Prayer Lesson 3

                       Prayer

                              Lesson 3
                            Meditation

Let us pray.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in the fire of your love. Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Introduction

With this lesson we look at an expression of prayer that many Catholics have not used and may not have even heard much, if anything, about. Many of those that have heard of mental prayer believe it is only for priest and religious. Yet the first two verses of the psalms tells us “ but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalms ( 1:2)”   All of us are to spend time meditating on the word of the Lord. For most of us meditation is the first step we take leading to advanced contemplation-- communion with the indwelling trinity.

What is meditation?

The Catholic Encyclopedia defines Meditation as:

a form of mental prayer consisting in the application of the various faculties of the soul, memory, imagination, intellect, and will, to the consideration of some mystery, principle, truth, or fact, with a view to exciting proper spiritual emotions and resolving on some act or course of action regarded as God's will and as a means of union with Him. In some degree or other it has always been practiced by God-fearing souls.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines meditation as:

above all a quest. The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking.

Looking at these definitions we find that the outcomes of meditation are:
     1. to come into closer union with God in the long view,
     2. and to determine a definitive action to take to lead us closer to God.

As we will see when we look at the various ways to meditate the final outcome is to resolve to do something specific about what we have been considering so that we change and grow such that are actions match our prayer.

We reach these goals by setting aside time each day to talk with God. When we pray with vocal prayer our prayers are essentially one way - from us to God. In meditation it is two way communication. By using scripture, text of the Liturgy, lives of the Saints, or other devotional materials we are able to listen to what God is saying to us and then respond.   The one thing the definitions do not state explicitly, but needs to be stated clearly is that Jesus is always the focal point of our meditation. Christ, himself tells us

He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father?'
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. (John 14: 9-11)

Whenever we meditate we are trying to come closer to the Trinity through Jesus. When we meditate we talk to Jesus about important things and things that don't seem important. We might ponder why we are here. What life is all about. What does it mean to become perfect. At other times we might discuss with the Trinity those things that don't seem important, but help us to live a more perfect life. These might include things like improving our prayer life, gaining control of our temper, spending more time helping others.

Increasing Your Understanding

Review the two definitions of meditation given above. Then prepare your own definition. Make sure your definition answers the question: Why meditate?

Methods of Meditation

There are numerous methods of meditation. We will take a look at some of the more popular methods. What is important is not the method you use, but that you are able to grow in your love of God through your time spent in meditation. St. Francis de Sales frequently told those just starting to use meditation that by meditating on Jesus their souls would be filled with His person, so that they would more and more begin to think, speak and act as He did.

A simple method

Step One

Choose a quiet space and a suitable time.

If we are to be successful the first thing we must do is to find a quiet place where we will not be disturbed. Sometimes this is not easy, but if we work at it we can find a solution. I spend several month each year in a fifth wheel. It is impossible for me to get away daily to a truly quiet place, so I use a head set and earphones to provide me with a place that is quiet except for the soft music I have in the back ground. It would be better to have total silence, but this at least keeps me from distractions other than those in my own head. Next we need a suitable time. A time when we can give total concentration to the Lord. For many of us this is early morning, but for others it might be late at nigh, or noon. Some might prefer to get up in the middle of the night. It really doesn't matter so long as you are consistent and able to give complete attention to the Trinity.

Step Two

Inwardly gather yourself together in mind and heart

The purpose of this step is to prepare to start our time of meditation by focusing heart and mind on God. This can be done in several ways. Focus on the Holy name of Jesus, some aspect of His life or His passion. The main thing is to calm your self and focus on God.

Step Three

Provide input to meditate on

Pick a passage from scripture, a devotional book, such as the Imitation of Christ, or from the lives of a saint. It should be a fairly short passage. The equivalent of 10 or 15 verses
of scripture. Read this several times slowly. If a specific phrase or word jumps out at you focus on it.

Step Four

Respond to what has been read

Meditation, unlike vocal prayer, is a conversation. It starts with our listening to God in what we have read. Then we start talking with the Lord about it. Father Dubay says “The reading, pondering, and applying prepare us for the heart of Christian meditation: adoring, loving, praising, thinking, and sorrowing with inner, quiet words. These affections of will and heart aim of meditation.” Father Dubey further reminds us that this meditation is not mere pious study about religious matters.

Step Five

The resolution

As we reach the end of our meditation we resolve to do something specific that will help us grow in our love of God. This may be something like increasing prayer time, or improving how we treat others, working to rid ourselves of some sin in our life.

Before leaving prayer time it is good to thank Him for the pleasure of communing with Him.

Lectio Divina

(Divine Reading)

“This practice will bring to the Church - I am convinced of it - a new spiritual springtime.”

This statement is from a speech by Pope Benedict XVI emphasizing the importance of the use of Lectio Divina in prayer. It is a slow meditative, sometimes even contemplative, praying of the Scriptures, which enables the Bible - the Word of God - to become a means of union with God. Lectio Divina is a method most recommended for those starting to meditate. I think there are two reasons for this. First, it helps get us more deeply involved in God's Word. Second, it is a method that can easily be modified as one grows.

