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Christ wills to free you from negativity and harmfulness of persons. Some persons are toxic by choice and, so, become such by nature ~ we become what we invite into our minds and hearts. Some persons are bless-full by nature, for they imbibe of spiritual Love and holy Life. Just being around these last persons, we feel spiritual Love and Life. So, the spiritual exercises at the end of this writing are as important as the writing itself. The cross of Christ invites us to the freedom to live whole and joyful lives, to die to the negativity of harmful persons and enjoy the Life of the Person of Christ, as well as those who live in Him and serve through Him. Please engage the exercises as means of Grace. Claim the Will and Love of Christ, which is His Power, over every other force in and around you. Each opposition energy calls you to turn to the cross.
The mother of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153) was Aleth (or Elizabeth). Aleth was a devout Christian. She was diligent in caring for her family, as well as spending much time helping the sick and poor. She was devoted to a life of prayer.
Aleth, each feast of St. Ambrose, had the local priests in her home for a meal. On one such occasion, Aleth had a fever and intuited she was near death.
The guests left her table, at her request, to go to her bedside. She asked for the litany for the dying. Aleth lifted her hand to trace a cross. She died with the hand in the air and at the words: "By Thy Cross and Passion, deliver her, O Lord."
*Story from Fr. Christopher Rengers. The 33 Doctors of the Church.
I wear a gold crucifix. I keep it on always. I rest it on my chest during meditation lying down, and put a hand on it, pressing it to me. I especially like to hold it at night. I just started this last practice; last night, I often awoke and searched for the crucifix, took hold of it, and prayed throughout the night.
The Cross and Passion signifies surrender to Christ, Who is Our Life. In all things the true, spiritual Christian returns to Christ.
Why would the cross be a comfort? Is it not a sign of death? The spiritual man or woman sees the crucifix as invitation to discover spiritual meaning in all his or her life. The cross calls us back mindfully and heartfully to the relationship that defines the love and priority of our life.
Recently, I have re-fallen in love with Christ. This has been a return to my childhood faith. This does not mean I had ceased to love Him, but that I returned to the centrality of that love with the focus of my early years and, now, I trust, with a more mature faith. This, oddly, occurs in a year when much around me, personally and professionally, is not encouraging, but is discouraging, such return.
Possibly, persons and events that would discourage, intentionally or not, are serving a Divine purpose. Those persons and happenings encourage an ever-closer move into the centrality of Love, Who is Christ. Loss of trust in some persons can increase focus and trust in Christ.
Abandonment or criticism pushes you to Jesus; and as one comes nearer to Him, love for Him grows, for He shares more loving as one moves closer. One is, then, more able to love truly, for he or she finds meaning in Christ, not the applaud of persons. Possibly, many of you have had this experience.
When we think of the cross, we know we are not alone. Christ we join consciously. We are saying, "I join You. I welcome You." We think of Life. In our surrender to join Christ, we hold to hope, are given hope.
Part of the mystery of Christian faith is sharing mystically in the Life of the Word. We do not just remember or reenact this, we enter it and it enters us:
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
*Romans 6.3-4, ESV
When I am open to the meaning of the crucifix, I am open to Christ Himself. When I am open to Christ, I enter experientially and consciously blissful surrender to the mystery of His life, death, resurrection, and on-going being in and beyond as "transcending" Lord.
With Him, I am ever falling in Love with Him, and through Him with the mystery of the whole Trinity. This is Love.
The crucifix is the shape of Love. May we enter it fully, lovingly, and find Life.
1 I recommend you practice a silent meditation, repeating words to Christ: "By Thy Cross, and Passion, deliver me, O Lord."
2 Think of one person whom you discern is oppositional to you. Go into silent meditation. Picture the person. See white light, representing the purity of Christ Love ..., touch him or her. Offer a prayer: "By Thy Cross, and Passion, deliver him (or her), O Lord." Pray to Christ, asking that in all you say and do, and your peace within, you will show this person Christ.
3 Pray to God, thanking God for the persons he has brought your way to support you lovingly in your faith. Picture each one in your mind, and pray, "O Lord, bless her (or him)."
4 Pray to God, thanking God for the persons that have been in your life who opposed you, betrayed you, defamed you, ... Picture each one in your mind, and pray, "O Lord, bless her (or him)."
In the next OneLife, I hope to offer a meditation on cleasning out negativity, through prayerful meditation-visualization. Thanks!
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*Charitable contributions would be appreciated to assist Brian in continuing his ministry. For contributions, contact Brian at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Brian's book of spiritual love poetry, An Ache for Union: Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major booksellers or the Cokesbury on-line store, cokesbury.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox, a United Methodist Pastor, lives in Southwest Florida. He is a vowed member of Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. He lives a contemplative life and seeks to inspire others to enjoy a more intimate relationship with Christ. Brian advocates for a spiritually-focused, experiential Christianity and renewal of the Church through addressing the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons.
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