Being Present (Mid-week Message)

"Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall see God."  (Matthew 5:8)  "Martha, Martha, you are distracted by many things.  One thing only is necessary."  (Luke 10:41-42)

Being present and putting your whole mind into the task or activity at hand is one of the key elements of Western and Eastern contemplative practice.  Being "in the moment" is a constitutive element in being happy and finding God in our hearts.   And this is not merely limited to such things as meditation or prayer.  Meister Eckhart taught that the true contemplative must focus on the next task at hand and put his/her heart into the doing of it.  

Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh (who was a friend of Thomas Merton) wrote the following: 

"To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you aren't doing them.

"If I am incapable of washing dishes joyfully, if I want to finish them quickly so I can go and have a cup of tea, I will be equally incapable of drinking the tea joyfully."

Let us not let our hearts and minds be distracted.  Focus on the next right thing we need to do. 

Grace and peace.