Another verse from Psalm 51:
. . . in the secret of my heart teach me
wisdom (verse 8b)
This verse is about silence and
contemplation, and about the fruit of a very personal and private relationship
with God. When I pray it, I hear echoes of the teaching in the Gospel passage
for Ash Wednesday, when the Lord says, “when
you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in
secret.”
Where is your “inner room” and
how do you get there? I used to use a guided meditation with my students where
I invited them to construct in their imagination an actual room, that was a
private and safe space for them, where no one else could enter. It was for them
a place ready to induce contemplation.
Perhaps you can do the same
thing. Let the room be anything you like, and decorated in a way that would
support you in your prayer. It isn’t located outside of you, but rather within
you, in that deep and secret space where the Holy Spirit resides, and rest
there. Use a prayer word or phrase to center your attention, and maintain as
much inner silence as you can. Not only can you pray to the Father, but also
the Father can speak to you without words, touching your innermost place with
gifts of wisdom and peace.
What results from this is rarely
something we can speak to others about, and it’s possible that we can’t even
put it into words for ourselves. But as time goes by, we begin to see its
fruits: perhaps a chance in attitude, or a new way of dealing with things that
is completely different from what we do by habit.
We see the world differently,
and things make sense where previously nothing made sense, and meanwhile our
own ways of looking at things begin to evolve. Review the qualities of wisdom
found in chapter 7 of the Book of Wisdom, and reflect on whatever word or term
resonates with you at this point in your life.
You will experience more love in
your life, more peace in your heart, you will become more kind and more
sensitive to the times when you act or react without kindness.
Finally, you will notice that
God is, indeed, creating within you a clean heart. Give thanks always.
God bless you.
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