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SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY
Psalm 16.7-11 (REB)
7 I shall bless the LORD who has given me counsel;
in the night he imparts wisdom to my inmost being.
8 I have set the LORD before me at all times:
with him at my right hand I cannot be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad
and my spirit rejoices,
my body too rests unafraid;
10 for you will not abandon me to Sheol
or suffer you faithful servant to see the pit.
11You will show me the path of life;
in your presence is the fullness of joy,
at your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
COMMENTS
The Psalmist speaks words that flow out of a mature relationship of intimacy with his God. This God is the LORD, not a personal idea of God, but the God of his community. This God is not just a general notion of power or mystery, not the Man Upstairs, but a specific One passed down from generation to generation. This God has history and form.
This God has given the Psalmist counsel, imparts insight to his heart and mind, remains at his right hand, will not abandon him to death, will show him the path of life, graces him with fullness of joy, and offers him pleasures for evermore. Certainly, this sounds like a God anyone would love to be in intimate relationship with, does it not?
The Psalmist, in this dance with the Divine, blesses the LORD. He places the LORD before him always. He knows, consequence of this priority given to his Beloved, a glad heart, a spirit rejoicing, and a body resting in peacefulness and security. Does this not sound like a person who fully, delightfully engaged with his or her Lord of Love?
St. Teresa of Avila writes, in her Life, of the joy of intimacy with the Christ and how that intimacy opens us to the blessings of insight and spiritual graces to aid us along this earthly journey with our Friend …
I could never describe how the soul actually feels when the Beloved gives her knowledge of his secrets and wonders. This joy surpasses all understanding. It so far transcends any pleasure we experience here on earth that once we have tasted it, we can’t help but disdain mundane things. All the sweetest earthly delights put together resemble a pile of garbage. I would find it unbearable even to attempt to compare these two kinds of happiness. Even if we were offered worldly pleasure without end, it would not come to a single drop from the vast, overflowing river God has prepared for us.
*Teresa of Avila: The Book of My Life. Trans. Mirabai Starr.
Silent Prayer is Prayer of the Heart. We rest in openness. This rest is a sign of our loving consent. Loving consent for surrender to the Beloved is not out of mere fear or to procure some favor, like getting to heaven when our bodies die. We open in pure love to Pure Love. Our only intent is to consent and receive the one thing we offer: ourselves in Christ, Christ in ourselves.
No wonder the Psalmists could sing out the words “I shall bless the LORD”! To bless means to praise, to speak well of. When we share pure love in spiritual intimacy with someone, we want to do the same: tell him or her how wonderful she or he is. In fact, in such true, loving intimacy we will never tire of finding ways to praise, affirm, and assure the other of how much he or she means to us and of our appreciation.
The contemplative will often find in meditation that his or her Silence will seem to be expressing wordlessly praise and thankfulness. At times, the Silence will erupt into spontaneous words of blessing, for the heart will be so overflowing with the sensation of thankfulness. Then the one praying sinks back into the Silence, in wordless loving.
SUGGESTED SPIRITUAL EXERCISE
Do your own paraphrase of the opening selection from Psalm 17. Make it a response to your relationship with God. You can direct it to the Father, or Mother; Christ; the Holy Spirit; or God as referring to all three. Consider sharing your paraphrase with someone else.
See next page for Invitation to writer's contemplative village, purpose of OneLife, data on ordering author's book and upcoming devotionals 2008, and material on citations.
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