We are all familiar with Jesus’ message on neighborly love – he calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. However, it seems we get tripped up on actually loving our neighbors as Jesus calls us – at least I do. While it can be rather easy to love the neighbors who love us, we often find it difficult to love those neighbors who do not love us in return. You know, that difficult to love co-worker, the argumentative or estranged family member, the judgmental person in the pew, and/or those of other religious beliefs and philosophies. Being human we deal with human weaknesses every day, including an inability to love fully. However, we can grow in love and there is only one way to do this. By diving deep into God’s love. Such a journey takes us beyond ourselves and into a oneness with God.
Meister Eckhart
In an attempt to better understand God’s message of love I have been studying some of our church mystics. Currently I am studying the works of Meister Eckhart (1260 – 1328), a Dominican monk, preacher, and profound mystic of the Middle Ages. Meister Eckhart was a deep thinker and I am only beginning to scratch the surface of his thought. However, through my study one thing jumps out to me. Eckhart paints a pathway into God’s love that is beautiful and profound.
Eckhart speaks about the “ground”, a place where our soul goes to become one with God. Like many other theologians he also refers to this place as the “desert”. Here, in the ground, our souls unite with God – with Love. Eckhart’s ground is beyond our intellect, beyond our thoughts, and even beyond our virtues. We enter into the ground through silence. In the ground we are completely empty and ready to receive. In this emptiness God pours his great goodness into us. I can only imagine that this is the place the Baptist spoke of when he said he must decrease because Jesus Christ must increase. I think the Baptist was seeking what Eckhart calls the ground.
Eckhart’s Ground
I like to think of Eckhart’s ground as an infinite milieu that completely embraces and warms me. Floating in pure love, nothing disturbs my peace because I become peace. The ground is pure comfort, nurture, and bliss. In Eckhart’s ground we receive God’s outpouring of love. His loves consumes us so much that we cannot see where we end and God begins. God’s invitation into the ground is always open, yet, we must do our part and surrender to the pathway leading to it. The gateway into Eckhart’s ground is through continued deep contemplative prayer and silence. Our soul continually calls us to keep returning to the well of this sacred ground.
Entering the Ground
Our Catholic faith is rich with offerings of gateways into Eckhart’s ground. Contemplative Prayer, Lectio Divina, the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Litanies, Novenas, and on the list goes. I even collected a series of meditations on my blog I call Fasting of the Mind that you may want to explore. The key is to pray so that our minds and hearts become empty and silent so God can enter in. I know this can be hard in our busy world with all its distractions and obligations. However, like all things, we must continually practice before we receive mastery. Setting aside time in our daily lives for deep prayer will help us love our neighbors as Jesus calls us to do.
Lent presents us with an opportunity to fall deeper into God through prayer. If you don’t already practice daily prayer I invite you to spend a few minutes every morning and/or evening with God in prayer. If you already spend daily time with God then I am sure you have experienced his beckoning call to a deeper union with him and his love. As a community of believers our prayers are very powerful when offered together.
Our Prayer Community
A while back our little prayer community was born. I am humbled when I sit and read your posts and petitions. Sitting with them in the Adoration Chapel at my parish is one of my favorite forms of meditation. Your stories and petitions are beautiful. I experience special joy of heart when I read of your prayers for one another. I also love the updates! We are all united in our desire to receive God and his healing love. If you would like to add your prayer petition so that our prayer community can pray for you please add your petition below. If you would like to keep your petition private I invite you to email me and I will pray for you. You are also invited to list your name as anonymous.
Several weeks ago I asked you to pray for my son. He is doing better now, although his heart is still healing. Thank you for all your prayers. Now I ask you to pray for my oldest daughter, the mother of all my grandchildren. There has been significant heartache in my family – going back many generations. My daughter has suffered as a result. Please pray for full healing of broken hearts in my family.
I am also thinking we should give our prayer community a name. If you have an idea please share it below:-)
God bless all of you. See you next week Friday! – Carolyn
God the Father – draw us in your Fatherly love.
God the Son – continue to help our hearts heal and forgive.
God the Holy Spirit – embrace us in your divine love.
