Meditation Instructions for Sun., April 30, 2017

For this Sunday, April 30th, the focus for our meditation will be on Remembrance.  Have you ever had someone with whom you perhaps had only a passing acquaintance unexpectedly pop into your mind?  There are people we encounter in life who sometimes have a far greater impact on us than we initially realize.  When I was in college I worked at a local movie theatre selling tickets.  An elderly woman regularly came to matinee showings who was very well-attired, perfectly coiffed and always attended the movies alone.  I think part of what left an indelible impression on me was her eyes.  They were stunning, a piercing violet that rivaled Elizabeth Taylor’s memorable look.  Our interactions never moved beyond superficial pleasantries, but there was something about her that noticeably exuded peace and joy that remains with me to do this day.  I’m sure she is no longer living, but for years now I find her face come into my thoughts.  I doubt she had any idea that she left such an indescribable memory with a young person.  Occasionally I meet up with people with whom I similarly had only a passing encounter many years prior.  It always stuns me when they make some remark about something I said or did that stuck with them.  Thankfully it is always some minor act of kindness or thoughtful word, and never the grumpy moments they seem to recall.  But I am always surprised that they remembered something I considered so trivial.  This week during our prayer and meditation time let us consider how our actions and words may unexpectedly leave a lasting impression on others.  May we ask to always hold a fond Remembrance in our heart and mind of those who have had a positive impact on us, and may a greater awareness of how we affect others help guide us to act in a more loving, thoughtful way.

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 what do I feel in my body when I have a Remembrance of someone who had a positive impact on my life?  How does it feel in my body when I recognize my own actions and words may leave a Remembrance in those I encounter?  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., April 23, 2017

For this Sunday, April 23rd, the focus for our meditation will be on Miracles.  Last weekend Christians celebrated Easter commemorating the Miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I remember the first time I observed a genuine Miracle.  A woman who had experienced a stroke and was nonverbal for some time suddenly recovered her ability to speak following a healing session.  The odd thing is that at the moment it never occurred to me it was Miraculous.  After all, there was no choir of angels singing or blowing trumpets to herald the event.  There were no bolts of lightning from the sky or bushes that blazed into flame.  It was only later when someone pointed out a Miracle had happened that I came to appreciate the significance of what had occurred.  An event like that is truly Miraculous, but we want to recognize there are more minor Miracles that occur all the time around us.  Sometimes we become so distracted by the pressures of day-to-day life we don’t even notice the small things happening that may be considered Miraculous.  The process of birth is always incredible, and on a much smaller scale we are surrounded by many miniature Miracles right now as trees bud and flowers begin to bloom.  On a more mundane level, small Miracles happen when someone needs to find a good parking spot that suddenly opens up, or that perfect article of clothing that seems to have been overlooked by other shoppers but is just the right size and on sale appears on the rack.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider what may be happening in our life that could be considered a Miracle.  Let us ask to be shown how to better recognize the Miraculous in our life and give thanks for the presence of even small Miracles that remind us of the presence of God who supports us in all we do.

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 what do I feel in my body when I appreciate the presence of Miracles around me?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to recognize even simple events as containing the energy of Miracles?  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., April 16, 2017

For this Sunday, April 16th, the focus for our meditation will be on Resurrection.  As we enter the Christian three-day holy period beginning with Good Friday and ending with Easter the topic of Resurrection seems quite timely.  There are lessons to be gained from observing those followers who faithfully waited for Jesus to rise again as had been foretold to them.  While none of us faces the seemingly insurmountable challenge of death by crucifixion, there are times when life may try to knock the legs out from under us.  We fall, we experience failure and disappointment and hurt, but the lesson is to somehow keep enough faith to know we too will rise again.  Sometimes our Resurrection comes in the form of rebounding from a crisis by finding a new path to take in life.  During those times when we are feeling assailed on all sides we may need to examine who we truly are and what we are trying to become.  Significant difficulties can force us to adapt and change so that we may ultimately move forward.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us come to appreciate those periods in life that lead us to a rebirth and Resurrection that lifts us up and helps us make progress on our way. 

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 what do I feel in my body when I have faith in the ability to Resurrect myself from the challenges I face in life?  How does it feel in my body when I have experienced the renewal of energy that comes from a Resurrection?  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., April 9, 2017

For this Sunday, April 9th, the focus for our meditation will be on Reductionism.  The concept of Reductionism in the field of science refers to the ability to break a complex theory down into its simpler, more fundamental components.  I find it interesting that some uses of the word Reductionism are considered derogatory.  If you can Reduce a complex idea down into simpler parts it apparently implies the original idea must not have been very advanced or complex in the first place.  In my experience, however, the inability to break a complex concept down into basic components to make it more easily understood by others often reflects the ignorance of the individual who is pretending to be knowledgeable.  They can’t break the concept down and explain it more simply because they themselves don’t truly understand it.  When you apply the principle of Reductionism it strips away all that is nonessential.  The end result of Reductionism reveals the true essence of something.  Where numerous differences may appear among a collection of items the process of eliminating anything that isn’t necessary ends up exposing how much they hold in common.  Take a group of disparate people, for instance, and remove the superficial variances in clothing and accessories and you quickly notice many more similarities than differences.  Conflicts among people occur often because of perceived differences.  You are seen as being different from me, therefore my reaction may be one of fear and distrust.  However, if we applied the concept of Reductionism we might first recognize how much more we are alike than different.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us consider the idea of Reductionism and how we might apply that to others we believe are not like us.  Through the willingness to eliminate perceived differences and instead embrace the commonalities may we be moved to acceptance rather than rejection of those who are different.

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 what do I feel in my body when I am able to Reduce the differences among people and instead recognize the similarities?  How does it feel in my body when I can strip away what is unnecessary and Reduce things to their essentials to better understand them?  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., April 2, 2017

For this Sunday, April 2nd, the focus for our meditation will be on Nurturing.  In the 1950’s a psychologist named Harry Harlow conducted a series of groundbreaking studies regarding the impact of Nurturing on the development of infant monkeys.  These studies were later much criticized for their inhumane treatment and led to a movement to protect the rights of research animals.  In his most well-known experiment Harlow separated monkeys at birth from their mothers and then created artificial surrogates made of either bare wire or covered with a soft cloth.  The results were surprising in that the monkeys preferred contact with the soft, “comforting” surrogate forms even when they offered no nourishment.  When the wire monkeys were equipped with bottles of milk the infant monkeys would only go to them to feed but then spent the remainder of the time clinging to the more Nurturing cloth monkeys.  The studies showed that for social animals it is critical they have interaction that is considered Nurturing during their early development for them to become healthy adults physically and psychologically.  I look at our current generation of children and wonder if we have lost sight of this important concept.  Too many seem to be given every material comfort in the way of toys and electronic gadgets but appear to have a huge gap in the degree to which they are given opportunities to interact with others.  Modern society often imposes the financial burden on families that forces both parents to work full-time which reduces their ability to Nurture their children.  Even as adults we isolate ourselves from others by the almost magnetic pull our electronic devices can hold over us, demanding our attention away from the living, warm human beings around us to instead focus on a tiny backlit screen.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider what Nurtures us and whether we devote enough attention to allowing ourselves to be Nurtured in a healthy way.  Let us also ask that the generations of children to come be given more opportunities for true Nurturing that enables them to develop into well-rounded, mentally healthy members of 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 what do I feel in my body when I am being Nurtured by the presence of caring people around me?  How does it feel in my body when I take time out of my busy life to allow myself to feel Nurtured through interaction with 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