By Natalie Salameh
The Maronite Servants of Christ the Light facilitated a retreat
day for the parish of Our Lady of the Cedars in Boston on Saturday, November 21
on the theme of "Seeking His Light
in Prayer - Praying with Sacred Scripture".
Mother Marla Marie guided the participants in a Lectio Divina
(sacred reading), a traditional method of praying with sacred scripture
attributed to St. Benedict. Mother Marla Marie highlighted that when we open
the Word of God, it is his way of speaking to us, and he has something to tell
each of us, but we have to listen. Lectio Divina helps us to do just that in
four simple steps - read, reflect, pray and act.
Mother Marla Marie also spoke on the four movements of prayer,
and how the Psalms of the Old Testament capture them so beautifully. Later in
the afternoon, Sister Therese Maria guided the participants through each
movement of prayer in an hour of adoration before the Holy Mysteries, focusing
particularly on the praying of the Psalms.
We
thank the Parish of Our Lady of the Cedars and their Pastor, Msgr. Georges
El-Khali, for their warm welcome and participation.