November 2011
The Sisters of the Good Samaritan offer you a simple reflection starter on a current book that reflects Good Samaritan Benedictine spirituality.
Each month we will offer some questions based on a chapter of the book. These questions may help you to reflect and pray. They can also be used for small group sharing. Currently it is:
St Benedict on the Freeway: A Rule of Life for the 21st Century by Corinne Ware, Abingdon Press, USA, 2001.
Chapter 5 – “Ways to Pray”
The reflection starters below may help you plumb the depths of the text and explore more deeply what the text is saying to you in your daily life.
As you read chapter 5, “Ways to Pray”, notice any words or phrases that connect with your experience, surprised you or raised a question for you?
- How do you understand Paul’s instruction to Christians in Thessalonica “pray without ceasing” (p.95)? Pause and reflect on your own personal prayer. What helps you to pray without ceasing?
- Choose one of the prayers from pages 97-99 that expresses something of your innermost thoughts and share your response.
- When words fail you, which of the psalms gives voice to your thoughts deep within?
- Share your favourite rhythmic prayer, a favourite “phrase said over and over to the rhythm of your breathing, your walking, or any other repetitive thing you do” (p.104)?
- What are some visual images that comes to mind when you think of God and your relationship with God?
- Reflect on your own prayer experience. When you pray is there a particular physical gesture that helps bring you “into the awareness of God’s presence” (p.109)?
- As you review chapter 5, reflect on your own experience in prayer. Is there something in the chapter that you might explore further to nurture your prayer experience and help you to be in deeper relationship with your God?