Meditation Instructions for Sun., April 27, 2014

For this Sunday, April 27th, the focus for our meditation will be on Chances.  A young software engineer named Patrick McConlogue not too long ago moved to New York City to further his career.  Nothing unusual there.  But, after crossing paths with a homeless man named Leo Grand he took a Chance and did something most people found totally reckless.  Instead of offering Leo a handout in the form of money, Patrick offered to teach him software coding instead.  Initially, skeptics were critical of Patrick’s naivete and ridiculed him by joking that the inexpensive laptop he provided Leo would be sold on the street, and he would never see the man again.  But that didn’t happen.  Not only did Leo diligently pursue the training, he was driven to “make the world a better place” and used his new skills to write a mobile application to encourage ride-sharing.  I love the creative solution Patrick came up with in trying to help someone who was homeless and especially the ripple effect it generated.  Leo’s life significantly improved, and his new skills ended up helping others as a result.  Although Leo was a total stranger, there was “something about him” that struck Patrick every time he walked by him on his way to work.  The rest is history, as they like to say.  However, none of this would have happened if Patrick wasn’t first willing to take a Chance.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us consider if there are Chances we might need encouragement to take in our own lives.  Is there something we might dream of doing that we have been held back from taking a Chance for fear we would fail?  Let us ask for the courage to take on reasonable risks in our life and be willing to take Chances for without stepping out of our comfort zone we may never grow.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the entire nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands.

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us, and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.

Ask yourself how do I feel when I am willing to take Chances in my life?  How does it feel in my body when I have the courage to take a Chance to risk failure in order to experience unimaginable success?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to k_miritello@bellsouth.net or kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., April 20, 2014

For this Sunday, April 20th, the focus for our meditation will be on Anticipation.  Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays.  Beyond the fact it manages (for the most part) to escape the commercialism of Christmas it has more to do with the significance of the events behind this commemoration.  The austerity of Lent and the sorrow reflected in the Good Friday remembrance of Christ’s crucifixion are so joyously overcome with his ultimate resurrection.  It also has to do with trying to imagine the Anticipation of Mary Magdalene and the others who waited outside the tomb where Jesus was laid to rest.  To me, the fact that Mary remained there for three days shows an incredible amount of faith.  She simply was not to be deterred from bearing witness to the eventual fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to triumph over death.  As I try to imagine what it was like for Mary I feel myself waver periodically in my faith and confidence.  Would I have stayed by the tomb for the same length of time?  What if Jesus had been wrong?  What if the man who so frequently spoke in parables had been misunderstood and never possessed the ability to actually rise from the dead?  There are times when we are filled with joyful Anticipation as an event we know with certainty will be delightful awaits us.  But there are other times when these periods of Anticipation are filled with a mixture of worry and doubt as to what lies ahead.  I think back in my own life about the positive Anticipation I felt before attending a concert or party and contrast that with the less sanguine Anticipation that tended to consume me when waiting to hear whether I had been accepted into grad school or would receive a much-desired job offer.  We all experience times of uncertainty and Anticipation in our life, but let us focus the energy of our meditation this week on filling those periods with confident optimism as to the eventual outcome.  Let us ask to be given the calm assurance of Mary that will sustain us in moments of doubt.  May we be shown a way to ballast our Anticipation so we experience greater serenity by trusting what will happen will be for our higher good.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the entire nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands. 

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us, and connect to the circle of others participating in this project. 

Ask yourself how do I feel when I am filled with Anticipation and the knowledge that something wonderful awaits me?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to remain confident and serene when Anticipating an outcome?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to k_miritello@bellsouth.net or kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., April 13, 2014

For this Sunday, April 13th, the focus for our meditation will be on Self-Knowledge.  In ancient Egypt, when mystery school initiates would enter the temple where they were to be trained, writing above the entrance would admonish them to “Know Thyself.”  This concept of Self-Knowledge was so important that it was the first step they had to master.  Having the ability to conduct an honest self-appraisal was necessary for anyone wishing to pursue a spiritual life.  On one hand, you needed to recognize what were your gifts – the natural talents and abilities you possessed that could be developed to their fullest so you could better serve.  Just as important, however, was the awareness of your faults and weaknesses for these likely required even more attention in order to overcome their detrimental impact.  In my experience, understanding my potential flaws has been critical to my self-development and is without doubt part of a lifelong challenge.  Just because I recognize that I have a strong tendency toward impatience or continually struggle against the magnetic pull to be a hermit doesn’t automatically overcome these impulses.  However, until I acquired the realization that these tendencies would prevent me from achieving true happiness I was unable to even begin to work on them.  It took that moment of Self-Knowledge to be able to remove the blindfold and engage in the slow process of trying to bring more control and balance into my life.  Another benefit to Self-Knowledge is the eventual discovery that a spark of God resides in each of us.  When we look deep within to Know Ourselves with more honesty we realize that ultimately we are all part of the Divine.  As a result, developing the ability to Know Thyself allows us to more deeply acknowledge our connection with Spirit.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us consider how well do we Know Ourselves?  Let us ask that we be given gentle assistance in seeing that which we may be unable to recognize within that will help us progress in our spiritual development.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the entire nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands.

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us, and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.

Ask yourself how do I feel when I Know Myself honestly, deeply, and without self-judgment?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to Know Myself in a way that helps me become a better person?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to k_miritello@bellsouth.net or kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., April 6, 2014

For this Sunday, April 6th, the focus for our meditation will be on Monitoring.  Numerous studies have shown that when people consciously Monitor some aspect of their behavior or lifestyle, such as wearing a pedometer to count steps taken each day or logging calories into a daily log, they tend to make healthier choices.  I recently began using a wrist pedometer to see just how much (or little) walking I did in a normal day.  Capturing these behaviors in an objective and quantifiable way serves as a surprising motivator.  I find myself periodically logging in on my smartphone throughout the day to Monitor my progress.  As I get closer to a particular goal I find my optimism increased that I will be able to reach a specific target, and it motivates me to even try and exceed it.  It has modified my behavior in many small ways.  Traveling through an airport I eschew the moving sidewalks and instead walk through a concourse to acquire more steps.  Sitting at my desk I set a timer to remind myself to stand up periodically and either walk in place or take a quick stroll around the house.  A friend recently brought my attention to an article about those who are caregivers for elderly parents.  A program in San Francisco created a support network for caregivers to meet and share their frustrations but also provided them with pedometers to encourage them to take better care of their own health.  The physical benefits from their increased activity brought them even more improvement in stress reduction.  The resulting cascade of physiological advantages such as lower blood pressure, reduced level of stress hormones, etc., all serve to make them healthier caregivers whose burden of responsibility takes less of a toll on them.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us consider how we daily Monitor ourselves.  What is important enough for us to pay regular attention to and serve as an index of what matters most?  Is there something in our life we may be ignoring that would benefit from being Monitored?  Let us ask through our meditation to be shown what we may be neglecting in our life that deserves closer Monitoring and to be given encouragement to make better choices.

Additionally, please send the energy and light of your prayers to Fort Hood, Texas which has once again been struck by senseless tragedy this past week.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over Fort Hood, Texas and the entire nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands.

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us, and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.

Ask yourself how do I feel when I consciously choose to Monitor some aspect of my behavior in order to make healthier choices?  How does it feel in my body when I objectively Monitor my activity in a way that encourages me to do better?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to k_miritello@bellsouth.net or kmiritello@gmail.com