CHRISTIAN MEDITATION: the personal prayer, a silent conversation with God the Father |
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In the common, the meditation is a personal practice of concentrating the mind on objects, images, thoughts (or any object). Although they can be healthy for the body, we does not treat here about methods or philosophies useful to achieve particular physical conditions or used to withdraw yourself from the world, aiming to basically ignore the outside. The Meditation we are talking about is for us something more, because it is the silent personal prayer with which the person of Faith gets to communicate directly with God. Christian Meditation, for many people incomprehensible due to its character of personal prayer and direct conversation, is a loving response to God's love, is spiritual growth which then allows us to take action and get better in relation to the world and our neighbour, to ease the pain, to help in the needs, to push to progress in the Faith. So that, in turn, everyone can recognize and love God and practice charity and virtue. The Meditation is learned standing in silence before the tabernacle, where there's the Blessed Sacrament Jesus Christ that makes us feel more of his presence, and this usually makes it easier to concentrate and think of him. For those who began the practice of meditation, as well as being close to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the surrounding silence it is essential to be able to feel His presence. REQUIREMENTS
I know of people who did lack the basics of the doctrine, but sitting or standing in silence before the tabernacle, begging an answer to their existential doubts and problems that have unexpectedly received the gift of Faith and dramacatically changed their way of life. Human wisdom:
Fortitude: one must be patient and not get discouraged, having the courage to continue praying even if he feels dry and empty inside and doubt assails him because the answers doesn't come immediately, or often not at all. Temperance the habit to not exceed in anything, which favors ignoring external stimuli, to get a favorable disposition. And then one must have received from God the gift of conscious and steadfast Faith, and work to do not lose it . METHODS There is a book by Eugene Boylan titled 'Difffiiculties in Mental prayer' that can be used to learn how to pray, given that it addresses comprehensively the difficulties that may be encountered in preparing and performing the personal prayer. Let's remember though: a) that God's ways are not usually ours b) It is useless to expect that He shall solve for us what we can do ourselves. c) the right intention is essential to pray well.
Lino Bertuzzi |
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