A Lenten Meditation
By Jenny Beaumont
Lent is almost here—a time of reflection and an invitation to deepen our spiritual lives. We are encouraged to step away, set aside time to reflect, repent and recenter on what matters most. Yet that is sometimes difficult to do with our pressing world, constant headlines and impatient lives.
The Gospels are filled with examples of Jesus stepping away from the fullness of his ministry to pray, reflect and be filled with God’s presence.
Early in Mark, after healing many, the Gospel writer tells us: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’
“Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’ So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.” (Mark 1:35-39)
As we enter this section of the Gospel, it is good to be reminded of the scope and pace of Mark’s story up to this point. The Good News is announced, and John the Baptist appears, gathering crowds and persuading those in earshot to repent and return to the Lord. The one who John has been announcing is baptized—complete with the opening of the heavens and a voice proclaiming God’s favor.
You might think this is enough for the first chapter of the earliest Gospel, yet Jesus then begins to call his disciples—fisher folks who leave their nets (full of fish)—to follow him. Still, there is no time to rest. Jesus is at the synagogue, healing and teaching to the amazement of everyone around him. We hear the words immediately ring in the Gospel storyteller’s account; there is action. Jesus’ proclaiming of God’s Kingdom is in action; it is on the move. He is about to go “throughout the whole of Galilee.”
I wonder if you ever feel like you have been dropped into a scene of constant drama—everything is urgent, every phone call is a panic, and every email brings a problem to solve. Everything seems immediate. The world is crying out: Do it NOW! But here is the thing: There is more to this Gospel—more to what Jesus is doing in the world, more to what Jesus is doing in our hearts.
If we had stopped at verse 34, we may have thought of Jesus as a new leader with the freshest marketing plan and efficiency matrix, but we would be missing the best part of the opening act of Jesus’ ministry on earth, verse 35: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
That is a turn the disciples didn’t see coming. The crowds were pressing, the sick were queuing for healing, and the disciples were preparing for another day to manage. And Jesus goes out to pray—just like that. He is with God, in the quiet, in the womblike darkness, being filled, replenished, renewed. Jesus steps away and steps towards God, towards a groundedness. When the disciples find him, Jesus recasts his visions, his purpose. The time away has helped Jesus see and proclaim the clarity in his work. And so Jesus “traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.”
Isn’t that also what happens to us when we step away? When we reconnect with the divine, there is a new and welcome clarity that has evaded us. A fog lifts, and we can see the next few steps ahead. During this Lent, I pray that you will find a time or place to step away to reconnect to the divine, to hear God’s voice, and to feel the womblike, tender darkness of protection and security in God. Perhaps it is a small altar in a corner of a quiet room, or a comfy chair you have forgotten, or a spot under a favorite tree. I hope that you will go like Jesus “while it is still dark” to a “solitary place” to pray.
A LENTEN PRACTICE FOR YOU: LECTIO DIVINA
Throughout the season of Lent, you might try using Lectio Divina as a guide in prayer. Below is the First Nations New Testament version of Mark 1:35-39 and an outline of Lectio Divina.
A Text for Lectio Divina
Early the next morning, before the sunrise, he left and found a quiet, out-of-the-way place to be alone and pray. One Who Hears (Simon) and the others found him and said, “Everyone is looking for you!” “It’s time to go to the other villages and tell them the good story,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said to them, “for that is what I came to do.” So he traveled about all the territory of Circle of Nations (Galilee). He taught in their gathering houses and forced out many evil spirits.
An Introduction to Lectio Divina (Divine Reading)
Joan Chittester writes in The Monastic Heart: 50 Simple Practices for a Contemplative and Fulfilling Life that Lectio Divina is “not the process of simply reading holy books. It is the process of grappling with them, wrestling the great idea to the ground of our souls until we finally rise out of the tomb of the self a new person.” Lectio Divina, Latin for divine or sacred reading, invites us to a meditative way of reading Scripture that leads us into a conversation among reader, writer and God. Lectio Divina is prayer in four movements: read, meditate, pray and contemplate. Chittister writes that it gives us “insight, undertraining, a new spirit, the flowering of the soul.”
Quiet your heart and mind
Start by finding a quiet place. Light a candle. Sit comfortably, with your hands open, if that feels right to you. Consider beginning with an intention or a favorite prayer.
A Prayer to Begin Lectio Divina
Almighty God, whose blessed Son sought presence and communion with you in solitary places, look mercifully on us as we seek solitude and silence in our often noisy world and life. Knowing that silence is refreshment for our souls and strength for service to you, grant that this time be named holy. Guide our thinking and praying that our minds may be enlightened to know your will for us and that our will be turned to you in all things. We ask all this in your son’s name. Amen.
Lectio (Read)
Gently read the passage for the first time. Pray for insight in the passage. Name a word, phrase, or image that stands out to you.
Meditatio (Reflect)
Read the text a second time and ponder the word or phrase that speaks to your heart or where it has touched your heart. Be still. Be quiet. Listen. What might God be saying to you?
Oratio (Respond)
After the third reading, enter into conversation with God. You may want to contemplate, journal, or talk out loud with God about the message you heard in the passage and how it relates to you and your life. Remember, you can ask for God’s help and direction as well.
Contemplatio (Rest)
After the fourth and final reading, enter into a time of silence with God. Open yourself to hear God speak to you in the silence of your heart and mind. If or when you get distracted, pause and return to your breath to recenter.
End with a prayer of gratitude for this time with God. Or use the prayer below.
Prayers at the End of Lectio Divina
Almighty and ever-living God, we most heartily thank you for this time of meditation and prayer through your holy word. Give us pure hearts to love and serve you.
“God of unchangeable power, when you fashioned the world, the morning stars sang together, and the host of heaven shouted for joy; grant to us, created to complete your work, the bright, delightful vision that makes us care for what we do.”
Open our eyes to the wonders of creation, and grant that we may use your gifts so that all your creatures may enjoy the harmony you planned. May our actions be in honor of your glorious name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jenny Beaumont is the missioner for adult and lifelong formation for the Diocese of North Carolina.
Subscribe to the quarterly Disciple magazine (digital or print) for more stories like this.
