As much as there is a need to cater to physical health and needs, so do the mind and spirit. Meditation comes in as a measure to tend to the intangible aspects of the total being. Through meditation, one gains a better understanding of themselves and has a deeper communion with God. Hundreds of meditation techniques have developed throughout the ages for such and other purposes, one of which is
. In the earlier times, Christian monks would refer to Christian meditation as “divine reading”. When doing so, the monks would read verses or passages from the Bible slowly and then reflect on their meanings.
This form of reflection- divine reading- is the earliest form of Christian meditation and it led its practitioners towards having loving thoughts of God and his greatness. Simply put, Christian meditation is a means for having a profound and concentrated communication with God. Without the need for praying beads or mantras or the execution of certain postures, Christian meditation is simply regarded as a channel to liberate the mind. Using the mind, one sets the mood to be in a contemplative prayer in Christian meditation. In its other sense, the meditation is inculcating a spiritually contemplative state of mind. Two forms of
were predominant during the 20th century- one which involves the chanting of mantras and the other is called the “Centering Prayer”.
In the first kind, entailed of the meditation is the chanting of mantras called the Maranatha, Armaic for the words “Come, Lord”. In the “Centering Prayer”, a sacred word is used to convey one’s intentions to be in the presence of God. Inherent to this form of Christian meditation is also inducing a state of being detached from one’s psychologically disturbed aspect. Within the workings of Christian meditation is the “ladder of prayer”. The ladder of prayer is the ultimate state of deep contemplation which arises from the experience of reading passages from the Bible, reflecting on them and having loving thoughts of God.
The five step path within the process of Christian meditation involves the 5 “R’s”: Ready, Read, Reflect, Respond and Resolve. This 5 step path of Christian meditation was devised by St. Theresa of Avila. The first step is “Ready” in which the mind is prepared to accept God’s presence by reflecting on one’s love, faith and devotion towards him. This is also when one asks for pardon from their sins and seek the purpose of their meditation. The next step “Read” is when the meditator reads a passage from the Bible and reflects on it. By “Reflect”, it basically means reflecting on the chosen passage and seeking answers which forces the mind to be in a deeper contemplation.
“Respond” in Christian meditation is the step in which the mind is free to initiate a dialogue with God and one freely opens the depths of their soul to God. Finally, Christian meditation culminates with “Resolve” – the stage wherein one is thankful to God for his time and for his blessings. While
is a profoundly spiritual experience, it must be taken into account that it is not a means for salvation but a mere form of spiritual discipline, a deeper kind of worship and a more intimate and profound state of being in the presence of God.
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