Greetings,
Friends.
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk-in-docs,
Welcoming you to another day as we walk through Lent,
Looking at the I Am statements of Jesus in John's Gospel through the lens of Easter.
Today we continue to reflect on Jesus' words in John 14,
I am the way,
The truth,
And the life.
And so I invite you to settle and be still,
To set aside any distractions,
To take a deep breath in,
And out.
Let yourself arrive fully in this moment.
Simply be here,
Now.
And imagine with me for a moment,
Standing in a sunlit field.
The air is warm,
The light is golden,
A gentle breeze moves through the tall grass,
Carrying with it the scent of earth,
Of life.
You hear the rustling of leaves,
The distant song of birds.
You're literally in a place where life is flourishing,
A place of abundance.
And in the midst of that,
Jesus says the words,
I am the way,
The truth,
And the life.
Now note that the word that's used here for life in the Greek is zoe,
And the word zoe is more than just about mere existence.
This is vibrancy,
Fullness,
A life that's brimming with the presence of God.
I am the way,
The truth,
And the life.
We've already talked about Jesus bringing life and life in abundance or life to the full.
This is what zoe is.
And as you reflect on those words,
You feel the life around you.
The movement of the wind,
The warmth of the sun,
The pulse of your own heartbeat.
Let yourself be aware,
Fully aware right now,
Of the gift of life within you and around you.
I invite you to take a deep breath in and out and just be completely mindful of your body,
Of your surroundings in the quiet moment and feel the life of God.
And now in the midst of that mindfulness,
Of that consciousness,
Of that presence,
Of that vitality and vibrancy of God that's around you,
I put to you this question.
Now that you know it's there,
Where in your life do you long for that fullness to fill?
Are there places within you that feel dry?
Allow this presence that you know is there,
This vibrancy of God to bring rain on that dryness.
Are there places within you that feel weary?
Then allow this life to bring rest and vitality back where you need it.
Are there places within you that feel burdened?
Then allow the mindfulness of this presence of God around you to lift that weight and remove that burden from your shoulders.
Are there places where you've settled for mere survival rather than truly living?
Then let this vibrancy,
Fullness and life brimming vitality and presence of God restore the fullness of life.
Now imagine Jesus standing beside you in this field of light and life,
His presence steady,
Even radiant.
And he looks at you with deep love and says those words I mentioned before.
He says to you,
I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.
Once again,
I invite you to let those words settle into your heart.
What does abundant life look like for you?
Remember,
Not just a busy life,
Not just a successful life,
But a life that is rich in meaning,
Rich with joy,
Rich with love.
A life where you're fully present to God,
To others and to yourself.
What does abundant life look like for you?
And then Jesus reaches out his hand.
Walk with me,
He says.
Let me show you what it means to be fully alive.
And imagine with me taking Jesus' hand,
Responding to that invitation,
Feel the strength in his grasp.
He begins to walk and you walk with him.
Step by step,
With each moment,
You let go of what drains you,
What holds you back.
And with each breath,
You receive his life.
His joy and his peace.
As we come towards the end,
I invite you just to take three breaths with me,
One for each of those things.
I invite you first of all to breathe in life,
The life of Christ.
Breathe in and out.
And now I invite you to breathe in the joy of Christ.
Breathing in and out.
And finally,
I invite you to breathe in the peace of Christ.
Breathe in and out.
Jesus,
Breathe new life into me today.
Let me not just exist,
But to truly live.
Let my days be filled with your presence,
My heart open to your joy,
My steps guided by your love.
And may grace,
Peace,
Joy,
Life,
And that love go with you every step of the way today and every day.
Amen.
Peace be with you as the Lenten journey continues,
Friend.
Bye for now.
