Jesus looked up and said, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  She replied, “No one sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.  Go and from now on do not sin anymore.”  Jn 8:10-11

Around the third century AD, there developed in Christianity a movement of people away from population centers into the deserts.  These men and women were driven by a desire to deepen their relationship with God and so, like Jesus at the start of his ministry, went into the desert to reduce the distractions of the world so that they could spend more time with God.  These man and women became known as the desert fathers and mothers.  These hermits became spiritual masters of all aspects of the spiritual life.  St. Anthony the Great was the first of these to develop a rule for living in community.  The wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers had a major influence on the development of Christianity.  Many of the teachings of these monastics have come down to us through the centuries.  Over these last meditations we will be examining some of them to help us gain insight into our own prayer life.

These words of John’s gospel (above) are from the well-known story of the woman caught in adultery, our gospel reading for this Sunday.  When I picture this scene in my mind, I see the woman standing with her head bowed, her face dusty from the courtyard, through which she had be dragged.  Tear tracks running through that dust, down her face.  The tears falling in great drops to the ground, punctuating the writing of Jesus who is kneeling at her feet.  How those tears must have changed from ones of fear to tears of joy as she witnessed her accusers leaving and Jesus looking up, a loving expression on His face, as he says “Neither do I condemn you.”

Evagrios the Solitary, one of the desert fathers had this to say about prayer; “first pray for the gift of tears, so that through sorrowing you may tame what is savage in your soul. And having confessed your transgressions to the Lord, you will obtain forgiveness from Him. Pray with tears and all you ask will be heard. For the Lord rejoices greatly when you pray with tears.”  This saying is at the heart of the Church’s practice of the examination of conscience.  Spend some time today if front of a crucifix, reflecting on the broken wounded body of Christ.  See in your mind’s eye what he would have saw from that cross, how the sweat and blood from his forehead stung his eyes, blurring His vision of his Mother and the beloved disciple.  Hear what He heard; the buzzing of flies around his ears, tickling him to distraction but having no way to drive them off.  Try to think of all five of His senses and what He would have experienced through them.  Then consider your sins and pray for remorse, that gift of tears. Pray to hear the words he spoke to the woman; Neither do I condemn you.

Lenten Action

If you are a regular practitioner of contemplative prayer, during your dedicated prayer time practice the presence of God as you normally do adding the modifications, if any, you incorporated from the PIPPG suggestions. 

If you are new to meditation and contemplative prayer, during your dedicated prayer time practice the presence of God as outlined in Section 1 of the PIPPG booklet.

Today is not a Fast day or a day to abstain from anything including TV, computer games, social media or other forms of electronic media on your phones and Ipads. Have fun playing in the electronic world if you like, but try to find God in all you do.