Anime Lectio: The Elusive Samurai

                                                           1. Why do Anime Lectio? 

Anime Lectio is a time for us to stop and take a breath. Between work, activities, family life, and social media, our minds are always moving. We rarely take time to contemplate and ask, why am I watching this anime? What’s the point of all this? And, how is this making me feel? 

2. Put away all distractions 

(phones, work, etc.)

We are so enslaved to things that stimulate our minds. Let this be a moment for us to free our minds, look inside of ourselves, and be at peace.

3. Deep Breathing

Take several deep breaths. Let your mind relax. If you’ve had any questions, desires, or struggles that you’ve been hiding or stuffing away, let them rise up to the surface. 

4. Open yourself to God’s Presence

Remember God places all our thoughts and desires inside of us, and He uses them to draw us closer to Himself. God gives us a community to help us understand who we are and what He is calling us to do. The faces of other people you know and don't know are like signs of God’s presence.  

5. Think About What’s on Your Mind in Relation to the Anime

Think about what’s been on your mind in relation to the anime.  The following is an example of such thoughts written by me. 

We all have a skill, or skills, that can help us in what we like to do, but have we ever thought about using this skill, or skills, for anything else, like for what we have to do?  What we like to do and what we have to do can be two different things, but they don't have to be - it's also better if they aren't two different things.  An interesting example of this can be seen in the series The Elusive Samurai.

6. Brief and written explanation of the anime

Pay attention to how the brief and written explanation of the anime seen on this blog, or seeing the anime for yourself since that's better than any explanation, might “speak” to you or shed light on the things that have been on your minds.

After his homeland is destroyed by someone he trusted, but wanted to actually take it over, a boy escapes with the help of an eccentric Shinto priest/god to stay with him where he lives in order to help the boy get his homeland back.  With the help of other child fighters they recruit in order to help them, as well as relying on the boy's ability to be elusive, even when fighting, the Shinto priest/god helps the boy in his fight to get his homeland back by relying on these child fighters, the boy's ability to be elusive, and his own god-like powers.

7.  Reflect on the anime

Has this brief and written explanation of the anime shed any light on what's been on your minds?  The following is an example of a reflection on the anime from me.

Fighting isn't something that we always like to do, whether it be literally or figuratively, but using your skill, or skills, meaning what you are good at and like to do, can make this fighting more enjoyable.

8. Final Prayer

Please voice any prayer intentions for friends, family, or people around the world that relate to this anime.  The following is an example written by me.

Let us pray that we can use our own skill, or skills, in a way, or ways, that we wouldn't expect, with or without the help of others.