Guided Eucharistic Meditation

As we enter Holy Week during this Covid-19 crisis, Christians around the world are mourning the loss of regular worship in communities of faith. This Eucharistic meditation, while not the real thing, is a love offering. As we navigate some new and uncharted waters, Eucharist is a reminder that this Easter story is, above all things, a love story.

Transcript

Rituals,

Like communion,

If approached with humility,

Attention,

Openness,

And love,

Can be God's gift to us,

A gift which can help transform us and help us see the world and act in the world in the ways that our faith tradition prizes.

Eucharist,

Which means give thanks or thanksgiving,

Is a ritual enacted by Christians all over the globe.

So I invite you now to take a comfortable seat.

Lift your heart,

Relax your shoulders down,

And allow your eyes to close or your gaze to soften.

Perhaps with your eyes closed,

You can notice the light that shines through your eyelids despite their being closed.

Invite a softening to your belly and take a deep breath into that space,

Filling up like a balloon,

And then exhale slowly and completely.

Take another full,

Deep inhalation,

This time bringing the breath all the way up into your rib cage and your lungs.

Exhale slowly and completely.

Begin to inhale again,

Filling belly,

Ribs,

Chest,

And then pause at the top of the inhale.

Exhale through your nose slowly,

Completely,

Until you feel that emptiness.

Belly draws back into spine and take another breath,

Slowly filling belly,

Ribs,

Heart space.

Pause at the top of that inhale,

Feeling the fullness here.

And when you're ready,

Exhale again through the nose,

Completely emptying out.

Continue deep breaths,

Filling up and letting go,

Filling up and letting go.

Filling up and letting go,

Finding a rhythm that is slower than normal,

But one that works for you.

Now I invite you to imagine yourself seeing yourself inside a large room,

An upstairs room,

In a stone building overlooking the city of Jerusalem many,

Many years ago.

Survey the room,

Look around,

And observe what you notice.

Outside an open window,

You see that the city is bustling,

People are coming and going,

Preparing for the traditional Passover celebration.

Notice the difference between the outside world and this room,

The sanctuary that has been so carefully prepared for you and the others.

Inside the room,

There's a large wooden table and chairs.

It is set for a meal.

The space seems to glow in the candlelight as the sun hovers low in the sky.

The flickering candles illumine this simple space.

The room feels like a holy space,

And you move to the table to take a seat.

Beneath you,

Feel the dusty,

Rough,

Hewn wooden floor beneath your bare feet.

Taking your place at the table,

Feel the weight of your hips and legs surrender to the seat beneath you.

And settle in,

Perhaps with a deep sigh.

And sitting up tall,

Breathe in the warm spring air,

And breathe it out again slowly.

Allowing your thinking mind to relax completely.

Notice the clothes you're wearing and feel the sensation of the fabric draping against your skin.

Become aware of the sounds outside the building.

You might hear birds in the distance,

And the voices of people scurrying around the building.

And those sounds begin to meld and muffle in the distance as your awareness drifts back into the room.

Now open to hear the sounds inside this room.

The four walls surrounding you provide insulation from the outside,

Offering a welcome respite from the chaotic world and some sorely needed downtime.

You might hear the sound of the floor creaking as your friends begin to join you at the table.

You hear the sound of their breath,

Some heavy and labored from climbing the stairs.

In contrast with yours,

Already more settled and rhythmic,

The scents float through the air and you notice each one.

Take another deep breath in,

And as you exhale,

Sense the gravity of the reason for which you and your companions are assembling here today.

Although you may have been in a room such as this before with this same group,

This time it feels different,

More somber perhaps,

More serious.

Dusk begins to settle over the city,

And you notice the sound of crickets and frogs as they begin chanting their nightly mantras.

As one by one your friends gather silently at the table,

You feel their presence.

The echo in the spacious room diminishes some as bodies begin to fill the space.

Each one of you is absorbing the sound of vibrations with your very bodies.

You breathe in deeply of this awareness,

And you breathe out gratitude for your beloved friends.

You are a diverse group.

Different though you are,

Now you share much in common.

In the growing stillness,

In silence,

You wait.

Breathe in again deeply,

Filling your lungs and pausing to feel the fullness of breath in your body.

Then slowly,

Fully exhale.

While you may not share similarities with your now dear friends,

You share a deep affection.

And this evening you share the air in this space as you collectively breathe together.

In and out,

Synchronizing your breath as one.

Enjoy several more deep,

Long,

Full breaths together.

Each inhale relaxes the mind,

And each exhale relaxes the body.

Your physical body begins to respond to the calm in the air,

And you soften your face,

Relaxing your brow,

Your cheeks,

And your jaw.

Your teeth may part,

And perhaps your tongue drops down from the roof of your mouth.

You may swallow to relax your throat.

After a few more deep breaths,

A deeper calm sets in,

And the room becomes very,

Very still.

Then he enters softly.

His presence is palpable.

The energy in the room shifts.

The air becomes lighter.

Although your eyes are closed,

You see him so clearly.

Soft,

Compassionate eyes,

Welcoming arms.

Peaceful,

So peaceful.

A deeper hush comes over the room,

And you wait,

Breathing in,

Breathing out.

As he takes his seat at the table with you and the rest of the group,

A slight shiver runs up your spine.

Your entire body responds to his presence with a kind of electricity,

But at the same time,

You're calm and very still.

Your heart feels lightened.

