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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Meditation


This is Christian meditation.  I think most people think of Buddhist meditation when one speaks of
"meditation," but that's not my personal experience.  I've found Christian meditation beneficial chiefly because I'm confident I'm aligning myself to God's will, in addition to the physical and mental benefits of meditation.

It consists of at least two daily periods of meditation, while also reciting a prayer word.  My prayer word is Jesus.  The meditation leads me to want to do other types of prayer, i.e., rosary, Lectio Divina, novenas, extemporaneous prayer ejaculations, pious reading, etc.

Think of a bicycle wheel.  The two periods of meditation are the hub and the tire rim.  All the spokes are all the other types of prayers your wheel may spin to bring you into the realities of your life.

The meditation is silent.  Difficult? At first it is, but give yourself a couple of months of 10 to 15 minutes of quiet and soon you will look forward to it.  It settles me in the morning.  It's like that last nursing of the baby before sleep.  Ah-h-h, peace.

Internally, I continue to pray my prayer word, Jesus, all day.  The prayer word begins my silent times.  Sometimes I imagine internally saying that one prayer word my entire quiet time.  Don't judge the meditation by what happens during the meditation, rather judge the meditation by what gradually begins to happen in your life.  I bet you'll find yourself calmer and just more prepared to handle craziness.

All it takes is commitment.  The benefits are palpable.  Can you do it?

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