For those of you who recall physics in school or college you may remember the meaning of electrical resistance. The “resistance” of a wire determines how much current and voltage flows through it based on its character, its essence. During some recent retreats it seems this relationship can also be applied to the way we enter into prayer and communion with God.

Perhaps this is nowhere truer than in contemplative prayer, particularly meditative prayer forms where we are encouraged to “tune out” the rest of the world and listen for that small, still voice mentioned in scripture so frequently. Eucharistic Adoration, Centering Prayer and even imaginative prayer all call the issue of our “resistance” to listen and stay quiet to hear what God wants us to receive.

One major factor limiting our growth in this area is an unwillingness to give in to God’s will, but rather make requests to suit our own benefits. While there is intrinsically nothing wrong with prayers of petition; we all do them all the time … it does not place us where we need to be when we take a contemplative prayer route. In contemplative prayer, we are placing ourselves in a disposition of “opening our heart to God, without an agenda or goal”, we trying “to rest in Him” and let go of all of our own needs. The Our Father and many places in scripture describe this fully in the words “Thy Will Be Done”, which also means, God’s will be done, not my will.

Placing ourselves in this position, requires us to drop all resistance which keeps the electrical current which God wants to provide us with … grace … flowing at full tilt. When we surrender to His will the agenda is gone, our needs are gone, our requests are gone. We just place ourselves at the Foot of the Cross and rest in Him.

During my own journey, I can plot many times when I was grateful to God, but I still resisted the call to be really close to Him. Not because He was not present, but rather I was unwilling to drop my internal resistance. I was unwilling to be vulnerable; to be humble; to be open to His complete love by dropping my own guard fully. I needed to rest in His arms as a small baby would do in the arms of their parents or grandparents.

Perhaps it is time to reexamine my own resistance to surrendering to God. Am I fully on board with “Thy Will Be Done” and leave my own will at the door? My answer is I still have some way to go.

So perhaps the old saw, “Let Go and Let God” still has much relevance in my spiritual life today. I will work on it. Perhaps you are being called to look at resistance in this new light.

Just a thought.

RESISTANCE

Holding back once again,

The tortoise returns into its shell,

Hiding myself from the outside influences,

Disguising an interior motive.

Undiscoverable to other mortals;

Or so it seems.

Yet the very resistance which keeps my face stony in adversity,

Freezes me in my relationship to God.

Holding my sadness in a gaze of perpetuity,

Where a smile or love cannot easily emerge,

As my heart holds tight its meaning from the world.

Until the resistance is unlocked,

In a surrender to the Other.

This time without motive,

Agenda,

Or even purpose.

Into a time warp of love.

Reflection and Photograph © 2018 Michael J. Cunningham OFS

Sometimes we meet with someone who seems unwilling to listen to us. In fact, if we review a week, we probably can populate the week with many instances of “unwillingness” in others to respond to our messages and requests.

However, how about our own willingness to listen to others, hear what they have to say, respond with more than an “automatic” negative or counter response. Conclusions which affirm an existing disposition or opinion on something are often there are the ready. The more we use them, the firmer our position becomes on a specific item, and we gradually morph into a walking set of conclusions and opinions; ready to engulf others at a moment’s notice. OK; I am exaggerating a little bit here, but I can always feel myself moving into this territory, particularly when I am threatened or challenged on something.

Recently, it became obvious the relationship between our unwillingness to listen to others and our prayer life. I was reading a book by Cynthia Bourgeault, where she notes the following on Spiritual Transformation regardless of the prayer path you might take. Here she talks specifically on contemplative prayer, but can imagine with works for all prayer forms.

“the recipe for spiritual transformation is basically the same all over: surrender, attention, compassion. One way or another, you will pass through the same eye of the needle no matter what path you’re on.”

This first step is surrender. And surrender means to be listening and open to God during the prayer period. If we can relate to these steps in all prayer, then does it not also apply in our everyday lives? Of course it does, but it’s also easy to separate our “everyday life” from our prayer life. Even if this is the wrong thing to do.

We are informed in so many ways in scripture and prayers to focus on “Thy Will Be Done” and yet, we still begin with our opinion being the one that matters. We have to surrender to God’s will fully in order to have an intention within our prayers, and this also means listening to others before we decide what the response should be.

So, this week, I will make an effort to listen first, to surrender to God as the first part of my prayer life and try and integrate the two practices. Just to listen to His words, often softy spoken through others.

An Unwilling Mind

UNWILLING

Unwilling to listen,

And unwilling to hear.

XXX

Unwilling to learn,

Or listen to facts.

XXX

Unwilling to research,

And therefore, to analyze.

XXX

Unwilling to move,

A mind or a heart.

XXX

Unwillingness.

A sadness which precludes anger.

XXX

Let us undo unwillingness,

And see the curtain open; revealing the light of a day.

Well, have just passed the two-year anniversary of this column, and more than 100 reflections, it seems as if the name chosen for this page has never been more relevant. Over the past two years, I have heard different interpretations of what is the meaning of the name. Does it mean God’s Word Made Flesh always goes unbroken in our lives? Yes. Does it mean you can never break the sacred Words of Christ? Yes. Does it mean we should break down God’s Word so we can use it practically in our lives. Yes, Yes and Yes.

Seeing, at a distance now, the troubles of the Church returning and amplified in the spotlight of the “me too” movement, perhaps it is time for another meaning. That we remain unbroken during these times of trouble. The number of people who have broken the code of “the Unbroken Word” of Jesus Christ are those who remain firmly planted in the seed they were given at their baptism. While that seed may have been given by another, it changed us internally and set the scene for us to do more in our lives for others than for ourselves. We put on “the Mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) and by doing so activate the divine grace from being made in His image.

By keeping this unbroken connection to Christ in times of trouble we can be renewed in grace, enveloped in love and blessed in wisdom. A wisdom which will make us avoid the divisive nature of our society and our attempts to punish the Church by withholding our ministry, presence and resources. At times like this it is easy for us to separate ourselves from the clergy and make the clergy appear to be the “Church”, yet we are the Church. The Body of Christ. There is only one pastor at St. Eulalia’s, and hundreds of parishioners, all of whom are lay people. We, together are the Church, the Body of Christ. So we cannot just become like Pontius Pilate, washing our hands of the matter, or as the mob outside shouting “crucify Him”. We have to engage, but prayerfully, intelligently and always with love. Once we let love move from our hearts, we are lost.

Let us put on the Mind of Christ in our response, and do what is needed to protect our relationship with Christ, our Church and all who enter.

Peace and all Good. (St. Francis of Assisi)

Anger

Anger is the withdrawal of love,

Often, but not always, completely.

xxxx

Anger is the communication method of the other side,

Whether from a willful self-will,

Or blamed on the Other Guy.

xxxx

Anger is the gun used in the knife fight,

Where feelings overtake love and reason.

xxxx

Anger has many disguises,

But enjoys itself the most when power is demonstrated.

xxxx

Anger has no rewind button,

But does often lead to regret.