Lectio Divina

by Fr Jean Celestin Ngoma

 

Prayer for Stillness

Still in me, my doubts, my anxieties about your existence, about your concern, and about your fidelity.

Calm inside me the compulsion to leave a mark, to plant a tree, to have a child, to write a book, to create some form of immortality for myself.

Give me the grace to trust, even in darkness and doubt, that you will give me immortality

(Ron Rolheiser)

 

1. Lectio (Read)

 

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”…Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’

St Matthew 21:1-13, ESVUK

 

Silence

 

I choose the sacred phrase “Calm inside me the compulsion to leave a mark…” to lead my meditation in the presence of God.

 

 

2. Meditatio (Rejoice and Reflect)

 

I try to imagine in my mind's eye Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, with crowds cheering for Him. In contemporary terms, I perceive Him as a celebrity and a powerful influencer. This significant moment in which the influencer of my soul made his entrance has left a lasting imprint on the history of Israel. The crowds laid palm branches and their garments on the road, seeing in Jesus a temporal messiah who arrived in the name of the Lord to save Israel. The entire city was stirred, which may have prompted the religious leaders to conspire against him. This event is termed "triumphal," embodying success, achievement, and immediacy, rather than sobriety, humility or meekness.  The crowds yearned for Jesus to be the messiah they anticipated, a political, practical, and immediate figure, driven by their fleshly impulses and the existing political landscape. I too would likely share this same perspective if I had been among them.

Calm inside me the compulsion to leave a mark...

 

Pause

 

The image of the donkey from the small village on the Mount of Olives, located just over half a mile from the Temple Mount, continually returns to my thoughts.  Jesus chose a donkey, an unassuming and impractical choice.  He preferred a donkey over a grand royal horse.  I envision the significance that my Lord has attributed to that humble donkey.  The kingship of Jesus embodies love, sobriety and humility.  Zechariah 9:9 reverberates in my mind:

 

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

    righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Calm inside me the compulsion to leave a mark…

 

I somehow struggle with a sense of urgency, impatience, and pride.  My mind often feels like a spiritual battlefield, torn between my Faith in God and the urgent concerns of this life.  I yearn for calmness, sobriety and humility within me.  This is the choice that my saviour made, the donkey option!

Calm inside me the compulsion to leave a mark…

 

 

3. Oratorio (Ask and Pray)

 

As I reflect once again on the entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem, I draw a creative parallel between this event and the way I invite the Lord into my heart to revisit how I love my fellow human beings.

The arrival of the Lord in my soul has left lasting impressions, some of which are truly indelible. My ordination to the priesthood, my marriage, and the births of our daughters stand out as particularly significant milestones.

Through my baptism, the Lord has healed certain disordered passions within me, transforming areas of my life that were once neglected. Each day, I eagerly welcome His presence into my soul through the practice of daily prayer.

Calm inside me the compulsion to leave a mark…

 

Silence

 

What is the heartfelt message for my soul today?

What hinders your triumphant yet humble entrance into my soul, Lord Jesus?

As I continue reading, I note that the latter part of the Gospel from Matthew brings to light that our mind can become a marketplace if our disordered passions remain unchecked. Jesus was not happy to see how people had transformed the temple into a marketplace, where doing business and seeking profit dictated their behaviour. 

In this battlefield of the mind, Jesus desires that my mind and heart become a sanctuary of love, a place to worship and love my God with all my heart, soul, and mind, and to love my neighbour as myself (cf. Matthew 22:37-40).

I contemplate Jesus's tone as he rebukes the merchants who have turned God’s house into a den of robbers, echoing the spiritual and physical bondage that may prevent Jesus from making His triumphal entry into our souls to allow us to experience His divine healing grace.

Calm inside me the compulsion to leave a mark…

 

Silence

 

I now turn to God, asking Him to calm the turmoil I have created within my heart and mind, my complacency.

Quell my disordered desire for recognition and fame.

Mellow the pride that hinders my patience.

Lord, help me in becoming more realistic, helping me to acknowledge the blessings You have already bestowed upon my life.

Grant me the humility to imitate the mind of Jesus.

Calm inside me the compulsion to leave a mark…

 

 

4. Contemplatio (Yield and Pray)

 

I reflect on the moments in my life when I encounter the Lord, times of gratitude and re-connectedness with Jesus in the Eucharist.

The Eucharistic celebration reactualises in me the words of the crowd: “Hosanna to the Son of David…Hosanna in the highest!”

In this celebration of Jesus‘ words and deeds for me,  I express my praise and joy to the Lord for the profound sense of fulfilment He grants me, motivating me to communicate with Him and sing: “Hosanna to the Son of David… Hosanna in the highest!”

I also consider the times when I failed to praise and sing Hosanna to my Lord, moments when I did not grow in love and gratitude.  Even in those instances, I affirm: “Hosanna to the Son of David… Hosanna in the highest!”

 

Calm inside me the compulsion to leave a mark….

 

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