Tag: von Speyr

• Jeremiah 7: A Prayer for Remaining

  
  

  Monday, July 26, 2021

  Jeremiah 7

  Prayer for Remaining

  Reform your ways and your deeds that I might remain with you in this place . . .

  Put not your trust in deceitful words . . .

  If each of you deals justly with your neighbor . . .

  If you no longer oppress the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow . . .

  If you no longer shed innocent blood, or follow false gods to your own harm . . .

  These are words we hear from God through the prophet Jeremiah sent to us over the millennia. What might we reform? How might we speak less deceitful words? When have we oppressed those living in life’s margins? Who are our false gods? Let us take notice of ourselves, our actions and our surroundings as we pray.

  Gentle and Gracious God, you visit us in this place today. We thank you for your presence.

  Faithful and Loyal God, you abide with us in this time today. We thank you for your mercy.

  Just and Powerful God, you strengthen us when we falter. We thank you for your fidelity.

  Compassionate and Generous God, you forgive us when we stray. We thank you for your understanding.

  Healing and Loving God, you restore us when we fail. We thank you for your stillness.

  Constant and All-knowing God, you bind up what we tear down. We thank you for your wisdom.

  We praise you for abiding. We thank you for enduring. We thank you for remaining. Amen.

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  For more on Jeremiah 7 and words from the mystic Adrienne von Speyr on fidelity, enter the word Remaining into the post search bar and explore.

  Learn more about Von Speyr at: http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/authors/adrienne_von_speyr.asp

  Image from: http://unafamiliaalaskena.blogspot.com/2011_12_01_archive.html

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  July 26, 2021

  fidelity, God’s wisdom, mercy, understanding, von Speyr

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• Jeremiah 7: Remaining

  
  

  Jeremiah 7: Remaining

  Monday, September 9, 2019

  

  Perhaps the reason that we humans cannot maintain fidelity is as Adrienne von Speyr writes: With us, the call is always in danger of being relegated to the past.  We rest in it instead of growing in it . . . we should attach much more importance to the call and its duration.

  This is what the prophet Jeremiah sees in Israel.  It is what we humans too often find in one another.  We try to rest in a relationship without growing in it.  We find someone we think will allow us to be comfortable, who will in fact work at keeping everything at the status quo of first flush, who will not ask the question we do not want to answer, who will turn aside as we continue to worship our idol gods.  We work hard at not suffering, not going to the limit, not growing.  We work hard at keeping things static.

  Von Speyr continues: In instructing his disciples, the Lord said many things to them that have much relevance for us and can become rules of conduct for us.  He does not spare them; on each occasion he gives them the whole burden with which they must come to terms.  “This is a hard saying”.  “Let him understand it who can”.  We see from this that the Lord accommodates his teaching as little as possible to mankind, so that those who follow him will not have the impression that they are equal to it.

  No Christian – certainly no apostle – can ever be equal to the Lord’s teaching.  All they could do was leave everything to him and follow him as well they were able, accepting the whole burden of his words in the certainty that even what was difficult, incomprehensible, or alienating in them was rightfully there, since it came from the Lord.

  This is what Yahweh expected from Israel.  It is what Jesus expected from his apostles.  It is what the Lord expects from us: our fidelity to the call, our remaining with our call, our growing with that call . . . not our resting in it.  No wonder so many relationships are broken rather than enduring.  No wonder there is so much unhappiness rather than serenity.  No wonder there is no peace, for we can only find true peace by answering . . . remaining . . . following . . . and growing.  There is no other Way.

  

  Today’s evening intercessions in MAGNIFICAT reflect the ideas reflected in today’s MEDITATION.  Let us pray to the Lord Jesus Christ who is our peace: Grant us patience, Lord, grant us peace.

  To the angry and to the envious: Grant us patience, Lord, grant us peace.

  To the bitter and the persecuted: Grant us patience, Lord, grant us peace.

  To the kind who find no kindness in others: Grant us patience, Lord, grant us peace.

  To the compassionate who meet no compassion in others: Grant us patience, Lord, grant us peace.

  To the forgiven who are not forgiven by others: Grant us patience, Lord, grant us peace.

  May we remain with God as God remains with us.  And may we grow in this remaining.

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  Written on August 5, 2008 and posted today as a Favorite.

  Cameron, Peter John, Rev., ed. “Meditation for the Day,” and “Evening Prayer”.  MAGNIFICAT. 5 August 2008. Print.

  For more on Adrienne von Speyr click on the images above or go to : http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/authors/adrienne_von_speyr.asp

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  September 9, 2019

  grow with God, von Speyr

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