; April 4: Mary Endures Jesus Death; and April 6: Jesus Burial and Resurrection in the Archives.
The readings for today give us more detail on who Jesus is and show through Jeremiah the Prophet that the Mystery of Golgotha was in God’s planning for many years.
A Reading from the Prophet Jeremiah
The reading recommended for this Sunday, March 25, 2012 is from the Prophet Jeremiah, Chapter 31, and was transmitted to him in 587BC. It tells of Yahweh’s New Covenant with the House of Israel and the House Judah. In it Yahweh states, “I will plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I shall be their God and they will be my people. They will all know me, from the least to the greatest…since I shall forgive their guilt and never more call their sin to mind.”
More than 600 years later, this comes to pass when Jesus of Nazareth begins his public teaching and healing, rapidly attracting followers of his people, Jews from Galilee and the surrounding area and from the many pilgrims in Jerusalem for the celebration of the Passover.
The Letter to the Hebrews…
…also a recommended reading for this Sunday, tells us who Jesus was. In its Prologue we are told that Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory, sustaining all things by his powerful command, and now that he (Jesus) has purged sins away, he has taken his seat at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on high. So he is now far above the angels, as the titles he has inherited are higher than their own name. In the letter’s section Jesus, the CompassionateHigh Priest, it states that “Since in Jesus the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest, who has gone through the highest heaven, we must hold him to our profession of faith. It goes on to describe Jesus as “their priest, who has been tested as they have been tested…Let us then have no fear in approaching the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace when we are in need of help.”
Perhaps Yahweh sees that humanity is too far removed from contact with His perfection and those exceptional humans who have demonstrated how to live with free will and resist temptation (Abraham, Moses, Noah and others). In the person of Jesus Yahweh sacrifices His only son to absolve humankind from sin (“They will know me from the least to the greatest…since I shall forgive their guilt and never more call their sin to mind.”)—and His son will demonstrate how it is to live as one made in the image and likeness of God.
Covenants prior to this included death as a condition of their violation. However, when transgressions occurred, Yahweh, the loving father, found his children worthy of another chance. Adam and Eve did not suffer death after they violated Yahweh’s condition and ate the fruit of the tree of good and evil: Instead they were banished from the Garden of Eden to fend for themselves. Later, when Cain murdered his brother Able and was banished from his home to wander, he pleaded with Yahweh that those who heard what he had done would kill him: Yahweh placed a mark on Cain’s head prohibiting anyone from harming him. And when Yahweh could no longer accept the behavior of humankind, He flooded the earth; however, Noah and his family were saved to repopulate the earth. After the flood, Yahweh promised never again to rid the earth of humankind by a flood. As a reminder to us He put a rainbow in the sky, the symbol of this new covenant.
By placing an imprint of His laws on the hearts of humanity, and by giving the example of Jesus and his teachings on how we are to live, is Yahweh aiming to accelerate the development of humanity’s conscience? These are questions for prayerful reflection during this season of Lent.
Now back to the Letter to the Hebrews that explains how “every high priest is taken from human beings and is appointed to act on their behalf in relationships with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices…And so it was not Christ who gave himself the glory of becoming high priest, but the one who said to him: “You are my Son today. I have fathered you, and in another test: You are a priest forever, of the Order of Melchisedek.”
The Gospel of John, Chapter 12
“Among those who went up to Jerusalem to worship at the Passover were some Greeks, who approached the apostle Philip, requesting to see Jesus. Philip and the apostle Andrew together went to tell Jesus, who replied to them., “Now the hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. In all truth I tell you, unless a wheat of grain falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest…and Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life…If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.
“Now my soul is troubled, What shall I say: Father, save me from this hour? But it is for this very reason I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name. A voice came from heaven. I have glorified it, and I will again glorify it.
“The crowd standing by who heard this said it was a clap of thunder; others said it was an angel speaking to him. Jesus answered. “It was not for my sake this voice came, but for yours. Now sentence is being passed on this world; now the prince of this world is to be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all people to myself.’ By these words, he indicated the kind of death he would die.“
Note: Until Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan, he was known by this birth name, and as Jesus of Nazareth. At the Baptism , when Jesus submerged himself in the River Jordan that was tainted by all the errors of those baptized there before him, he took those errors upon himself. At that moment, “The heavens tore open and the Father said in a loud voice, ‘Today you are my son, the one in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus had undertaken a selfless sacrifice in his mission from God the Father to free humankind from its errors. Then the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, in the presence of a dove, signifying that he was anointed (initiated) by the Holy Spirit with the Christ energy. On returning to Galilee and Capernaum, Jesus performed miracles and preached in the villages and towns. At this time, the apostles began calling Jesus, Christ, using it alone or with his given name as Christ Jesus or Jesus Christ. Soon it gained use among others who witnessed Christ’s miracles and preaching or heard of them.
The Gospel of John, Chapter 3 is an opportunity to see one of many parallels between the lives of Moses and Jesus. Both have accepted missions from God for our salvation, Moses leading the Jews out of the oppression of Egypt and providing them spiritual guidance throughout their forty year journey to the Promised Land. And Jesus, dying on the cross so we might realize the kingdom of heaven. Today’s Gospel Reading tells us of times when both Moses and Jesus were asked for signs that they were truly sent by God.
