Being Present – Reflection on Mark 10:28-31
It is challenging to give up things that distract from our relationship with Jesus to instead believe in eternity and practice God’s Word. Jesus recognizes this effort by filling our hearts with joy and incrementally giving us hundreds of times more Spirit than we could have imagined. It is up to us to discern how to maximize these gifts, especially those that utilize our spiritual life. I use the expressions to do and to be help understand the pure spiritual aspects. To do is easy to understand because we know the Holy Spirit guides us to do for others, for instance, by providing food, money, or help typically by doing something. However, the Spirit also has another attribute and gift requiring significantly more trust. To “just be” for others is to directly share a movement of the heart as peace of the Spirit within us with someone. We touch the edge of to just be when we are being present by giving our full attention by listening or just sitting in the quiet with someone. However, there is seldom discussed depth of being by asking the Spirit to actively participate with us in a less familiar way. When we observe someone out of sorts with anger, disheartened, distressed, or in pain is the perfect time to just be. To just be means completely stopping everything we are doing, quieting ourselves, and desiring the Spirit to give that person an actual share of the peace and comfort Jesus gave us. This giving is different than praying for the other person. While not precise, we can think of it as intellectually transferring part of our reservoir of spiritual benefit to someone else. Jesus did this all time as He observed others, and we can stand in place of Jesus without the person knowing we are doing so or us knowing the person. Christ will warm your heart in a new way as you learn to be without speaking words or moving because you have completely stopped everything to place yourself last.
The First Shall Be Last, James Tissot painting at full resolution.
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Additional Ordinary Time Reflections
Mark 10:28-31 – Scripture*
28 Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this Gospel and reading this Lectio Divina on Mark 10:28-31 Reflection – Being Present to Others.
Would you like to contribute related thoughts to these Lectio reflections on the Gospel readings? Since Lectio is not the only contemplative prayer style, others might appreciate these types of expressions in this ministry. Do you see God’s grandeur everywhere and unconditionally enjoy sharing the love of Christ that you have inside? Are you willing to be anonymous in what you would share? If so, email me.
Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite worldly distractions.
Attributions
*This site has permission to use the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) Bible Mark 10 passage.
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