1 Looking for God's Footprints
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Looking for God’s Footprints Introduction An Experience Looking for God’s Footprints is a way in which, in conversation with others, we try together to discover the God of life. We share what moves us: inspirations, experiences, and events. We try to interpret these in faith as God’s call or challenge. As we do so, we enter into the Old and New Testament tradition of faith. The Bible bears witness to the fact that God’s Spirit accompanies us faithfully. He is behind everything and works in everything. Looking for God’s Footprints guides us to feel and perceive the inspirations of the Holy Spirit in and around us. Just as a windmill captures the wind and converts its force into energy, so what we discover in our hearts, what we discover in the world around us and the signs of our times, has to be understood as “God’s voice”. It should give us the strength and energy to answer this voice in our lives. Looking for God’s Footprints is based on the conviction that we can discover signs of God’s presence everywhere – in what lives within us, in the people we meet, in creation, in the small and great events of history, in developments in science and technology. Looking for God’s Footprints is a process that started in groups and communities belonging to the Schoenstatt Movement. It developed out of their “practical faith in Divine Providence”, through which they tried to search for and find God in all people, things and events. Looking for God’s Footprints is a spiritual path that can be followed by Small groups: After the introductory prayer, a member of the group reads out the accompanying text step by step, and in this way leads the members through a time of meditation. Church and social committees: At the beginning of a meeting, the members review the road they have travelled together. They interpret what they have discovered together and find in it inspiration for future action. Couples or families: At the end of a day they either follow up the events of the day step by step, or else review the previous week, or other period of time, together. Individuals can adapt the steps of looking for God’s footprints to suit their circumstances. An Invitation I would like to welcome you to this introduction to looking for God’s Footprints. • The first section presents the process of looking for God’s footprints. The individual steps of this form of meditation are explained, and practical suggestions are given for putting it into practice. • This is followed by a period of reflection, during which the Biblical and theological foundations are presented. • In the final section we show how we can look for God’s footprints in the midst of life. At the end of each chapter ideas are given for further reflection and discussion. The chapters can be read consecutively, or dipped into here or there. Looking for God’s Footprints in Practice !3 1. Walking a Biblical Path The disciples on the way to Emmaus looking for God’s footprints The steps by which we look for God’s footprints take their bearings from the Bible. They appear in many Biblical stories in some way or other. We can see them particularly clearly in the account of the meeting between the two disciples and the Risen Lord on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24, 13-35). The headings given to the four steps of looking for God’s footprints highlight the connection. • Step 1: Remember On Easter Sunday “two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all the things that had happened.” (Vs 13-14) • Step 2: Share “While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him ...” (Vs 15-24) Jesus approaches them and encourages them to tell him about their concerns. • Step 3: Discover “Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory? Then ... he interpreted to them ...” (Vs 25-27) Jesus helped them to interpret what had happened in the light of faith. However, they only discovered the meaning of his words and the events at the breaking of the bread: “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’” (Vs 28-32) • Step 4: Answer “That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. ... Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” (Vs 33-35) !4 Invitation to walk the way of the Bible Looking for God’s footprints invites us to accompany the disciples on the way to Emmaus and an encounter with God and Christ. On the way we will discover God’s footprints in our own lives. • In an introductory prayer we ask for the grace to be attentive to God’s presence in our midst. • We remember what we have experienced in our lives. • We share this with one another. • We try to discover in the light of faith what our experiences could mean, and what God is calling us to do through them. • We search for the answer we can give to God’s call. • We praise God in a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of his presence. Footprints Which elements of this “searching for God’s footprints” do I know from other incidents related in the Bible? !5 2. Introductory Prayer Searching for God’s footprints begins with an introductory prayer: “Lord, we ask you to make us attentive to your presence in our midst. Send us your Holy Spirit to teach our hearts to see and hear, and to guide our thoughts.” Being attentive to God’s presence The aim of this prayer at the beginning is to direct us inwardly to the purpose of looking for God’s footprints: We want to become aware of God’s presence and nearness to us. We believe that God always accompanies us and leads us by his Providence. Yet we think all too rarely about this in the course of the day. We can contribute something to this attentiveness by making time for God. Nevertheless we cannot just create this attentiveness; it is ultimately a gift from God. The presence of the Spirit God becomes present in our midst through the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ promised this “Spirit of truth” to his disciples, and at Pentecost he sent the Spirit as the Comforter to lead them into all that he had taught them. That is why we also pray for this Spirit, so that, unlike the disciples on the way to Emmaus, our eyes may not be blind. Our hearts have to see and hear; they have to become attentive. We pray for the Holy Spirit, so that he can guide our thoughts as we search for meaning in what we have experienced in our lives. In the community of believers Looking for God’s footprints is designed to help us to seek and find the signs of God’s presence and companionship in our lives as part of a community. To be a Christian always means being a sister or brother in the community gathered around Jesus Christ. Sisters and brothers help and strengthen one another in the faith, and make one another aware of certain experiences. They search together for God’s will and the answers to the “questions” God puts to them through the encounters of everyday life. This does not mean that I, as an individual, cannot follow the steps of searching for God’s footprints. Of course I can do so. For example, at the end of a day I can place myself in God’s presence while I look back over the day and try to discover his footprints. Yet even as an individual I am at always part of the larger community of the Church, so I search as a member of the Church. In my faith I am upheld by this community, and I also help this community when I search for God’s footprints. !6 POINTERS: • Looking for God’s footprints is geared to initiating an inner process that needs time. If we start off on this spiritual road with a community of about eight people, we will need about three-quarters of an hour for each meeting. Couples or individuals will need correspondingly less time. • It is helpful to appoint someone at the beginning to take on the position of host. He or she prompts the next step, and sees to it that the following pointers are observed. • A short period of silence before the introductory prayer helps those present to become recollected. Then the host can start the introductory prayer.