Meditation Instructions for Sun., August 30, 2015

For this Sunday, August 30th, the focus for our meditation will be on Action.  Franciscan friar and author Richard Rohr once wrote, “We don’t think ourselves into a new way of living; we live ourselves into a new way of thinking.”  What his wisdom teaches us is that it takes more than sheer mental discipline and willpower to create change; it takes Action.  One may have the best of intentions to break a bad habit or take on a healthier way of living but until you really Act on that intention no progress can be made.  The failure to take Action is the curse of both the procrastinator and the perfectionist.  While one perpetually delays for another time something that never comes to be the other is restrained from Acting until all conditions are perfectly aligned.  Rohr’s writing reminds us that the power of thought is limited as to how much it can accomplish.  Real change can only come from our striking out and taking Action, even if we are not certain of what needs to be done first.  It is as though we could recline in our armchairs and plan an entire trail hike by imagining each individual step.  At some point we need to get up and begin walking, even if we aren’t sure where the path will lead us.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider whether there are changes we would like to make in our life that we need to Act upon.  Is there something different I would like to see in my life that I need to take that first step and through Action bring it to reality?  Let us also look across our nation and consider what changes are needed that require people to take Action so they come to be more than a mere thought or wish.

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 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 eager to take Action in order to effect real change in my life?  How does it feel in my body when I am aware of the progress I can make by taking Action rather than just thinking about change?  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 kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., August 23, 2015

For this Sunday, August 23rd, the focus for our meditation will be on Self-Esteem.  Mental health professionals have seen an alarming increase in stress and anxiety disorders among college students, and statistics indicate a corresponding increase in suicide rates among 15- to 24-year olds.  Our youth are under such pressure to build resumes rather than build character that it is easy to lose sight of figuring out one’s own identity instead of tacking on activities to impress others.  Comparisons with one’s peer group can seem unrealistically harsh with postings to social media that make it appear everyone else but you is living the perfect life.  I recall the angst of adolescence – those awkward in-between years where you try to figure out who you are as an individual.  There was a time when I would take out my wallet and proudly leaf through the growing collection of laminated cards and slips of paper that I mistakenly felt represented my identity.  A library card was trumped by a school identity card which eventually became trumped by a driver’s license, and then my very first credit card (from a gasoline company).  There was a false sense of identity and even accomplishment that seemed to sprout from each successive addition of small slips of paper or plastic.  It took some time, but I eventually came to realize that my identity came from within and that Self-Esteem had to blossom inside rather than being given to us by others.  Once I came to understand that life felt so much easier.  There were still hardships and disappointments, but at the root of it all I had developed a genuine liking of who I was that helped weather those bumpy places.  This week in our prayer and meditation time, let us ask that our young people across this country who are beginning the school year recognize the importance of valuing themselves and feeling a genuine sense of Self-Esteem.  May the light and energy of our prayers help those who may be struggling with feelings of self-worth, and may they be encouraged on their life path to appreciate their unique identity and develop the Self-Esteem that will sustain them through the challenges that will come.

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 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 truly cherish who I am as an individual and thus feel a strong sense of Self-Esteem?  How does it feel in my body when I realize my sense of Self-Esteem comes from within me and not from others?  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 kmiritello@gmail.com

If you or someone you know may be considering ending a life via suicide please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 and speak with someone who wants to help.

Meditation Instructions for Sun., August 16, 2015

For this Sunday, August 16th, the focus for our meditation will be on Participation.  Have you seen the cartoon showing a person standing in front of St. Peter at the gates to heaven?  The accompanying bubble quotes St. Peter as saying something to the effect of, “You had a wonderful life, but you missed it because you were looking at your phone.”  I see this all the time.  Young couples seated across from each other at a table in a restaurant and rather than engage in conversation each is absorbed with their smartphone.  People at a sporting event who instead of taking in the event live and enjoying the crowd bury their head and watch the action on their phone screen.  Even without the distraction of modern technology it can easy for some people to sit on the sidelines and be mere passive observers of the life around them rather than full Participants.  To Participate in life means to be fully engaged in or to become involved in what is happening around you.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider how fully we Participate in life.  Let us ask if there are times we remain more distant rather than engaged with others and ask to be gently shown how to be more active Participants in the events around us.  If more people across this nation were willing to be involved rather than sit idly and criticize perhaps we would have fewer crises to deal with in our society.

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 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 an active Participant in the events of my life?  How does it feel in my body when I am fully engaged with others and Participating in activities rather than being passive?  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 kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., August 9, 2015

For this Sunday, August 9th, the focus for our meditation will be on Agreement.  I once had a colleague whose wife had recently been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma remark that there was too much fuss made over breast cancer in terms of fund raising and public support.  His comments came, no doubt, from his frustration and helplessness over his wife’s situation and feeling as though not enough attention had been paid to curing her form of cancer.  What stunned me at the time was his apparent resentment of anyone outside his immediate circle of distress and need.  It was as though her form of cancer was more important than other forms of cancer.  We are seeing something similar in recent weeks with the bickering back and forth among groups who align with a cause and demand that any other group’s interests be considered subordinate to theirs.  The public outrage over the killing of a protected lion was met with equal indignation not just by pro-hunting groups but by numbers of people whose sole focus on other important issues so consumed them that they could not express Agreement or empathy for a different cause.  As one social networking post put it, it was as though an unhealthy competitive spirit somehow crept into our need for affiliation.  Why should people care about global warming when we really should focus on trying to feed the poor?  Shouldn’t my child with leukemia be considered more important (and therefore more worthy of a cause) than your child with autism?   And on and on it goes.  Rather than allow others to hold different views, people feel compelled to force them to accept the prioritization of their own needs and interests.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider that sometimes we want to be willing to Agree to disagree with each other.  Neither side has to be forced to accept the other’s point of view and opinions – we simply want to recognize that differences can be Agreed upon as acceptable. 

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 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 Agree to disagree with someone who has different views from mine?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to reach a state of Agreement with another person who holds different beliefs?  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 kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., August 2, 2015

For this Sunday, August 2nd, the focus for our meditation will be on Helpfulness.  Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that you cannot sincerely try to Help another without Helping yourself.”  Seeing another person in need and stepping forward to Help, even in the simplest of ways such as opening a door for someone, can snap us out of our own little world of egotistical self-focus.  If we are wallowing in self-pity it can help us recognize that there are others with far worse burdens than what we carry.  I can’t think of a single quality that would bring greater improvement to the world than if people were more motivated by Helpfulness.  Envy and greed would instead be replaced by seeing those who lack and taking action to Help them through generosity.  Anger and hatred would be left behind by those who might otherwise lash out and attack others to redirect their energy toward bringing aid and comfort to their fellow human beings.  Imagine the conflicts that could be avoided if people acted from a desire to be Helpful to others rather than in finding fault and criticism.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask to be reminded to consider before we speak or act whether the result will be genuinely Helpful.  May we seek to find ways to be more Helpful to those around us and in the process recognize how we ultimately receive benefit as well.

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 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 motivated to be Helpful to those in need around me?  How does it feel in my body when I am aware I become a better human being by seeking to Help others?  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 kmiritello@gmail.com