Matthew under the arm 101

I spoke to Columba this evening about this last phase of our pilgrimage. He simply held his hand up and continued to set very still and silent. But he did so in such a way that I wasn't excluded from his silence. It was as if I was invited in to 'another' pilgrimage. His silence was, as it were, laying plams down 'on the road' for me to process into the silence with him. So I sat and, even for me, was still. When he finished about half an hour later, I asked him what may same a rather silly question. 'Well what now?' 'Say 'Hosanna!...silently!' Two pilgrimages as one..... Matthew 21:1-11…. Three images of insignificance are paradoxically striking. One is Jesus’ procession on donkeys. The second is the contrast between insignificant Nazareth and self-conscious Jerusalem. The third is the branches as a carpet. These do not point to lack of preparation or cynicism. The crowds suggest that these symbols are important. In retrospect, we notice now the natural ‘cross’ on a donkey’s back. A week later, the ‘hosannas’ would sound differently. But the prophetic challenging by symbols of religious power, the ecclesiastical authorities, must not be missed. I would have my attitudes and actions transfigured by Your Humility and Strength By establishing stillness, even if it is only for a few moments, you have experienced a little humility, because you have to let so many perceptions of yourself go. Contemplative Prayer is, perhaps, the most honest' act' you will 'perform'. There are no rewards, there are no 'achievements'...there's just you and God, and even God is imperceivable. It is an act of love and self-giving that takes the risk of ...nothingness. It is without power. It is charged with hope, however. Spend time thinking of circumstances where power is exercised against the challenge of love. Then become aware of ways in which you perhaps collude with the engines of power. Perhaps there are ways in which you can symbolise the way of humility and its strength. Do not force it. Allow the sentence to build up attention in you and the action to arise out of it will surface. +Martin Argyll and The Isles

Matthew under the arm 100

[Well. Posting 100! If you are still out there...thank you for sharing in the pilgrimage, no matter how far ahead, behind, in the bushes, behind the wall...etc... you may be. I know this is a little early for the 'moving towards the Passion'. My guess is that it will take us into Lent and perhaps to Holy week etc... In any case, the Passion, as with the Nativity, is with us all the time...]

The last few days have been great! We've had a long rest. Somehow, I found that with his guidance throughout the pilgrimage so far, I have kept the habit of daily contemplative silence with the Gospel even on the 'days off'. That silence, that stillness has become part of me. Of course, it can be hard. The time can be about falling asleep! It can feel like a waste of time. Occasionally it feels exciting and feeding. But the habit now is ingrained. Today we move into the final and long stage of our pilgrimage. When I woke this morning in a bunk at 5.30am (thanks to Columba), from across the room came the cheery question: 'Are you ready?' 'No', I replied in a slightly irritated fashion, given the time. 'Good', said Columba. 'Do you want to be ready?' 'Mmmm? Don't know...for what?' 'For following the Way....' 'By the way', I added, as I put my feet on the cold wooden floor, 'Where are we aiming for...' 'The door', he replied helpfully.

Matthew 21:1-11

Messiah enters Jerusalem. The two principle features of this passage are the attention to detail and the acute connection to the Hebrew Scriptures. The cloaks coming off the backs of the disciples symbolise their desire to participate in The Way. [You might add what I like as a rather appealing image - they were, so to speak, rolling their sleaves up!] The branches symbolise the participation of nature in the Way. The fulfilment of the prophecy concerning a donkey and a colt brings into the present moment, with the other symbols, the role of the followers of The Way to prepare carefully each step as an act of natural obedience to God. The Way is that of death and resurrection being the marks of the community that prepares for the coming of the Kingdom. So with the 'big picture' in mind and heart, the preparation for it is simple but precise.