JESUS CONVERSATION WITH NICODEMUS, John, Chapter 3
This gospel refers to the few days Jesus was in Jerusalem before the Passover. Many of the pilgrims were drawn by his teachings and the healings he accomplished among them. But they continued asking for signs that he was truly the Son of God.
John’s gospel tells us that Nicodemus, a Jewish teacher, represents those who doubted what they cannot see. “Rabbi,” he says, “we know you have come from God as a teacher; for no one could perform the signs you do unless God was with him.” But as their conversation goes on, Nicodemus’ questions to Jesus suggest that with all the signs he has seen, he still doubts.
John draws a parallel between the signs asked of Jesus and those asked of Moses in the desert, with his statement “as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” John refers to a story in Exodus 4: Moses feared that the people and the Pharaoh of Egypt would ask for proof that he came from the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—and was asked by God to lead the Jews out of Egypt.
Moses stood before Yahweh holding a staff in his hands, while expressing concern that he would be asked for signs. “A staff,” says Yahweh. “Throw it to the ground.” Moses does so and the staff turns into a snake. Moses recoils from it, and Yahweh instructs him to “Reach out your hand and catch it by the tail.” Moses reaches out his hand, catches it and it turns back into a staff. “Thus they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to them.”
Here is the full quote from John: “As Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son so everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
There are many parallels in Jesus’ and Moses’ lives, but our focus here is on how Jesus’ days before the crucifixion were devoted to teaching in the Temple and giving signs to those in doubt about his lineage. Audio Imagery will help us focus on how we may continue to ask God for signs in our own lives.
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Audio Imagery for The Fourth Sunday of Lent, the Gospels of John, Chapter 3
Note: These Imagery exercises can be done as a group of three. You may also do 1 and 2 together and three at another time as a single exercise.
Click Here for Audio Imagery – Gospel of John
1. Close your eyes and breathe out three times – See, feel, sense and know yourself as Moses, fearful the Pharaoh will not allow you to lead the Jews out of Egypt without a sign you are sent by Yahweh (G0d). Breathe out one time and open your eyes. Sit quietly and wait a long moment for the next exercise to begin.
2. Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel, sense and know how it is to have a staff that turns into a snake you can control as a sign you are sent by God (Yahweh). Breathe out one time and open your eyes. Sit quietly and wait a long moment for the next Imagery Exercise to begin.
3. Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel sense and know how we still ask God for signs? See one of those times in your life. Breathe out one time Knowing that the crucifixion of Jesus is our salvation, would you still ask God for a sign? If so, under what circumstances? Breathe out one time and open your eyes.
The third week of Lent begins on Sunday, March 11th (Sunday, March 3 in 2013) The gospel reading of John 2: 12.25–and last week’s reading from Chapter 2 of Jesus of Nazareth by Joseph Ratzinger– both focus on Jesus Cleansing the Temple.
When Jesus arrives at the Temple, he passes through merchants and money changers. Jesus, riles against them, forcing them out of the Temple. The sacred Passover holiday is arriving, with people coming long distances to worship. While the merchants and money changers are licensed to operate, Jesus indignation is borne out of their disrespect for Divine law.
“Take all of this out of here and stop using my Father’s house as a market,” says Jesus. “What signs can you show us that you should act this way?” ask the Jews. Jesus replies. “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews find this inconceivable, since it took them 46 years to build the Temple. (It is here that the political drama that leads to the Crucifixion begins in the temporal world: In the heavenly kingdom, it is the beginning of the sacrifice Jesus will make to save mankind from its errors. Reminder, in last week’s blog we presented passages that indicate that God is intellect, knowing all things that ever were and ever will be.)
Jesus often spoke in what seemed to be riddles but which are actually analogies. John tells us that while the conversation started out about the Temple, Jesus was foretelling a sign in which his physical body was the temple to be destroyed and he would rise up in three days. When he rose from the dead three days after the crucifixion, his disciples remembered and understood what he had said.
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Click Here for Audio Imagery – The Cleansing in the Temple 1-3
Note: The three exercises in this group follow one another on the tape with just a brief interval between and should be done together. Read the Imagery Exercises first so you understand the process for changing an image.
Close your eyes and breathe out three times– See, feel, sense and know how it is to see Jesus rile against those who mix the things of God with the things of commerce. Breathe out one time and open your eyes.
Close your eyes and breathe out three times – See, feel sense and know how you may sometimes mix the things of God with the things of commerce. Remember your image, breathe out one time and open your eyes.
If your image is of you mixing the things of God with the things of commerce, close your eyes and breathe out three times – Recall the image and begin to change it by seeining your left hand sweeping it off your imagery screen to the upper left until it’s no longer visible. Breathe out one time and replace it with an image in which you honor the things of God, without the interference of commerce. Note your responses to these images. Breathe out one time and open your eyes.
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A reminder: The Meditative Reading for next week is Chapter 3, The Washing of the Feet in Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week, From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection by Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI.
