Meditation Instructions for Sun., October 27, 2019

For this Sunday, October 27th, the focus for our meditation will be on Standing.  I recently finished reading a wonderfully inspiring book titled, “Tattoos on the Heart” written by a Jesuit priest named Gregory Boyle.  Father Boyle took an assignment early in his ministry to head a church in the most troubled section of Los Angeles that was plagued by gang violence.  His mission was to create a sanctuary that would enable gang members to leave their past behind and start a new life.  To explain the motivation for his mission, Boyle wrote, “Success and failure, ultimately, have little to do with living the gospel.  Jesus just Stood with the outcasts until they were welcomed or until he was crucified—whichever came first.”  Boyle chose to Stand with the outcasts of gang members most of whom ended up in gangs because of being raised in incredibly dysfunctional and abusive families.  Father Boyle was initially worried parishioners would rebel against his vision for the church, but they embraced it fully.  As a result, his endeavors led to a decline in gang violence and inspired a nationwide movement of job creation and skills training to serve as conduits out of the gang life.  One of the surest ways for a society to decline is for citizens to become apathetic observers to the ills around them.  Father Boyle shows us how to move beyond judgment and be willing to take a Stand that may not be popular with others but that ultimately leads to the greatest good.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask to find the courage to take a Stand on the important issues facing our communities.  May the light and energy of our prayers help guide our actions and spur us to Stand up rather than shy away from all that needs to be done to help us move forward.

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 taken a Stand on issues that are important to me and my community?  How does it feel in my body when I have found the courage to Stand up for others, especially those who may be considered outcasts by society?  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., October 20, 2019

For this Sunday, October 20th, the focus for our meditation will be on Lessons.  Frequent flyers know there is an unwritten but universal code that the poor soul in the middle of a three-seat row gets ownership of both arm rests.  Recently I was sitting in an aisle seat next to a woman and her husband.  He had the window, and she was in the middle between us.  I noticed immediately after they took their seats that she was not only claiming a stake to the armrest between us (acceptable behavior) but was also stretching over into my seat and extending her elbow against me (not acceptable behavior, at least in my book).  The struggle began as I firmly resisted her encroachment into “my space” and would not yield against the obvious pressure from her arm.  I’ll admit that if the middle seat is occupied by someone who is quite large, I will give them additional latitude in this matter.  She was slim.  Also, if the person in the middle seat appears to be working on a laptop and needs extra elbow room to be able to type I will grant them the space.  She was not.  So, as the flight took off my internal seething began to build.  I was consumed with feelings of resentment and superiority and judgment.  The laughable thing is I was reading a spiritual book on my iPad at the time.  Here I was, all absorbed in trying to understand these profound concepts about brotherly and sisterly love and look how well I actually failed to embrace them in my life.  It was another one of those “in your face” Lessons from God that crop up any time I think I’ve got a handle on this whole spirituality thing.  As the beverage service began before I could refuse the flight attendant plunked down on my tray some packaged snack that is definitely not on my ketogenic diet.  Initially I thought I’d just stash it in the seat pocket for the next traveler.  But then something urged me to offer it to my seatmate.  She was initially startled, then delighted, and lo and behold a détente was reached in the armrest wars.  The ice thawed, we began to engage each other in pleasant conversation, and whether she no longer extended into my space or I no longer noticed, I truly can’t recall.  The experience was a small Lesson, but a valuable one, for me and another needed instance of gently pointing out my tendency toward critical judgment.  I can only imagine my spiritual guides laughing at me as the situation unfolded, saying with glee, “We’ll show her!”  There are opportunities for Lessons like this all around us, if we pay careful attention.  These are not to belittle ourselves but to help us recognize our foibles and to ultimately grow.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask for kind assistance in seeing what Lessons life has to bring that will aid us in our evolution.  May we be gently reminded of all we still have yet to learn and be guided through the valuable Lessons that life can bring.

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 recognize the value of the Lessons that I can be taught through my life’s experiences?  How does it feel in my body when I appreciate the opportunities of growth from life’s Lessons, even the small ones?  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., October 13, 2019

For this Sunday, October 13th, the focus for our meditation will be on Equality.  The U.S. Supreme Court is presently considering arguments on the case of whether the Civil Rights Act extends to protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation or transgender status.  It is baffling to me that in this day and age we as a nation even need to pass laws and then rule on their interpretation in order to insure basic rights of Equality for all people.  I have to admit I was woefully ignorant on this issue and assumed such protection already existed.  I was aware that same-sex marriage was not recognized or legal in all states but naively thought that was the only extent to which LGBTQ persons faced an uphill legal battle.  The cases serving as the basis for the Supreme Court deliberations clearly indicate otherwise.  Two gay men fired because of their sexual orientation and a transgender woman fired for wanting to live her life as a female.  The landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 introduced protections against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.  Why would we exclude from its mantle those who have a different sexual orientation or recognize themselves to be of a different gender than the physical body into which they were born?  The repercussions of the outcome of this Supreme Court case are likely to be vast, and I ask in our prayer and meditation time this week we lend our light and energy to the Supreme Court justices to be filled with wisdom, fairness and compassion that leads them to a decision that finally guarantees Equality for all. 

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 importance of true Equality for all citizens regardless of our differences?  How does it feel in my body when I embrace a desire for Equality for all and the right to protection against discrimination?  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., October 6, 2019

For this Sunday, October 6th, the focus for our meditation will be on Questioning.  Studies have shown when accidents occur that could have otherwise been avoided the blind acceptance of commands often contributed to the calamity.  Sociologist Charles Perrow, who researched industrial accidents, wrote, “If one person has unquestioned, absolute authority over a system, a human error by that person will not be checked by others.”  I tell my clients when I am coaching them to improve their interviewing skills never to accept a response at face-value.  Instead, they want to doublecheck what is being stated against what they already know to see if it makes sense.  Too often people assume others in positions of authority are more knowledgeable or competent than perhaps they truly deserve.  If something doesn’t sit right with them or seems to stray from the expected reasonable response, I advise them to follow up with additional Questioning.  If we don’t seek clarification our brain will quite readily work to fill in the gaps and attempt to rationalize information that otherwise should be deemed incomplete or contradictory.  As with most things in life, the key is in finding the right balance.  A Questioning mindset doesn’t necessarily lead to jaded skepticism where nothing is ever accepted or believed.  In this instance I am referring to when something seems amiss and to be willing to Question or gather additional information.  If we all followed this process, I’d like to think we would be better protected against falsehoods, particularly the urban myths that seem so prevalent in social media.  Someone posts something without fact-checking, and suddenly its impact is multiplied.  The defense that people just assume it must be correct because they read it on the Internet all too often proves us wrong.  Questioning can also be done in a respectful way that does not demean the other person’s character.  By asking to confirm their certainty or seek clarification both parties can benefit when misunderstandings or distortions are avoided.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask to be guided during instances when we would be best served to Question authority.  May we find the courage to Question others with respect in a way that guides us all to stay on the path for the truth.

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 Questioned information that did not seem accurate to me?  How does it feel in my body when I am willing to speak out and Question what others are accepting if it feels divergent from the truth?  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