So let's begin by finding somewhere comfortable to sit or even lie down.
You can be sitting in a chair,
Sitting on the floor,
Lying down on the couch or the bed.
But make sure that there's very limited distractions.
So help center the body by using the breath.
We take a deep breath in through the nose and allow the belly to expand,
The chest to expand sternum.
And as we sigh out,
Let the shoulders relax.
Let them drape at your side.
The palms can be relaxed in your lap,
No tension in your arms.
So let's take another deep breath in.
Feel the lungs expand with life-giving air.
And then exhale it out as if nothing happened.
Let's take another deep breath in.
Feel the energy coming in deep to the bottom of your lungs.
Feel the expansion in your chest.
And exhale,
Let it all drop.
So now we invite the Holy Spirit to come into your heart,
Your mind.
First of all,
Your imagination.
We ask the Holy Spirit to guide us into this different type of prayer,
This imaginative prayer,
This prayer of visualization.
It could be something as simple as,
Come Holy Spirit.
And we ask for a particular grace,
A particular gift,
Whether it's the gift of understanding,
The gift of clear seeing,
The gift of connection.
Ask for a particular gift,
Maybe a closer relationship with God.
So if your eyes aren't closed,
You'll close them now and we'll begin to engage our imagination.
So we walk back in time.
We walk back just a couple of days after the crucifixion of Jesus.
We walk through the streets of Jerusalem.
What does it look like?
What does it sound like?
What do you hear?
What does it feel like?
What does it feel like within?
Seeing people on the streets.
What are they talking about?
And then as you begin to walk outside Jerusalem somewhat,
You notice that it is now just before morning.
And you find yourself near a tomb.
And then Mary of Magdala comes to the tomb.
She arrives.
She passes by you.
And then you notice with her that the stone has been removed from the tomb.
So she runs and she finds Simon,
Peter,
And the other disciple and she tells them they've taken the Lord from the tomb and we don't know where they put him.
So Peter and the other disciple go to the tomb themselves and they are both running,
The first disciple running faster than Peter.
This other disciple bends down and sees the burial cloths there,
But he doesn't go in.
Then Simon Peter arrives just a few moments after him.
And he actually goes into the tomb and sees the burial cloths there and the cloth that has covered his head is rolled up in a separate place.
And the other disciple goes in and he sees and then he believes.
But at first they don't understand the scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.
So then they return home.
So then you,
Still standing there at the tomb,
You see Mary and she stays outside weeping.
And as she weeps,
She bends over to the tomb and sees two angels in white sitting there,
One at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been.
And they say to her,
Woman,
Why are you weeping?
She responds,
They've taken my Lord and I don't know where they laid him.
When she says this,
She turns around and she sees Jesus there,
But she just doesn't know that it's Jesus.
Jesus says to her,
Woman,
Why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?
And at first she thinks it's the gardener and she says to him,
Sir,
If you carried him away,
Tell him where you laid him and I will take him.
And then Jesus says to her,
Mary.
She returns,
Turns around and says to him in Hebrew,
Rabbonai,
Which means teacher.
Jesus says to her,
Stop holding on to me.
For I have not yet ascended to the Father.
Go to my brothers and tell them I am going to my Father and your Father,
To my God and your God.
And then Mary Magdala goes and announces to these disciples,
I've seen the Lord.
So you picture yourself in this scene.
Where do you go from here?
Do you follow Mary of Magdala?
Where does she take you?
Or you can decide to follow Peter and the other disciple back to the upper room.
And from there,
You know that Jesus arrives.
You can experience Jesus there.
So you follow where your imagination takes you.
Who do you choose to spend time with?
What do you say to this person or to these people?
And what is their response?
What do you say to this person or to these people?
Keep staying in the scene.
Even if the conversation doesn't occur,
Notice your surroundings.
Notice the colors.
Notice the images,
What do they evoke in you?
What do you hear?
Notice all of your senses to engage with the people.
Again,
You could be a passive observer.
You could be very actively engaged with others.
And although you know you can't change the situation,
You can learn from the actions you see,
You hear,
You feel.
Just stay in the scene.
Notice the feelings.
Notice the stirring of emotion.
Notice the safety.
So wherever your imagination has taken you,
Just say so long to the people who have participated with you.
It's not necessarily a goodbye because you know that you can return to this scene at another time and continue the conversation.
But you know that it's time for you to return to your own time and space.
As you begin to turn around and walk away,
Notice the ground in front of you.
You walk slowly,
It slowly becomes a very familiar place that you might walk every day,
Whether it's a corridor in your home,
A sidewalk in your neighborhood.
As you continue to walk,
You get a recognition that you are now back into the present day.
And then take a deep breath and start wiggling your fingers and toes,
Awakening the body in this moment and this time.
Sometimes it helps to ground us by placing your fingertips onto the ground to reconnect yourself with this moment,
This time,
And this space.
And take another deep breath,
Maybe wiggling your neck back and forth.
As you sigh out,
Maybe open your eyes just a little bit,
Know that you are back into this moment.
And with a familiar prayer that might be comfortable for you,
Or it could be a physical gesture,
Whether it's the sign of the cross or placing your palms together,
Thumbs at your chest and just a soft bow.
And thank you for participating in this practice.