May the reminders of Lent fill us with appreciation for the coming of Easter,
This year we’re celebrating Lent with two opportunities: Audio Imagery focusing on the gospel for each week of Lent; and Meditative Reading of Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection by Pope Benedict XVI.
If this is your first experience with Imagery or you’d like a refresher, click on Easter Series With Prayers posted on March 8, 2011 under the Ritual Menu. You’ll find instructions for Imagery and Lenten prayers there. To update, replace the gospel readings and Imagery exercises with the Audio Imagery for Lent presented here, or simply follow this presentation.
If you’ve chosen to do the Meditative Reading, please share your experience in the Comments section. The book provides insights into The Mystery of Golgotha (the Crucifixion), which is the core of this Holy Lenten season. You may be drawn to a teaching in each chapter that differs from those of another reader. By gifting others with your insights, everyone’s experience is enriched.
The Gospels of Mark
The first week of Lent focuses on Mark 1:12-15. This first chapter is called a Prelude to the Public Ministry of Jesus–a time when John the Baptist preaches the coming of Jesus and baptizes believers as they confess their errors.
During this time, John the Baptist says to his new followers, “After me is coming someone who is more powerful than me, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” This statement foretells how Jesus baptism in the River Jordan by John will unfold, confirming that Jesus is sent by the Heavenly Father.
In Chapter 2 of Mark, Jesus begins his public ministry and the gathering of the apostles from Galilee to Capernaum. As they travel, Jesus cures the sick and teaches in the synagogue. He then returns to Galilee and is baptized in the River Jordan, as foretold by John the Baptist.
Click Here for Audio Imagery: Gospel of Mark, Chapter 1:12-15
Close your eyes and breathe out three times. See, feel, sense and know how, as Jesus comes out of the River Jordan, He sees the heavens tear apart and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, descend on him. A voice then comes from heaven saying “You are my Son, the Beloved. My favour rests on you.” Breathe out one time and open your eyes.
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Gospel of Mark, Chapter 9:2-10
The Gospel of Mark 9:2-10 confirms for the apostles that Jesus is the Son of God. This announcement is made to Peter, James and John in the presence of the Prophet Elijah (born ninth century BC) and Moses (born 1300 BC). The events confirm that Jesus birth, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension have been God’s plan almost from the beginning, perhaps when God realized that humanity often has difficulty making spiritually sound decisions when faced with temptation.
Click Here for Audio Imagery, Gospel of Mark, Chapter 9.2-10
Close your eyes and breathe out three times – After overcoming Satan’s temptations, Jesus leads Peter, James and John up a high mountain. There Jesus body becomes luminous, as He is transfigured. Keep your eyes closed and breathe out one time. Now see Elijah and Moses appear and speak to Jesus as the apostles, Peter, James and John, look on. The apostles become frightened at these extraordinary events, when suddenly a cloud covers them in shadow and from the cloud comes a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to Him.” Peter, James and John then discover themselves alone with Jesus Christ. Breathe out one time and open your eyes.
May the spirit of Lent lead us to a joyous Easter! Barbarah
Lent marks the beginning of the holiest event in the Christian faith, a time when we are called upon to review our spiritual lives and focus on the sacrifice of Christ Jesus’ crucifixion and the glory of His resurrection and ascension into heaven.
INTRODUCING MEDITATIVE READING AS A LENTEN PRACTICE
This year, Barbarah’s Blog offers two Lenten practices that require sacrifice and discipline as recommended by traditional faiths: (1) Join me in a Meditative Reading Practice that focuses on this holy season and its deep meaning; Or (2) Repeat the ritual posted last year by clicking on Easter Season With Prayers in the Categories column on the right, which begins with an explanation of Lent.
How to Begin a Meditative Reading Practice
Our aim in Meditative Reading is to discover the wisdom in the words. To achieve this, we become calm and focused without the pressure of finishing an assignment. To set the stage we put aside a period of time each day for reading in a place where we won’t be interrupted; take a few deep breaths to calm ourselves; and begin. (If you don’t mind making brief notes in your books, jot down your understanding of the reading at the end of each meditation.)
Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week–From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection Is Our Book Selection
By Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger, this book is described on the jacket as, “…for Christians–Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, as well as other believers and nonbelievers. Benedict brings to his study the vast learning of a brilliant scholar, the passionate searching of a great mind, and the deep compassion of a pastor’s heart. In the end, he dares readers to grapple with the meaning of Jesus’ life, teaching, death, and resurrection.” The book is available at amazon.com.
Suggested Reading Schedule
Week of February 26 – Chapter 1; Week of March 4 – Chapter 2; Week of March 11 – Chapter 3; Week of March 18 – Chapter 4 ; Week of March 25 – Chapter 5; Palm Sunday, April 1 – Chapter 6; Holy Thursday, April 5 – Chapter 7; Good Friday, April 6 – Chapter 8; Holy Saturday, April 7 – Chapter 9 thru 2B; Easter Sunday, April 8 – Chapter 9 Summary and Epilogue.
Blessings for this Lenten Season, Barbarah
P.S. Feel stuck? Contact me through the Comments section and we’ll work through it together.
Barbara Fedoroff
Tools for Spiritual Living: Barbarah's Blog 