Paying Attention
On not entering forgetfulness
In his translation of the Lord’s Prayer from the Aramaic language, Neil Douglas-Klotz observes that the line, “Lead us not into temptation,” is perhaps the most widely mistranslated part of the prayer. A better translation is “do not let us enter into temptation.” God does not lead us into temptation. “Temptation” arises from human causes and conditions.
In the Semitic thought-world, “temptation” is understood as “forgetfulness.” Jesus is teaching us to pray that we do not enter into chronic forgetfulness. What is it that we are prone to forget? We forget God as our source and goal; our connection with God and all things in God. We might say that the fundamental temptation is the illusion of separation from God.
The petition goes on to ask that we be delivered from evil. The verb translated as “deliver” has the meaning “to free, open, release or break a restriction.” In Aramaic, “evil” connotes “unripeness” – that which is too early, too late, or so cut off from rootedness in reality that it cannot develop in a healthy way.
Taken together, the prayer is an invitation to remember our rootedness in the divine so that our lives may ripen and grow in a healthy way. This is a powerful teaching. It recognizes our capacity to forget our true identity in God and to act unripely. The first step in metanoia is to remember and to allow ourselves to ripen into the fullness of our self in alignment with our soul. This petition is about acting at the right time and place, aligned with soul-force and not simply self-will.[1]
One of the ways that we “remember” is by participating in the sacrament of Holy Communion. The words of institution at the center of the Eucharistic Prayer – “Do this for the remembrance of me” – serve to awaken us from our forgetfulness of God and realize anew our intimate connection with God and the whole creation in the sharing of the bread and the wine. This remembrance is in the service of realigning our identity and action with the sacrificial love of Jesus offered for the healing of ourselves and of the world. We remember in order to ripen.
The sacrament is a powerful, embodied means of remembrance. Given our tendency to forget, regular reception of the sacrament is a good practice to cultivate. But there are other practices that help us to avoid entering into forgetfulness. One such practice is the “examination of conscience,” traditionally developed as a means of preparation for the sacrament of reconciliation (confession). While still valid for that purpose, it is a useful practice more generally to help us remember God and become conscience of how our lives are ripening (or not).
Elizabeth Liebert, in her wonderful book, The Way of Discernment: Spiritual Practices for Decision Making, provides an updated version of the “examen.” She refers to it as the “Awareness Examen,” a tool to cultivate mindfulness of the divine invitations to love in our lives. It is usually done in the evening to review the day, but could be used to review any period of time (week, month, year) or a discreet event (such as a meeting or class). Allow 5-15 minutes for this spiritual exercise. The prayer is very flexible. Liebert suggests the following format and language, which I have adapted slightly.
1. Take a few moments in silence to center yourself and become open to God’s presence. Give thanks for all of God’s gifts
Jesus, you have been present . . .
I rejoice in . . .
2. Ask for light – invite God to help you see the day through God’s eyes
Be near now. Let us look together at my life.
Let me see through your loving eyes . . .
3. Review the day: thoughts, words, feelings, sensations, desires, actions
When did I listen to your voice?
When did I resist your voice?
4. Express gratitude, sorrow and willingness to grow
Jesus, everything is a gift from you.
I give thanks and praise for the gifts of . . .
I ask your healing in . . .
I ask forgiveness and mercy for . . .
5. Ask for the grace and guidance you desire for tomorrow
Jesus, continue to be present with me in my life each day . . .
6. Rest in God’s loving presence for as long as you desire
Cultivated as a daily practice, this exercise allows us to discern the situations that trigger forgetfulness and the patterns of “unripe” attitudes and behaviors that we have internalized. It also helps us to see the ways in which God’s healing love is operating in our hearts and in our lives. Gradually, we begin to open our hearts to the guidance of soul-force rather than self-will, and intuitively understand how to respond to people and situations in ways that are life-giving.
Kept as a daily written inventory, the Awareness Examen becomes a map of the connection between our inner life and our lived experience of the world. We may discover ways in which we need help to ripen fully, benefitting from the counsel of a wise soul friend or skilled therapist. If we are carrying burdens of guilt and shame, we can find relief in sacramental confession. We will experience metanoia, an expansion of heart and mind, as we learn to entrust our lives to the light of God’s love.
What causes you to forget your connection with God, your identity as God’s beloved child? What supports your capacity to pay attention to the divine invitations to love in your life? It is never too late to remember.
[1] See Neil Douglas-Klotz, Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus: The Hidden Teachings on Life and Death.