You Can Get Here From There (Part 1)
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St. Teresa of Avila teaches us a strong method of prayer that I find most useful. In short, it can start with an image that helps bring our mind into the presence of God. It could be a picture, say Jesus on the Mount of Olives, or perhaps the Holy Face of Jesus. Or, if you are more imaginative, let your mind’s inner eye create the image. Then we can contemplate that image, focusing on that image, which then can put us in a frame of mind where we can talk to our Lord, or perhaps just sit quietly and spend some time with Him. As St. Teresa said, "Prayer is simply being alone with Him, looking at Him, sharing His friendship, loving Him and allowing oneself to be loved."
Recently I have been contemplating and meditating upon God’s amazing compassion, love, and forgiveness. As he is banishing Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, he ensures their comfort by making them clothing. After Cain kills his brother, God ensures the murderer is protected from retribution from others.
As we are made in God’s image, we are called to do the same. But what does this mean? As a parent, I have been upset with a child, but of course still tend to their needs, their comfort. That’s easy. But what of others outside of our families? Do we have compassion for those who have wronged us? And not just for those who may have wronged us personally, but those who we see on the news or read about or hear about.
I contemplate Pope Francis visiting the prison showing compassion, love, and forgiveness to those who committed possibly unspeakable crimes. I am reminded of Matthew 18:21-22: “Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
Seventy times seven.
As we know, the number seven is God’s number. So, how do we forgive? Ten times God times God. What a tall order.
So how do we do it? Perhaps we begin by showing a little compassion every day at our watercooler conversation about the tribulations broadcast twenty-four hours a day. Compassion for those who have acted amiss of societal expectations. Compassion for victims and perpetrators alike even when that show of compassion draws furrowed brows and judgmental glares.
And if we just showed a little compassion every day for a week, we would have done that seven times, God like.
Dean P. Johnson is in the Diaconate Candidacy Program for the Diocese of Camden and is a member of Mary Mother of Mercy Parish, both in New Jersey. He holds a BA in English and an MA in Writing both from Rowan University. He has had essays published in newspapers across the country including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Examiner, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Houston Chronicle, Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger, Courier Post (Southern NJ), and Philadelphia Inquirer among many others. He also has had creative nonfiction, short stories and poetry appear in several literary magazines including Chronogram, Foundling Review, JMWW Journal, ArtWord Quarterly, Wolf Head Quarterly, Sylvia, Circle Magazine and The Fourth River among several others.
His first novel, MOONDREAMS, and two collections of essays, CONFESSIONS OF A FRUITCAKE CONVERT and THEY DON’T CALL IT A NUMBER TWO FOR NOTHING, are available as ebooks on Kindle. His poetry chapbook, Pyramids in Nature, is currently out of print.
Dean also has pieces in several books including The Pressures of Teaching (Kaplan), Viewpoints (Wadsworth), and Writing the Critical Essay: Smoking (Greenhaven).
Dean P. Johnson is an administrator and teacher of English at Camden Academy Charter High School in Camden, NJ and is an adjunct professor of writing at Rowan University and Camden County College. Dean lives in New Jersey with his wife of 25 years and their five children along with a Basset hound and cat all of whom provide an endless parade of writing material.
Read more at
http://catholicstarherald.org/putting-the-saints-to-work-on-a-regular-basis