Your mind relaxes even more.

There is nothing else but this present moment.

You breathe in this moment slowly,

As if to savor it.

When you exhale this time,

Your body relaxes even more.

Your body,

Your mind,

And your spirit are all deeply,

Acutely aware that you are in the holy presence of love itself.

You know you have been summoned for a reason.

It's different this time than before.

His time approaches.

He has tried to prepare you.

The thought arises.

We have not wanted to hear of such things.

We don't quite understand everything that is happening.

It's happening so very fast,

And yet,

He remains utterly patient,

Deeply compassionate.

He knows us and every fault,

And yet,

He loves us completely.

This thought threatens to take your breath away,

But you catch yourself and breathe deeply of this moment,

The only moment,

Now here with him.

After a blessing,

You share a simple meal of fish and vegetables.

The conversation is light and congenial.

After dinner,

You and your dear friend sit back and relax as he begins to speak of things you could not begin to imagine.

Breath comes and goes through the body,

Keeping you calm and centered,

Determined to remain in this precious moment.

Time appears to stop.

No future,

No past,

Only this moment.

And then there's this thought.

He's doing something,

As he always does.

He has changed our world,

And now here he is doing it again.

What is this spell he casts?

It is the most powerful magic of all,

The deepest warmth you can imagine,

The clearest sense of calm and comfort,

The most dear,

Loving embrace.

Gently,

You remind yourself to come back to your breath.

This is your anchor during this challenging time.

Breathe deeply.

Breathe deeply.

Breathe deeply.

Remember this moment always,

And in all ways,

You demand of yourself.

But how?

You hear him speak now.

He is giving thanks,

As he has done so many times before.

When there is movement,

The removal of cloth from an object,

The aroma of fresh baked bread greets your nostrils.

With great anticipation,

You breathe in its fragrance.

You hear him as he begins to break it apart,

Piece after piece,

As he softly instructs,

Take,

Eat.

This is my body which is given for you.

Do this for the remembrance of me.

In your mind's eye,

And with heightened sensations coursing through your entire body,

You reach out your hands to take from him the small offering of bread.

You gaze deeply into his eyes as he pauses in front of you,

His eyes tell all,

Mirroring your pain,

The world's,

And his own suffering that is soon to come.

How is he so calm?

For a second,

It is more than you can bear,

But you remember again to breathe.

A deep inhale,

You share God's breath with the rest of the broken world.

A slow exhale,

And God's love enfolds and consoles you,

Bringing you back to this precious moment.

As he patiently,

Methodically makes his way around the table,

Presenting the others with the same physical and spiritual nourishment,

You allow the bread to rest for a moment on your tongue.

The hard,

Dry,

Crusty substance softens,

And you begin to chew.

It is difficult to swallow this particular gift,

But you do.

You feel it as the lump travels down your throat,

Becoming forever a part of you,

The aftertaste undeniably pungent.

Another breath in,

And another breath out.

What is happening?

You are thinking now,

It is change.

It's too fast.

One of us will betray him?

Surely no,

You think to yourself.

Keep breathing,

Just keep breathing,

And keep awake.

Stay awake.

The admonition comes from somewhere deep inside.

You hear the sound of liquid pouring,

And smell the aesthetic fruitiness of the wine.

He gives thanks again,

And you hear his familiar voice tenderly,

But firmly invite.

Drink this,

All of you.

This is my blood of the new covenant,

Which is shed for you and for many,

For the forgiveness of sins.

Whenever you drink it,

Do this for the remembrance of me.

As he begins to pass the cup of wine,

You shudder,

But somehow again remember to breathe.

Where are you going?

No,

Stay awake.

Stay awake.

Be here.

He offers the cup,

Lifting it gently to your lips.

You freely accept the dark crimson liquid,

Feeling its warmth flow slowly down the back of your throat.

It is both bitter and sweet.

Once more,

The group sits together in silence,

Basking in the profound holiness of the sacred moment.

Through grace,

This unlikely group has become one.

Through him,

You have come to be one with God and one another.

The room seems to swell and expand as you continue to breathe and be together.

You sense the powerful energy of your shared connection.

The prayer spontaneously arises,

And you let it,

Perhaps a soft thank you.

Begin now to deepen your breath.

Feel all four corners of your feet making contact with the floor.

Your eyes can stay softly closed as you begin to wiggle fingers and toes.

And you deepen your breath again,

Gently allowing your awareness to come back to the room you are currently in,

Back to this day,

This time.

Before your eyes do open,

You might recall the thoughts,

The feelings,

The sensations that you just experienced and store them deeply inside your heart.

When you feel ready,

Open your eyes and stretch.

Reviews

Connie what an extraordinary gift you have offered us here, these keep awake moments in the holiness of pure Love. Thank you. ❤️

This was a very moving meditation that was perfect for Eucharistic adoration. Thank you!

Wow. Really beautiful and atmospheric! Thank you so much Connie! 🙏😊❤️

Wow...so powerful. I am so honored to have met, felt and to be with Jesus in this way. I felt my place at the table. Thank you!

So beautiful and moving. Thank you.

That was beautiful. Gives me added meaning through the lens of love for the next time I take communion in person. For now, I feel as if I have just taken it 😌💚

Totally uplifting. It soothed my soul. Thank you.

What a beautiful, holy, immersive, and love-filled meditation. Thank you so much!

Wonderful. Thank you for this gift to our global community 🙏