Jesus A Dialogue with the Saviour

Chapter III

Jesus is the truth. In Him all is truth. In so far as the truth which is in Jesus is discovered, all truth is discovered. This can be applied to the science, art and culture of men and women. We must see the world with the Saviour’s eyes.

a Dialogue with the Saviour

Chapter II Being seen by Jesus

“We would see Jesus,” certain Greeks said to the apostle Philip. And it is always just this prayer which I address to the Holy Spirit. O Lord Holy Spirit, make me see Jesus!

The pure of heart will see God. The sermon on the Mount makes it quite plain. And Jesus can be seen only by the pure of heart, who can move directly to the very heart of the Gospel. For them, it is very simple.

Jesus A Dialogue with the Saviour
by a Monk of the Eastern Church (translated by a Monk of the Western church)

Chapter I

The Gospel begins with the Genealogy of Jesus Christ. What does this long list of Hebrew names mean?

For the Jews, they felt the necessity of underlining the descent of the Messias from David. Another meaning is that in this lineage there are murderers, adulterers and incestuous persons.

Jesus A Dialogue with the Saviour

Meg: This is the second book by Lev Gilette, a monk of the eastern orthodox church, who once was a Benedictine. The first one was "A Day with Jesus".

Again, the profoundly prayerful text is posted here for an example. We learn this only by doing our own dialogue with Our Lord.

Introduction by Louis Bouyer. Then, the introduction by the Monk of the Eastern Church.

Chapter XIV
Easter morning
I say to thee, arise. Mark 5, 41.
I wake up and behold You are with me. On waking up, I feel Your Presence which enlivens me. I feel Your love enveloping me.

This evokes the many times Your disciples awoke in the days of Your earthly pilgrimage. I know these Galilean dawns, on the shore of the lake, between Tiberias and Capharnaum very well.

Chapter XIII

Asleep in the ship

And there arose a great storm of wind: and the waves beat into the ship, so that the ship was filled. And He was in the hinder part of the ship, sleeping upon a pillow. Mark 4, 37-38.

Chapter XII
The bread which we break
We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence. Luke 13, 26.

Normally no day passes without our taking some nourishment. In this day which I am trying to spend with You, Master, I must also put all nourishment, both of soul and body, into relationship with Your person.

Chapter XI
In the highways and byways

A certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging. And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked what this meant. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Luke 18, 35-37.

There are some men and women who have the privilege of living a cloistered life, a life hidden in You, O Lord. And only those who do not know can consider such a life as useless or inhuman.

Chapter X
The outstretched hand
And immediately Jesus stretching forth His hand took hold of him. Matthew 14, 31.

Lord Jesus, physical attitudes are not unimportant for our contemplation. Each one of Your corporeal acts described by the Gospels has a meaning according to the Spirit. Can Your customary actions inspire mine?

Chapter IX
Explanation of the parable
And when He was come into the house from the multitude, His disciples asked Him the parable. Mark 7, 17.

Master, You speak to us in two ways. You speak to us in the midst of the community of those who believe in You.

You speak to us in and through Your Church to whom You have entrusted the dispensation of Your Gospel.

Chapter VIII
In Your rest

Come apart . . . and rest a little. Mark 6, 31.
I should like to meet You, O Lord, just as much in my rest as in my day’s work. But is it my rest? No, it would be more accurate, more in keeping with the intention and with the general line of these thoughts to say: in Your rest.

Chapter VII
The laborers in the vineyard
Son, go work today in my vineyard. Matthew 21, 28.

Lord, by Your own life and in Your own life You have sanctified work and fatigue, effort and the result of work.

One could see in work the perfection of man or the meeting of man and nature. But for Your disciple, it is from You, from Your example that daily work receives its meaning.

Chapter VI
He wrote on the ground
But Jesus bowing Himself down wrote with His finger on the ground. John 8, 6.

O Jesus, whatever be the subject matter of each one of my readings – even a scientific or technical text or a purely literary one – it should be “animated” by You. By no matter what detours, it ought to communicate You to me. Or rather, each time I read, I ought to hear You reading.

Chapter V
He rose up to read
And He rose up to read. And the book was delivered unto Him. Luke 4, 16-17.

Lord Jesus, if one day slipped away, through my fault, without my opening the Book, that day would be empty of meaning. I would have neglected a meeting with You, a meeting which You have prepared and willed.

Chapter IV
The garment which is Christ

Meg: I will be away from internet for another week or so. It seems to me that each reader of this blog can learn this method of lectio only by doing it. I suggest that you take this theme of getting dressed, putting on clothes and do this dialogue with OUr Lord. The references of Scripture in the Eastern Monk's writing might be helpful.

I will also do this, but not post my meditations as the point is to have one's own direct experience in the Presence of Our Lord.

The father said to his servants: Bring forth quickly the best robe and put it on him. Luke 15, 22.

Dressing is a vital necessity. The man who wakes from his sleep, who gets up and who washes himself, must still get dressed. I tried to meet Jesus in my ablutions. I can also meet Him in the everyday acts by which I cover my body with clothing.

Water

Meg: With each chapter of the book, Day with Jesus I am practicing the lectio method that I see the Monk of the Eastern Church used. It is lectio of experience through the text of the Gospels.

This is the Feast of Your Sacred Heart. There's no more powerful attraction than the Sacred Heart image here in the west and the Prayer of the Heart from the Jesus Prayer tradition held sacred from the eastern Christian tradition.

Chapter III A Day With Jesus
If I wash thee not . . .
If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with Me. John 13, 8.

Washing takes away what soils, rubs out what stains. It refreshes and revives. Lord Jesus, from the beginning of the day, You call me to find You in this water which washes me.

A Day With Jesus: Meg’s Chapter II
Being Seen

You are well documented by the four Gospels and much of Paul’s testimonials.
You were seen in Jerusalem, Galilee, Jericho, Bethlehem and in-between as you made many journeys in your public life of teaching, healing and be-friending the poor, the least and the sinners of every kind.

Meg: This little book A Day with Jesus seems to be out of print. I will take my time to enter it chapter by chapter and then put my parallel meditation the next day's posting. A Day With Jesus by a monk of the Eastern Church. Translated by a monk of the Western Church. Comes from the French Presence du Christ (Editions de Chevetogne, Belgium) Library of Congress Cateloge Card Number: 64-23931 is published by Desclee Company New York 1964.
I have some travels coming up so I'll not be able to do this everyday in the next week or so, but will continue posting as I have time and space.

A Day With Jesus: Chapter II
For a commemoration of Me
(Do this for a commemoration of Me Luke 22:19)

Lord, at the Last Supper You said to Your disciples: “Do this for a commemoration of Me.” (Luke 22:19). This utterance had a very special meaning. It referred to the bread and wine, which were given, to Your broken Body and to Your shed Blood.

I shall venture to make a broad application of this statement, but (God forbid!) not a sacrilege. Without confusing the unique act of Your supper with any other action, and now with each reality in its proper order, I should like to extend these words ”Do this for a commemoration of Me”_ to all the daily acts which You performed and which I perform.

A Day with Jesus:

Beech Grove Chapter One: Upon Rising

Jesus, you bent over Peter’s mother in law, took her by the hand and lifted her sickness from her and raised her up. She got up and served, presumably you and your disciples.

Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them. (Mark 1:29-32).

This morning you bent over me. Took my sleep away and raised me up to full consciousness. The day was clear, bright, mildly warm with a soft breeze.