“Meditation is simply the gentle and gradual change of direction. The change of heart that comes in to stop thinking of yourself and to be open to God, to the wonder of God, to the glory of God and to the love of God.” – Moment of Christ
Lent is a time to deepen or renew our prayer and relationship with God. One way we can do this is to add Christian Meditation, a prayer of silence, stillness, and simplicity, to our day. Christian Meditation dates to the 3rd and 4th centuries with the early Desert Mothers and Fathers. The nature of this prayer is to prepare and participate. Preparation requires one to remove noise and distractions and be still. Participation happens when you keep the silence and stillness and clear your mind of your thoughts using a mantra when necessary. In today’s Wellness Wednesday post, we learn about focusing our attention on God through Christian Meditation, finding stillness and peace, and resting in the presence of our Lord.
Try this:
- Sit still and upright with your back straight.
- Place both your feet flat on the floor or legs crossed if sitting on the floor.
- Place your hands in your lap facing either upwards or downwards.
- Close your eyes lightly.
- Be aware of your normal breathing pattern for a minute or two as you clear your mind.
- Silently, interiorly, begin to say your sacred prayer word or mantra “ma-ra-na-tha” in four equal syllables.
Father Main recommended using the word ‘marantha’ as the sacred prayer word or mantra. It is an Aramaic word Jesus spoke meaning, ‘Come Lord’ found in the scriptures. Because it is in a foreign language it tends not to conjure up images during meditation as we sit in stillness and silence allowing the Spirit who dwells within to speak in our hearts.
- Listen to the sound of your sacred word as you say it, slowly, intently and continuously.
- If thoughts come, keep returning to simply saying the word.
- Maintain this stillness for the entire period of the meditation.
Ask yourself, there is no wrong answer:
Since practicing Christian Meditation, how has your relationship with God changed?
Connecting to our faith:
“I think of meditation as simply just resting in the arms of our loving Saviour. I think of an image of Jesus hugging the children. To me, meditation provides a time for them to be hugged and to be one with their God.” – Most Reverend Gerard Bergie Bishop of Saint Catharines
Further learning:
Adult Book:
Christian Meditation: Your Daily Practice by Fr. Laurence Freeman, OSR
Children’s Book:
Meditate with Me: The Quest to Christ by Brian Cimins
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