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Meditation by The Rev. Canon Rosina Ampah, OSH |
Let us pray:
O God open the door of our hearts to receive you in, open the ears of our minds to listen to your word, open the eyes of our understanding so we may see your way clearly and follow it; through your Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever! Amen
For centuries individuals, groups, and communities have tried to reach out to the unknown, to the other, and to the power beyond them which you and I now know as Prayer life or Spiritual journey. I believe most of us have read how individuals or groups moved out of their communities into deserts and lonely places in order to be with God, with the Holy, or with the invisible. That is why we have so many ancient Shrines or Sites to visit today. The question for me is why do people go on pilgrimages or visit Holy places?
I believe the answer for each individual would be different. Yet a general answer to the question may be that one visits a particular Holy place to experience the presence of the Holy. S/he wants to feel or encounter the awesomeness of the presence of God in that particular Holy place. Another reason maybe is that one wants to connect with the spiritual aspect of one's own being or may be in search of truth and deeper love of God. Last on my list but not the least, I presume one may just visit a Holy place to add his or her presence and foot prints to the numerous thousands who may have already passed through the same places centuries ago. I believe each one of us present in this room may have had a different reason why s/he is here at the Shrine of Our Lady today as a pilgrim.
With all our various different reasons for being here, let us concentrate on our search as Christians, as a people of faith, and as well as individuals as to why it is important for us to have gathered here today in this particular Holy place. My questions are: What are you looking for? What is your inmost heart's desire? What pain or burden do you bring with you today? What ever reasons else may have brought you here today, I believe most of us have gathered here in this Holy Shrine because we know and understand how effective God's presence has been in our lives. Further-more, I believe that we all acknowledge and know that there is enough activities and distractions out there in the larger world to claim our attention and if we do not become intentional about our relationship with God as well as with each other it will not happen. So I can assume that we are here because we want to personally experience the soothing presence of God as we journey through this Holy place with each other.
We want to feel the enfolding arms of God around us as we renew our relationships, obligations, and commitments to each other as we work together in God's vineyard. My hope is that we are here also to be fed spiritually by God so that we can go out from here with a renewed strength and commitment to do what we have been called to do. To face the challenges of what it really means to be a good shepherd in the 21st century.
In other for us to experience all of the above we need to be in conversation with the Holy Spirit who will teach us the truth. We need to open ourselves so that the Holy Spirit can communicate with the God spirit within us. We must resist the temptation of allowing our minds to explain every thing we feel in human terms, instead we need to allow the experiences we feel today to wash over us so our hearts can brood over it, ponder it, meditate upon it and if possible nurture the experience to its full maturity.
I also assume that, we have gathered here in this particular Shrine in the presence of God to be filled anew with the Word of God. We like Mary want to be pregnant with God's Word and if that is the case then, we need to be open and receptive to the invitation again to be bearers of the Word of God. If we are willing to accept anew the invitation, then we need to create spaces in our womb and our hearts for the Word of God to enter. We like Mary have to be willing to take the risks that go with carrying the Word of God inside until it comes to maturity before we can offer it to the world.
Are we willing to allow ourselves to be pregnant with the Word of God? I am assuming the answer is yes because we like Mary want to be channels through which God's Word can reach out in a powerful way to the dispossessed, the lost, the downtrodden and those whose hopes have been shattered by our lukewarm attitudes. If the answer in your heart is still yes, that you want to be pregnant anew with God's Word then you have to realize that the situation is totally out of your hands and into the hands of the Holy Spirit.
As the angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will overshadow you" so will the Holy Spirit overshadow you when you take the steps in true faith and total trust in God and venture out as God's agent even when you do not understand your own compassionate action. Yes, the Holy Spirit will not let you down because that was God's promised to Mary when she said yes on the behalf of God and God's people.
