Chapter 2: Meeting God in the Moment
CHOOSING PRESENCE PP. 13-24
Overview
In Chapter 2 - Meeting God in the Moment, author Jim Heaney mentions Thomas Merton, who also explores the concept of meeting God in the present moment. Heaney explains that God's spiritual energy, accessed through stillness, allows individuals to feel God's intimate love and forgiveness, which in turn helps them forgive themselves. He emphasizes that inner traumas, guilt, and shame dissolve with this practice, fostering a sense of connectedness and preventing being trapped in past or future anxieties. The chapter highlights that God's peace is always available in the present, but many people miss it due to being preoccupied with stress and negative thoughts. Stillness is key to melting the negative ego and accessing God's peace.
The beginning of the path to finding God is awareness. Not simply awareness of the ways that you can find God, but an awareness that God desires to find you.
— James Martin, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything
Practice Presence
Practicing presence is an essential daily practice while learning and developing a regular centering and contemplative personal routine.
Begin Your PracticeThe Morning Practice
The "Morning Practice" in the Practicing Presence app is the easiest way to develop a regular practice.
Chapter 2 Summary
Review Jim Heaney's summary of "Meeting God in the Moment" to anchor your understanding of the chapter.