I would respond now to prepare Thy Way of Love in Thy Life, Thy Death and Thy Resurrection

There is in front of you and the Christian Community to which you belong the demand to work with Christ for the Kingdom of God. Spend time becoming clear about your role and responsibility in that work. Do not force plans and programmes into your heart. Allow your imagination to have the delightful freedom to 'picture' such a Kingdom in your context, no matter how outlandish it may initially seem. What is your role in the preparation and in the obedience to The Way towards God's Kingdom as it is to be in your context? What do you imagine will be the cost to you and your community? Take careful note of your expereince of this prayer, as part of the careful preparation.

+Martin
Argyll and he Isles

Matthew under the arm 99

Two men were staring into a field, as we passed them yesterday. Columba was fascinated. 'What are you looking at...?' There was a deep sigh from one of them. 'Look at the cattle. Wonderful. beautiful condition, great pasture... They must produce superb milk.' 'What is that to you?', asked Columba rather cheekily. 'Well, you should see my cattle', said the other. 'Dreadful condition... poor pasture and I don't make enough money to feed them or winter them properly.' Columba paused for a few moments then asked: 'What do you want?' There was nervous laughter between the two envious men. 'Come on!' pressed Columba. 'Don't know really...!' 'Yes, you do!', Columba said with a wry smile. 'You want these cattle.' 'No, No, No.....' came the rather weak denial. 'Well, if you don't want them, do you wish that this farmer had cattle in the same condition as yours' . They were angry now, not suprisingly. I was embarrassed and felt that an ugly scene was ensuing. 'Well, alright. Yes, we do want their cattle. But we can't have them, can we?' 'Yes, you can', replied Columba. 'Go and learn how these cattle are reared and looked after. Then you will have cattle like them. And stop complaining.....' I was even more embarrassed. 'By the way,' added Columba. 'These cattle are not the possession of this farmer. Maybe what you really want is a superior farming image for yourself, not the cattle at all'. I wandered off thinking to myself that Columba can be pompous! [I'm away for a few days break from Tuesday next week... ]


Matthew 20:29-34….
The crowd feels that Jesus is its property. ‘Our’ Jesus must not be interrupted by ‘you’, even when there is some urgent request for help from someone not part of the crowd. Perhaps, they cry for pity because it feels to them that they are inwardly blind as well. They do not want to articulate their real desire in front of the crowd of followers, in case they might be ridiculed. Jesus insists that they name exactly what they want. They must take responsibility for what they desire. We avoid that because we have a self-image that we want to protect. To name what we want seems either aggressive or demeaning and might lead to rejection.

Open your heart and mind that you may trust Me with your desires


In some cultures, their language does not have possessive pronouns, like ‘mine’, ‘ours’, ‘yours’…. In English, it is not possible to do so without losing meaning. But Jesus cannot be owned. He is not the property of Christendom. Jesus comes to me to stimulate me to take responsibility for all that I am, including what I desire. Use the sentence for a good stretch of time and then express clearly and simply what it is you desire. Notice your feelings as you name them. Be simple, direct and don’t try to be too sensible! Then ask Jesus…!

+Martin
Argyll and The Isles

Matthew under the arm 98

Altogether it was a sad and disturbing experience. Columba and I had been walking from first light. The sky was heavy and grey-dark - almost threatening. We had had with us, for several days, a young man who had just joined the pilgrimage. He had felt so proud that he had walked all day with us. On his second day, he was 'blissfully' happy that he had learnt so much about Christ and so much about prayer and so much about loving action. Yesterday morning, As we were leaving our hostel, an old woman who had been sleeping rough rushed up to the young man and asked for some money. He refused. 'Well, would you take me into the hostel and buy a little bread and hot milk for me?' His reply? 'Look - not now! I am on a pilgrimage. I am into my stride now and must press on to my next stage, otherwise I will lose momentum and interest in the pilgrimage.' He strode off. Columba took the old lady into the hostel and bought her bread and hot milk. By the time Columba finished listening to the old lady's life-story it was the afternoon. I looked up the the empty road and felt sad for the 'not now' of the young man...