Another important aspect we may need to learn as bearers of God's Word is that we like Mary have to learn how to ponder more about every situation we encounter before we react. I believe it is through pondering that we come to full under-standing of God's purpose in every difficult situation we encounter. So as pilgrims, our journey has a combination of contemplation and action because as Christians we believe that the present life no matter how difficult is surrounded by God's eternal purpose. Without pondering, we may miss the message intended for us in the situations we find ourselves especially as shepherds or chief shepherds.
The truth is searching for intimacy with God has been known for centuries as a journey, so journeying has become the theme of our spirituality, whether we go on pilgrimages to Holy places or whether we enter into the Sacred Shrines created by ourselves in our various homes or into a desert. The reality however as we all know is that the journey can-not be undertaken without a constant divine aid. So taking time to pray and ponder about a situation allows God's spirit to grasp your human spirit, sustains it and transforms it by the power of the Holy Spirit; so by the time you come to action the Holy Spirit would have been ahead of you doing what needs to be done.
This is why to me Our Lady is so important in our Redemption and Salvation history and if we are in that business then we need to take a closer look at her. According to Scripture Mary pondered every word she heard in her heart while she allowed the Holy Spirit to work things out within her life so she could live in constant communion with God. That unshakable trust allowed her to become a co-creator with God in accomplishing God's purpose for the human race. Though Our Lady said very little as far as we can tell in words, I believe she suffered as much pain as her son did during the process of given birth to us as God's children on that faithful Good Friday.
When we look through the Bible, we only come across a few words or statements that were attributed to Mary. Yet, she stood at the foot of the cross without a word of what was happening to her son or for that matter happening to her. But you and I know that she shared in the process of atoning for our sins as much as her son did by silently standing by his side. How many of us can silently watch our children killed that way? I know we Anglicans do not put much emphasis on Mary's role in the Redemption process as Roman Catholics do, yet we cannot overlook her silent but willing participation in the Salvation History.
If nothing at all Mary's womb became the Holy ground available for God's son to be nurtured; her breast nourished him when he was a helpless little baby. Mary's arms shielded and protected God's incarnate for thirty years and her love, strong commitment, and patience supported him when he was ready to face the world and to follow God’s will.
Mary was a staunch supporter of Jesus even when she may have been afraid for his safety or life in general. She never uttered any word of discouragement or to deter him from His Abbah's purpose for him. Nothing stopped Mary short from going all the way with God's plans and purpose for her and her son. So my hope for us all is that we will become like Mary to listen more to God and God's will for each one of us so we can fulfill them if possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. Let your visit to Our Lady's shrine remind you of deep listening, pondering, and self-dedication if nothing at all. Let your pilgrimage to this Shrine remind each one of you that you have been chosen by God to become an instrument of peace and redemption for God's people.
Visiting Holy places like this does something to one's soul, or at least it did mine when I visited the Salinas in New Mexico last October and I want to share with you the poem I wrote after my visit.
WALKING THE PATHS OF THE ANCIENT VISIONARIES
As I walked through the ancient Mission ruins
In New Mexico's plains of Salinas
Each step taken with care and respect
In honor of those ancient steps that trod the same path.
Each stone laid with love and care had a story to tell
If we could but hear of how it came to be part of a community
That was alive, active, and functioned years long past, but
Exists now only in memories of those who happen to pass by.
The Kivas and Churches told their silent stories
Of conflict and confrontation shared centuries ago
But still stand side by side of each other
As witnesses to the One Creator they both served.
As I walked through each Holy space
My soul connected with thousands of other souls
Who prayed, sang, and danced as they worshipped
The only Creator but in their diverse various ways.
Every step I took I silently gave thanks to the Ancestors
Whose dedication, hard work, and vision created those Holy spaces
That I and many untold others passed through in our Spiritual Journey
May bear witness to the infinite wisdom of the One Creator.
The hush chants from the Great Kivas blend with the low melodies from the choir lofts
Proclaimed their unending praises to the souls and ears that would listen
And discern the Unity of One God worshipped in various ways
As they pass briefly through and admire their ancient ruins.
May your souls open up and connect with the Holy Spirit so that your visit here tonight maybe a visit that you will remember for years to come. Amen