Easter Love

Yesterday we listened to talks by Sister Rose on Karl Rahner the great 20th century Catholic theologian. And I was reminded of the time Rahner quoted Ruysbroeck:
Ruysbroeck writes about how God expects of us both work and enjoyment and rest. And that God is with us in all,. However he then says that the interior person is recollected in all circumstances. So Rahner then observes rightly that only God can rescue us from being lost to the things of this world. That word recollection was new to me years ago. Re collect. Re collect my attention, my wandering mind, even in the midst of many and varied daily tasks. Well this is certainly not something we can do of ourselves. This is the work of God. God who knows so well how to give undivided attention to the multiplicity of his works. For without the attention of God we would cease to be.
So it is God whose great love - Easter love! - can save us from being lost to the things and events of our daily life. Rahner says that love, God’s love for us that "can allow my daily routine to remain routine and still transform it into homecoming to God". God can give us this love, We need to beg for this gift. What could be more fulfilling than to live more totally in love.
To ask God to open our hearts and minds and to take steps to be open.
This is what do in Christian Meditation or Centering prayer., We say our prayer gently, over and over, and in this way let go of all our preoccupations
Try to do this for 20 minutes twice a day. Any simple prayer word will do. Although John Main OSB recommends saying Maranatha (come Lord) which is prayer at the end of the Book of Revelation.
If we add a walking prayer to our day, we are again making ourselves available for the transforming power of the love God has for us. Find a prayer you can say over and over with the rhythm of your steps as you go about the day, or drive to work and back. God’s love never ceases, is not lessened by what we do or fail to do. We are immersed in Love every moment of every day. God's love does not take away the ordinariness of our daily routine lives, and yet love does indeed transform everything. Love makes our activities "homecoming’ into God. We can learn from our Buddhist friends. Thich Nhat Hanh has a wonderful book called: The Miracle of Mindfulness. Meditation is not just for the one who meditates. "Meditation is for everyone". That is, when we take the time to sit in meditative prayer, we are united to all people on earth for all people on earth are immersed in God . And so we are making a space for love in our world. Let us pray.