|
|
|
|
|
|
Spiritual GPS
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
S0, YOU WANT TO MEDITATE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are many ways to converse with God. Different spiritual leaders
and communities have various methods of making meditations or
mental prayer. It is really simple and enjoyable and I am sure that after
you try it you will be wanting to do more. Basically, we want to place
ourselves in the presence of God, trying to keep distractions at a
minimum and have just the time alone with God - a very satisfactory
thing.
As mentioned above, there are many helps toward mental prayer or
meditation. Many orders have their ways of using prayer. If you are
familiar with them and enjoy them keep up the good work. For those
who are beginners or just starting to enjoy this method of mental
prayer you might find a few notes to possibly help you get started.
These notes are from one of the old guides used many years ago in a
book written by Father Dominic Phillips. The method goes back many
years, to a time of St. Francis de Sales given in his book
"INTRODUCTION TO A DEVOUT LIFE". Even if a person has already
been trained in or accustomed to some other method of meditation it
is hoped you might find some practical help from these notes.
1) PREPARATION: Do this my making certain acts which dispose us
for conversing with God/e.g. acts of faith in his presence, adoration,
humility, etc. Mental prayer should be merely some form of simple
childlike conversation with Our Father Who is in heaven. Hence at the
very outset of the meditation itself, we should try to recall as vividly as
possible the fact of the abiding presence of God to whom we are
about to speak. This we can do by representing Him to ourselves as
existing everywhere, filling the heavens and the earth, or by
considering Him as present in our souls by His grace, furnishing us
with supernatural life, thinking of Him in the Blessed Sacrament. Next
we ask Him for His Divine help to make the meditation.
2) CONSIDERATION: A simple way to understand this is to, for
example, present to our will and understanding the crib at Christmas,
or the passion on Calvary. Reflect on it. Some might ask themselves
questions about the subject under review. Who is it that suffers?
What does He suffer? How was He tortured? Where is all this taking
place? Who is there? Was I there? Was I instrumental in causing this?
I think for this short list of questions you might get the idea. The
major part of the time is spent considering the scene, the virtue, or
the dogma of the Church in this way. As you continue to observe the
scene take time out to say a prayer of adoration, petition or sorrow,
what ever the situation might lead you to do. After the consideration,
you make a resolution concerning that about which you just
meditated. In general it will have some bearing upon the correction of
evil inclinations, bad habits or the removal of certain dangers
besetting our way to holiness of life: I must love God Better - I must
serve Him more faithfully, etc.
3) THANKSGIVING: We must never forget to thank God for all the
good thoughts and the giver of all good gifts - our chief helper in the
exercise of prayer. The more we thank God, the more we might
receive the next time from the giver of all good gifts as we petition Him
to help us keep our resolution we just made.
©2009 Fr. Louis Schlangen
|
|
|
|
|
