6th Week of Lent

Summary of all the weeks of Lent

Rev Mario’s meditation in the Lent book focuses on the betrayal of Christ.

Over this Lenten period we have been considering the ways in which we strengthen or betray the Christ, and reveal or veil the I Am. Rev Mario’s meditation urges us to look at the use and misuse of our energy. Let’s review our Lenten journey.

The four major betrayals that we have covered are:

• Thinking and speaking too quickly
• Judging people and situations
• Being sucked into materialism
• Misusing our will

These four stages are the ways we strengthen our I Am:

We must be energetic with our thinking, not cut our thoughts short before we reach a deeper understanding thereby deepening our wisdom. When we allow time to listen and respond fully to others, we connect to others on a more spiritual level rather than just in a material, superficial way.

By remaining at the searching and gathering stage of thinking as long as possible, we maintain openness and life, and we create the future through thought, speech and action. We do this in the full knowledge that we are responsible for the future, as we know that we have created the present in which we now live.

We become like Jesus when we are able to enter into a person’s being or respond to a situation fully and with compassion. Fully entering into relationships can grant us glimpses of karma and revelations of grace.

We can become aware of how judgments form in our astral body and express themselves in our semi-awake consciousness as feelings, impulses, passions etc.. We practice this awareness when we strive to set aside our likes and dislikes and we remain objective and compassionate.

In the war that continually rages in our being, the I Am, not the astral must be in charge of our soul. Our I Am wants to see below the surface of events, to see what are often called coincidences. The astral forces that suck us into the body and into materialism are very strong and want to push the I Am aside. When we search for hidden spiritual connections, our I Am enlightens us.

Christ’s spirit of love and freedom can release departing souls from bondage to the earth. When we pray, the light of our devotion can lead these souls safely to Christ.

When our I Am can engage in our daily life, it reveals the power of Lucifer to drag the past into the present. Like a spotlight it reveals Ahriman’s plan for us to have tomorrow today.

The highest expression of the I Am is pure will. The road to it is thinking. If we can become a bit more consciously aware each day, our I Am will lead us forward according to God’s will.

If we cleanse our blood of the astral fires, we can balance temptation and evil and, like Christ, we can do the will of the Father.

Right thinking, cleansed feeling, and purified will are the imperative soul tasks of our time. They are not just some self-improvement program to make us feel self-satisfied. The future rests on the thoughts of each one of us. The unfolding of the I Am in our community depends on the purification of our desires. The future of humanity as co-creators depends our ability to stand in the power and presence of Christ.

May reality, truth and deep insight be ours, now and forever more.

The inspiration for these words was drawn from “Meditations for the Days of Lent” by Rev Mario Schoenmaker.

From The Secrets of the Christian Festivals by Kristina Kaine https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08D6CPL8D/

Art: Agony in the Garden by Frans Schwartz