Matthew 20:24-28….
In this ‘against the grain’ passage, Jesus seems to demand the impossible, at least psychologically. Our images of greatness are turned on their heads. We assume that by being a servant, we will at best be used, but mostly ignored. Despite the fact that most who have become great do not appear to enjoy their greatness, most are addicted to it. In a sense, Jesus is freeing us from addiction or what is called ‘status anxiety’. Greatness begins by being aware of the insatiable desire for significance and then working to find that significance in others, which is Christ.

My Strength and My Life are discovered within you through service


Most of your discontent comes from fear. Fear, in turn, is based on lack of affirmation or being rejected. It is the circumstance of the majority of the world’s population. Spend some time in your meditation simply observing your own discontent. Feel it, but do not judge yourself or anyone else. You will notice that it is hard to put away, it is so basic to your experience of life. For some, it will be more pronounced than others: raising, perhaps, disturbing feelings and memories. Allow Christ’s own self-knowledge and acceptance to enter into you deeply as you meditate with this sentence. As you leave your silence, be of some service to someone: a letter, a phone call, an email, a visit… pray for that person. Do it soon! In fact, do it now!...you never know....

+Martin
Argyll and The Isles

Matthew under the arm 97

[Forgive me... I have been away from my blog for too long. I wish I could give the excuse that I had the seasonal bug.... but as the exxistentialists say: 'No excuses!'.... So I am wondering whether anyone is still out there!]

Oh dear! Oh dear! Very embarrassing. A woman religious appeared outside the little stone chapel this morning, just as Columba and I were going into to say together the Morning Office [So beautiful at this time of year with those wonderful psalms and readings focusing on fulfilment and hope.... Christian spirituality at this time of year always makes me want to peep around every corner as if Christ might appear in the most unlikely circumstances. Maybe he has and I haven't noticed!]. Anyway, the woman didn't (luckily) know who Columba was. She had met me two days before after a big celebration when, I must confess, I had more to eat and drink than was good for me! 'So here you are about to say your prayers with your strange friend and your life-style bears no comparison to what your lips say'. I was cross and eased up to her with clenched teeth, only to be pulled back by Columba. 'I suppose,' she added with one of those snooty smiles full of condemnation, 'You are another one who says one thing and does another'. I was just about to reveal to her who Columba was when he pulled me back. He smiled at her and simply said,' Why don't you come in and join us?' 'Join you? I will meditate in the silence of clean air! You have let Christ down'. 'You're right', said Columba,' So why don't you come and pray with us and help us be stronger before God....? We could do with your strength, perhaps.' I scowled at Columba. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders.... Infuriating man!



Matthew 20:17-23….
Denial of reality is a common experience, particularly when an event may effect us deeply. This third prophecy of Jesus execution is matched by Peter’s three denials a little later. Reality is frequently too acidic for the digestion to cope with. There is also the naivety that Jesus and His Kingdom of God is some place, some utopian landscape where the followers will realise power and, frankly, what amounts to egotistical admiration. Religion is a magnificent playground for the ego, and particularly the frightened one and the one that seeks for power under the mark of spiritual righteousness or, worse still, false humility. To be fair, however, a mother naturally has hopes for her son who has followed Jesus faithfully. We are to face the reality that for all who follow Christ, the Kingdom of God is more of a process, a ‘Kingdoming’. ‘Taking up your cross’ in some form is a prerequisite to understanding the nature of God’s love which is evolving all the time. Following Jesus is about verbs, and they cost dearly.


Wait on My Light and My Truth, and be awake to their development within you


I want recognition. I want to be noticed. And so do you! Even the more content among us. Be aware of that desire and strangely it has power over you. Jesus is modelling this process by gently heightening the awareness of his forthcoming suffering, in which the disciples, all of them will share. Move back into a memory of an experience when you felt most abandoned; indeed when you have suffered most. Do not stay in those memories long. Just acknowledge them. Now remember them in detail and imagine Jesus there in the stories. Picture what he does or says. Then remain with Him and not the memory in the silence using the sentence.

+Martin
Argyll and The Isles