MOUNTAIN PLACES & PRAYER

 

 

(a mountain scape in the West)

 

 

PRAYER as THE MOUNT OF ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

 

( Before you share this reflection for yourself, or with others, you might read one or several of these scripture stories of mountain experiences: Gen 22: 1-18 (Abraham);   Exodus 3: 1-16 or 19: 1-25 (Moses);   1 Kgs 19: 7-13 (Elijah)   or in the life of Jesus: Mt 4: 8-11 (the temptations);   Mt 5:1-12 (beatitudes);   Mt. 14: 23 (prayer);   Mt. 17:1-18 (transfiguration);   Mt. 26: 30-46 (garden of olives);        Mt. 27: 32-54 (the crucifixion);    and    Mt. 28: 16-20 (the Ascension). )

　

 

Have you noticed that mountains are the places for significant moments of encounter with God in Sacred Scripture -- 'prayer moments' we can say?

 

Abraham has his Mt. Moriah;  Moses had his Mt. Sinai;  and  Elijah has his Mt. Horeb.    For Jesus, it was the mountain of temptation,  the Mount of the Beatitudes,  Mt. Tabor,  the Mount of Olives,  Mt. Calvary, and  lastly, the Mount of the Ascension.    And then, perhaps most importantly and most regularly, Jesus had his mountain places where he went often to prayer; how many times does Scripture tell us: "Jesus went up the mountain to pray." 

 

Listen to the prayer of the psalmist (Ps 43:3): "Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on and bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling place."   Think of your prayer places as your "holy mountain place" where you met God in very intimate ways, like Jesus did, and Moses and Abraham and Elijah and so many others did.    Prayer constantly draws us to that mountain place where we experience transformation,  come to deeper understandings of God,  face the struggles and decisions of life, and  ultimately,  experience our own crucifixions and deaths.

 

The great prophet, Isaiah (25: 6-9), tells us: 'On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples.   On this mountain, he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples .. Wipe away the tears from all faces … remove the reproach of his people from the whole earth."     Is this a promise from God of what he offers us in prayer in our sacred personal mountain places?