The Process

Lectio - Reading/Listening

As with all forms of Christian meditation we begin by focusing on something that will bring us to God. In the case of Lectio Divina it is always some passage from Scripture. We read scripture slowly cultivating an ability to listen deeply. We are listening for the still small voice of God. It is important to enter into this phase with our minds quiet, ready to hear what God has to say to us. For this first phase to be anything more than reading of Scripture we need to read the passage we have selected slowly, several times. We are listening for the one small phrase, word or thought that is God's word for us today.

Meditatio - Meditation

Once we have found that one small phrase, word or thought that God has given us, we take it in and start to work it over in our mind. Ponder it, repeat it over and over until it has become ours. Put into your own words what it means to you. Several different ways of meditation can be used. I will discuss two here.

1. Rational way

Here we enter into the text. Become one of the people involved in the text. What are they feeling and thinking. What problems, challenges, or conflicts is the text transmitting to us. How do these problems. Etc. differ from those we have to day. How might the person in the text react? How might I react today. Is their a present situation in my life the text is making reference to?

2. Intuitive way

Here we ponder the text until we discover what it has to say to us, by looking at the experiences, ideas, feelings: what does it evoke in us, or what other texts does it take us to?

Two tasks

1. Once we understand the reading we should try to conserve it in a biblical phase. This allows us to take it into memory through repetition, and then take it from our mind to our heart.
2. We need to pay attention to the context and the person speaking. This helps us bring it into our life. Remember ultimately the person speaking through the bible is God.

Results of meditation

Our meditations provide us with:

     an opportunity to confront our preconceived idea or self image,
     to increase our self image,
     an opportunity to confront our self image,
     help to identify our weaknesses.

The meditation helps to eliminate the distance between life and the Bible. We no longer see the text as something we just happened to have read or heard, but it becomes something we have experienced.

Oratio - Prayer

Prayer, here is understood as dialogue with God. A conversation with the One who has invited us into His embrace. Talk to God just as you would any other friend, but with the added assurance that know matter what you say He is there to help. Don't worry about where the conversation goes. The word or phrase was just to get the conversation started and to provide an initial input from God. God calls on us to hold up to Him our most difficult and pain filled experiences. Quite often the word or phase you started with will be the healing word or phase needed. At other times he may give us another word or phrase to help. We should end with worship, thanksgiving, request, asking of forgiveness, or even the confrontation of God as Job or Jeremiah.

Contemplatio - contemplation

Then take time to rest in God. Become still. Picture Christ in your mind and listen. No words are necessary just be there. Anyone who has ever been in love understands what it is like to be with the one you love in loving moments when words are not necessary. Simply enjoy the experience of being in God's presence.

The Practice of Lectio Divina

Step One - Select a text

Chose a selection of Scripture that you would like to read. When you first start passages from the Gospels may work best. Later you may want to work your way through some of the other books of Scripture. The important thing is that you don't try to cover a given amount of text. The amount of text covered is in God's hands not yours. I find
sometime I only read a few verses. Other times I read 15 to 20 verses.

Step Two - Prepare yourself

Allow yourself to become quiet. Say a short prayer asking the Holy Spirit to aid you.

Step Three - Read the Scriptures

Read the scripture you have picked slowly, out loud if possible simply to become familiar with it. Read it over several times constantly listening for the word or phase that says, “I am for you today.” Most times the word or phase will not jump out at you. God is teaching us to listen to Him, to seek Him in silence. He gently reaches out to us.

Step Four - Meditate

Take the word or phase that God has given to you and repeat it slowly, over and over letting it become part of you. Let it become part of your inner world let it interact with your inner world of concerns, memories, and ideas.

Step Five - Speak to God

Let this pondering and musing of God's word lead you to a dialogue with Him. Talk to God about the thoughts you had while pondering this word. Keep in mind that He loves you and accepts you.

Step Six - Rest in God

Spend some time in silence. Listen for what God might have to say to you. If He invites you back into dialogue with Him, enter into it. If He invites you to read another passage of Scripture. Do it.

Sometimes you will spend the entire time you have allotted to Lectio Divina on just one word or phrase. At other times you will go back and read additional scriptures finding new words or phases. Remember the main goal of Lectio Divina is to be in the presence of God by praying the Scriptures.

Increasing Your Understanding

After spending sometime reviewing the two methods of meditation covered above identify the one that seems to fit you best, or what parts of each might you use. Then make a short list of the steps you intend to follow. Set a time each day for meditation. Then do it.
Always keep in mind that method is only a help. Communing with God is what is important.

Hints and Tips

You have seen two methods for meditation. There are many more. The method is not what is really important. What is important is taking time to commune with God. When you decide to start spending time in meditation pick one of the methods and use it as a guide, but do not let it control you.

Initially pick a fairly short time to spend meditating. Start with 15 to 20 minutes. As you grow in your ability the time can be expanded.

Remember meditative prayer should be calm and unhurried. One phrase may last just a few minutes or may be fruit for a week of meditation.

When describing the methods of meditation thinking and dialogue are frequently mentioned, but it is important to remember that love is the heart of communion.

Remember that communing with God consists of numerous types of affectivity including but not limited to: praising,sorrowing, yearning, thanking, and petitioning.

Pay comparative little attention to the method you are using. Let the Holy Spirit lead you.

When you find yourself united to God in a simple loving attention or yearning, the method should be left aside. You have attained what you meant to bring about.

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